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The Krave's innovative design is truly eye-catching. With two levels
of touch-screen menus, this Motorola handset exudes style and technological
savoir-faire. Smaller and easier to carry in a pocket than most touch screen
phones, the Krave weighs 4.59 oz. and measures approximately 4.13" (H) x
2.0" (W) x 0.75" (D).
It has a touch-sensitive transparent flip cover with tactile feedback.
Users can conveniently view and access commonly used features. A circular
Motorola emblem that doubles as a speaker to turn the Krave into a portable
music player. Opening the flip answers calls, and the speaker's opposite
side reveals the earpiece.
Opened,
the top of the inside screen are two buttons - one button for power and
one "home" button that will return users back to the main screen. An internal
microphone is located below the screen.
Both of the Krave's touch screen offer iPhone-like navigation by sliding
a finger up and down the screen.
On the left side of the phone there's a covered 3.5mm headset jack, and
below that are volume controls and a covered Micro-USB port for transferring
data from the phone to another device. The Krave's right side bears a camera-dedicated
key, covered microSD memory card slot, "voice" key for recording voice memos
and sending voice-activated commands, and a screen lock that deactivates
the touch screen cover, preventing users from making unintended calls and
exchanges.
The Krave's rubberized back won't get sullied by smudgy fingerprints
like other shiny-surfaced touch screen phones. This is a plus considering
that consumers will already have two touch screens to worry about keeping
clean.
Also located on the back of the phone is the 2.0-megapixel camera/camcorder
lens, recessed to prevent scratching and smearing. In the phone's left-hand
corner is an enclosure for a hand strap.
Watching mobile TV and viewing picture slideshows on the Krave's long
2.8-inch, 240 x 400 px touch screen is another one of this its great assets.
During calls, buttons for mute, speakerphone, Bluetooth connections and
ending calls appear on the screen.
The outward appearance of the Krave is one of a well-designed phone.
But because the Krave's touch screen duo divides the phone's features in
two places, it may take some time to learn which features are available
on which screens. Another common complaint about this handset is that its
transparent cover actually gets in the way of two-thumb typing on its full
QWERTY keyboard.
Out of the box, the Motorola Krave ZN4 comes with a standard 950 mAh
Li-Ion Battery, Power Cable and User Guide.
One of Krave's unique features is its visual voicemail application from
Verizon. Using the touch screen, users can scroll through their voicemail
inbox, click on the messages they want to hear or delete the ones they don't
want. The Krave also comes with basic necessities including a 1,000-contact
phonebook, calendar, notepad, calculator, alarm clock, world clock, tip
calculator, icon glossary and text display in English or Spanish.
Special
functions include passcode protection, a check for software updates, airplane
mode, TTY mode for the hearing impaired, voice readout for keypad digits
and voice commands for sending messages, calls and activating music playlists.
The Krave doesn't come with any games, but they are available for download
on the phone's web browser.
Add a personal touch to the Krave by choosing from a selection of wallpapers
and 24 polyphonic ringtone options. Features like alert sounds, keypad volume
and display backlight can also be modified to any preferences.
The Krave uses a 950 mAh battery with an impressive standby time of 500
hours (20.8 days) and talk time of 260 minutes (4.33 hours).
Verizon is selling the phone with a two-year service agreement for $179.99,
after a $50 online discount. The package comes with a travel charger, 950
mAh battery and user guide. The Krave is reasonably priced, not too expensive
and also not the cheapest touch screen phone in Verizon's lineup. Other
similarly priced touch screen phones from Verizon include the Samsung Omnia
and LG Dare.
Verizon VCAST Mobile TV and Music lets consumers to take their calls
and entertainment with them wherever they go. With the touch cover down,
they can access menu links for videos or music. Once users have made their
selection, turn the phone horizontally for a 240 x 320 px wide-screen view
of favorite shows or use a finger to swipe through album covers in queue.
Starting at a subscription fee of $13 per month, VCAST Mobile TV offers
live television programming straight to the phone from networks including
CNBC, CBS, Comedy Central, ESPN, Comedy Central and MTV. This is television
that's sure to add enjoyment to midday coffee breaks and idle moments.
If users don't have enough music already, Verizon downloads via Rhapsody
are $1.99 for each song or $14.99 for unlimited access. On a PC, they can
browse and purchase tunes from the VCAST Music online store via Windows
Media Player 10. Then manage their music library, create playlists and sync
songs to the phone.
Verizon VCAST also offers 3G streaming video, downloadable games, display
themes, ringtones and more at prompt download speeds of about 500 kbps to
800 kbps.
With 130 MB of internal memory and a micoSD card slot that supports up
to an additional 8GB (around 2,000 songs), the Motorola Krave is a data
storing powerhouse among multimedia cell phones. Users wrho plan on using
the phone as a portable music player should invest in a memory card. Extra
storage and USB cables for are sold separately.
The Krave can store 1,000 phonebook contacts with space in each entry
for five numbers (labeled under home, work and fax), two email addresses,
photo ID and a customized ringtone.
Connectivity
The Krave supports some of the more popular Bluetooth 2.0 wireless connections.
Headset Profile (HSP) and Hands-Free Profile (HFP) such as handsfree car
kits or conference room devices can be enabled for use within a 10-meter
distance from the phone. Dial-Up Networking (DUN) allows the phone to be
used as a modem for a laptop or PDA. And for stereo sound, AVRCP and A2DP
profiles will send audio from your phone to a Bluetooth compatible device.
Phone book access (PBAP) lets users share contacts, name card and calendar
entries. Other profiles on the Krave include Basic Printing Profile (BPP)
for Bluetooth-enabled printers, Object-Push Profile (OPP) for sending virtual
business cards and File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
Bluetooth accessories for the Krave are sold separately.
