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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #61033 in Cell Phone Accessories
• Color: Green
• Brand: Motorola
• Model: W490
• Released on: 2008-01-08

Features

• Compatible with T-Mobile's MyFaves service--unlimited calling to your five most called contacts
• Chat with your IM buddies using Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, and ICQ instant messaging services
• 1.3-megapixel camera with video capture; MicroSD expansion; Bluetooth connectivity with music streaming
• Up to 7.5 hours of talk time, up to 10 days of standby time; measures 1.8 x 3.9 x 0.7 inches (WxHxD)
• Includes: Battery, Charger and Hands-free Headset

Amazon.com Product Description
Blending RAZR high style with an affordable price tag, the sleek Motorola W490 offers compelling communication features to keep you in touch with ease. With a vibrant color screen and lengthy talk-time, this compact flip phone is a handy mobile companion. In addition to text messaging capabilities, you can chat with buddies using Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, or ICQ instant messaging services. Other features include a 1.3-megapixel camera with video capture, USB wired connectivity with mass storage capability, Bluetooth connectivity with stereo music streaming, and MicroSD memory card expansion.

With RAZR-like slimness, the W490 measures just 0.7 inches thin and weighs 3.8 ounces.

With T-Mobile's MyFaves service, you'll enjoy unlimited nationwide calling to your 5 favorite people.

T-Mobile Service
The W490 operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and can handle high-speed data connectivity via T-Mobile's EDGE network (which stands for "Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution"). This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including video and music clips, full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go.

It's compatible with T-Mobile's myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts--on any network, even landlines--without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.

Phone Features
Measuring 0.69 inches thin, the Motorola W490 sports a 1.9-inch LCD screen with support for 262K colors and a 176 x 220-pixel resolution. It has a 5 MB internal memory, which can be expanded up to 2 GB using optional MicroSD memory cards. This phone can store up to 1000 contact entries (plus up to 250 stored on the SIM card), and each entry can store up to five numbers as well as picture ID.

This Motorola phone includes the innovative CrystalTalk technology, which automatically accounts for background noise during a call and adjusts the audio quality based on ambient noise conditions to provide the optimal conversational experience. CrystalTalk also reduces the volume of the background noise picked up by the microphone during a call, making it possible to be more easily heard over the phone while in a noisy environment.

This phone provides Bluetooth version 1.2 wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and audio/video remote control. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones.

In addition to SMS text messaging capabilities, the W490 offers built-in instant messaging with Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, and ICQ services. iTap text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for entering text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile email and text messaging users. Other features include:

• Music file support: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+
• 1.3-megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom and video capture
• PIM tools: calendar, calculator, voice memos
• Speakerphone
• Java 2.0 support for app and game downloads

Vital Statistics
The Motorola W490 weighs 3.8 ounces and measures 1.8 x 3.9 x 0.7 inches. Its 800 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 7.5 hours of talk time, and up to 14 days of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.

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Customer Reviews

I love this phone so much I just might marry it.
Aesthetically, this phone makes me smile every time I take it out. I sometimes leave it on my desk at work to make my co-workers jealous. ;) The functionality is great - very intuitive and easy to use. The keypad has a straightforward, pleasantly tactile interface.

I was wary about getting this phone because of a review on Amazon that said the screen was ugly (it's perfectly fine), texting was slow/characters took two seconds each to pop up (not true; they come up immediately); the front window was useless (like all phones, it clearly displays the time and, when someone's calling, their name or number -- the picture on this page accurately depicts this); the ringer is too soft (it's plenty loud at the highest volume; in fact I had to turn it down); and the photos are low-quality (they're obviously not as good as those taken with a real camera, but they are about what you'd expect for a camera phone).

I've had my phone for about three weeks and I'm simply thrilled with it. (The ooohs and ahhhs from passersby don't hurt!) ;)

Don't let it happen to you
I've had this phone for one year and 2 months and like it just fine...until two days ago. I put my phone in the charger, woke up, and suddenly none of the keys worked when the software was running. If I take the battery out and put it back in, I have to hit the power button to turn the phone back on. Strangely enough, that works, but that's the only time any buttons do anything anymore. Once the software boots up, even the power button doesn't work, not even to power down the phone. I brought it to Tmobile today, and they told me I'm pretty much out of luck. I'm stuck in a contract for 10 more months and my phone is almost useless. It only has a one year warranty too - yippee, two months too late. All I can do with it is receive calls - answering them by flipping the phone open. That's why I'm on Amazon tonight, cause I need to buy a new phone ASAP, and I don't get the advantage of subsidies, since I'm in the middle of a contract.

This is not an isolated incident, but, like any other issue, you don't know about it until it happens to you. Just Google something like, "W490 keypad does not work," and you'll see. It's common enough for google to have an autocomplete ready when you start typing that phrase. The forums are full of people like me, powerless to do anything but buy a new phone at full, shameful, price.

Tested 10 year old tough
I purchased 3 of these almost 1 year ago for my 9 yo, 10 yo, and 18 yo children. I would never have thought the phones would have survived this long. They all have their battle scars, but remain 100% functional. I have owned a cell phone for 15 years now, and these come with more standard features than anything I have had except for my recent Blackberry pruchase. The only weakness of this phone is its strength; these are metal bodied instead of plastic. That makes them resistant to damage, but the finish scratches off when you drop it (remember, 10 year olds).

My first cellphone was the "contractors" Motorola dynatec 800x (want some memories, google that phone). These phones have been just as durable.

Overall this model is hard to beat for its features and durability. 4 1/2 stars in every catagory (nothing is perfect)