Motorola W230 Software Review

Motorola W230 Software Review

It was said in the previous chapter that the W230 can’t keep up with fast texters. This is the case throughout the device, the phone lags in every application, and even to just end a program, it will take few seconds.

In today’s software-demanding world, most phones should be able to install Java instant messaging clients and Java web browsers such Opera Mini. Motorola’s ultimate mistake was to leave Java out of the phone, and because of this mistake, users won’t be able to install any third-party applications or games.

The small low-quality 1.6″ display will mean that not much content is going to be seen without scrolling, and it’s easy to guess that the web browser will run better if a user just browses through wap-pages only.

The home screen fits a signal strength indicator, active call notification, battery level sign, among other usual ones, such as the new-message sign and the current profile. Just below that there is the current network, date, d-pad shortcuts, and soft key shortcuts.

The menu is divided in a 3×3 grid, with the following items:

Personalize
WebAccess
Recent Calls
Contacts
Messages
Games
Multimedia
Extras
Settings

“Personalize” provides the user options to easily, and unsurprisingly, personalize the phone’s user interface. The d-pad shortcuts, layout, and clock type (digital or analogue) can be adjusted. A user can also change between grid (icons) and list view for menu. There are three colour sets (themes) on the phone, and none can be added or modified. The user can also edit the greeting that appears as the phone is switched on, the wallpaper, screensaver, and three speed dial contacts.

It is odd that themes cannot be edited, and that there are only three speed dial contacts are available in that menu, but from inside “Contacts”, one can add more speed dials.

“WebAccess” is the web browser built-in the phone. The GPRS settings can be edited from the phone, the access points are under the Web Session menu. The application allows a user to save web shortcuts, store pages or “snapshots”, as they are called, to browse the “history”, and to clear the “history”, cache and cookies.

The web browser itself is not easy to navigate even wap pages owing to the speed of the phone, and owing to the small screen. The pages take long to load, and even longer to process.

If the web browser becomes too slow, or if it crashes, which hasn’t happened yet, there is an option to restart the web browser.

It would be easier for the Motorola team to include an early version of Opera Mini, or actually, anything but the current web browser. Users can’t download Opera Mini because the phone does not support any application written in Java.

“Recent calls” contains a menu which shows all the network movement, such as received calls, dialled calls, call times, call cost, data times, and data volumes. What is interesting, is that it includes a “NotePad” too, which allows storage of numbers, I am not sure why it is included in that particular application though.

There is one flaw that can be noted, and even though it is minimal, it can waste a user’s time. If a user is viewing one dialled number, and decides to store it, and suddenly changes his, or her mind, there is no way to get out from the storing process, unless one presses the red key, which takes the user far back. Not a big deal, but there might be other small issues such as these.

The application is not very graphical, it is almost completely based on text. There are phone symbols that indicate whether a number is a fixed number or a mobile one.

The “Contacts” menu is simple as well, it contains the numbers and names sorted, and the last option is [new contact], which enables a user to obviously set up a new contact. The simplicity indicates that the W230 would be a pleasant phone for the aged and the very young, who would want a phone to be in contact with their family.

A contact can be assigned a ringtone, or category, such as “General”, “VIPs”, etc. The contacts can either be saved to the phone or SIM, but not backed-up to the memory card.

The “Contacts” menu allows modification of categories, copying to SIM card from the phone and vice-versa, checking of the memory status on the phone (up to 500 contacts) and SIM card (up to 250 contacts), sorting set-up (alphabet or speed dial number), views set-up (primary or all contacts), and search method.

The “Messages” menu is divided into “Inbox”, “Draft”, “Outbox”, “Quick notes”, “Voicemail”, “Browser messages”, “Info services”, and “MMS templates”.

At the end of messages, the details are shown, just like on older Motorola phones. A quick-access menu allows a user to erase all messages from a certain folder, check the memory status (maximum of 20 for SIM card, 500 for phone, and 1121kB for MMS). There are also settings for SMS, voicemail number, browser message, and info service.

The quick-access menu inside folders allows a user to execute common functions such as reply or forward, but also lock a message, and sort them according to time, or contact.

The SMS creator allows the creation of vCards and sending of picture messaging. EMS is also supported.

