Motorola Rapture VU30 Review

Introduction:

Since the RAZR2 V9m was discontinued by Verizon this summer, Motorola has been filling the gap in its product line with new devices.  First was the W755, which does not live up to the quality of the V9m, and then the Krave ZN4 touchscreen phone.  Now comes the Rapture VU30, as it is positioned above the W755 and offers more features while at a reasonable price-point.  Its main competition is the Samsung Gleam and LG Chocolate 3, as all are designed and priced for the consumer who is looking for a mid-level device with some extra features.

The retail package includes the Motorola Rapture phone, 950mAh battery with cover, wall charger and user manual.

Design:

The Rapture is a flip phone and is slightly thicker than the V9m, but is easier to hold, due to the more rounded edges.  It is constructed out of plastic, with dark blue used on flip and keypad.  Unfortunately, the build quality is lacking, as it feels cheap and plasticy, not even coming close the quality metal used on the V9m.



You can compare the Motorola Rapture VU30 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

The front features a 1.6” diagonal 120x160 pixel display, with the corners being touch-sensitive (for use with the music player and camera).  Located on the left side are the volume rocker, speakerphone button, and microUSB port, with the camera, voice command, and sliding lock button on the right.  The 2MP camera and external speaker are located on the back, and the battery cover has to be removed to access the microSDHC memory card.  One feature users might overlook is the 2.5mm headset jack, as it is poorly located on the bottom edge.



The flip opens and closes smoothly, but does produce noticeable creaking sounds, which are not present on the Chocolate 3, W755, or V9m.  The internal display is a reasonable size 2.2” diagonal QVGA TFT, similar to the one used on the V9m.  Both have sharp contrast and are easy to view, but will become more difficult to see while in direct sunlight, which is a common problem on most Verizon phones of this class.  The bottom flip features a newly designed keypad, with small metal pads used below the numbers, providing greater feel with your thumb.  The circular d-pad is also metal, and has a blue coating on it, but is slightly smaller than the one used on the V9m. 

Software:

The menu layout is identical to the W755, with categories for media center, messaging, contacts, recent calls, and settings & tools.  However, only 3 themes are included (classic, slick black and vapor) which are 2 less than the W755.  Out of these choices, the slick back and vapor themes looked the best, but they do have some on-screen lag while using the d-pad.  There is also the option to have the main menu layout changed between tab, list, and grid view.

The Phonebook allows up to 1000 entries to be stored, each with their Name, Mobile 1, Home, Work, E-Mail 1, Group, Picture, Ringtone, Mobile 2, Fax, and E-Mail 2.  After a contact is saved, you can assign them to one of 99 speed-dial locations.


One nice feature on the Rapture VU30 is the 2MP camera, allowing you can take pictures with the flip open or closed.  When it is in the closed position, the external display is used as the viewfinder, and has touch-sensitive icons in the corners for the zoom and changing between portrait and landscape mode.  What’s surprising is that images taken outside during the day have good detail and color representation, equaling that of the V9m, which is actually better than the more expensive Krave.  Images taken indoors don’t fair as good, with them having less detail and noticeable grain being shown.  A flash is also lacking; meaning low-light images are impossible to take. 

Camera settings:
Resolution:  1600x1200, 1280x960, 640x480, 320x240, Picture ID
Self Timer:  Off, 3 sec, 5 sec, 10 sec
Brightness:  -2, -1, 0, +1, +2
White Balance:  Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Darkness
Shutter Sound:  Shutter, Silent, Quack, Boing
Color Effects:  Normal, Antique, B&W, Negative
Fun Frame:  9 choices
Switch Storage Device:  MicroSD card, Phone



Another area where the Rapture is identical to the W755 and V9m is with the included music player, as all three have the same outdated user interface.  But this is where the similarities end, as the playback quality of the Rapture was not as good.  Voices and strings have a “tin can” sound to them, and no bass could be heard.  Also, when turning the volume to high, noticeable distortion and rattling in the speaker is produced.  Because of this, we’d recommend using a Stereo Bluetooth headset or wired earbuds to achieve higher quality music playback.  When the flip is closed, you can use the touch-sensitive areas on the display to play, pause, rewind, and fast-forward.  Those looking for the best music-phone should consider the Chocolate 3, as it has a more advanced player and allows you to listen to music while performing other functions.


Other software features include Mobile Web 2.0, VCast Music downloads, VCast Video streaming, and VZ Navigator for GPS guided directions.  You can also download a wide variety of games and other programs using the Media Center.  Applications open fast and there is no noticeable delay when using them.  The only problem that we encountered (just like with the W755 and V9m) was when using the Mobile Web program and going to large HTML sites, such as PhoneArena.com.  The page would stop partway during download and display an “insufficient memory” error message, causing us to view the page without most graphics.  When going to smaller sites (Google) or WAP pages, the browser was able to work without problem.

A total of 67MB of internal memory is included, with almost 32MB used out of the box, leaving only 35MB available to the consumer.  This is almost 30MB less available memory than on the W755, which is puzzling to us since the Rapture is a step above.  But unlike the W755 that can only use 4GB memory cards, the Rapture is capable of using 8GB cards, allowing it to hold twice the data for MP3s and pictures.

Performance:

The reception on the Rapture was excellent and equal to that of the W755 and V9m, but not as good as the Krave.  Despite this, we were still able to place and receive calls in most fringe areas.  Call quality was better than we experienced with the W755, but still below the V9m, Krave, and Chocolate 3, as voices didn’t sound as clear and natural.  The earpiece volume also had to be turned to the highest setting during most conversations.  Using the speakerphone was a bit of a disappointment, as it produced the same “tin can” sound as when used for music playback.

The included 950mAh battery is rated by Motorola to have 4.5 hours of talk time or 19 days of standby time on a full charge.  Our testing showed a more realistic 4 hours of talk time on a full charge.  This is to be expected, as the battery is only 10mAh more than the one included with the W755.

Conclusion:

The Motorola Rapture is a tough sell, as it doesn’t quite replace the V9m in terms of construction and voice quality.  Still, it is a nice improvement over the W755 in several areas, including the call quality, camera, and appearance.  Those looking for a mid-level phone at a modest price should consider the Rapture, as the next step up is the Chocoalte 3 and more expensive Krave.