Motorola MOTORIZR Z3 Cell Phone

I love this phone.

We replaced our cell phones this past October. Not only were we about due anyway; my old phone, a Nokia, died a painful death (by breasts...but that's another topic for another time. And place.)

One big problem we immediately found in phone selection: Manufacturers apparently don't give a hoot about anyone but the teens & twentysomethings who want to do nothing but play games and tunes on their silly little phones. They seem to ignore those of us in the thirtysomething and fortysomething crowd who don't care for all the unnecessary boom box-in-the-palm-of-your-hand stuff, or the complete do-it-yourself body-piercing kits that come with most phones. We selected the simplest phones with the fewest additional features that we could. We did, however, both want camera capability. I also eventually would like to hook up with the internet, but that's a later issue; I still wanted to select a phone that had the capability.

After perusing the newer selection available at that time, my husband and I both opted for the blue Rizr. Slim, lightweight, colorful shell, attractive overall, I felt that it was a good size to stick in my (rare) pockets, my bra (*cough*), or my purse.

I have several problems with my hands: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; Diabetic Neuropathy; complications from fibromyalgia; and arthritis. I needed a phone that would open and close smoothly (my previous phone wasn't a slide, and I was frequently accidentally hitting buttons when the thing was in my purse or pocket). I also needed something that would be easy on my fingers, and buttons that were not too small for me to read or push. This phone gives me all three features. Even when my fingers are somewhat numb from neuropathy, I still can punch buttons and send text messages or dial my doctor. I *really* wanted to buy one of the horizontal memory-keeper, cook-dinner, bathe-the-dog phones, but immediately found that the buttons were too tiny for me to see, let alone push! It would have taken a toothpick transplant in my fingertips to prepare me to use one of those babies.

The phone's range capability is better than my previous Nokia. My husband works on a hospital campus, and many of the buildings are shielded or specially protected, yet most of the time we still can talk uninterrupted while he moves from building to building.

The sound quality does leave a little something to be desired. I sometimes have difficulty hearing, and even speaking to my husband via our phones can be a chore. It was much worse when one or both of us was using the corded earphones that were free with the phones. Since we've switched to Bluetooth handsfree headsets, the sound quality has improved considerably, but I still sometimes have difficulty understanding him.

Picture quality isn't that great. However, if I want to take *good* pictures, I'll use my wonderful digital camera. For snapping on-the-fly shots of something I've seen while out and about, it's okay; just don't bother trying to email the pix to anyone if you want them to be able to see anything clearly.

Battery life has been excellent thus far. I can leave my phone on for several days with light use (maybe 10 text messages plus a half hour of talk time) and not need to recharge. Actual talk time usually is longer than three hours.

One thing I have to mention, though -- and it's a little silly. This phone has great music sound! I use the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" as my ringer, and the "Seinfeld" show theme as my text message announcement -- and both are as clear as a diamond. So incredibly much better than my old Nokia!

Overall, we both enjoy our phones immensely. The overall quality, design, and adaptability (or ease of use) with my specific disabilities has been excellent.