The MMS creator allows a user to insert picture, sound, contact info, and attachment.

The ones buying this phone in the hope that they can later install various games, don’t. The phone does not support Java as said previously. The only games available are “Sudoku” and “Tetris”, both developed by Electronic Arts (EA).

“Sudoku” has the basic 9×9 grid, and has the pencil option, for temporary number trial. The only other options are the colour set-up, and the “Show error?” choice.

“Tetris” doesn’t have options at all, but it does have sounds and colours, if you’re fond of that.

The “Multimedia” application is divided into “Pictures”, “Music library”, and “FM radio”. The latter two can be accessed from the left soft key, which is defined as a shortcut to the “Music” menu.

The pictures cannot be seen as full screen, but they can be applied as backgrounds and screensavers, and divided in categories. The images can also have actions applied to them in bulk.

The “Music library” curiously allows tone creation, a feature of the very old phones which had monotone ringtones. Tones and sounds can be sent in messages, depending of their sizes, can also be applied as ringtones, assigned to categories, and applied bulk actions.

“Playlists” can be created, as well as “iMelodys”, which are the user-created tones.

The “FM Radio” application allows recording of sound streamed, and has an automatic scan feature as well. When in radio mode, the right soft key automatically turns into the “Radio” shortcut, and when the earpiece is connected, which is necessary for radio, the earpiece’s only button is used to go to the dialled menu, call a number, and end calls.

The “Extras” folder contains the following set of applications: “Calculator”; “Alarm Clock”; “Stopwatch”; “Chat,” which works over SMS; “Dialling services,” which sets “Fixed dial,” “Service dial,” and “Quick dial”; and “Calendar”.

The “Calculator” has a graphical interface for once, but that’s about it, no scientific options, but the application does have a currency converter.

The “Alarm clock” allows the set-up of multiple alarms, with different tones at different volumes, with individual titles, and repeat setting.

The “Stopwatch” has no option whatsoever, only lap recording.

The “Chat” application could be dealt as a simple SMS tool, it only requires a title for the chat, numbers of the users involved, and the messages to be sent.

The “Calendar” application is well built, the event reminder can be configured as several types, such as lunch, holidays, meeting, etc. These can have reminders and repeats too.

The last option in the main menu is “Settings”. These configure the “Ring style”, “Call divert”, “In-call setup”, “Initial setup”, “Phone status”, “Headset”, “Network”, and “Security”.

From “Ring Style” one can configure the sounds of the device, not only the ringtone and its volume, but also key tone, and alarm tone.

“Call divert” has the same exact settings as the most divert options on phones, which are voice calls, fax calls, and data calls.

“In-call setup” allows a user to set timers, costs, caller ID option, answer options, and waiting options.

The “Initial set-up” comprises of time and date options, display settings, language, and a master reset option.

The “Phone status” shows a user’s numbers, and the battery meter in detail.

“Headset” only has one option: auto-answer.

“Network” is a menu which shows available options and settings for band selection, and service and call drop tones.

“Security” comprises of phone lock, keypad lock, auto key lock, fixed dial, call barring, SIM PIN, and password changes.

The last test is the one of the USB-function. The phone should connect to a PC as a mass storage device if a memory card is inserted in the phone. No CD came in the package, which means that the phone should self-install, which it didn’t. A search in Google revealed that many others experienced the lack of W230 drivers.

The Motorola W230 driver can be found at http://direct.motorola.com/hellomoto/nss/usb_drivers_pc_charging_drivers.asp in case another user does not possess it either.

The transfers to and from the device aren’t exactly fast, at an average rate of 0.25mBps.

The W230 all-in-all is a phone that reminds a user of old monocolour and monotone phones. It has simple features, and even simpler functions. The simple software points out that the phone is indeed directed to the small ones, and the old ones, and it does contain music options.

The web browser and the lack of Java support damage the potential of the phone, but that can be reversed if the price is low enough.

· Call Phones from Gmail with Google Voice

· Pantech Breeze design principles approach to Universal Design

· Nimbuzz Offers Free Mobile VoIP in Great Britain

· Nimbuzz Launch Mobile VoIP & IM Solution

· TINNO KT04-4 SIM DUAL CPU,TV AND WIFI