Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with razr

iSync and RAZR V3xx

dondiego87 — Tue, 26 May 2009 10:47:34 -0800

iSync 3.0.2 won't sync with Motorola RAZR V3xx. Looking for a fix. So I recently got my Motorola V3 replaced with a V3xx through my carrier's insurance program. I had used iSync all the time to sync the phone's calendar with iCal and its contacts with Address Book (also both ways). However, the V3xx is unable to sync with iSync 3.0.2. When I try to add it as a device, I get an error message saying "This device is not supported by iSync."

I have found two plugins for iSync that allow it to sync with the V3xx (at http://tinyurl.com/pjrbpp and http://tinyurl.com/qlelxz), but unfortunately neither of them work with iSync 3.0.2 (which I have on my Macbook running 10.5.7). When I try to start up iSync with either of those plugins in the "PhonePlugins" folder in my library, I get an error message saying "The following plug-in doesn’t work with this version of iSync."

Does anyone know of a plugin for iSync 3.0.2 that would allow me to sync with the Motorola RAZR V3xx? Or alternatively, does anyone know how to modify the plugins I found to work with iSync 3.0.2?

Charging a RAZR phone via USB

Yakuman — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:15:04 -0800

Is there any way to get a RAZR phone to reliably charge via USB on a Windows machine? I have a v3m and everything seems hit or miss, regardless of the cords or drivers I use. Since there's gazillions of these handsets still in use, I wonder if someone has discovered a solution.

How can I install a game on the Motorola RAZR2

Solomon — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:06:40 -0800

Did you ever install an application on your RAZR2 V8? If you did (or know how to), could you please tell me how? I have an unlocked Motorola RAZR2 V8, in the UK. I've tried several programmes to install a .jar game on the phone, but nothing has so far worked.

Getting the game onto the phone isn't the problem. Installing it is. I get a warning that the file in question (I've tried about 20 different .jar games/apps) isn't a signed application. I click continue, and get a message saying "installation failed".

I've spent hours Googling, and trying various different methods, but they all seem to assume that getting the game to the phone is the problem.

What am I doing wrong?

Why does my phone SMS me when I check voice mail?

jessamyn — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:41:03 -0800

Why does my cell phone send me a text message whenever I retrieve my voice mail? I'm a little new to cell phone land. I've had a RAZR v3 with Cingular/AT&T for maybe a year but I've only lived someplace where it worked for the past few weeks so I'm still learning some things.

Whenever I check my voice mail (I think, it may only be when I save or delete a voicemail) I get an SMS at the same time, but it's not from anyone or it seems to be from my phone. It looks like this [pic1, pic2] and there's no text to the message, just that.

I don't care terribly, but it's a little disconcerting to be checking voice mail and having the phone buzzing in my hand, so if this is turn-offable, I'd love to be able to do that. Can someone explain what is going on here? My apologies in advance if this is a total "duh" question that you are embarassed for me not knowing.

Syncing a Razr? More like STINKING A RAZR

Sticherbeast — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 20:24:33 -0800

iSync question: I'm trying to use a USB cable to sync a Razr V3 with iSync 2.4 on an iBook G4 running Tiger, but something's not clicking. iSync recognizes the phone and it claims to Sync it, but nothing gets added to Address Book. What's the deal? The iBook doesn't have Bluetooth capability, so I can't use that. While I don't expect miracles, I'd also be very interested in learning how to get the photos off of this phone and onto the computer, without simply pix messaging an email address over and over again.

Yet another cellular-data phone recommendation question.

Kadin2048 — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 22:50:59 -0800

Can anyone recommend a phone for tethered EDGE data use with a PC, and basic voice calls? GSM, T-Mobile, Motorola preferred but not absolutely required. I've done some research but I'm a bit confused. I've decided to join the world of mobile not-quite-broadband, and I want to get a phone that I can tether to my notebook (sometimes a Mac, sometimes PC) and use for Internet access. I've actually gotten the tethered-data thing working with my current phone, a first-generation Motorola Razr V3, but it's GPRS-only and almost unusably slow once I get the office VPN up and running. All I want is to do email and light (image-disabled) web browsing, plus phone calls. I don't care about the other features, and I don't care about looks as long as it's small enough to fit into a dress-shirt pocket.

