Features:
- Lightweight, efficient design
- Solid construction, intuitive keypad and controls
- Vibrating call alert
- Dual NAM capability
- Up to 130 minutes digital talk time and 170 hours digital standby time; includes Lithium-ion battery, charger, and belt clip
Description:
Simply pick up the Motorola StarTAC ST7797 phone, and you'll sense its quality. Use it, and you'll find a host of features and conveniences, including dual-band TDMA support, smart-button navigation, short message capabilities, and solid battery performance. While it lacks Web-browser support, if you're looking for a dependable, competent phone, you've found it here. At 5.1 by 1.75 by 0.8 inches and weighing only 4.3 ounces with battery, the ST7797's case is hardy and well suited for the rigors of travel. In contrast to some other Motorola flip phones, the ST7797 doesn't feel top heavy, and the keypad is conveniently laid out. The keys and controls are raised just enough, and we could easily place a call with just one hand. And while the screen itself is relatively small, the clear, backlit LCD is easily legible and gives you a full range of phone- and network-status indicators. The Smart Button and directional buttons on the left-hand side provide quick phone-book access and volume adjustment, and numeric keys also allow you to instantly access the menu, check battery life, mute a call, set the phone to vibrate, or lock the phone. Many of the ST7797's features are intuitive enough to operate without cracking the manual, something you won't experience with every Motorola model. The ST7797 offers a good selection of call-management features, including one-touch dialing, call meters, scratch-pad memory, and a flexible, 99-name phonebook. You can choose from nine different ringers and assign them to any number, so you'll instantly know who's calling. Pager mode provides discreet notification of messages, and you have one-touch access to numbers imbedded in pages or text messages. The ST7797 also supports such carrier-dependent features as call forwarding, call waiting, voice mail, and up to 15 text messages. All business users will appreciate the full range of security features, including PIN locking, caller ID, phone-book protection, and menu-access security. If you purchase a digital connection kit, you can use the phone as a modem and synch it with your PC to transfer phone-book information and text messages back and forth. Business users should check out Motorola's ClipOn organizer, the PIM accessory that allows you to place a call directly from your contact list, calendar or to-do list without having to look up the number. Battery performance in our sample phone was tremendous. The lithium-ion battery achieved just over seven days of standby time and two hours of digital talk time (testing on a TDMA network with an AT&T Wireless account). And it only took two hours for the phone to recharge completely. The ST7797 is an excellent choice if you want functionality, portability, and security. Gung-ho mobile professionals may want to check out a higher-end model--one with voice-activated features and Internet access--but the ST7797 will handle most business and personal needs in style. If your work or sense of adventure takes you away from home, you can be assured of three things: solid cellular coverage wherever it's available, broad call-management features, and healthy battery life. --Thom Arno, edited by Tom Mace Pros:
- Excellent battery performance
- Dual NAM capability
- Vibrating call alert
- Extensive call-management features
Cons:
How We Tested Battery Talk/Standby Time When reading our reviews, you should view the test results of mobile-phone battery talk time and standby time as relative information only. Many variables, including carrier signal strength at your location, signal consistency (including incoming and outgoing calls), display and ringer settings, and battery charging methods and history, will affect performance. When handset manufacturers and mobile phone carriers list talk-time and standby-time ratings, they usually include disclaimers about variable performance and often refer to the times they publish as maximum times. Some quote expected battery life ranges, and in this case you're probably safe to assume you'll experience at least the minimum rated range. Note that manufacturers of dual-mode digital and analog handsets publish battery-life rates for both digital and analog modes, as analog mode consumes much more power than digital mode. Our Tests: We tested digital-mode talk and standby times with each phone. Prior to each test, we fully charged the phone's battery according to the manufacturer's directions. To test digital-phone talk time, we turned the phone on, established a digital carrier signal, dialed a number in our test lab, and, when the call rang through, took the receiving phone's handset off the hook. When all went well, we didn't do anything else except record the time when the phone died. In a couple of cases, the phones lost the signal and dropped the calls. If we were right there and could redial, we did so immediately and continued running the test. Otherwise, we halted the test, recharged the battery, and started the test over. Assuming consistent carrier-signal strength, this test should represent best-case talk time. And it's worth noting that several phones' talk-time performance significantly exceeded the manufacturers' ratings. To test digital-phone standby time, we turned the phone on, established a carrier signal, and left the phone in standby mode. We checked the phone every few hours (for what was often days on end) until the phone finally cut out. Since no outgoing or incoming calls occurred during testing and because the phone was not moved, this method should represent best-case standby time, again assuming consistent carrier signal strength.
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