Motorola A830 Review
Phone rating: 
Review: July 2003.
The Motorola A830 was Motorola's first 3G phone available in the UK
and has now been replaced by the A835.
The A830 has a large colour screen, ideal for all the video and camera
functions available, although with just 4096 colours it's not the sharpest
display around.
Using the high-quality digital / video camera, you can record photos,
video and audio to play back later or to send in a video or photo message.
You can also use the built-in video player to download and play video
and audio clips. Please note though, that unlike most other 3G phones,
you cannot make video calls using the Motorola A830, a serious shortcoming
in a 3G phone.
The Motorola A830 also has Java games, polyphonic ringtones, mp3 player,
Bluetooth™ Infra-red & USB connectivity, and tri-band, making
it usable worldwide.
Features of the Motorola A830 include:
- Video & photo messaging
- Detachable digital camera with zoom (640 x 480 resolution)
- Media player (sound & video) - mp3 music player
- Email
- Video download
- Java Games
- Polyphonic ringtones
- 4096 colour hi-res display (176 x 220 resolution)
- WAP, GPRS, high-speed internet via 3G network
- MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service)
- Buetooth™, Infra-red & USB connectivity
- Multi-tasking
- Predictive text input
- Voice recorder
- Calendar, organiser, contacts
- 2 Mbytes internal memory plus 32 Mbytes removable memory
- Weight: 210g including camera
- Size: 117 x 59 x 27 mm
- Battery standby: up to 42 hours
- Battery talktime: up to 1 hour
Motorola A830 User Reviews
Love your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other
people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review this
phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a forum, so
please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear words or offensive
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Average rating from 20 reviews: 
Reviewed by Johnpall from UK on 23rd Jan 2010
I am love my mobile , my mobile is motorola A830 ,my every expectation
is fully presented by my phone really i am enjoy with such as FM,WAP,..etc.once
upon a time my phone required unlock code so,i get my mobile unlock
code from www.prounlocking.com site at very low cost.still now i am
using without any problem...
Rating: 
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Reviewed by aderemi bambo .j from nigeria on 3rd
Jul 2009
it is avery good phone concerning it enchanment buti am yet to be browsing
on it
Rating:
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Reviewed by kolade Qazeem from Nigeria on 29th
Mar 2008
I bought this fone last week believing it was a good fone but I find
out that its a junk. the battery life is very short, the screen is dull
when taking picture or making a video. you cannot recieve music or applications
through blue tooth. It just something I regret in my life as I had use
my whole saving for a year to buy this fone and at a time when I had
no money or hope for another fone . If I'm opportuned to talk to motorola
I would simply beg for a better fone. This fone is bad... Pls I will
appreciate a kind gesture for a new fone.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by PunkProne from The Great Country Called England
on 29th Dec 2007
i dont have it, but its pretty lame(sorry if tis offensive) that it
is a 3G fone without videocalls.if i could i'd give this phone a Zero.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by paul o' grady from south africa on
11th Nov 2007
I BOGHT THIS PHONE FOR A PENNY OFF EBAY AND I LOVE IT !
Rating:
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Reviewed by HAZ from UK on 27th Oct 2007
i say go and get this phone the camra is very good and the battery life
is ok but not outstanding but if you whant a a hi spec 3g phone and
good network coverege go no get it now yes now
Rating:
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Reviewed by Scary lady from UK on 7th Feb 2007
TOO BIG.TOO SLOW.LOSES BATTERY TOO DARN QUICKLY! I GIVE IT 0 I TELL
YOU! 0!!!!!
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by grace passoni from belgium on 29th
Jun 2006
i had this phone for 3 years because i am so poor, and i felt poor holding
this phone. it is unfashionable, skanky and doesnt work
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Jason from Philippines on 4th Mar
2006
If there are zero starred rating i would have chosen that. I shelled
up a considerable amount for this piece of junk believing that this
was an A-okay phone than Nokia 3660 which i am considering at that point
of time. Turns out that this phone has no pre-programmed status regarding
mp3. It only accepts MIDI files UNLESS you undergo the hoollaballo of
installing the junky CD user guide. It also has a low power performance.