I've heard that EDGE is a step up in speed from GPRS, and the best I can really do right now on T-Mobile's network. (Or so I've been led to believe. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.) And for that, I need a new phone.

Aside from the slow data, I'm very happy with my current pairing of Motorola phone and T-Mobile as a provider. (I've used Motorola phones since they came with shoulder straps, and have never had a problem.) Plus, I got tethered data working on my non-EDGE Motorola pretty easily. Therefore I've been mostly looking at Motorola phones, but I'm open to other suggestions in the same price range.

According to what I can find, the Motorola phones that support EDGE are the newest Razr model (the V3xx), the KRZR K1, the RIZR Z3, and something called the W510. They all seem to retail for about $200USD, unlocked. However, I've read some anecdotal reports that EDGE support in some models is disabled, flaky, or non-functional. Can anyone vouch for them? If you have one, do you like it? Do you wish you'd gotten something else?

I've read their spec sheets and they seem to support different 'versions' of EDGE (e.g. the V3xx is EDGE version 10, the KRZR is version 12); should I care?

Also, I'm not sure if I should be buying a phone today that supports 3G data (HSPDA? UMTS?) so that I won't be repeating this business next year.

As you can probably tell, I'm in a bit over my head. Help me get squared away, MeFi! Thanks!

P.S.: I've read the past threads on this topic, but none seemed to discuss phones with this particular set of requirements.

Can I use my Razr to surf the web on my Macbook with only the mobile web plan on my service?

Mark — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:14:06 -0800

I have mobile web on my cell phone plan. Can I use bluetooth and my Mac Book to connect to the Razr and surf the web on my computer? I have Alltel service and a Motorola V3m Razr. I suscribe to the mobile web feature on my phone (the condensed version of the Internet, bascially only useful for sports scores) and it allows me to put in URLs and view any website in it's mobile version.

Is there a way to use this to browse the web on my Mac Book?

Can I use an unlocked V3 RAZR with Verizon Wireless?

de void — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 06:21:21 -0800

I'm a customer of Verizon Wireless in New Jersey. If I purchase an "unlocked", refurbished Motorola V3 RAZR can I use it with my current Verizon service/phone #? I'm out of contract with Verizon. My current phone is a Samsung SCH-A670 which is rather haggard at this point with a cracked screen.

Verizon is happy to give me a new phone if I sign a new 2 year contract with them. I'm loathe to do that.

Without a new contract, they'll only sell me a new phone at full retail price.

Can I buy the V3 RAZR that is currently for sale at www.stootsi.com and get it to work with my current Verizon service?

Can't bluetooth contacts from Mac to Cellphone...

Manhasset — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 06:20:56 -0800

Problems syncing (bluetooth) Razr (cellphone) with Mac. So I got a Razr yesterday. I sync'd it to my Mac to get all my contacts. It worked! However, it added an entry for everyone in my phonebook and another entry for everyone in my phonebook with an email address, a fax/work number, etc. So I ended up with 3 entries for each person.

I went back into isync and unchecked the "fax" and "email" boxes so it should just send phone numbers. I then checked the box that said "erase info on device before syncing".

Then I sync'd again.

It erased all the data and sent over only 1 contact from my address book (the one I'd added earlier in the night).

It seems to think that other info is still on the phone but it ain't.

I tried multiple times. I deleted the device from isync and re-added it. I deleted the device from osx's bluetooth section and re-added it. Nothing works. I even renamed the device after deleting it and then re-added it. Nada.

How do I tell my computer to send the data to the phone?

Which quad-band GSM phone should I start a T-Mobile account with?

stleric — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 20:28:11 -0800

Which quad-band T-Mobile (U.S.) phone should I buy? I'm primarily trying to decide if it's worth the extra money to get a RAZR v3t or a v195 (of course, NOT a regular v3 - I've heard about people having all sorts of problems with the old ones, but have heard that everything is in theory basically fixed with the v3t/c/m/i).

