March 23, 2007
Cellphones as Fashion Accessories
Weak market… noticed Motorola (MOT) on the new lows list (along with AMD). As soon as MOT hit the 38.2% retracement level late last year, I bought a RAZR to assure a reversal there.
A few comments about the RAZR: 1) It looks slick, but its square shape doesn’t feel so hot in my hand; 2) no smiley face function while texting; 3) difficulty typing in curse words since there are none in its dictionary; 4) my girlfriends think I’m a fuddy-duddy because they long ago moved on from the RAZR (almost all to a Samsung product), like years ago, Dad.
(She Who Must Be Obeyed has a Samsung SGH-D488.)
Cat: | Time: 8:59 am (utc+8)
March 23rd, 2007 at 2:18 pm
The women around you are correct. I really like my Samsung SGH-D900 btw, my first Samsung and probably not the last.
March 23rd, 2007 at 3:39 pm
I too fell for the Razr— all of the other phones looked basically dysfunctional too, so I got it because it looked slightly better. It can’t be opened with one hand, and you must hold it very delicately and awkwardly while speaking or dialing so as to not accidentally press any one of the three light-touch buttons that adorn the side of the handset. The buttons do things— things that you can’t remember, but you know you don’t want done. I’m glad to see the MOT people getting their just desserts. I want my money back.
March 23rd, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Eyal: Yeah, they all rave about the Samsungs, but I need a more masculine looking phone. :-)
Mike: I can open it with one hand, but you’re right, it’s awkward.
Damn, I’m glad you mentioned those three silver buttons up top — absolutely USELESS and worse than that I think one of them changes your ring style, so I’m often accidentally changing the ring and even missing calls when it gets set to “silent” inadvertently.
One more thing now that I’ve found a fellow griper (;-), it’s damn hard to keep it clean since the metal and glass pick up your fingerprints so easily. It looks grubby unless you’re constantly wiping it off with a clean cloth.
Just give it away and start fresh!
March 24th, 2007 at 12:12 am
What is your opinion of Qiao Xing (XING) and CECT branded cell phones?
March 24th, 2007 at 7:12 am
Chairman,
Last night I was reminded of another of the Razr’s “virtues”. It was dark in my bedroom and I had the phone plugged into it’s charger (no problem with the battery running down, right?). I saw that there was voicemail, and after I got the message to press 9 (I think it is) to save the message I looked at the phone and it was dark. In order to save the battery it turns it’s screen and its keypad off, as quickly as possible, even if its plugged into the wall.
And, I can’t find a way to turn the lights on except to close the lid and reopen it. When I did that it hung up on my voicemail!
March 24th, 2007 at 7:49 am
Brandon: I know nothing about them, sorry. The phone is a status symbol (a new Vertu shop just opened downtown), so carrying a “Chinese” phone is a no-no. (The irony of course is that *every* major brand is assembled in China.)
Mike: You can set the backlight timer to last a little longer, but you’re right, it still isn’t long enough. Doesn’t hitting any key turn the light back on? (no need to close the lid).
March 25th, 2007 at 12:51 am
Funny thing is, Chairman (about phone as a status symbol)…when I went back to Hong Kong last winter and talk to couple of my friends..they perceived Motorola as the “ghetto” brand.
It is true, however, that they take their cell phones way too serious over there. People are willing to pay $5-7k HKD every 6 months for a new cell phone…Over here, I never have to pay for mine.
March 25th, 2007 at 2:27 am
more evidence that MOT need to buy PALM. Palm has the product & cash flow to help MOT, but that’s not to say MOT can get out its troubles quickly.
PALM’s Treo is still visible, but it too is sufferring from lower sell through & weakening margins.
Itis no wonder that NOK has been the stock to own these last few weeks…
March 25th, 2007 at 8:18 am
Yin: I would have kept my little Sony Ericsson phone I used in London, but it doesn’t have Chinese character recognition so I needed to switch, and the RAZR still *looks* great to this old man, but I’d never get a new phone just to be fashionable.