The Motorola V170 is a simple yet reliable Tracfone cell phone that works on GSM 900 and GSM 1800. The phone is uncomplicated, hassle-free, lasts a long time and includes the following features:
- It is a flip phone with comfortable elevated buttons in an easy-to-use layout.
- The V170 measures 3.6 X 1.92 X 0.92 and weighs 3.7 ounces and is therefore more comfortable to use than other lighter phones. It also fits in easily in a handbag’s cell phone pouch.
- The V170 is compatible with worldwide GSM and is suitable for overseas travelers also.
- If you get a $20 package directly from Tracfone, then you get a 60 minute airtime card and a promo code for getting an additional 60 minutes when you activate the card.
- The battery life is pretty good lasting 6 hours at a stretch. Although you may not want to talk for 6 hours on your prepaid phone, but you could.
- The standby time is around 12.5 days which is more than sufficient and means that you could go without recharging your phone for more than a week.
- Interestingly, it is Bluetooth enabled which although not essential could be used if you want to use a wireless headset or transfer data from your laptop.
- The V170 is a Single Rate phone which means that you are charged 1 unit per minute. Plus, there are no roaming charges and you can make international calls without any additional charges.
- You can send and receive text messages at 0.3 units both ways.
- It is easier to send, read and type text messages because of the easy-to-use elevated buttons arranged in a way that you don’t have to switch button too often. Common messages can be stored from beforehand and used later on, when required.
- You can send Voicemail pretty easily and the Tracfone system is efficient enough so that you don’t use more than 1 or 2 minutes.
- You can customize your wallpaper and screensaver and choose from a range of 20 ringtones.
- You can see your balance and expiry date without having to send a text message or call another number.
The phone however lacks some pretty important features:
- The screen is very small and does not boast of a variety of colours like many other Tracfones.
- The games are confusing and some way to easy.
- The phone is not equipped with a camera or a video recorder.
- It does not come with a music player.
- It also does not have a speaker phone which could be handy in certain situations.
The V170 is a convenient, user-friendly phone. Although it does not come with a lot of additional features, it works for a long time and serves the purpose pretty well.
However, you could try the Sony Ericsson K610im or the Sony Ericsson V630 which have been rated higher than the Motorola V170.
