Pros: V CAST, crisp widescreen, 3G, VZ Navigator, visual voice mail, neat touch-flip form factor.
Cons: touch screen and flip are unpredictable at best, it feels strange against the cheek.
The Motorola Krave ZN4 is the first of it's kind in the US; it's got a 2.8" touch screen with a clear flip that is also touch-sensitive. Users across the pond have seen this idea expressed in the Ming, and the touch-flip novelty is a key selling point for this beautifully-designed device in The States.
The Krave is great with V CAST media, although you can't play music in the background. The widescreen is sharp and the audio quality is does not disappoint. Call quality is also good. 2 MP pictures look decent, and the video capture works fine.
Unfortunately, I found both the screen and the flip difficult to achieve touch accuracy with. This really kills a lot of the phone's potential. It's nearly impossible to scroll without selecting something. The landscape QWERTY that I look for in every phone is nicely implemented, but the less-than-stellar touchscreen left me frustrated. And, as Noah pointed out, the flip gets in the way when typing.
My wife has an unhealthy obsession with Bejeweled. She could hardly contain herself when she found out I was holding a phone with her long-lost game installed. She played for about 3 minutes before giving up, thanks to unpredictable touch response. Without me saying anything to her about the screen, she came to the same conclusion I did: you have to touch somewhere above and to the right of the spot you actually want to hit. Maybe we got a defective sampler, but I'm seeing similar complaints online. I've dialed *288 for device reprogramming, tried the 5-minute battery reset, and diligently searched for some means of calibrating the screen. Alas, the problem continues without apparent solution.
This phone has many traits worthy of praise, but at the current price, I can't get past its flaws. If the Krave were $49.99 with a contract, I'd say go for it. That's the league this phone is in. At that price, I'd be raving about the excellent graphic quality of the screen. However, Verizon wants $179.99 with a two-year agreement. What Verizon customer would pass up the opportunity to own a BlackBerry Storm for just $20 more? This thing costs more than an LG Dare, which has a vastly superior touch screen and camera. Non-Verizon customers have a slew of great options in this range. As far as I'm concerned, this phone has been priced out of the market.
Verdict: Thumbs down.
