Motorola E365 Review

Overall Rating

Neat compact design.
Good screen.

Annoying on/off tone.
Too loud.
Menu/software overloaded with gimmicks.

Positive aspects:
The main reason I bought this phone was for it's size - it really is small, and a lot easier to keep in a pocket than many of the clamshell designs. It's a very 'professional' looking phone, and not overdesigned with curves and wacky shaped buttons like many mobiles. It has a very nice, bright, screen, and everything is very readable.

Negative aspects:
The buttons are too small for regular use, and their clicking seems a bit cheap sometimes. The phone's software is bloated with stupid extras like wacky, meaningless, Japanese-style games, horrible ring tones, and too many unnecessary multi-level customization options. Even on the lowest setting, the phone's ringer is far too loud, and on the maximum setting it's deafening! Basically, it's hard to get a sensibly low ring volume that won't embarrass you. As far as I can see, the number buttons 1, 2 and 3 can't be reassigned to your own speed dials (they are preset to answerphone, etc.) which is particularly annoying as in the past I've always used 1 to phone home, 2 for work etc. The camera is frankly pointless, but then the same goes for most mobiles I guess. Even on the maximum resolution, the pictures are horribly grainy, the lens gives a distorted fish-eye view, and it takes forever to save or load the resulting pictures. The phone software has crashed a few times, necessitating removal of the battery for a few seconds before it'll come back to life.

But worst of all (I saved this for last!), it is not possible to turn off the loud and lengthy jingle the phone plays every time it is turned on or switched off! Well, it is possible to stop it, but only by having the phone's normal ring option set to a silent mode! Naturally, this is somewhat ridiculous as most of the time you will want the phone set to use an audible ring tone! It drives me nuts every day, and will be the primary reason why I'm unlikely to buy a Motorola next time.

Summary:
Overall, the E365 is a usefully compact little phone, but let down by all the unnecessary and childish clutter in the menu system and nasty little buttons. And that on/off jingle!!! This phone certainly betrays its Far-East origins, where miniaturization and gimmicks reign supreme.