Motorola W490 User Reviews

So I've had my new phone (the Motorola W490) for about a week now and I think its time to make a review on it.

List of features with reviews.

Digital Audio Player App (Music Player, MP3, AAC, AAC+, AAC+ formats supported)
*Pretty good, you need the MicroSD card to use this feature I believe, they aren’t too expensive to buy. My only complaint is that you cant “hide” this app like you can through the sound feature. The playlist function is pretty cool on this and the volume on it is moderate, if you like to turn up your music enough to make your ears bleed you can’t with this. Although it gets loud enough to block out noise around you*
MicroSD card slot
*Very awesome, you can get a 1gb MiniSD card for the phone and have about as much storage on it as a small Ipod. You can store pictures (which go straight to the pictures section on your phone) videos (same) and Music (goes to the “sound” and the “digital audio player app”) The MiniSD cards aren’t very expensive. I bought a 3 in 1 pack (comes with the MicroSD card and two addapters that you can put the microSD card into to make it a MiniSD or SD card) for 25 dollars at the T-Mobile store*
7.5 hours ( 450 mins) of Talk
*I haven’t tested this yet but I’m pretty sure its true*
336 hours ( 14 days) of Stand-by time (on but not in use)
*That is AMAZING*
Camera
1.3 megapixels Resolution
Video Recording
Digital Zoom
*The camera is pretty nifty, I’ve heard people say that the megapixels and colors are off, but it’s a cell phone camera, not a 500 dollar top of the line camera. As far as I’ve seen it is a great camera. Its got tons of shooting modes and color modes (color, black and white, antique, bluish, redish, greenish.) The video recording is pretty good too. I havent had much time to shoot videos but what I did it was pretty good A lot of people have complained about not being able to take pictures of themselves with the phone closed, sorry but as far as features are concerned, that’s not important in a phone. So you can’t take vanity shots of yourself. If you really want to have a picture put up on your myspace you can ask someone else to take it. Otherwise, I’m sure nobody would miss your typical emo myspace pictures.*
Video Playback
*I actually put a music video on this phone and its very cool, you can play it full screen and it goes sideways. Very nice to watch clips on. I’m pretty sure you could put a whole movie or what not on there, but why would you want/need to?*
IMing (yahoo, ICQ, aim, & MSN)
*The Iming is much easier to do on this compared to my previous phone, a RAZR. So far I’ve been on yahoo, aim and msn. All which are pretty easy to use. I do like that you can not save your password. And you can also change your display name on the MSN chat. You can’t put a custom away message on the aim as far as I’ve found.*
Email (aim, aol, yahoo, comcast, compuserve, earthlink, gmail, hotPOP, juno, mac, netzero, verizon)
*I havent used this feature yet due to not using email a whole lot. I do admit I am dissapointed that there was no Hotmail/Live on there. Gmail got pluses with me though.
USB connect ready (you don't have to buy Phone Tools, you just need the right USB cable)
*you can choose to have the default be the phone (for importing contacts) or the memory card (pictures, video & sound) It also charges your phone when its plugged into an active computer. The charge feature is a great thing for me because if I lose my charger/leave it at home. Most people have a computer and the standard small USB cable*
Bluetooth ready
Airplane Mode (turns off connection to satalites so you can listen to the MP3 player/look at photos without actually having the the phone connect)
*this is pretty useful in hospitals as well as airplanes.*
Voice Recording
Tools
Calculator
Calender
Alarm Clock
Voice Dial/Fixed Dial
Web Access (you have to pay extra for it)
World Clock
*The World Clock is an awesome feature for an add on.*
Games & Apps
*still can’t figure out how to delete the default games that came with it, without having to delete all of them.*
Sounds
*This is an alternative to the Digital Audio Player, you can hide it in the background so you can IM/Text AND listen to music unlike the Digital Audio Player.*
Message Center
Picture Message Ability
Templates for both Text & Picture messaging
*Standard on most phones now, no complaints*
Phonebook
Picutre/Ringtone customization for each person when stored in phone book vs. sim card
*I wish you could store them to the Memory Card as not to lose any numbers if the phone breaks but oh well.*
Pictures
*Decent storage, only made better by using a 1gb Mini SD card. Pretty good default pictures that come with the phone.*
Other Features
Speakerphone
*Speakerphone is crystal clear and super loud. Pretty good if you ask me*

Get this phone. Really wanted the Nokia 5300 but went through 3 phones that all froze or had major problems. Finally upgraded to this phone and love it.