I don't really see myself using the camera or mp3 player on the v3t much, since I've already got both a better camera and an iPod (and besides, I've seen both its photos and some video on YouTube -- they're crap), and honestly, I couldn't care less about it being that much slicker a design, but if it could handle J2ME programs (Google Maps, inter-language translators etc.) better, that might be good, but I'm not planning on getting a data plan unless there's such a thing as an always-on Java SMS program that would work as well as regular SMS (notify me when I get a message and so on). Plus, I've heard that the battery lasts longer on the v195.

At the same time, I've heard that the RAZR's got better sound quality. It looks like the Samsung t519 Trace is the only other quad-band that T-Mobile offers, and I've heard that it's quiet and has poor battery life. So, question of the moment: Motorola RAZR v3t, Motorola v195, Samsung t519, or some unlocked quad-band GSM phone from another company? Any recommendations or horror stories? Thanks!

pimp my Razr!

lonefrontranger — Sun, 05 Nov 2006 11:28:10 -0800

RazrFilter: My Verizon service just provided me with a free upgrade to a Razr V3. Now what? naturally there's lots I really, really need to retire my poor beatup, falling apart, battery-barely-holding-charge-anymore Motorola V65. Fortunately I have Verizon's upgrade service and the Razr V3 recently hit my 'upgrade options' page.

I opted for this model not necessarily because it's 'hip' and popular but more because I like the Motorola interface, it reminds me a lot of my late, lamented StarTAC, it's a fully metal assembly and I'd prefer something that at least looks like it might survive an unplanned 20+ mph ejection off a moving bike. I'm an unrepentant cell phone abuser, so it didn't take much more than a couple weeks for my V65 to look like it'd been run thru a shredder.

So, I did a search for stuff to do with my new V3. Unfortunately it looks like the sites referenced in the last 2 AskMes related to this topic are Windows based, so if you can tell me some amazing stuff I can do with / to this phone as a Mac user, that's a big bonus.

I do have bootcamp installed on my macbook, so if I (deep sigh) HAVE TO, I'll mod it thru the XP partition, but I'd really love to find good modding sites / toys available to OSX users.

I'm also curious about what headsets people like to use with this model - I'm not entirely sold on a bluetooth headset (zomg! expensive! battery suckage!), and I know the V3 doesn't come with a 2.5mm jack, so what are my options?

oh and before you even start? I've had Motorolas forever and the highly common "address book grouping" complaint is so not understandable to me! do people NOT get how to use the 'MORE' option when entering contacts in the address book?

Cingular give you more bars? Not at my desk!

thilmony — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 16:12:59 -0800

Cell phone signal! Arggg. How can I improve my coverage at my desk? I work in a
small real estate office, next to a swim school, complete with a pool and all the pipes to fill it. It's a single story building, we are in the middle, not an end. Cingular or Tmobile has full bars on the phone at the windows, but near our desks one bar, dropped calls, sometimes no signal at all...

I bought a
Digital Antenna Model # 4KPR-15R dual band 50 dB gain wireless cellular
repeater, where you put some antenna box suction-cupped to the windows, then 15 feet away a transmitter that is supposed to boost that same signal. Based on the description, if you have good signal at the window you should be good to go.

Well, it gave me full bars at my desk, but dropped calls worse than ever! I'm returning it...

Forwarding calls to the hard line is not a solution for me as many non-realtor calls come in on that phone and I can't expect the receptionist to answer all those calls.

One idea that will cost more is getting a WIFI phone from Vonage, then fowarding to that but I'd rather not have to do that.

Other details, tried my RAZR, Samsung C20x and Treo 650, all with Cingular and T Mobile. Changing carriers isn't an option I want either. Another person at the office has Sprint and coverage is a little better, but I want it to be great, where I could walk around the whole office looking in files, checking someone's schedule, sitting at my desk....

