Motorola V260 / V262 Specs, Features & Reviews

Pros

Excellent reception in my area. US Cellular in Southern Wisconsin.

Works with Motorola Phone Tools (MPT) quite well.

The Datebook functions work and sync well with the MPT.

Durable, My mother-in-laws went through the washer, totally submerged, LCD saturated with water. three days later it was dry and everything works except the LCD backlight. fearing it would fail I was able to upload all the phone data with MPT. She received a new phone, the V323i, and it will not work with MPT. The data gleaned from it must now be manually entered. At least the V262 allowed me to get the data. It still functions though. It will be my emergency loaner now.

Cons.

Will not accept MP3's from MPT, despite the fact MPT indicates it should.

Small viewing screen.

I give this a .5 as a rating only because the phone is capable of making phone calls, and receiving them(the minimum requirements of a cell-phone) I have owned this phone for exactly six months, of that six months i have had the phone in my possession for about 3 of those months. The antenna is poorly made, and the sheathing broke(had a permanently extended antenna, so i sent it in to Motorola, who supposedly fixed it.. but when i got it.. i pulled the antenna out and it wouldn't go back in) I lose approximately 1/30 of my calls(dropped) in my home area(with full signal(even on campus(cell tower is maybe 1/4 mile away)) Besides that, the Motorola charging system needs improvement, it is a flimsy design, they should take after Motorola with their solid pin in hole design(which is easier to use, and more reliable/sturdy) also.. if u try to send text messages to multiple recipients it will freeze on you(more than 6 people in my experience)

Pros- Phone turns on, and can be used as a phone
Cons- Drops of calls(even after repairs(and i don't abuse my phone))
OS freezes alot, Charger design is ridiculous
Motorola's OS is one of the most poorly designed i have seen(if u are used to it, good, but if u have ever used LG or Nokia, You will be disappointed)

CONCLUSION- Don't buy this phone unless you like loaner phones, and are sure you like the way Motorola phones operate.

Also.. Speaker phone is OK, but not as good as LG's or Nokia's new phones, and they had to put a new speaker in mine because it was defective

This might be one of the worst phones that I have ever owned! Although it seems like everyone else is extremely happy with their's, maybe I just got a defective one but there are multiple things wrong with it!
1st-I've owned it for less that 6 months and the antenna busted off with in the first 3 months. After the antenna busted all of the antenna stuff inside came loose & now I have an extremely hard time getting a signal.
2nd-One day the front display just decided that it was going to go crazy. I can now only see 1/2 of what I'm supposed to see on the front display screen.
3rd-The lights on the key pad almost never work, this makes it extremely difficult to call people at night.

I guess if you don't mind those kind of things going wrong then it would be a good phone for you, otherwise I'd look at a different phone!

I recommend not buying this phone unless you have no other good options. For the time that my store sold these I saw so many of them come in with various problems - most all reception related. Nearly every one that was sold was like a boomerang - always came back. For some reason they seem to lose ability to get consistant reception after a while - dropping calls when in areas where reception is dead perfect, not picking up digital... etc.

They are nice phones when they are working properly though.

Overall this phone is a good phone, however features do not live up to their name. Two major problems I've found.

1. The date-book alarms don't work. They go off at the incorrect time, or don't go off at all. I've twice returned my phone in for repair and 3x traded for completely different phones through Alltel. The datebook alarm reminders still don't work (never correctly on any of the phones!), and Alltel representatives are clueless, as is technical support. I've been told by several people that this is just a Motorola problem in general not just this phone. Motorola has advised me to bypass Alltel tech. support and send the phone directly to them to correct the problems, but I'd be without a phone for 3 weeks.

2. This phone has serious problems with the speaker phone. I was informed by an Alltel technical support representative that the speaker is the #1 reason for return of this phone and that the speakers are being replaced on every phone coming in, whether that was requested or not.

Those are my two chief complaints. The screen is too small, but this is obvious when you pick it out. The phone gets great reception, but mine occasionally drops calls w/ perfect signal strength... but I can't complain because it occasionally makes calls with horrible signal strength. To be fair this is the best phone for the money, as long as you don't use the date-book and make sure the speaker doesn't have a problem.

Working as an Alltel dealer in NC, I can tell you that the original v262 was a headache due to a microphone & speaker bug that eventually caused a recall of all 262s and 265s. However, they're back in the stores, problem is fixed, and now the v262 version 2 is a badass phone. So badass in fact I bought one for myself!

If you're considering this phone, a lot of dealers are still carrying the first version. You can tell them apart by the UPC on the side of the box. The version 2 model is imprinted with "V2622" on the side instead of "V262".

