By 
As we mentioned last Friday, Skatter Tech was able to get a hold of the brand new Motorola KRZR K1m for Verizon Wireless. The KRZR’s features include a 1.3MP camera, MicroSD, speaker phone, external iPod-like touch-sensitive controls, Bluetooth, and V Cast Music/Video. We had high expectations and hoped that the phone would be as good as it looked, unfortunately we ended up being quite disappointed.
Motorola KRZR K1m Specs:
- Provider: Verizon Wireless (CDMA)
- Form Factor: Clamshell Flip Phone
- Dimensions: 4.05H x 1.73W x 0.67D (inches)
- Weight / Battery Life: 3.6oz / 4hrs30mins
- Digital Camera: 1.3 megapixels
- Storage Space: MicroSD expansion (2GB max)
- Communications: Bluetooth + USB
- Others: Speaker Phone and Music Controls
- Price: $199 with new 2 year contract
KRZR Body – 5/5 stars
The shape of the KRZR is much more comfortable and natural to hold compared the RAZR. The phone is way skinnier than the RAZR, but is slightly thicker and taller. At first glance the phone looks expensive, sleek, slim, and glossy, however just as a PSP or an iPod the, KRZR’s coat is prone to fingerprints from even the slightest touch. Motorola has improvised the keypad dividing them with more natural grooves which helps finding keys, without looking, much easier.
Digital Camera – 2/5 stars
The KRZR’s 1.3 megapixel camera is pretty much the same as the one in the RAZR v3m. Other KRZR models have a 2 megapixel camera, however Verizon’s K1m has been cut down to keep prices low. Motorola has also failed to add a flash to the phone, which although not too powerful often will be handy when taking close up shots in the dark.
Display – 4/5 stars
The internal display is much crisper and brighter than that of the Motorola v3m. However it is extremely delicate and placing even the slightest amount of pressure causes the “ripple effect” in the LCD which may damage the display. The external display is a bit dull and with the fingerprints all over, it may be hard to see in sunlight.
Music Playback – 4/5 stars
Unlike the RAZR, the KRZR supports Mp3 playback as well as WMA and V Cast Music. Verizon’s Media Player is well developed and makes browsing through music easy. Users can view songs by artists, albums, genres, or search just as iPods do. The media player also offers the use of playlists, library shuffle, and even display’s album art. The #1 problem is that users must navigate through many menus before they can get their music started. (Can be annoying for people who plan to listen to music a lot.)
External Controls – 3/5 stars
The addition of external touch-sensitive music controls, which the RAZR lacks, was a good concept, but is flawed. There is no way for a user to start music playback from the external controls, the phone must be opened to do so. The controls are also sometimes too sensitive and the current song may be skipped or paused when the phone is picked up.
Speakers – 4/5 stars
The speaker phone quality is quite clear and has minimal or no static. It sounds more clear and is louder than that of the RAZR, however it is still poorly position on the back of the phone. Both music playback and speakerphone will sound muffled if the phone is in your hand.
MicroSD – 3/5 stars
The KRZR now supports use of up to 2GB MicroSD cards. The space can be used for image, video, and music storage. The card slot is unfortunately placed underneath the battery pack lid making it a hassle to get to. If you don’t have a USB cable and the drivers to sync music back and forth, it will be a pain to remove the card every time to transfer files.
Bluetooth – 5/5
Because Verizon has finally “un-crippled” the Bluetooth, the KRZR can now send phonebook entries, pictures, and other data between devices. When testing the handsfree feature with the Lexus IS250, we found that he KRZR now sends the phone’s signal strength, battery level, and other data to the car’s display, unlike the RAZR.
Overall the KRZR is a decent upgrade from the RAZR v3m. There is however a major lack of innovation. Even so, the KRZR will probably be replacing the current RAZR’s place in the market. If all you need is a phone with basic features that can make calls and looks good, this maybe for you. If you are picky and like customizable feature packed phones, there’s not much that the KRZR can offer. The phone is a bit pricy, currently about $199 with a new 2 year contract or $99 for existing customers eligible for upgrade.
DEAL ALERT: FREE Motorola KRZR K1m (w/ new plan)
Related: Verizon Wirelesss – Moto KRZR
Update: Verizon currently charges about $30 for a USB cable and some drivers, but if you already have the cable and are just looking for the drivers you can get it from the link below. Once installed, your phone will be detected as a portable audio device and you will now be able to sync the music in your Windows Media Player Library with your KRZR. After installing you may need to restart your machine. But once complete you will be able to use your computer to charge your KRZR and sync music. To start, go to Get It Now -> Music -> Sync.
