MOTORIZR Z3 Review
The name 'RIZR' refers to the sliding (rising) motion of the phone to reveal the keypad. The sliding mechanism does add a bit to the size. The phone feels a bit big and heavy, but by no means is it a brick. The outside is coated with a rubberized metal which gives the RIZR a nice soft touch which makes the phone easy to grip. The phone comes with the standard features you would expect for a phone at its level; music player (AAC/MP3), 2 megapixel camera w/ flash, microSD card slot, speakerphone, bluetooth, and voice recorder. This review will not focus on the reception quality since it depends on the carrier and/or location, but mainly the hardware and software of the phone.
*Note: This review is based on an imported GSM model of the phone.
Design
The unique thing about this phone is the sliding feature. In my opinion, it opens and closes with a bit more force then I would have liked, but I would much rather have it be a little more stiff then loose. On the front you notice the screen, navigation buttons, and keypad (when slid up). When it slides up, it reveals a RAZR-like keypad. The keypad is ok. The keys are large enough, but it seems to be harder to push down then other phones maybe it is because it doesn't have a satisfying click to it. The screen is bright and vibrant and has crisp colors.

The navigation buttons I found to be pretty good. The two top buttons are spacious when compared to the other four. Talk and End keys are simply ok. They aren't that big, but they aren't too small. The browser and clear/back button are a bit small, but you don't use them that often. I don't like having the clear/back button to the side of the toggle, it seems to stutter you when you need to backspace since your fingers have to go all the way up there. However, I don't see how they could have put below the toggle, so I can accept it.
The left side of the phone has the volume controls and a customizable button. The volume controls are on the small side, but easy to press. The same goes for the customizable button which is set to open the bluetooth communication settings by default.
The right side has a mini-USB port for charging and/or transferring files, a camera button, and a voice command/record button. I like that the phone uses mini-USB for all its connections since there is no need to go out and buy a proprietary cable. The camera button is raised from the edge making it easy to press. The voice command button is similar to the volume rocker, but it is flatter and harder to press.
The top of the phone has a loop for a neckstrap or handstrap and a button to release the back covering so you can get into the battery.
The bottom is empty.


Music Player/Camera
The phone comes with basic music players to play your MP3 and AAC files either through the speakerphone, bluetooth headphones, or USB-to-3.5/2.5 adapter. I didn't happen to have a USB adapter or a pair of bluetooth headphones, so I was forced to listen through the speakerphone. The quality was good even at the highest level. Having the speakerphone on the back does cause a slight muffle when placed on a table or counter.
There are actually two different applications to play music. The only difference I see is the interfaces and that one is java-based. The 'Digital Audio Player' is the java-based player which allows you navigate your songs by Playlists, Songs, Albums, Artists, and Genres. It uses ID3 tags to sort the music and its interface is similar to that of the iPod's. While playing a song it displays 'Track', 'Artist', 'Album', and 'Genre'. While playing a track you can hit 'Back' and the last list of songs will appear with the current song still playing.
The other application is launched by going to the 'Main Menu', 'Multimedia', 'Sounds', and selecting a file. When you select a file, it opens up a application to play that file that displays the Track Title, Artist, Song Length, Size of File (Kb), and Bitrate (Kbps).
The 'Digital Audio Player' is designed for your music tracks. The other application is for voice recordings and other audio files.
The camera is located on the back of the phone next to the LED flash. When slid down, the camera application is used in landscape orientation with the side camera button as the shutter key. While slid up, the orientation is changed to regular portrait. When in landscape the menu appears in portrait orientation making it seem out of place.

I found the camera quite good for a 2 megapixel camera. That is, however, when there is enough light and the subject is focused correctly. Colors are in the normal range and the picture is very smooth.

Videos can only be taken in Small(128x96) and Medium(176x144) when there is no microSD card. When a card is present, videos can also be taken in Large(352x288) resolution.

Sample Shots:

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Conclusion
I found this phone to be quite a performer. The audio quality was nice. The picture quality was good for a camera phone. The video quality was above average. There are some design quirks that I didn't like. The microSD and SIM card slots are made so that it is almost impossible to get the cards out. Those annoyances are minor, but noticeable. The design makes up for what it lacks as a phone. This is definitely a design-first phone with strong features to back it up. I would recommend looking at the RIZR if you are in the market for a stylish, thinnish slider.

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