Motorola ZN5 - user opinions and reviews

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Design
8.3
Features
8.3
Performance
8.3
Votes:
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> In reply to Anonymous @ 2010-09-02 20:30 from RbXv - click to readZN5 uses micro SDHC card

  • Reply
  • 2010-09-04 06:38
  • PZLQ
  • R

Can the ZN5 use a micro SDHC card? Or only the Transflash type?

  • Reply
  • 2010-09-02 20:30
  • RbXv
  • Q

Exceptional mobile phone. Actually I consider it to be the Motorola’s MASTERPIECE.

Motorola is known to manufacture mobile phones with rock solid built quality using top notch & expensive materials like steel, aluminum, mineral glass rather than glossy plastic commonly used by Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG. This always has been Motorola’s strong point. The ZN5 is no exception either, it is almost built in metal & has a thick mineral glass over the TFT display matrix which is excellent.

The set looks a feels like a monolith. The Motorola ZN5 measure 12mm in thickness, which is a rather nice achievement - it actually puts it in Top 5 of slimmest 5 megapixel cameraphones. The body thickness however increases around the camera area to up to 16mm.

A very famous website www.smape.com did a rigorus durability test on ZN5 and at first rode over the ZN5 lying in the road on a SUV weighing 2.5 tones. The ZN5 passed with flying colors. Only the mineral glass cover over the display was broken but the mobile phone operated normally receiving calls, playing music etc.

Then they put it in a freezer for severel hours at sub zero temapature, then in a washing machine for an hour, dropped it from the hand severel times, cleaned it in running tap water and merged it in a glass of beer. After that they dried it for a night besides a room heater and it started working the next morning!!! I think this is enough of an example of the phone’s durability.

The display in ZN5 is way ahead of the European contenders like Nokia & Sony Ericsson. Actually mobile phones which are manufactured in Japan by Japanese companies have exceptional displays & generally are way better than the European counterparts. Just think about top LCD screen manufactures of the world – Sharp, Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, JVC,etc all reside in Japan. Whereas European mobile phone manufactures use TFT displays manufactured by local European companies, Motorola uses TFT display manufactured by Sharp Corporation of Japan. The display has class leading brightness and contrast levels, the colors are maximally natural and saturated. Undeniably, the best 2.4 inch QVGA display to adorn a mobile phone so far.

The morphing keypad, called ModeShift and first introduced in Motorola E8, is also present in ZN5. It's got haptic feedback on every key press and key designations and backlight change in accordance to the currently used application.

The phone is all about the camera and it does not disappoint on this ground. Believe me, it is the BEST 5 MP camera currently available on the market today, make no mistake about it. Only the Nokia N82 comes close. On the review of www.mobiset.ru they compared the pictures taken by ZN5 & N82 of a same object (say a poster) under high magnification and found that ZN5’s picture contains higher details and better color saturation than N82. The Kodak's participation has brought the Kodak Perfect Touch technology to the ZN5 which can make any picture taken look sharper & brighter.

Motorola ZN5 is also the industry first to introduce VARIABLE APERTURE technology in the camera unit of a mobile phone. The ZN5 camera will offer two apertures values. The camera will automatically pick between F2.8 (the standard for all cameraphones) and F5.6 (when there is enough light). Now that may not mean much to you, but a tighter aperture such as F5.6 will actually bring less lens issues and better corner-to-corner sharpness.

ZN5 has the most powerful xenon flash found on any mobile phone till date. It can take pictures at pitch dark with ease because of xenon flash and produce bright pictures. The ZN5 also offers direct image upload to KODAK Gallery, as well as integration of the ShoZu client, which can upload images to various social networking clients.