I bought this phone two weeks ago, in purple, when my nokia 5300 broke and T Mobile wouldn't help replace it (even while it was under warranty/I had insurance.)

So far I've been pretty pleased with the phone. I haven't had any problems with freezing, dropped calls, or the battery life. I've only had to charge it a few times since I purchased it, and I use it quite a bit.

The only problems I've had are with the layout of the messaging. I think it's me, though. I'm still not used to it. Another issue I've had is accessing the web. For some reason, the browser always tells me, "You do not have access to the site _____.com." That's okay, as the mobile web feature isn't too important. I haven't used the music player, and don't really intend to.

So far, for a 150 dollar phone, I'm impressed. I bought my nokia 5300 for nearly twice as much and had problems with it starting the day after I got it, and now that I have a perfectly functioning phone, I feel spoiled.

I love this phone. At first, I was clueless on puttin stuff on it. But I got a memory card and I get stuff. The only problem is videos. I download videos, but they dont play on my phone. I download it to the phone. When I go to my videos, on my phone, there's no video. I don't get it. Other than that, this phone it great.

I just got this phone yesterday after having a Razr for the last 2 years. I would definately take this phone over the razr anyday. The camera has better quality and effects. Also, the MP3 player is great. Another aspect is that the phone will play MP4 videos, so if you have any good clips you can save them on your Sd card and watch them. Overall, I am really impressed so far.

I LOVE this phone! The camera could be a little more clear, but it's better than most phones I've seen! Speaker phone is gr8, and so easy 2 txt! i don't know why people are complaining! The signal isn't always strong either. otherwise, it's the best phone 2 have!
PS: I don't really have the phone, I just based this mostly off my friend's opinions.

After 7 weeks the keypad began to stick (#'s 4, 7, and the volume control). T-Mobile wanted to charge $10 for shipping to get it fixed. I went directly through Motorola and they paid the shipping and fixed the phone for free.

I really like this phone. (previous enjoyed a Mote Razr V3).

Style, size, quality, colors, call clarity, talk-time, comfort & quad band - are all excellent. My only gripe is I cannot use the speaker-phone with the phone closed - this may not be an issue for some users.

This is a quality, high-end phone - at a bargain price.

Well done - Motorola!

I was very disappointed with the RAZR and I'm pretty loyal to Nokia, so getting this W490 was a gamble for me. So far, I have been very impressed with this phone. It has the best sound quality I have ever heard and amazing battery life. I like the MP3 feature, but I have to say that just the sound and battery life alone have made me very happy. The screen is a bit smaller than most, but the camera is of good quality and takes nice, clear pictures. This phone is pretty durable and the pin hinge seems stong. Overall, I really like this phone. If Motorola keeps making phones of this quality or better, I'll stick with them rather than Nokia.

You are the one that should read before posting stupid things. People are complaining about the backlight and not the display timeout. The back light has settings for 20 seconds max.....look in your settings. It is in initial setup, there is a choice for 5, 20 or 20 seconds. The display timeout is a whole other feature.
Yhis wa sin responce to the comment below:
"For all those complaining about 20 sec display timeout go to Settings > Initial Setup > Display Timeout. There you can increase the timeout. And for the future ... RTFM before posting stupid things."

I was torn between this phone and the krzr. I also looked at the slider and one of the samsung slider music phones.

I chose this one partly because of the bad things I heard about the krzr software (freezing and slowness) as well as the price difference (about 50 bucks).

I am not a heavy cell phone user, but I always like to have it on me so that my family can get hold of me if needed. I also wanted something that had a music capability, and could take decent pictures.

Pros: This phone feels like it is solidly built. Some of the other phones I looked at felt cheap, like they would fall apart if not handled carefully. The sound quality is better than any of my previous phones (not that I have had many). I can easily put my music on it without any problems, which is nice. It has a very good feel to it, so using it as a phone is nice. It isn't too small or too big. Keys are easy to reach and have a good feel to them. I really like using voice commands. The ones on this phone take a bit of getting used to, but they are excellent, and the phone recognizes my voice very easily.

