Motorola Krave ZN4 Review

Introduction:

It has been almost one year since Verizon introduced its first touchscreen non-smartphone device, the LG Voyager, followed by the LG Dare and Samsung Glyde months later.  Now Motorola is up to bat with their Krave ZN4.  It features a unique clear plastic flip, which not only contains the integrated earpiece speaker, but can also be used to access a few of the phone’s programs while in closed position. Other features include a standard 2MP camera, HTML Browser, music player, and VCast Mobile TV capabilities.

The Retail Package includes:

• Motorola Krave phone
• 950mAh battery with cover
• MicroUSB wall charger
• User manual

Design:

The Krave is an attractive flip phone, but it doesn’t draw too much attention to itself.  It is constructed out of black plastic throughout, with the flip being transparent, and the back of the device utilizing the same soft-touch coating that’s found on most modern phones.  The flip opens and closes smoothly, with very little resistance and no creaking sounds.  This is due to the well-designed hinge, which has a sturdy quality to it. Overall, the device seems durable and should hold up to normal use.



You can compare the Motorola KRAVE ZN4 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

Even though the Krave is schematically thicker than the Voyager, Dare, and Glyde, it doesn’t feel that way when holding it and using it during calls.  Also, when placed in your pant’s pocket, it isn’t any more noticeable than the Dare.

The device comes with a single 2.8” TFT display, with a resolution of 240x400 pixels and 65K color support.  However, when the flip is closed, the earpiece blocks the bottom and reduces the display to 2.4” with 240x320 pixels.  In most instances, the phone is used with the flip open, so this isn’t a major issue.  Both the display and flip utilize capacitive touchscreen technology, similar to the iPhone and Glyde.  It is very responsive and does not suffer from the touch-errors that we encountered when using the Glyde.  In fact, we found the capacitive touchscreen on the Krave to be more accurate and easier to use than the pressure touchscreens found on the Voyager and Dare.  There is also an integrated light sensor that measures the surround light levels and will automatically adjust the brightness of the display.

This feature is also found in the Dare, but the Krave allows the user to turn off the automatic settings and manually adjust the backlight brightness between 6 levels.  We found this useful when used indoors, as we could make the screen brighter.  The only downfall is that the display becomes difficult to see while in direct sunlight, regardless of using the automatic or manual setting.  There is also a proximity sensor that will turn it off if the phone is next to your face while you’re on a call.

As can be expected, there are very few buttons on the surface.  Located above the display are the Home and Power/End buttons, with the volume rocker, camera, voice command, and sliding lock button located around the perimeter.  On the left side is the microUSB port and 3.5mm headset jack, and on the right is the microSDHC card slot that supports up to 8GB memory cards.  The 2MP camera and external speaker are located on the back.