The hardware found in ZN5 almost represents the hardware of a stealth fighter plane i.e. built to kill its opposition. Running on a Freescale MXC275-30 platform having 532 MHz ARM11 applications processor & 208MHz Digital Signal Processor speaks for itself. Also it has two Image Processing Units (IPU) instead of one, one is the dedicated Freescale IPU that comes with the MXC275-30 platform capable of handling up to 2 Mpix images & the other is Texas Instruments dedicated DM299 IPU which has a ARM7 processor embedded in it capable of handling up to 5 Mpix images. Thus ZN5 have hardware capable of handling 5+2=7 Mpix images and thus can handle image & video much better than any of its 5 Mpix opposition. Internal memory is 512 MB which is huge, no opposition can match that and also you can extend it up to 4GB with a microSD card.

Audio sound quality from the music player is awesome. Believe me some of the renowned Russian websites like www.smape.com, www.mobile-review.com, etc known for their thorough review have told that the ZN5 can challenge the mighty Apple iPod on this ground which, literally speaking is phenomenal for any mobile phone. Stereo Bluetooth (A2DP), 3.5mm audio/video jack (TV-out) all adds to the list making it a perfect choice instead of a dedicated portable music player. After using Nokia N82, Sony Ericsson K850 and also Samsung, LG phones of the same range, I have to accept that ZN5 is the best of them all when it comes to PURE SOUND QUALITY.

As I looked in the RMAA sound test graphs as published by different websites, the sound characteristic needs no explanation, because we face one of the best decisions at the personal audio market, ZN5 is not ashamed to compare itself with players from Creative ZEN Micro Photo, Sony HD5, Cowon D2 or even Apple iPod.

I am dealing with one of the best solutions for pure listening pleasure, with a clean sound devoid of any colorings, embellishment or ornamentation in the sound, commonly found in Sony Ericsson phones.

Now I can easily hear many of the previously obscure details in the compositions of a complicated music composition, and if desired, with a quality headset, can clearly set apart all the instruments used in the music composition, thus I am able to focus not only on the primary instrument, which is audible, but also on the fact that what instrument I want to hear.

This calls for a detailed elaboration of the DAC and amplifier found in ZN5. Most modern audio signals are stored in digital form (for example MP3s and CDs) and in order to be heard through speakers they must be converted into an analog signal. They normally take the digital output like MP3 and convert the signal into a line-level output that can then be fed into a pre-amplifier stage. The DAC used in ZN5 is definitely of very high quality.

The inbuilt radio have very strong reception quality and the sound is crisp and clear. The best radio I have seen so far on any mobile phone.

This mobile phone is capable of playing videos of very high bitrates (Higher bitrates means better quality) due to its 2 IPU’s & 208 Mhz DSP. Bitrates as high as 1100 kbps can be played easily.

Besides functionality, the quality of assembly and materials is the lodestone around which a phone’s success is built, playing a decisive role in the customer’s choice. Better materials and assembly allow a handset to live longer and sustain more damage

Besides a minimized use of glue (much favored by Sony Ericsson), Motorola phones are also remarkable for a total lack of technical apertures on the chip, commonly found under all onboard components in Nokia and Samsung products. Please don’t take this point for an attempt to start another holy war, an ordinary consumer shouldn’t normally get concerned about this sort of things. Every company does their best to minimize the production costs, but somehow it’s ZN5 alone that uses metal not only for product image purposes (like the face and back panel pieces), but inside the casing as well – to ensure a maximum durability. What goes to the above-mentioned apertures, those have a bad habit of harboring condensated moisture, leading to the decay of neighboring components and lowering the chances for successful recovery after drowning. These subtle nuances concealed from the buyer is what constitutes the difference in lifespan of differently crafted products.

I cannot stop praising the phone isn’t it!! One has to remember ZN5 is a smartphone since it comes with an operating system (Linux) and not just a software. So third party software’s and modding options are limitless.

Lastly, I want to say even if it sounds demoralizing, that there is no phone in the world that happens to be absolutely perfect. Every phone have its pros and cons and it depends on the user needs that how the person will rate his/her phone.

Cons of ZN5 :
1) ZN5 does not support 3G, but have EDGE & WiFi to complement it. So if you are using 3G a lot avoid buying this phone.

