MOTOROLA K1 (KRAZR) REVIEW

The K1 heralds from a long line of cutting edge designs created by Motorola dating all the way back to the StarTAC, which was the first ever clamshell phone. Handsets have developed greatly since that time and Motorola created another worldwide phenomenon in 2004 through their V3 design. The V3 encompassed stunning looks and a slenderness never seen before in the mobile phone industry, leading to the handset becoming the most popular clamshell in the world. After years of success Motorola decided that it was time to revise the original design of the V3 and created the K1. With all the same principals applied to it as the V3 and a narrower appearance read on to see if the K1 achieves the same level of success.

DESIGN

The unique rich shade of blue grabbed my attention from the first moment the K1 was taken out of its packaging and appeared in front of me. It's sleek and slender design oozed sex appeal and I could tell immediately that the aesthetics of the handset were going to be its key strength. The K1 defiantly had a more attractive appearance than theV3 in my opinion, but I felt that the K1 wouldn't have the same impact, as the V3 was the only slim handset available when released. The exact dimensions of the phone are 103 x 42 x 16 mm making it narrower than the V3 but it has gained slightly more depth in the process. Weighing in at 102 grams the handset is heavier than the V3 but I didn't find it a problem; in fact I felt that it gave the handset an added feeling of substance and quality. As mentioned earlier the K1 has a unique shade of blue which is amplified by the mineral glass coating. This feature in turn serves two purposes, one of which is to add a glossy reflective surface and the other is to give scratch resistant properties. A downside is that the handset is prone to picking up fingerprints, however they are not easily visible due to the colour and I feel that the excellent finish of the handset makes it worthwhile.

Construction of the K1 is of the highest standard giving it a durable and solid feel to it, letting you know it is there. All the mechanics of the phone operate well and an example of this is the flip mechanism which has smoothness in its motion and strength within its hinge. Overall I would defiantly regard the K1 as having one of the best build qualities of all handsets available on the market right now and full marks have to go to Motorola for this.

It is clear to see that the K1 has become narrower than its big brother the V3 and if we want to get technical it is 1cm to be exact. This has lead to cosmetic change occurring but its primary function is to give the user greater comfort when held in the hand, which it succeeded in doing. Additionally rubberised material is used on the back cover to help add grip when holding the phone and I felt it to be a positive inclusion.

The K1's screen supports 262k colours, measures 1.9 inches diagonally and has 176x220 pixels. I felt that the screen wasn't the best I had seen but was adequate considering the features on board didn't require a high quality screen. The 65,536 colour external display was average at best mainly due poor vision in direct sunlight and the colours seeming washed out.