I had to recharge my battery 3TIMES A DAY to fit into my work schedule.
And it always turns to an almost empty batt capacity AFTER A CALL which
lasts only 20 minutes. IT DEFEATS THE PRINCIPLE OF MOBILE EFFICIENCY,
fof you always have to bring the charger unless you are ready to be
left behind the communication scene. It also has a really low performance
on image quality. I FELT CHEATED AFTER A WEEK OF HAVING ACQUIRED THIS
PHONE. IF I AM GIVEN THE CHANCE TO TALK TO THE MOTOROLA PEEPS, I ONLY
HAVE TO SAY A SENTENCE: GIVE MY DARN MONEY BACK. I should've bought
that Nokia.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by michiganMICK from USA on 23rd Feb
2006
the worst phone ive ever seen with a colour screen and a camera..too
big and bulky and extremely ugly i think...the A835 is much better cuase
my friend has it and it is so much more outstanding than some terribly
weird 3G phone...the camera on the top would put people off the most
and considering the screen is junk...i currently own a Motorola A920,
a smartphone.....so much better and its only at least 3 models up....but
lets just say if you ever come across a chance to buy the A830...dont....just
a waste of money and time. Plus since its 2006 i sure there are much
better phones like my other phone the LG U8180...yeh the A830 is junk.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by peter from England on 30th May 2005
This phone is fantstic so buy it
Rating:
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Reviewed by CJ from UK on 30th Mar 2005
Dis fone is ok-screen is rubbish for looking at photos and vids dnt
play properly, the camera is really bad compared to the A835 and u cnt
recive music via bluetooth or infa red coz it only has 2mb internall
and u cnt save directly onto card but it does have good features like
the card slot, mp3 playback is good and the speaker is clear. Would
recomend getting the a835 its generally better in evry way and for only
30quid
Rating: 
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Reviewed by fannie from france on 27th Feb 2005
ITS RUBBISH, SLOW AND WOULDNT STOP ON SILENT IN A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by A. Collins from England on 20th May
2004
This phone has a brilliant camera and video on it, alot better than
some other phones i have seen.But it is very big and heavy and it is
a struggle to transport in a small pocket or bag.It also eats battery
power very fast.It does have great colour on it though.I would recommend
this for its camera but not for its size
Rating:
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Reviewed by Tony from England on 25th Apr 2004
The motorola A830 is truly an atrocious phone. The battery life is no
more then six hours with minimal use. It frequently loses its signal
and you then have to restart the phone. I only ever managed to download
one ringtone as the signal was never strong enough, despite numerous
attempts and driving all over Poole and Bournmouth in an endeavour to
get a full signal. The only thing going for it was the cheap monthly
contract, but seeing as it was next to impossible to ever make a call
this was false econmy. It was so bad I went back to my Nokia which is
very reliable.
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Erik from USA on 31st Mar 2004
I worked for Moto up until recently; now I work for another communications
company. At Moto I worked across the hall from team that designed this
phone, watched the entire R&D process from start to finish. It was an
abortion that resulted in a real tank (very bulky) of a phone that is
quite expensive and has rather unimpressive external surface and mechanial
cosmetics (except for the display) compared to best-in-class. This phone
ship date was substantially delayed due to numerous problems. I have
one of these phones. This phone will be very challenging to sell into
the market.
Rating:
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Reviewed by aj from uk on 17th Mar 2004
this phone is amazing and the mp3 player is really good. the rotating
camera is really effective as well. the SD card allows it to be easy
to put on songs, pictures or videoes. definately one phone to buy
Rating:
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Reviewed by Emmanuel from Australia on 29th Feb
2004
This phone has great specs... but the MP3 player empty the battery in
less than 10 min, anyway the battery is empty after 1 day at the most.