Motorola V262 (version 2) Specs:

Pros

+EXCELLENT reception
+lightning fast menus (compared to other new gadget-packed handsets)
+changeable covers (even though the original color is nice)
+crystal clear upgraded speaker & microphone
+decent battery life (by CDMA standards)
+excellent integrated speakerphone
+ringtone selection is not the cheesy midi only variety or bleepy garbage
+menu system is easy to navigate
+button layout is good for anyone with big or small sized fingers
+voice dialing that actually works well
+chock-full of extra features

Cons

-Small screen
-keypad backlight has a light sensor (won't light up in a dimly lit room)
-short default backlight timer. Once it goes off, unless you're in direct light, the screen is IMPOSSIBLE to see
-on the flip side, if you're in TOO much light, the screen is also hard to see
-pull-out antenna is kinda flimsy

PROS:
Everything that you could want in a phone, except a camera but if you are looking for a camera phone get one!
Lives up to the moto name...great reception works great I mean come on!
External Caller Id a bonus
pull out antenna for better coverage!

Cons:
Screen Could Be a little bigger but you know what your getting into when you get it!

I can start with the Pros and Cons I guess.

PROS

Good reception
Good earpiece volume
Decent speakerphone
Color screen
Quality build
Nice external display
Extendable antenna
External antenna plug
Works with my other Moto accessories

CONS

Color screen kinda small
Color of blue/purple soft touch covers
Battery life less than expected
Reversed send and end keys

I purchased the v262 from Alltel about a week ago. I was looking more at the Kyocera 3250 for a phone upgrade, but the salesman I know had been carrying the v262 as a demo for a couple of weeks. He said it had better reception than the Kyocera, and that he liked the phone. I trust his opinion so I decided on the Moto. First impression was the overall build of the phone. It feels solid and the hinge seems smooth. My old v60i is loose and creaky in the hinge and that was from day one. After using the phone for a few days I know that the reception is good. It is equal to the v60i in picking up a signal and that is the best phone I've ever owned from Alltel. I had a nightmare with a T720 one time so I know how bad a phone can be. That's why I was skeptical of the v262. It seems that Moto has got this one right. The screen is smallish but honestly it does the job. For people wanting to play games you might want to opt for another phone. The screen does what you need though, so the size wasn't really a factor for me. Battery life is about average I guess. I was hoping for more, but I can go 2 or 3 days with an hour of talking between charges. That's about normal for most newer phones I've used. I've used a GSM v400 on another carrier and that will spoil you a little on battery life. Moto has changed the send and end keys from my older handsets so I must be careful about hitting the wrong one on this phone. Still the cons are minor and the pros are very good. Finally a phone that works well as a phone. I recommend this phone to anyone wanting a non-camera phone.

First thing to consider when reading this review is where the reviewer lives. I wish more people when writing a review would indicate where they live, I think it would be very helpful to the reader. I live in northwest Georgia (Woodstock) and travel quite a bit. Most (85% or more) of Georgia has digital coverage with pockets of analog that are phasing out quickly. Have not dropped a call yet.

Pro's:
Tri-Mode but in Georgia less necessary.
Reception that is tough to beat. Finds and retains signals.
Crisp call clarity both sending and receiving. Sounds great.
Ringers are fine unless you are real picky.
Ringers are loud enough.
Good speaker.
Voice (call) recognition, you do not have to train. Terrific.
Voice memos.
External caller ID is very good but smallish.
Side buttons (volume, voice call and memo) difficult to accidently depress.
Menus are flexible (customizable).
Battery life is good.
Charging system is easy.

Cons:
Screen is small and tough to see in direct sunlight.
Fonts are small as well.
Menus are a touch slow.
Keys are okay but nearly flush.
Soft keys in awkward position.
Build is okay but suspect.
Looks are not exciting.

If you are looking for a phone that handles calls real well and gets great reception then this is the phone for you. If you are looking for something fancy with a colorful, large screen then look elsewhere.

Pros: Nice look, good battery life, nice keypad and screen
Cons: Horrible quality, flip moves around in all directions, feels like you'll break the flip when removing the front faceplate.

When I bought this phone from Telus, I asked the sales rep which phone she thought was best, and she said this one because of the features. I shouldn't have listened. I HATE THIS PHONE!! When I flip it open, the flip squeaks when it is pushed back, and the flip wiggles side to side too. When I try to change the faceplate, I feel as if I'll break it, there should be some type of release mechanism for the front too. The sales rep was right: It has lots of features. But quality is a bigger concern for me.