2) Video recording is poor. Nokia N82 wins over ZN5 on this aspect hands down. If you want the best 5Mpix mobile phone to shoot still images buy ZN5, but if you want to record videos over still images buy N82.

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-28 20:10
  • PA@E
  • H

oh this phone is terrible the camera sucks and the wifi doesn't work and the battery life sucks it doesn't even last two hours with full charge

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-26 05:35
  • Q2NF
  • H

> In reply to Voel duizelig @ 2010-08-03 01:30 from PFxQ - click to readYes, you have to check the metal gold plated contacts which come to the battery. Please insert a small piece of paper to press the battery onto the contacts. That's it!

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-25 17:18
  • MvuI
  • R

> In reply to Nagaraj AV @ 2010-08-09 12:20 from Mf5A - click to readYes, it's because of large number of photos stored on memory card with different names.
Save your photos from memory card and then format the MC. It works.

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-25 17:13
  • MvuI
  • R

crappy video recording :S

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-23 20:47
  • 9x0v
  • U

my phone says invalid battery can anyone tell me why it does not want to charge i love da phone & wana use it but am unable to:-(

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-22 16:06
  • f0HX
  • Q

what battery does the phone use?

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-22 15:50
  • f0HX
  • U

> In reply to Anonymous @ 2010-08-17 08:50 from t7VU - click to readBecause no one will ever bothered to make one on a system which no one is using.

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-19 18:37
  • PGgs
  • R

Have been using the handset for a while now
The best thing about the phone is the camera
i have also used N82 and is still one of my favourite phones. comparing the two, the camera on n82 is very reliable, will never over expose your shot in any situation. you can snap with your eyes closed. it will always give you the best result. ZN5 on the other hand wins in speed and flash power. its flash is more powerful than n82 and the camera is extremely fast. the speed of the camera is really amazing. snap to snap time is less than 2 seconds. amazing!!! with zn5 you will never miss the moment. taking photos with zn5 is a whole new and really enjoyable experience. you wont see a phone with such brilliant camera!! only sometimes it fails to give you the desired result but thats very rare and can be fixed easily with proper settings. and one thing, the camera interface on zn5 is very easy and comfortable to use. all setting are just a few clicks away. the kodak perfect touch is also a nice addition. the video recording is poor.

The battery life is not exceptional but its much better than n82 and will not disappoint you. the phone charges from usb cable. thats really handy. the genuine charger charges the battery from empty to full in 2.5hours.

the loudspeaker volume is a little low. also the loudspeaker is located at the back. so if the phone is placed in normal position the speaker will get blocked, further lowering the volume. that really creates problem sometimes as you wont be able to hear the alarm or the call alert. the vibrator is good and powerful

the linux os is easy to use. there is nothing special about it. not so much options or customization is possible but it has all the basic functions. the default theme is one of the most beautiful i have seen on a phone. the os lags sometimes but its rare and get back to normal quickly. the symbian os on n82 is mch better in terms of options and customization and also the availability of third party software. the menu organization is a bit awkward and some really common apps are hidden deep inside the menu but can be rearranged. also the menu is easy to go thru using the numbers on the keypad like you can quickly go to voice recorder by pressing menu...6...5. This is not a phone for the gamers. there are 2 games on the phone but they are trial version and need to be purchased after a while.

the phone is very easy to use physically. the d-pad is good. the keypad is totally flat and need some time to get used to. but once you get familiar with it , typing goes smoothly. the built in dictionary can remember words of your language and offers them to you while typing. which is quite handy. messaging offers list of 5 recently messaged people which saves a lot of time. sending message to multiple people is very easy. there is a small led at top which shows the status of charging. the set is one single peace with no moving parts and is very solid to handle. it is also quite slim compared to n82. the display on phone is way better than the one on n82. sunlight visibility is not so well but if the brightness is full there is no problem in reading the screen in even the brightest light.

the sound quality in headphones.... one of the best! easily beats other phones including the n82, in this area. the music player is not so advanced but does its job well.