Also since I have it (Less than 1 year) it has broke twice and three
had to replace it. Avoid this phone!! (and it's really big too)
Rating: Reply
Reviewed by Nick Livingstone from United Kingdom on
26th Aug 2003
I feel giving it 3/5 is a bit harsh but what good is a phone whose battery
has the life of a stillborn calf? The phone's size is a far cry from
the typical phones I used to have (Nokias) but the phones I used to
have are no where near as complex as this one. It has pretty much everything
(and more) I need from a mobile. I can send video messages (which I
will do once it works - not managed yet), browse their 3G services for
a load of actually useful stuff. I'm no real footy fan but the quality
and download speed of their premiership goals package blew me away -
glad I have it free for 3 months. The phone (something neither the manual
or people in store mentioned) has a speaker on the back which means
that you can view and hear the commentary without the need for headphones.
This speaker also means that if you're at home or somewhere quiet (for
obvious reasons) you can sit the phone down and use it without a headset
or need to hold it. I'm over its size and weight but I'm ver y nervous
about the battery life. I pulled it off the cradle fully charged this
morning at 6:00am afetr two brief calls it went from having a full battery
to half..and it's only 9:30am. Gas baggers and gossip queens steer clear.
As one reviewer wrote, if you're organised and keep it charged when
it's idle you may survive - easier said than done if you're on the go
and call a lot. Seperate camera is a pain as it does add size and if
you don't drag it out (along with the charged spare battery) you can't
be spontaneous and click away. The expandable 32 MB card is handy for
all the music, photos and those max. 15 sec videos. The speakers (on
phone and on headset) are pretty weak and tend to rattle when the volume
is a touch above whisper. I really like and want to continue liking
the phone but if my calls need to be short and few and far between I'm
not sure I'm so excited about my 750 minutes a month across any network
as I might just manage to use 75 of them. Actually, maybe 3 /5 isn't
so harsh after all.
Rating:
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Reviewed by John Scott from United Kingdom on
16th Jul 2003
The first thing that strikes you about the A830 is its sheer size and
weight. This may be more noticable to me because my last phone was the
petite Nokia 8310, but it is quite a bit larger than most phones currently
on the market. It comes with a USB cradle for connection to a PC, two
chargers and two batteries. The reason for this becomes evident when
you start using the phone in anger as the battery life is dreadful.
Typically, the A830 will require charging at least two times a day under
normal use and I hve found it beneficial to turn the phone off overnight.
When I switch it on in the morning this leaves just enough battery power
to get the phone to my place of work for a recharge, using my second
charger of course. These points aside, this is a great phone to use.
It has the clearest screen I have ever seen on any mobile and the menu
system is very easy to use when you consider the vast range of features
included. I especially like the message centre, where Voicemail, Text
messages, Faxes, e-mail etc. all arrive in one location. This is a bit
tricky to configure but, it's well worth the effort. A separate camera
is also included in the box. This is longer than the phone itself and
it replaces the back cover. It seems a bit strange that the camera was
not made an integral part of the phone as I can't imagine switching
back to the original back cover for any reason other than to make the
phone look slightly more attractive. The A830 camera attachment has
a resolution up to 640x480 and the quality can be described as reasonable
at best. You can also record movie clips up to 15 seconds long. Both
pictures and movies can be saved to the 32Mb SDD card included and can
be sent using MMS or e-mail or transferred to computer using a card
reader. The A830, unlike it's competitors, has no video calling feature.
This is not a major drawback for me as I don't know anyone else with
a 3G phone for now. It's ambiguous whether the phone will be upgradable
later to incorporate this feature. Much to my surprise, the A830 really
turns heads as well. It's difficult to take it for granted as everyone
I meet has a positive comment about it (especially the quality of the
display). It won't make you more attractive to women ,but you'll never
be stuck for conversation at the bar.
Rating: 
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