What's good: Solid build quality, decent battery life,
What's bad: What's bad: Spotty reception in areas, screen could use improvement
In this age of technology and continuous connectivity, the smartphone market has inevitably dominated the wireless field as of late. Not to be stood up, there is a smaller, but equally important group within the ?dumbphone? category: the text messaging phones. The Motorola Rival is a new entry to the field, and rivals (pun intended) experienced champions like the LG enV series and the LG Versa. Does it offer similar features? Will it hold up?
The Rival measures in at 3.81" x 1.96" x 0.73" and the 176x220 pixel display sports 65,536 colors. Externally, the device comes in two colors: tin silver and purple. Though the display is nothing to write home about, the phone itself is pocketable, and feels good in the hand. Much like other low-end devices, the Rival is packaged with nothing more than a wall charger and instruction manuals. 
The primary design element that was a bit different about the Motorola Rival is the fact that it doesn't offer a dedicated keypad for dialing purposes. Granted, one can dial on-screen or via the slide-out keyboard, but the lack of dedicated buttons was, in one word, different. The argument can be made that the enV3 has a similar design, but the Rival's lack of a physical, traditional dialing keypad will slow some down. Some will like it, some will hate it.
On the left side of the phone, the volume rocker, speakerphone button, and charging port can be found; on the other hand, the right side contains a 3.5mm headphone jack, lock button, access to voice commands, and camera button. The front of the device contains two touch buttons along with a D-pad, send, end, and back keys. For those that prefer to keep the phone shut, there is also a key that brings up an on-screen dial pad. The slider is surprisingly firm, providing a strong click upon pushing it up with little to no play. The overall build quality of the phone is quite impressive.
The keyboard was enjoyable to use. For basic text messaging needs, this phone excels above many. The keypad is arranged like a computer keyboard, and makes for an easy typing experience. In addition to the typical QWERTY setup, the keyboard also offers shortcuts to instant messaging, text messaging, symbols, and emoticons. 
The actual keys are raised from the phone itself, and are relatively comfortable to use. Users with large hands should not have a problem. Sliding up the keypad while in a call activates speakerphone, which was a feature that we used on a regular basis while testing the Rival. The shortcut keys are activated via touch; a neat feature, though they weren't as responsive as we would have liked.
At 2.0 megapixels, the camera is decent, but won't please people that want to use the device for anything more than quick shots on the go. Picture options include changing the resolution, setting a self-timer, and other effects. Video quality was quite poor, and as we said about the camera, is only useful for a quick video on the go.
The Rival has several software improvements over older devices, most notably threaded SMS and an aesthetically pleasing interface system. When scrolling down, the user interface smoothly transitions from option to option. The user interface can be changed to one of three distinct themes: ?Urban,? ?White,? or ?Ice Cream.? VZ Navigator, Mobile Web, E-Mail, and instant messaging can all be used as well (though additional charges apply with most of these options). Along with several other devices, Verizon has partnered its V CAST Music with Rhapsody, and the Rival comes preloaded with said capability.
We tested the Rival in regards to reception, and calls were clear in strong Verizon areas. The problem came when we tested the device in fringe areas. Where our other Verizon devices would have a signal, the Rival was searching for service. For anyone living in a fringe service area, take advantage of the 30-day trial with Verizon. Battery life is rated at 5.3 hours of talk time and just over 21 days of standby time. In our tests, we were able to get about 4.5 hours of talk time out of the device before the ?low battery? warning came on. Utilizing a combination of talk and standby time, we were able to get two days. For light to moderate users, the device should last 2-3 days.
The QWERTY based regular phones are fantastic for those who don't want to pay for a data plan or carry around a bulky smartphone. In the aforementioned category, the Motorola Rival doesn't disappoint. Though the screen may be a bit less vibrant and reception a bit more spotty than its competitors, it makes up for it with its impressive build quality and decent battery life. Overall, it is a great entry into the field.
