Motorola W7 Active Edition Specs Pricing Pros & Cons Revealed

Overview of Motorola W7 Active Edition

The Motorola W7 Active Edition is a mobile phone that was launched in May 2009 and then released in September 2009. As part of the feature phone era that preceded the smartphones we know today, the Motorola W7 offered a suite of features aimed at providing basic mobile telephony with a few specialized capabilities that enhanced the user experience, especially for active and sports-oriented users.

Design and Build

The Motorola W7 comes in a compact design with dimensions of 99 x 49 x 15 mm (3.90 x 1.93 x 0.59 in) and a weight of 105g (3.70 oz), making it lightweight and easy to carry. The phone was available in striking color variants including Black, Licorice, and Alpine White, appealing to different style preferences. It incorporates a Mini-SIM and features a 2.2-inch TFT display with 256K colors, offering a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels (~182 ppi density). The 30.9% screen-to-body ratio, while standard for its time, suggests that it prioritized portability over display size.

Display

The phone is equipped with a 2.2-inch TFT screen, allowing for basic visuals that are sufficient for the functionality provided. The resolution of 240 x 320 pixels offers a 4:3 aspect ratio, which was common in mobile phones from this era. It supports 256K colors which means that while color representation is expansive for basic tasks, it was not intended for high-end graphics or multimedia playback.

Performance and Storage

Internally, the Motorola W7 came with a modest storage of 30MB, which was typical for feature phones at the time. However, it offered expandability through a dedicated microSDHC slot, allowing users to increase storage capacity for music, pictures, and other files. Regarding performance, the phone does not compete with modern devices as it was designed as a feature phone with no high-performance processor specification available. This reinforces its positioning for undemanding tasks and basic applications.

Camera Capabilities

The Motorola W7 is fitted with a 2 MP main camera on the rear which is capable of capturing simple images and recording video at QCIF resolution at 15 frames per second. There's also a VGA front-facing camera, offering basic video call functionality or selfies, which was quite innovative at the time, although with limited image quality by modern standards.

Battery Life

This device is powered by a removable Li-Ion 910 mAh battery that supports up to 300 hours of stand-by on both 2G and 3G network modes. Talk time can reach up to 8 hours on 2G and about 3 and a half hours on 3G networks, meaning it could easily last a day with light to moderate usage, given that feature phones typically have lower energy requirements compared to smartphones.

Network and Connectivity

The Motorola W7 supports GSM and UMTS standards, facilitating global roaming capabilities on 2G (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) and 3G (UMTS 850/1900/2100) networks. Even though connectivity options are limited compared to modern devices, the phone includes Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP for wireless audio streaming and basic data transfer tasks. The inclusion of a miniUSB port also allows for direct connection to a computer. Notably, there is no WLAN feature, indicative of its intended use as a traditional phone rather than an internet device.

Other Features and Utilities

The phone comes with an accelerometer, enhancing its appeal to active individuals by enabling motion-based games. It supports SMS, EMS, MMS, and email, offering a variety of messaging formats. The WAP 2.0/xHTML browser allows minimal web browsing capabilities. Additionally, the device comes installed with Java MIDP 2.0, allowing for downloadable applications and games.

Sound and Multimedia

Equipped with a loudspeaker, the W7 facilitates hands-free use, though it lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack, which means users need compatible Bluetooth accessories for private listening. It also includes an FM radio, a popular feature for passive audio entertainment.

Market Position and Legacy

Upon its release, the Motorola W7 was priced around 70 EUR, reflecting its role as an affordable, feature-rich device for consumers seeking basic mobile functionalities in a durable yet stylish form factor. The phone's dismissal in 2009 marked the close of its market presence, but it remains a testament to the transitional period of mobile technology prior to the smartphone revolution.

Concluding Thoughts

The Motorola W7 Active Edition stands as a representation of an era where functionality met affordability, targeting users looking for reliable communication means with a dash of additional features for an enhanced mobile experience. Its balance of practical design, basic multimedia capabilities, and simplistic navigation offered a straightforward user experience, serving as an effective stepping stone to the mobile advancements that followed in the ensuing years.