Motorola RIZR Z6c Review

Introduction:

The Motorola Z6c “World Edition” phone is designed for the average international traveler in mind that wants to be able to place and receive calls while abroad. It is capable of working on the Verizon CDMA network, as well as GSM 900/1800 networks when used in other countries, however a SIM card from Verizon is required. The only other device currently offered by Verizon to work on GSM networks is the BlackBerry 8830 Smartphone, which is targeted more to business travelers.


The Retail Package includes the Motorola Z6c World Edition phone, user manual, microUSB-to-2.5mm headset adapter, microUSB elbow adapter, 950mAh battery, and wall charger with three adapter plugs for international use.


Design:

The Z6c features a slider design and looks almost identical to the Z6tv, which offers Mobile TV service instead of international roaming. It is constructed from black and silver plastic throughout, yet is durable and should hold up to everyday use. The slider is very easy open and close and has a fluid movement to it. The back of the device has the same soft-touch coating that is featured on other Motorola phones (Maxx, V9m, Q9m).



You can compare the Motorola RIZR Z6c to many other phones, using PhoneArena's Visual Size Compare tool.

Located on the left side is the volume rocker and speakerphone button, while the right side has the voice command button, keypad lock, and microUSB port. The 2MP camera and speaker are on the back. One aspect that we did not like was the design of the microSD card slot. You must first remove the battery door cover and slide the microSD card in above where the SIM card would be located. This is pretty simple, but removing the memory card proved to be more difficult. You have to press down (pretty hard) on a piece of plastic that locks the card into place, while at the same time sliding the card out. This is a poor design, and is very inconvenient to the consumer. We much prefer the design of the memory card slot on the Z6tv, where it is accessible from the side of the phone.


The main display is 2.0” diagonal with a QVGA resolution of 240x320 pixels and 65K color depth. Despite its average size, it has good contrasts, shows images with full color, and has a 6 level brightness control. Even though we used the brightest backlight level, the TFT display is still difficult to view while in direct sunlight.


Directly below the display is the 5 way navigational D-pad, which is used for navigating through the phone’s software. We noticed that it is slightly smaller than the D-pad used on the Maxx and V9m, but the difference is negligible. To the left and right sides of it are the two soft keys, camera button, clear, send, and end buttons. Sliding the phone open reveals the hidden numeric keypad. It has a nice silver finish, which stands out from the black plastic used on the front. The buttons are slightly curved and are well spaced with raised rubber edging between them. The blue backlit numbers are easy to see, but the letters are somewhat small. Overall, the keypad on the Z6c is easy to use for dialing and text messaging thanks to its excellent tactile feel with raised rubber letters and key separators.