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Talking about the line of RIZR phones and about Z10 in particular we should pay attention to the origin. So in 2006 Motorola started producing a new series of image sliders called MOTORIZR. Z3 became the pioneer which was the first GSM slider of the company at that. Much attention to the materials and body finishing and functional filling did not make Z3 a bestseller, but it made publicity pay attention to the new fashion tendencies. In the beginning of 2007 there appeared a renewed model called Z6. Now this phone was positioned as an image music slider. And again this was a pretty and multifunctional (only Linux core was worthy a lot) but unpopular device. This device quickly fell into a niche market segment where it peacefully passed away. Closer to the end of 2007 there appeared a Z8 model with a renewed philosophy. Plus to a catchy black-green color it has a quirky opening mechanism, Symbian UIQ platform and many other advantages, but this did not save this model from rather inexpressive volume of sales.
In the end of such not much cheerful tone here appears RIZR Z10. In fact this is a renewed Z8 model in a more strict design. Will this novelty be able to break through a circle of misfortune following after this series? Let us see this.

Design
At that Z8 had really unusual appearance (in a good meaning of this word) customers’ greetings were rather cool. Young people who might like these acid color mounting were frightened off with device price.

More serious customers were frightened off with design. Moreover, when Z8 model started there appeared some information in web about Z10, which was much more attractive, first of all due its more serious design and to excuse a higher number index with its more serious filling.
Talking about this novelty appearance we cannot miss admitting severe brutality of this device. This characteristic is typical for many models by Motorola and we cannot definitely say that this is bad. Quite the contrary when everything is slim soft and low around you it feels like having something brutal in your hand, some severe instrument for mail talk.

Unfortunately, definite disappointment comes quite soon, first of all it is a pity that metal color this is just a painting. The phone is fully plastic, a good plastic, but what can plastic oppose to a beckoning coolness of metal?
Original slider mechanism of Z8 does not bear any changes in this novelty. Moreover, the phones are quite similar with design elements except the back side of the phone which is due to the more serious camera of Z10.

As well as it was in previous model the upper part of the phone uplifts in a slight angles. This is a definitely interesting decision and if other producers will do the same this will not be a bad thing (as it was with rotators) but this construction still stays an image one in Z10 and it is rather inconvenient in everyday use.

As for the process of opening/closing itself in spite of a complicated mechanism you can do this whether resting your finger against special rubber support under display or rib of the upper part. Auto closer is working in both directions catching the mechanism right in the middle of the movement.

As for the rest embellishments of designers they look quite acceptable, for example bolts on the back cover. The phone sizes and its weight of 115 g proportionally fit the whole image. Due to the rather big size of the phone it is quite convenient to work with it. In the whole Z10 will not become a serious test for jeans’ or other pants’ pockets. In fact if we are making a parallel with this model predecessor Z8 is for 1,5 mm thinner and for 5 g lighter than Z10. You do not almost feel it in everyday life, so a bit spread silhouette of Z10 should not arouse any worries.

Display
So far as Z10 is only a continuation (a renewal in fact) of the series we cannot hope for a new or at least renewed display. As well as in Z8 a 2,2 inch TFT display with QVGA resolution of (320x240 pixels) and reproducing 16 mln colors became the face of this model.

As well as in the previous model this screen has not only impressive technical characteristics (for greater happiness it leaves desire for a higher resolution), but it also looks quite contemporary. Catching the ball before the bound I will say that Z10 is a rather simple device merely adapted for multimedia in spite of its highly functional filling. Taking this fact into consideration we will note that characteristics of display are enough and even have the great stock (text, menu) for usual work with it, and this would be enough for entertainment functions, but the phone does not give such ability.

Keyboard
Describing the phone navigation we traditionally divide it into three blocks – navigation, digital and additional keys. In case with Z10 model the navigation block is in classical style typical for this series. A 4 position disk in the middle, two soft keys, two additional keys (menu, task manager and “back”) and two standard “receivers”.

The keys are not touch as it may seem in the pictures and they are separated from each other with rubber mounting.

Ti is rather hard to press these keys because they are sunk into the plastic panel, it means any action takes serious efforts, but we should state the success of this decision – it looks better and it is more convenient in use that it might be.
Additional keys are on the turn. There are three keys in one block can be found on the left end of the phone.

