Motorola L2

The Motorola L2 is quite similar to the well-known SVLR L7. However, unlike its music-minded counterpart, the L2 is all about business. Although you won't find a built-in camera in the L2, its world phone capabilities make it a must for anyone in the corporate world who doesn't mind giving up minor functions that some higher end phones may offer. In addition, not only is it easy to use, but it is priced lower than most phones in its category.

The L2 offers a sleek, slim design that is both eye catching and functional. It measures in at 4.4 inches by 1.9 inches by 0.4 inches, and weighs a mere 3 ounces, which is close to the size and weight of the L7. It can easily be placed in your pocket or briefcase for quick and easy use without being too heavy or bulky. Although the phone's size and weight may be attractive, there are some issues that users may find with the keypad. Unlike the L7's flat keypad, the L2 features an attractive, yet awkward, V-shaped pad that has actual, raised buttons. The keys may look good aesthetically, but they can be hard to use if you are looking to quickly and easily tap them as you would if you were using the L7. Other issues include the fact that there is no slot included in the phone for a flash memory card and, to change the phone's volume, you must use the button on the left spine to scroll through each level until you find the one you want. If you are looking for an attractive, colorful display, then the L2 probably isn't for you. For a phone touted as one that is perfect for business use, the display is weak and the colors look quite washed out compared to other phone's displays. In addition, users will find that there is a lack of EDGE support in the handset. You will still find GPRS, but for users who plan to surf the web, it can end up being a slow and tedious task.

One area that the phone definitely scores in is its capabilities for chatting worldwide. The built-in Bluetooth technology wonderfully supports object-push; hands free and dial-up networking profiles. Many users will be impressed with the L2's 12 messaging features. Included in the phone are SMS/MMS messaging, as well as ICQ, AIM, and the popular Yahoo Instant Messenger. Its email client is able to connect to, and sync with, AOL, MSN Hotmail, Yahoo mail, and AIM accounts. The only problem is that the phone does not support corporate email accounts for POP/IMAP email accounts. You can easily send information to colleagues using the using the one-touch Push-to-Talk over Cellular, or PoC feature. You can use the L2 to send multimedia messages that combine images, voice, sounds, and also animated icons. It was mentioned that the raised keypad has a tendency to be hard to use if you like to be able to easily tap them. However, when it comes to sending messages, some users might actually prefer the feel of the raised keys while typing messages. You can seamlessly use the phone whether you are at home or at the office. L2 users can easily configure what is referred to as a smart key' in order to quickly access the phone's features. Both personal and business contacts can be easily updated on the L2. All you have to do for this update is plug in, and you can sync your date book and phonebook in no time flat.

There are many calling features offered with the L2, which could be the phone's saving grace. Options include 3-way conference calling, a speakerphone, and speed dialing. There is also an address book included that can hold 500 entries. However, be warned that looking for a contact in the address book could be very slow considering the phone often lists each contact's email address and phone number as separate entries. Using the L2 to surf the web ha gotten mixed reviews. The WAP 2.0 web browser can open various web pages in a fairly quick manner. However, since the data connection is GPRS-only, scrolling through the content on various web pages can be slow. Unfortunately this is a problem that cannot be fixed since there is no slot for adding additional RAM. Making calls with the L2 is simple and the quality of those calls is fine. One good thing about the L2 is its exceptional battery life. With the L2 you can expect to have close to 5 hours of talk time on one battery charge. The standby time for the L2 is a reasonable 14 days. Charging the phone can be easy as long as you have a charger and/or your computer handy. When traveling with the L2, you need not worry about bringing a travel charger with you if you are already bringing your laptop. There is an optional USB cable that can be purchased for such instances. Use the cable to plug the L2 into your laptop and the phone will charge.

If you are looking for a phone with a great music player, you are better off choosing the aforementioned L7. However, those of you who aren't concerned with having a top-of-the-line music player in your phone will be content with what the L2 has to offer. Included is a basic media player that can handle both MP3s and videos. You can use the integrated Bluetooth technology to send music from your computer to your phone for use as ring tones. But, be aware, there is only 10MB of memory for use with the media player. Since it has been mentioned several times that you cannot expand on the phone's memory, the amount and length of songs you can download to the L2 is small. With the L2, you are given the option of downloading additional ring tones, screensavers, and wallpapers for your phone. There is also an option for playing preloaded games, or downloading any games that aren't included.