Motorola Z10 review

Motorola Z10 Review

Reviewed by: Andrew Lim

Reviewed on: 9 June 2008

Performance
In under 15 minutes, we shot a quick video in the office and uploaded it to YouTube without needing to touch a PC. The Z10 did crash once during the process, but we've been assured by Motorola that it's looking into why the Z10 crashes at all.

The bendy design looks cool but we wonder if Motorola is compromising space that could be better used for the keypad

Shooting pictures with the Z10 is straightforward and there's barely any shutter lag, which is a refreshing change from the often sluggish interface. The quality of pictures is definitely better than video but due to the lack of a xenon flash, subjects will not be illuminated well in low light if they're further than a few metres away.

Browsing the Web over HSDPA isn't fantastic using the Z10's browser but you can install Opera Mini, which makes it much more enjoyable to use. Equally enjoyble is ShoZu that comes pre-installed and lets you upload pictures and video to various sites including Facebook and YouTube.

The Z10's music player isn't the most intuitive we've ever used, but it does let you set your music to shuffle and create playlists. Sound quality is good; unfortunately, you can't use your own headphones as there's no built-in 3.5mm jack or adaptor.

The Z10 impressed us the most with its sound quality during calls: very clear and loud. While many phones sound okay, the Z10 was noticeably audible even in loud environments, which is something you can't say for all phones.

Battery life lasted for over two days depending on how much we used HSDPA and all the Z10's other features. It's not the most power hungry phone out there, but you'll want to monitor your battery life if you're going to use it to watch a film.

Conclusion
We really wanted to like the Motorola Z10 because it looks great and is refreshing change from Motorola's initial obsession with clamshell phones. Unfortunately, the software doesn't hold it up and the keypad could be easier to use. Its saving grace, to some extent, is that the audio quality during calls is superb.

If good audio quality isn't enough for you, then this phone will be a disappointment. You may want to consider the LG Secret, which is another slider that boasts HSDPA, or the Nokia N95 8GB that packs a larger screen for viewing films.

Edited by Shannon Doubleday