Cons: 20 second backlight time out can be a pain, but isn't too bad. No games, just a couple of demos that you can't delete. No FM radio, which is something I wanted. That is a shame because I like listening to some Patriots radio shows. The camera is only 1.3 MP, while the krzr is 2.0, but is still much better than my old Nokia which is a fairly crappy camera with no zoom (this one has an 8X zoom). Unsure if it really has a stereo bluetooth capability, some say it does and others say no. Also to use this with your computer you pretty much have to buy the Motorola apps, which are nice, but you shouldn't have to buy.

All in all a great phone if what you want is a phone with a decent camera and a decent music player. If you want more you should probably look at a specialized phone or a smart phone. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a nicely designed phone that is a bit unique and does quite a few things nicely. Better than the Razr (not the razr2) and the Krazr overall, but doesn't have quite as many features. Next I will save my pennies for a nice Linux OS smart phone like the Razr2

Good reliable inexpensive cell (got it free).

If you want bells and whistles, cameras and music, emails and internet browsing, GPS and videos, this is not your phone.

If you want a good phone with solid "phone-like" features and extended battery life, this IS your phone. Thank you Motorola for those of us that want a cellphone that is... a cellphone.

My phone highest volume is 7, and can't change it to higher, does anyone know how change it? email plz at lgblax98@hotmail.com The 20 sec issue is really bad. Other than that, I kindda like the phone.

I love this phone, I got it on a whim and didn't do any research but im glad i stumbled across this phone. At first I was decieved by the look i could have sworn it was like the razor 2 or something the design is nice and its very comfortable to carry and hold. Sound Quality is really really good, pictures are average, and wire less capabilites are top notch. The Digital Player is very easy to use, especially for someone who is phone dumb like myself. Not having to charge it every night is really conveinent, and typing txt messages with Itap is the fastest i've ever done it. The Voice command system is amazing and extremely accurate!!! The only thing I dont like, is I dont get amazing reception a call would never drop but from time to time sound choppy and distant, and bars are hardly ever full.

I have had the Motorola W490 for about two weeks now. The phone has great signal, features and a great design. There are not many phones that are as durable as the Motorola W490 and still looks stylish. This phone has a nice clear screen which makes the phone alot more enjoyable. The battery on this phone lasts along time which is good for someone like me that talks on the phone alot. Overal this phone is a great phone and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a spectacular phone!

ok, i love everything about the phone except 2 things; both pertaining to the email client on the phone. i'll mention what i love first. i love the purple metallic color. it is a beautiful shade of purple. it also has some cool features like world clock where i can see what time it is in another country. it has airplane mode, and many features that the razr doesn't have. the sound quality is great and so is the handsfree headset that comes with the phone. i love the size; it fits in the hand really well, but i wish it was as thin as the razr. it also comes with the coolest wallpaper. about the email, it has what is called an email client, instead of email thru t-zones. it takes a long time to load and you get charged .15 for every email read and/or sent from the phione. it even charges you to reread one you've already read. it overrides tzones, so even if you have unlimited tzones or tmobile web, you cannot get your free email thru tzones. a phone will have either one or the other, but not both. if you have the "new and improved" way to get email, you cannot get t-zones, and it is not improved. it takes forever to load and costs money. i am so disappointed with this. tzones loads my inbox in 2 seconds (on other phones), and there is no extra charge. the other problem is that the email notifications do not work. tech support couldn't get it to work either. if anyone else has experienced this problem, please email me at mermaid1111@msn.com. also about everyone compalining about the backlight only lasting 20 seconds, there is no way to extend that time. 20 seconds is the max. the person advising to go in to settings to extend it, is referring to the display timeout, not the backlight. that can be changed from one minute to 2 minutes but 20 minutes is max for the backlight. i kind of lovethe phone, but the email siituation is a problem for me. can someone please test out the email alerts and see if they work on your phone? i was told there is no charge for notifications, please let me know if anyone else has this problem. i don't know if my phone is defective, or if that feature doesn't work on any w490.

