I recently acquired a Motorola Krave ZN4 for free with my cell phone contract through Verizon. The following is a review of the Motorola Krave ZN4 in an effort to help a consumer with Verizon in their selection of a new cell phone.

Previously with Alltel, I became a part of Verizon upon the company’s acquisition of Alltel. I was thinking about switching providers upon the conclusion of my contract, but Verizon not only let me keep my former Alltel rate plan, but they offered my a free cell phone with a renewal through their company. I chose the Motorola Krave ZN4 as my new cell phone.

Motorola Krave Reviews

The reviews on the Verizon Wireless website1 were mostly negative for this cell phone. However, my sister-in-law has one and is very happy with it.

Specifications

The Motorola Krave has a touch screen. The clear outer cover flips open for access. This clear cover is also interactive, with a lock and unlock button on the side of the phone. When holding the phone in normal position, you can use the virtual dial pad to make phone calls or send text messages. You can also turn the phone sideways to activate a virtual QWERTY keyboard.

The Motorola Krave supports Bluetooth, has a 2.0 megapixel camera with video and zoom. Additional features can be viewed at the Verizon Wireless website1. With a Verizon Wireless plan, you can get paid subscription services such as V CAST Mobile TV, VZ Navigator, Visual Voicemail and V CAST Music.

Motorola Krave ZN4 – Using the Cell Phone

This cell phone weighs in at about 4 and a half ounces and is a little bulky.

Virtual Dial Pad and Keyboard. The virtual dial pad and virtual QWERTY keyboard are a little difficult to use at times, and sometimes the wrong letter or number shows up when pushed. Texting is not very quick with this phone. I hope to get faster with more use.

Making Calls. The phone is a little difficult to get used to when making a call that you have to press numbers during the call. The touch screen automatically locks and goes dark during the call. However, I have a pattern that works well for me when making this sort of call.

If the screen is dark, touch it to make it light back up. You will see a red bar across the screen that says “drag to unlock”. If you slide your finger across this red bar, the screen will unlock and you can press the appropriate number on the dial pad. It is a little extra work each time you have to press a number, but not hard to adjust to.

The earpiece works well for clear sound when talking. The microphone works well, too, as my husband says our calls are much clearer since getting this phone.

Changing Menus. The touch screen is a little difficult to use on the Motorola Krave, as it’s easy to touch the wrong menu selection on this touch screen. This can become frustrating if you are in a hurry.

Taking Pictures. Pictures are easy to take. Once you take a picture, there are options such as sending the picture to another cell phone or email address.  I have found, though, that the pictures are a little darker when transferred to a computer than they appear on the screen of the Motorola Krave.

Interactive Clear Flip Cover. I usually open the flip cover to use the phone. However, if I receive a call and don’t recognize the number, I can slide the unlock button on the side of the phone to access the interactive flip cover without opening it. This allows me to press “ignore call” to stop the ringer. Another slide of the button and my screen is locked again.

Other Features. There are many other features on this phone that I will probably never use. I can download games and real music ringtones, which I intend to do in the future.

Incoming Calls. Often, I do not receive an incoming call, but I’m not sure if this is a problem with the cell phone or Verizon Wireless.

Motorola Krave ZN4 Accessories

There is a large variety of cases and covers available for this cell phone. Ebay has a large selection of snap on hard and rubber covers that allow you to use the phone while the cover is in place. I found many that I like for under .00 that included free shipping. When I’m ready, I’m thinking about getting a purple rubber snap on cover for my phone.

Many other websites offer covers for this phone for under .00. Perform a Google search to see what’s available.

There is also a special stylus for purchase made especially for cell phones like the Motorola Krave. You can get these on Ebay as well, often for under .00. This might make it easier when using the virtual keyboard and dial pad. I will have to try this out at a later date.

Overall Rating of the Motorola Krave

Retailing at 9.99, this cell phone is much more phone than I need. If I had to pay for a new cell phone, I’m not sure the Motorola Krave would be the one. The extra steps needed when making calls that require me to press a certain number and the difficulty of using the virtual keyboard and dial pad are frustrating at times. I prefer a cell phone with actual buttons to push. It is a good quality phone when having a conversation.

I would give the Motorola Krave a rating of 3.5 out of 5.

1) Verizon Wireless; Motorola Krave ZN4; Verizon Wireless