Download: Moto_KRZR_Driver.zip (Note: driver found on developer.motorola.com)
Update: If the driver above doesn’t work, try installing the patch from Verizon’s site.
Download: Sync_Music_Fix.exe [Thanks for the info Elizabeth]
I guess that is the only way then, unless I can get BitPim to work. (Can’t yet) Its crazy right? You buy a phone, expecting certain things with technology, but Verizon cripples the phones’ features. Its a shame that you have to go through so much trouble to get what you want from your phone. I can’t believe I have a Gig of storage (on the microSD car) and I can’t access it via usb. Someone needs to create drivers to make it show up like a jump-drive.
I followed exact instructions given by TimA above and can FINALLY set any of my mp3s as ringtones :) Thanks!
No MPT needed, just download P2K and MSU online for free. Also I use the same USB cable which came with my canon, so no expenses at all!
Chris
Using the same method described above by TimA (P2K Commander and MSU), I can now transfer pics from my KRZR K1m to my PC using the usb cable :) No more removing of microSD card needed!
OK Sweet! Making progress…
Now what version of P2k do you guys have? I dl’d p2kman.
I think it might be old. I’ll look for a different p2k.
You guys rock!
I downloaded 3.2.2, perhaps later versions will work too, not sure..
I’ve enjoyed the Krzr quite a bit, but I have a few inconveniences that may be caused by my ignorance, but regardless I thought I should share it.
The phone doesn’t prompt you when transferring files via bluetooth to choose a storage device, It goes directly to the phone, and once phone is full you are forced to manually move files to the T- Flash drive.
Also when personalizing you ringtunes, you must have it in the phones memory. If you want to have a ringtune that is currently in your T-Flash drive you must first free up some space in the phones memory then transfer the file from the T-Flash then select your ringtune. It sounds a little crazy now that I am typing it. Perhaps it is just me, but I’ve fiddled around with it for a few days now, just can’t seem to get around that problem.
If you know the solution to this, please feel free to contact me.
I just got the Krzr last week and am still not able to get the music to sync.I downloaded the links that were givin above. i have gotten WMP to recognize my phone too but when i connect the phone with the usb and i and put the phone in sync mode it says connection failed every time. How can i fix that?
After days of hassle, I finally got the music sync to work. I uninstalled drivers about a gajillion times, and then finally it happened! I dl’d motorola software update, p2k, moto driver update, bitpim, moto phone tools, mobile phone tools, et cetera, ad nauseum… Well, this time, after uninstalling the drivers, running moto software update, plugging in the phone, and then hitting sync on the phone, a window pops up and lets me view the MicroSD card!!! WooHoo!!! That will work for music. Now I have to figure out how to get those pics and vids off the phone with bitpim or p2k. I am hopeful, now, at least…
I found a walkthrough with pictures if anyone needs it. It shows you how to sync, transfer music, and everything else everyone is talking about here. It also shows pictures of the whole process:
http://www.motorolacellphonespower.com/how-to-connect-a-krzr-to-your-pc/
Warning: Very Long Winded!
Okay first off to those of you that seem to think that Verizon is the culprit that creates all of the technical issues that you may have with your phone you are 110% wrong. Verizon tells the manufacture what they want the device to do or not to do. Yes that’s their option it’s on their network they provide a service not a device. They are resellers of the devices they don’t write the software for them. Yes they need to know the problems of the devices so they can report that back to the manufacture so a software update can be produced to fix the issues.
Next issue… If Alltel or Sprint do not have what is called a “Monster File” software update DO NOT get them to flash your phone with their software it will more than likely fry the phone. Verizon does not receive “Monster Files” to do software updates to devices they receive patch files. Even if you do have a software update done to the phone you can expect not to be able to use ANY data features on the VZW network, because it will rewrite the information to which ever network you had flash the phone. Data Features include: Pix Msgs, Internet, Get it Now, V-Cast, V-Cast Music, Video Msgs, which means you can’t send yourself ringtones via your10digit#@vzwpix.com.
For those of you that think you have a “Locked” phone you are again mistaken, Verizon does not “Lock” the phones if that was the case they would be like Sprint and have a Master Service Lock Code for each different ESN(Electronic Serial Number). Alltel does not lock their phones either. As long as the ESN is in either Verizon’s or Alltel’s data base the device can be activated on either network as well as any carrier that uses the same Master Service Lock Code as they do with an OTA(Over The Air) programming. Not saying everything will work if you have software that isn’t from that company that you have the phone activated on but yes it’s very possible.