Just got the phone a couple days ago and I'm okay but not pleased as expected. Have not got the time to test all the features but a few complainings are: the shell design looks kind of low level, the 20 seconds black screen is annoyed. I've customized the timeout minute but the max backlight time is 20 seconds so that it will still turn to black every 20 seconds. Plus the display screen and the camera screen are getting dirty FAIRLY easily. By the way I'm having the purple one. If you are not picky for a great looking phone like me, it values for the money with a solid feature set.

I just got the w490 the day it came out at a T-Mobile store in NYC.
Comparing it to others it was alongside it had every feature, point for point of the RAZR/RIZR/KRZR that I would ever condier useful and was $49 as an upgrade as compare to $100-$150 of the others.

I don't know what that one poster is talking about this phone bieing too big?? Are you nuts? It's smaller in dimensions than any of the RAZR or its offspring...sometimes I actually freak out that I lost it 'cause I can't even feel it in my pocket!

Alost everything in the phone is cutomizable (including the screen timeout length lol!!!)

..and the battery last forever!

One complaint I have is that the txt preview options only allow you to view the message list by 'name' or 'subject', so you can either see a list of names, or a list of broken sentences, but whichever you choose you still have to open the message to be sure what's from who...kind of annoying since my crappy 2-yo Samsung gave a concise preview of the caller and message.

Another gripe is that the descibed 'Self Portrait" feature, which is supposed to activate when you hit the camera key with the flip closed, does not seem to work.
Anyone else having this problem?

If they can update the software to fix the txt preview and sort out the self-portrait feature....I'd have nothing basd to say about this phone.

For all those complaining about 20 sec display timeout go to Settings > Initial Setup > Display Timeout. There you can increase the timeout. And for the future ... RTFM before posting stupid things.

I upgraded to this phone and am very disappointed. The display times out in 20 seconds and the keys are so stiff. While you're trying to connect to the web the screen goes black. you have to keep hitting a key to keep the display on. Don't like it..plus it quite big..my last samsung was much smaller. The only plus is it has good quality sound.
I still would not have got this phone if I knew about the display. Also I don't get a good signal but I guess that's Tmobile.

No phone is perfect, I do wished the back light stayed on longer, then again I wished phones didnt break...If I had my way, I'd design the perfect phone with a coffee pot and a port-o-potty. So besides the fact that it is not perfect... I love the phone...This has been such a fun phone for me, I love the 2G chip I put in it, I had to buy an mp3 converter for my music, but that was easy to figure out, then I had a usb cable that fit the phone, it was the one from my sons PSP, I plugged in the phone into the computer and information came up for down loading the proper software for the phone. Now when I plug in my phone to my PC, a file comes up just like my flash drive with 3 folders in it, Music, Photos and Video, I just drag and drop my music in the music file, photos in the photo file (havent done video yet) and wa-laa, its that easy, all the music and photos are now on my phone, I can use the music as my Ring Tones, As my Alarm music, which by the way plays the whole song before it goes int snooz mode. I dont have to buy Megatones or HiFi ringers anymore. I love that part, I think the keys are really user friendly (lots of keys to program to do what you want them to do). I can use my downloaded pictures as the pic that comes up when people call.
The signal is great where I live, the Color is much better in real life than in the photos on the internet. Its very metalic and I normally dont like purple, but its awesome. I think for the money, its the best phone I've purchssed so far. I hope this one lasts..

hi i dont know how to do this. my friend or so i heard that i can put music on my w490 how?! i have bought a sd micro memory card. so now what? please help me..

im going to get it as an upgrade this friday im thinking about this or the razr that is 10 bucks more. which should i get?

it's a step up from the krzr. It's much more stable and has less freezing and white screen errors like the krzr. The W490 and the krzr are practically the same phone except for the fact that the krzr has a glass housing and the W490 is more black plastic, but other than that...the battery life is excellent.

The only thing I'm not too fond if is that since I like to mod my moto phones, the W490 isn't recognized by most modding software and even with the proper drivers, the applications either freeze or don't recognize the phone, probably because it's still too new

Many features on this phone I love. I love the sound and I have really sensitive hearing, so this is a winner in this dept. I'm figuring out it's particular texting style, can't say that I love it but I suppose I'll get used to it.

One thing I hate...the front screen does not indicate that that you have a missed call or text message after a few seconds. I have to keep hitting the side buttons...grrrrrrr.