the phone does not offer multitasking. except the music player and a few other applications. but not a big deal as its not a smartphone.

the sound during call in earphones is very clear and loud enough. the phone has great reception as well. the phone offers 50 received, 50 missed and 50 dialled calls in all. as opposed to 20 which is mentioned in the specifications. the memory available for the user is around 140mb. the sms memory is unlimited. you can save as many sms as you wish.

the web browser is just ok and does its job well. nothig very special. the symbian webbrowser is much better and more advanced.

there is no option to record a call. althoug there is a voice recorder which can record voice without any time limit. the smart dialing feature is another plus and is built-in in ZN5. the operating system also offers you the option to lock messages, phonebook, recent calls, web browser, or calendar so the phone will ask for password whenever you open one of these. but strangely, gallery cannot be password protected which is annoying. google maps can be installed and works fine but the my location feature does not work. you can set upto 3 alarms which can be repeated daily, weekly and so on.

overall a phone with exceptional camera and sound/call quality. if you are into listening to music or need a camera phone, go for it. you will be more than happy.

the review was written in a hurry, so there might be mistakes and it is also not well-organized but i hope it will help those who are thinking about buying the phone.

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-17 22:03
  • Uq4S
  • H

Have been using the handset for a while now
The best thing about the phone is the camera
i have also used N82 and is still one of my favourite phones. comparing the two, the camera on n82 is very reliable, will never over expose your shot in any situation. you can snap with your eyes closed. it will always give you the best result. ZN5 on the other hand wins in speed and flash power. its flash is more powerful than n82 and the camera is extremely fast. the speed of the camera is really amazing. snap to snap time is less than 2 seconds. amazing!!! with zn5 you will never miss the moment. taking photos with zn5 is a whole new and really enjoyable experience. you wont see a phone with such brilliant camera!! only sometimes it fails to give you the desired result but thats very rare and can be fixed easily with proper settings. and one thing, the camera interface on zn5 is very easy and comfortable to use. all setting are just a few clicks away. the kodak perfect touch is also a nice addition. the video recording is poor.

The battery life is not exceptional but its much better than n82 and will not disappoint you. the phone charges from usb cable. thats really handy. the genuine charger charges the battery from empty to full in 2.5hours.

the loudspeaker volume is a little low. also the loudspeaker is located at the back. so if the phone is placed in normal position the speaker will get blocked, further lowering the volume. that really creates problem sometimes as you wont be able to hear the alarm or the call alert. the vibrator is good and powerful

the linux os is easy to use. there is nothing special about it. not so much options or customization is possible but it has all the basic functions. the default theme is one of the most beautiful i have seen on a phone. the os lags sometimes but its rare and get back to normal quickly. the symbian os on n82 is mch better in terms of options and customization and also the availability of third party software. the menu organization is a bit awkward and some really common apps are hidden deep inside the menu but can be rearranged. also the menu is easy to go thru using the numbers on the keypad like you can quickly go to voice recorder by pressing menu...6...5. This is not a phone for the gamers. there are 2 games on the phone but they are trial version and need to be purchased after a while.

the phone is very easy to use physically. the d-pad is good. the keypad is totally flat and need some time to get used to. but once you get familiar with it , typing goes smoothly. the built in dictionary can remember words of your language and offers them to you while typing. which is quite handy. messaging offers list of 5 recently messaged people which saves a lot of time. sending message to multiple people is very easy. there is a small led at top which shows the status of charging. the set is one single peace with no moving parts and is very solid to handle. it is also quite slim compared to n82. the display on phone is way better than the one on n82. sunlight visibility is not so well but if the brightness is full there is no problem in reading the screen in even the brightest light.

the sound quality in headphones.... one of the best! easily beats other phones including the n82, in this area. the music player is not so advanced but does its job well.

the phone does not offer multitasking. except the music player and a few other applications. but not a big deal as its not a smartphone.

