Motorola Renew W233 Video

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Motorola Renew W233
Created: 02/03/2009
Video description: The Motorola Renew W233 is more than just a green device; it's also a decent phone in its own right.

Motorola Renew W233 Video Transcript

[ Music ] ^M00:00:02

>> Hi, I'm Kent German, Senior Editor here at CNET.com. Today we'll take a First Look at the Motorola Renew W233. This is a new phone that debut at CES just a few weeks ago. The story about this phone does not lie with these features. There's really not a lot there actually, but it is what Moto is billing as the first carbon-free cell phone ever. What that means is the phone is made from recycled water bottles and also the box is made from recycled paper, so pretty much everything that goes into the phone is recycled. Moto is trying to bill it as real green phone, as earth-friendly phone. They are trying to push the talk time as well, that's promised up to nine hours. So they're trying to say that it's pretty energy efficient. We haven't tested the talk time yet, but certainly nine hours talk time is on the longer side. It does have pretty decent call quality. I test it a little bit and had pretty good clarity, pretty good volume. The design isn't bad either, it's just a candy bar design and of course it has green here on the sides, white here on this -- from the top right down the bottom and has a black cover, so does a little bit of a different design. The display is a little small, not the highest resolution. The menu is easy to use. The navigation array: not so bad. The toggle is raised above the surface of the phone. The keypad buttons: they're fine, pretty spacious. The numbers are a little small, but that's just because the phone is a little small. The only thing that I don't really like is there is no exterior volume rocker, so when you are on a call you have to use that toggle to adjust the volume. Really prefer having something here just on the side. Inside: not a lot there. There is a very basic music player, organizer features, speaker phone, but no camera, no real high-end multimedia features. It's not a 3G phone at all, but it does have that serviceable call quality, basic messaging. So, if you're looking for a basic phone that makes calls and maybe you want to feel good about buying it. Certainly the Motorola Renew is not a bad option. I'm Kent German and this is the Motorola Renew W233. ^M00:01:59 [ Music ]

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Motorola Renew W233 (T-Mobile) Review

The good: The Motorola Renew W233 offers satisfying call quality in a simple, eco-friendly design.

The bad: The Motorola Renew W233 has a low-resolution display and it offers few features. Also, it lacks a side-mounted volume rocker.

The bottom line: The Motorola Renew W233 is more than just a green device; it's also a decent phone.

Read full review

Motorola Renew W233 (T-Mobile) Specs

Manufacturer: Motorola
Part number: RENEWW233GRNTMB

Product Basic Spec
  • Product Basic Spec

Read full specs

Motorola Renew W233 (T-Mobile) Prices

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