There must be another solution someone here has for me!

Your favorite moderately priced cell phone? If a Razr is so bad, what should I replace it with?

coolhappysteve — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 14:55:28 -0800

I broke my brand new (Cingular) Razr and am going to have to buckle down and pay full retail to replace it. Everyone seems to complain about that phone (though I had no problems), so if I'm going to have to pay retail, I might as well get something better. Like what? It needs to be Cingular-friendly. I couldn't care less about MP3 features, WAP access, or any of that other stuff. I'm a GTD nut, but a Treo is out of my price range. I just would like a cheap, good-looking, functional cell phone - a camera and bluetooth would be nice.

Esteemed MeFi community, what do you love and hate in the cell arena?

(Thanks guys - sorry I'm not plumbing the depths of philosophy here; that's next time)

Editing Seem Files for RAZR

jjcurtis — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 10:03:24 -0800

Anyone have experience with changing "seem files" on Verizon's Motorola Razr Vc3 cell phone? I am a Mac user but have an intel Macbook with windows running via Parallels. Most of the directions on various web pages appear to be written for advanced windows users. Is there anyone with suggestions for the best web page description of overcoming the crippled BT OBEX or with personal experience? Or would you advise against even trying. I mostly would like to be able to use the camera to transfer pictures via BT without Verison's "help". I have a macbook with the latest MAC OS and windows XP pro -- I am quite familiar with the MAC OS but haven't used Windows that much. I have downloaded P2kman and PST 6.7. Now, however, I have cold feet about trying without hearing from someone how easy (or difficult) it is.

How to get dust out of my Razr (phone)

c:\awesome — Tue, 30 May 2006 13:44:45 -0800

I carry my cell phone in my pocket (front right), and they have all suffered from "dust under the screen" syndrome. I thought the problem would be solved by switching to a clam shell (my trusty Razr), but no... it still persists. How can I get the dust out from behind the screen? Should I stop carrying cocaine in the same pocket as my phone? Seriously, my pockets aren't that dirty, so I don't even know where the mysterious dust is coming from. Hope me, please!

Just got a Motorola SLVR, show me around!

neilkod — Wed, 17 May 2006 09:17:43 -0800

So I got a new Motorola SLVR L7, what are some cool things I can do with it? Bonus points for OSX-Friendly apps/solutions. I'm talking apps, hacks, games, secret stuff here, you name it. My main machine is an Apple laptop, but I have access to an XP box during the day.

From what I understand, this phone works like the RAZR. My provider is Cingular, if that matters.

Help me protect my wallet from my razr

special-k — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 21:03:20 -0800

I recently traded in my ancient cell phone for a Motorola Razr (*cringe*) phone. How would I transfer pictures to my computer? I like using the little camera to remember wines I like when I go tasting and books I want to buy when browsing the store. How do I copy them out to my computer?

My phone is from Verizon and I bought a mini-usb cable and Motorola Phone Tools. I am able to sync my address book but not my calendar, pictures or ringtones (don’t really care about this). Has Verizon disabled this capability? How would I re-enable it?

Razr as Blackberry Handset?

leftoverboy — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 23:51:30 -0800

I recently was given a Blackberry 7290 and a Moto Razr for work. Each has its own phone number. Both have bluetooth. Is it possible to use the Razr as a BT handset to answer calls made to the Blackberry? That is to say can I use Bluetooth to answer both phone numbers with the Razr? How?

Please don't make me triple-tap everyone's name!

Nelson — Sun, 27 Nov 2005 11:37:58 -0800

What's the best way for me to load a bunch of phone numbers into my Motorola RAZR phone (Cingular edition) via Bluetooth? I have a big list of phone numbers in a text file. I can write Python scripts to modify data. What I need is a program to do the import. On my old Ericsson phone I hacked it via the Bluetooth serial interface, but I'd rather not do that much work again. Is there a good simple Windows or Mac program that can import a contact list from a simple file and then sync it to the RAZR?

