Motorola KRZR K1 review

If you’re the kind of gadgeteer that salivates after cutting-edge technology, stop reading now – the KRZR is no friend of yours. Clearly, it’s no friend of English teachers either, having possibly the worst name yet dreamt up by Motorola’s vowel-haters (just in case you were wondering, it’s pronounced ‘crazer’ – horrible).

Beauty is only skin deep…but you know you want one

If, on the other hand, you look to your mobile phone primarily as a means of keeping in contact with people via voice and text, this could very well be the phone for you. It’s beautifully made and looks delightful.

The main draw of the KRZR is its construction – it’s all metal, just as the RAZR is, and has a sizeable slab of mirrored crystal glass adorning its flawless visage. This lends it a solid, weighty feel, and the lovingly beveled edges and details on the casework are a joy to behold.

It’s also a unique shape. OK, there’s nowt revolutionary about a clamshell, but the KRZR is surprisingly long and fairly thin in both width and depth – perfect for the horse-faced.

The phrase ‘nice action’ could have been coined for the KRZR – its hinge is solid as a diamond-encrusted rock and has a reassuring clunk when it opens. The keypad isn’t quite as cool as the RAZR’s in our view, but that’s mainly down to the colour scheme.

And in use? It’s unlikely to impress a gadgeteer, what with its old-school (but much, much better than the RAZR) menu system, RAZR-generation main screen and general lack of features.

However, it is very comfortable and is excellent at the phone basics. Just don’t seek one out if you want to play the latest games, surf the latest websites and watch the latest movies; tasks involving raw power and extended connectivity are a no-go.

That said, the KRZR has a few tricks up its immaculate sleeve. The camera is a 2MP affair, which in practice fails to compete with most 1.3MP jobs. Fine for a night out (if the lighting’s OK), but get a professional in for your wedding.

Bluetooth A2DP is another slightly surprising addition, allowing you to listen to MP3s stored on the microSD memory card to play on wireless headphones. The media player is rudimentary; supporting the bare minimum of formats, but does the job.

We seem to be losing focus here, though – the KRZR is, above all, built to be beautiful. Mission accomplished.