Two keys are responsible for volume control and the third gives shortcut access to medial gallery. It is more than a doubtful decision. Placing a dictaphone key of any other more claimed function would bring more use. You can easily get into the gallery from menu and it is not so often that you need it. A bit lower we see a slot for memory cards. microSD cards up to 32 Gb (!) are accepted.
The right end of the phone is equipped only with one key responsible for quick launch of inbuilt camera. Lower you can see a miniUSB jack for accessories and charging/connection with PC.

All slots are closed with plastic covers and nothing breaks the body aerodynamics.
Digital keyboard arouses disputable feeling. In fact it did no change from Z8 model, so it will be cunning to talk about changes. Keyboard is a single array at that the half of the keys is placed under a slight angle.

The main claim is the same as it was with navigation block. It is too hard to press the keys. At that we are talking about number dialing. It is rather hard to type even a short SMS message on Z10. The saddest thing is that this keyboard has weak response and if you need to type “0” you have to press this key until the end. At that we cannot talk about addiction or habituation of the keyboard.

That is why choosing Z10 for yourself you should not only pay attention to this fact but also to remember which qualities of the phone you need and how much keyboard rigidity will influence that.
All keys are lighted with pale green light which does not really fit the status of this phone. Milky-white would be right.

Functions
As we have already notice before the model is built on Symbian 9.2 (Motorola Symbian UIQ 3.2) which is more a minus than a plus. In fact this is a wayward platform having little in common with classical S60 by Nokia or UIQ by Sony Ericsson. In the result all advantages of this phone as a multimedia device are lost. The first thing the user is going to come across with switching on the phone is a very long time of loading. It seems like such slow devices are sunk into oblivion, but as we can see there are some representatives of this glorious brotherhood. Deliberateness and thoroughness are seen in everything. If you need to shift the language from English to any other (search in your contact book or address typing in address field) you have to go to the appropriate menu, choose language, press “store”, after that press “apply” and only then you will get the necessary result.

Almost any operation is considered to be a personal outrage against the phone and it takes minimum double confirmation. For example setting the alarm you have chosen the time, let us say, 9 a.m., then you pressed “store” and exited the directory. When you wake up in the morning at about 11 a.m. you suddenly remember that you forgot to press “apply”.

Well, this hard in all senses of this word menu is the only serious drawback of the phone. It is not only hard in mastering it; it is really on the edge with suitability for everyday use.

Among additional functions it will be pleasant to find out the list of supported formats: AAC, AAC+, WAV, AMR NB, MP4, MP3, MIDI, WMA, MPEG4 (30 fps), H.263, H.264. So this device is more than suitable for listening to the music and even watching video files. The player is quite pleasant.

As for connectivity with other devices you can use USB cable for that or Bluetooth 2.0 (A2DP, AVRCP, DUN-GW, FTP, GAP, GAVDP, Headset-AG, HFP 1.5 AG, OPP-Client, OPP).
Z10 is not the most functional model and if we are comparing it with smartphones it is even beaten by older models of other producers.
Z10 has a set of necessary and useful functions, but working with most of them is connected with certain difficulties also due to the menu system complexity.

Camera
Camera is good, nothing saying. In general this is the main difference between Z8 and Z10. So, the last one is boasting a 3,2 megapixel camera with CMOS matrix and auto focus function and ability to take three frames per second.
 

Camera is working in lateral mode as for example Sony Ericsson camera does. For greater comfort of filming the camera has a set of preinstalled modes: “common”, “inside”, “street”, “sport” and etc. There is also not a very powerful LED flash (with “red eyes” mode). There are different color effects, balance of white, sharpness; you can choose the picture quality and image.
As you can see there is a solid set of abilities.

Let us say Z10 has honest 3,2 megapixels. The picture taken in good lights are bright, juicy, but not ideal.
The test pictures can be seen below and the test archive can be downloaded here.

You can store pictures to the phone own memory (45 Mb) or to the memory card, at that the phone has an inbuilt photo editor so you can edit the pictures if you have time and desire for that.

The contemporary phone should have a powerful battery. Z10 has no reasons to flush on that point. The 1130 mAh (Li-Ion) battery is able to provide life energy of this phone for 3 days at not more than 20 minutes of conversations a day and about the same time of using other functions.

Resume
In conditions of competitive market Z10 is in much inferior to alternative offers in price/abilities correlation and status of device. If you want to outstand and differ from others this decision is definitely for you. This phone will not be popular and it will be seldom met, but let us repeat once again this does not make Z10 a bad phone, just it has its own features.
If Z10 is so sink home you should not search for reasons against buying it. Well, just you have to find the place where you can buy this phone for the reasonable price, because this is not the occasion when it is worthy overpaying.