One thing everyone that has Verizon service should be aware of is that if you are signed up for “My Account” and you are not on a business plan “Backup Assistant” is a free service. This stores your contacts OFF the phone so in the event that your phone will not power on, all you have to do is redownload the application to a new device from “Get It Now” and it will restore your phonebook information. To access this program goto the “Get It Now” section of the phone and goto “Get Going” select “Get New App.” if it’s not listed there (which it usually is) it’s not far away usually under “top sellers” Yes it still says it’s a $1.99 subscription and it will charge you the $1.99 on your bill, but if you are signed up for “My Account” and you are not on a business plan you will also see a credit on the bill for that amount.
Manage your phone’s contact list online
• Store a copy of your phone’s contact list.
• View, add and update your contacts from your computer.
• Send updates to your phone at the click of a button or schedule automatic updates.
• Transfer contact list to your new phone, when you upgrade or if your phone is lost or stolen.
Service is free for My Account customers
This directly off the “My Account” page after login.
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/landingpages/backupProtection.jsp
just want say thanks to Tim A worked perfect now I can use all those ringtones I have downloaded to my krzr k1m I spent weeks trying to figure it out took like two minutes after I read his how to advice perfect thank you so very much now I feel my phone is realy mine
I hate to sound like a broken record, because I’m repeating the question asked before. But there hasn’t been an answer posted.
Has anyone put in a 2gb transflash micro sd memory card into the Verizon Krzr K1m and gotten it to work… meaning play 2gb’s of music?
I know it’s supposed to work. I even verified it with a Verizon rep. But, I don’t think it’s a good idea to trust these reps. I just want a confirmation that it will work before I go out and get a 2gb card. Thx.
i cant stand this thing at the moment. i just put in a 1gb micro sd card loaded 650mb of music on the thing and now i cant even access the music files. i cant do crap.
Ron,
I have a 2GB card in my Krzr and it is recognized by the phone as 2GB. I have the latest series of the KRZR from Verizon and I hate the thing. I feel like a thief having to use hackz & crackz to use my OWN G.D. phone. I have no problem now getting music to an from the phone or editing contacts. I just don’t think that I should have to pay additional money to use the thing. It’s like buying a car and finding out that the trunk and glove box are locked. You need to pay the dealer additional money to access your trunk OR buy everything you want to put in your trunk from THEM! I picked up a 2GB card from Staples for about $65. Good luck!
I just bought a KRZR K1-type- MQ5-4411A11 off the internet but my SIM card from cingular will not fit this phone (too big) has anyone else had this problem? Could it be the phone is from Euorpe?
n2ooz – Have you put a lot of music on it successfully? I have a 2gb sd card, and i can put smaller amounts of music on it, but not large amounts. Not sure of the exact high limit, but 1.38gigs doesn’t work. It just sits there on the “Adding songs to library” screen. I formatted it first in the phone so that the folders show up. Then added music to the card through a card reader. Has anyone put, say, 1.8gb of music successfully on a verizon KRZR k1m? and if so, how??? Thanks!
GWEST yes I download full albums and more at a time with card in phone just sync to windows media player add your music to sync list click start sync easy as one two three play
I recently got the LG 730 headset to use with my Verizon KRZR. They pair up just fine but when they are paired, my phone will not ring. Very frustrating because even wearing the headset, I may not hear the tone in the headset with music on in the car. My previous Plantronics headset worked just fine, and I have paired my headset with a friend’s Razr and it worked fine, ie, the phone actually rang. Any suggestions???
I just bought the Krzr K1m. It’s like my computer does not recognize the driver that I have installed on the computer. Therefore, I am unable to sync. What is going on?
should i get a KRZR phone or do u guys not recomend it?Also, could you get some of your music from LmeWire?Is it just like an ipod?
say I am trying to watch my home security cam on line with my krzr but when I log into my cam it says I need java what’s up thought it would already be in the browser any one able to use any other browsers on their krzr k1m?
I am able to sync music to the K1m using WMP, but I have only been able to sync 20-30 songs. I have a 2GB card with lots of space, and I have been able to sync 100+ songs, but when I try to listen to them, I get a “removing songs from list” message and when it finally stops, there are 20-30 songs left. Has anyone seen this behavior? I have not set up playlists, folders, etc., will that help?
Also, is anyone aware of a fix from Motorola for some of the long-standing issues; only default ringtones when you choose vibe-and-ring, etc.?
does verizon have the krzr in violet? because if they do I am goin to get it right now! :)
does everyone that has the KRZR like it because i have heard its bad and idk if i should get it or not