the sound during call in earphones is very clear and loud enough. the phone has great reception as well. the phone offers 50 received, 50 missed and 50 dialled calls in all. as opposed to 20 which is mentioned in the specifications. the memory available for the user is around 140mb. the sms memory is unlimited. you can save as many sms as you wish.

the web browser is just ok and does its job well. nothig very special. the symbian webbrowser is much better and more advanced.

there is no option to record a call. althoug there is a voice recorder which can record voice without any time limit. the smart dialing feature is another plus and is built-in in ZN5. the operating system also offers you the option to lock messages, phonebook, recent calls, web browser, or calendar so the phone will ask for password whenever you open one of these. but strangely, gallery cannot be password protected which is annoying. google maps can be installed and works fine but the my location feature does not work. you can set upto 3 alarms which can be repeated daily, weekly and so on.

overall a phone with exceptional camera and sound/call quality. if you are into listening to music or need a camera phone, go for it. you will be more than happy.

the review was written in a hurry, so there might be mistakes and it is also not well-organized but i hope it will help those who are thinking about buying the phone.

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-17 14:28
  • Uq4S
  • H

> In reply to anna @ 2010-08-10 15:42 from 8yMd - click to readThere is no spyware, malware or virus for LINUX yet.

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-17 08:50
  • t7VU
  • R

> In reply to Nagaraj AV @ 2010-08-09 12:20 from Mf5A - click to readi think you need to reset your phone

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-13 14:41
  • tDQC
  • R

> In reply to Nagaraj AV @ 2010-08-09 12:20 from Mf5A - click to readhey hun ur phone has av virus thets why the camera is slowing down.

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-10 15:42
  • 8yMd
  • R


Hi All,

I have been useing this handset for nrly 2 yrs....
Recently, camera is giving me error " THE CAMERA IS BUSY" . Does anybody have any idea about it

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-09 12:20
  • Mf5A
  • Q

@rishiguru : u think u smart enough? why dont u be a moderator in motorola mods forum
i ve buy my zn5 couple day ago. and i have try many kind of unofficial firmware. i think this phone got many potential thx to modders.

old firmware based on 05FR 0.62a bot loader.
and now im happy with 7 silence 0.7r with a little moods. no more laggy menu. but stil got bug in accesing galery photo.
after all this phone is superb. use this phone with your brain my friend

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-07 08:49
  • wr6A
  • R

The slowest performance phone i ever had.
Always take time to open application. I have no time for it.
Sometimes it freeze/hang even restart itself.
Im just put mp3 40% and 20%photos of 1gb.
Also foto of camera can not focus total.
Background behind object always comes blur..
my phone before k800,it was great,fantastic Camera phone.
Anyway,ill sell my zn5 soon and back to SE
^_^

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-05 21:57
  • PBRB
  • U

Why when I connect to YouTube there is no sound ... I tried both edge and wifi connection ... Video was there but sound was missing ... Any ideas ? Also I can't install any java app ... Not only free but even those that you have to pay ... I downloaded a gameloft game from vodafone live and when it started installing it said that something was missing and the installation couldn't procced ! I tried to find answers from the store that I bought it ( which happens to be the biggest store chain in my country, Greece ) I even went to motorola service in my city , but as usual our Greek cows were sleeping standing up and didn't help me ... If you can please reply !!! U just bought it for 50 euros ... New ... And I didn't mod it or anything else .......

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-05 12:40
  • ssgt
  • Q

Imo
points of Zn5

Camera 6/10.
Xenon 8/10.
Video recording 4/10
Music via hf 9/10
Music via speaker 7/10
Earphone 9/10
Battery 5/10
Display 8/10
Internet 6/10
Wifi 8/10
Keypad 5/10
U.friendly 6/10.
Performance 5/10

Conclusion:
This phone just good for calling and listen music via hf.

  • Reply
  • 2010-08-04 13:15
  • PBRB
  • U

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Total of 2406 user reviews and opinions for Motorola ZN5.