Fugly CDMA

glibhamdreck — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 19:28:27 -0800

I’d love a RAZR-cool phone, but I can’t find one for CDMA! I scoured phonescoop.com looking for design-first handsets. The Motorola V1150 and SLVR 8, Samsung Blade, and Nokia 6170 are all attractive—and all GSM. I guess the Nokia 6235 doesn’t hurt my eyes, but it’s still $250 USD for no real useful features for me. All this research has got me pining for some fancy foreign phones. Lastly, I’d gladly sacrifice aesthetics for some affordable WiFi.

Can anyone recommend a phone model I should consider?

Besides eBay, is there anywhere to shop for “unlocked” phones?

Is there anywhere to get Asian phones, and is it worth the trouble? (Apparently, South Korea has a CDMA version of the RAZR V3?)

Are any WiFi-enabled phones (that don’t cost more than some laptops!) available now?

Is it any trouble getting your carrier to reprogram competitors’ phones?

Advanced RAZR call forwarding setup?

designbot — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 12:21:31 -0800

Phone experts: How do I quickly change call forwarding options on my RAZR v3? Also, how do I forward to a line with an extension? I just got a Motorola RAZR v3 (I think it's a v3; I don't actually know what that means or how you would tell) with T-Mobile service. Unfortunately, I don't seem to get any reception inside my office building. I thought it would be nice if I could set up call forwarding to transfer my cell calls to my work phone while I'm there. I've run into two problems:
1. When I'm not at work, and I'm unavailable, I want my calls to be forwarded to my voicemail. The only way to change this appears to be to go deep into the options each time, erase the current forwarding number, and re-enter a new number. Isn't there some kind of shortcut to do this? I can't push all those buttons every time I enter & leave my office building.
2. I have an extension at work. Ideally, I would just set up the forwarding number as 555-1234p123, where 555-1234 is my work number, and 123 is my extension. Unfortunately, I get an error when I try to set up call forwarding with a number that contains a pause. Is there some other way to set this up?

How do I sync with my Motorola V3 Razr?

geoff. — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 10:57:09 -0800

I just bought a too-cool-for-you Razr V3 from T-Mobile. I can get it to talk via Bluetooth (oh it routes through my laptop speakers, fancy) -- but I can't figure out how to transfer an MP3. Also is there a definitive community site that everyone goes to for ringtones, wallpapers, etc.? It seems I might have to purchase a $30 Motorola tool kit to get this to happen, but there must be a free option right? I mean I did pay up my ass for this. I figure if those darn kids can figure out to decode DVDs there's got to be a thriving community somewhere. All I want to do is download my own ringtones and perhaps chose from something other than the 3 or 4 provided wallpapers.

V3 Razr File Exchange

Toolshed — Thu, 01 Sep 2005 07:24:23 -0800

How can I transfer files to/from a Motorola V3 Razr and a new Powerbook if the Bluetooth File Exchange seemingly can't do it? It recognizes the phone, but can't see the internal structure of the phone's storage system. Motorola's Mobile Phone Tools has no Mac version. I can sync contacts and calendars with iSync and via Bluetooth, but I have a friend who has the same phone, but the inverse problem: he can transfer files with Bluetooth, but can't get the phone to sync contacts and calendars.

Looking for a close shave with a new Razr

o2b — Tue, 19 Apr 2005 10:25:18 -0800

I'd like to get a new Motorola Razr. But I have questions regarding my existing account, unlocked phones, etc. I have an ATT Wireless plan, which is owned by Cingular. Amazon has the unlocked Razr at about $500, but it won't ship for a few weeks. I called Cingular to see what they could offer me, and they said if I opened a Cingular account (which is different from my ATT account) they could give me the phone for $450 with a 2-year contract.

For me it's worth the extra $50 to not be locked into a contract, but is my understanding of unlocked phones correct? Can I get one and just drop my existing SIM card into it? And take it to any other service provider?

(And to complilcate things, Amazon has the locked phone with a Cingular plan for much much cheaper (with rebates), but as someone with an ATT account, can I take advantage of it? And transfer my number to it?)