Ghibli
11-10-2003, 09:59 AM
I managed to get hold of a Motorola E380 today, here's a review of this interesting clamshell-candybar phone.
Design
This is the phone's primary selling point. Basically a candybar phone with a flip that's hinged at the top, I must say that it isn't very ergonomical. Firstly, when open, the angle of the flip is such that it cannot sit comfortably on the face, like when you are having a call. Also, the design makes it hard to close with one hand. However, one useful function is the ability to see the display when the flip is closed, as it is translucent, which is useful for incoming calls. The front colour bezels are also interchangeable.
Size & Build quality
The E380 is very light, despite its average size and folder mechanism. Build quality is quite poor, it creaks and feels very plasticky, despite the attractive silver finish. The folder mechanism looks solid, but is not spring loaded and feels flimsy.
Display
The E380 uses 4,096-colour 96*64 pixel STN screen, which is really too small for a multimedia phone. It is the same display as in the C350. Basically, the screen is BAD.
Sound & Extras
The E380 has 32-chord polyphony, which is quite impressive, and is comparable to the SonyEricsson T610, but louder.
It also has a so-called 'Karaoke' function where you can download sing-along songs, or something like that. I was unable to test this feature because my test unit was not configured for GPRS. The phone also has a 'Haptics' function, with so-called 'funlights', which in effect are multi-coloured lights on the sides on the phone which flash along with rhythmic vibration when the phone rings. You can also assign different coloured lights to different callers, and the type of vibration varies according to the ringtones
The keypad is quite good; the alphanumerical keys are just big enough and are very tactile. The phone uses the controversial iTAP predictive text system, which I am more fond of than T9.
Feature Set
The E380 has an average feature set. It has Java, MMS, EMS, GPRS as its main functions. It is weak in connectivity, lacking Bluetooth and IrDa, but has a mini-USB port. Anyway, this phone's main purpose is entertainment, so the lack of connectivity options is unlikely to be a disadvantage.
The UI is the same as the C350. Not very intuitive. Also, the E380 does not support an add-on camera.
Conclusion
I do not think this phone is really worth buying. In Singapore, the E380 costs even more than the camera-equipped E365. In my opinion, it is vastly over-hyped, and in effect is not worth the asking price. But if you're in the market for an individually-styled fun phone that stands out, and don't care about the poor screen, then the Motorola E380 will satisfy.
http://212.213.255.72/keepthls/pics/motorola/moe380_00.jpg http://212.213.255.72/keepthls/bigpic/moe380.gif
Design
This is the phone's primary selling point. Basically a candybar phone with a flip that's hinged at the top, I must say that it isn't very ergonomical. Firstly, when open, the angle of the flip is such that it cannot sit comfortably on the face, like when you are having a call. Also, the design makes it hard to close with one hand. However, one useful function is the ability to see the display when the flip is closed, as it is translucent, which is useful for incoming calls. The front colour bezels are also interchangeable.
Size & Build quality
The E380 is very light, despite its average size and folder mechanism. Build quality is quite poor, it creaks and feels very plasticky, despite the attractive silver finish. The folder mechanism looks solid, but is not spring loaded and feels flimsy.
Display
The E380 uses 4,096-colour 96*64 pixel STN screen, which is really too small for a multimedia phone. It is the same display as in the C350. Basically, the screen is BAD.
Sound & Extras
The E380 has 32-chord polyphony, which is quite impressive, and is comparable to the SonyEricsson T610, but louder.
It also has a so-called 'Karaoke' function where you can download sing-along songs, or something like that. I was unable to test this feature because my test unit was not configured for GPRS. The phone also has a 'Haptics' function, with so-called 'funlights', which in effect are multi-coloured lights on the sides on the phone which flash along with rhythmic vibration when the phone rings. You can also assign different coloured lights to different callers, and the type of vibration varies according to the ringtones
The keypad is quite good; the alphanumerical keys are just big enough and are very tactile. The phone uses the controversial iTAP predictive text system, which I am more fond of than T9.
Feature Set
The E380 has an average feature set. It has Java, MMS, EMS, GPRS as its main functions. It is weak in connectivity, lacking Bluetooth and IrDa, but has a mini-USB port. Anyway, this phone's main purpose is entertainment, so the lack of connectivity options is unlikely to be a disadvantage.
The UI is the same as the C350. Not very intuitive. Also, the E380 does not support an add-on camera.
Conclusion
I do not think this phone is really worth buying. In Singapore, the E380 costs even more than the camera-equipped E365. In my opinion, it is vastly over-hyped, and in effect is not worth the asking price. But if you're in the market for an individually-styled fun phone that stands out, and don't care about the poor screen, then the Motorola E380 will satisfy.
http://212.213.255.72/keepthls/pics/motorola/moe380_00.jpg http://212.213.255.72/keepthls/bigpic/moe380.gif