We were also impressed by the Motorola E815's 1.3-megapixel camera, which boasts a 4X zoom, a flash, a 5- to 10-second self-timer, three color modes (Black and White, Antique, and Negative), and the ability to tweak the brightness modes. You can choose from resolutions ranging from 1,280x1,024 pixels down to 160x120, and you can assign your images to a specific contact or use them as your wallpaper or screensaver. You can also share your snapshots through e-mail or a multimedia message, or you can even transfer them to your PC via the TransFlash card, which is a feature Verizon disabled on an earlier V Cast phone, called the Audiovox CDM-8940. We also wish there were a rapid-fire mode, which would have been a handy feature, given the memory that's available. Meanwhile, the E815's video camera takes typically rough-and-ready, barely watchable clips of up to 15 seconds in length with sound.
The Motorola E815's media player does a decent, if not exceptional job of cranking out your tunes. Once you've transferred some MP3s to the phone's TransFlash card, you can set up playlists and listen through the phone's stereo headset. Repeat and shuffle modes are available, and you can scan forward or reverse within a song, although you can't hear the music while you're scanning. You can keep listening to your music after you've flipped the phone shut, but there isn't a play/pause button on the front cover, as on the CDM-8940.
As expected, customization options on the Motorola E815 are good. You can change the wallpaper and screensaver using either a preexisting image or one of your snapshots; switch the menu's color schemes to Scarlet, Techno, or Moto; and choose from the 10 polyphonic ring tones and two MP3 tones that you can assign to your contacts. Our phone had "Eye of the Tiger" and "Get it Poppin"; you can download more from Verizon's Get It Now service. The handset also comes with a pair of games--S.W.A.T. and Swerve Basketball--although gaming junkies will probably want to try one of the 3D V Cast games (the first-person Need for Speed Underground 3D was our favorite).
We tested the dual-band (CDMA 900/1900; 1xEV-DO) Motorola E815 in New York City, and our voice calls sounded crystal clear. Our data connectivity was another matter, however. In the signal-rich environment of Manhattan, we got a steady EV-DO connection, but in nearby Brooklyn--a borough in which we had steady service with Verizon's other V Cast phones--our test phone kept flipping between EV-DO and the slower 1xRTT. If you live on the outskirts of an EV-DO-served city and you're considering the E815, consider a test-drive before snapping it up.The Motorola E815's photos looked excellent for a camera phone's; images were reasonably sharp and detailed with rich colors. Those looking for images worthy of a standalone camera are bound for disappointment, but barring Sprint's new 2-megapixel camera phone, the Samsung MM-A800, these are some of the best handset snapshots we've seen.
Motorola promises more than 4.5 hours of talk time and 11 days of standby time from the E815. In CNET Labs' tests, we got 4 hours of talk time and just a litte more than a week of standby time. According to the FCC, the E815 has a digital SAR rating of 1.24 watts per kilogram.
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