loudspeaking mobile as legal hands free?

[windy1]

Thinking about replacing my old Moto V525 clamshell with a RAZR which has "speaker phone" feature as per "The Apprentice" :eek:
Q1 - Will this (or any similar mobile) work as a cheapo car hands-free kit just by opening the clam to answer the call and shouting at it above the road noise?
Q2 - Would that be legal, provided the phone is in a holder when you open the clam and attempt the conversation?

[Keef]

Thinking about replacing my old Moto V525 clamshell with a RAZR which has "speaker phone" feature as per "The Apprentice" :eek:
Q1 - Will this (or any similar mobile) work as a cheapo car hands-free kit just by opening the clam to answer the call and shouting at it above the road noise?
Q2 - Would that be legal, provided the phone is in a holder when you open the clam and attempt the conversation?

I've got (and very much like) a Razr, but I don't think it would be loud enough as-is in my car. I bought a Bluetooth headset to use with it, and that works a treat. The new car (if they ever get round to building it) will have a BT handsfree built-in, using the in-car entertainment system.

[SyllogismCheck]

Your V525 has a speakerphone. At least mine does. Press the right hand soft key when in a call to activate it. Be patient however, as doing so, like most all else, will throw the phone into a state of frozen confusion if it doesn't react reasonably quickly and you press again. It's the worst phone I've ever used. The menus are the least intuitive I've ever seen, it's slow to respond to key presses frequently not registering the first two digits of a manually dialed number, has been replaced numerous times due to faulty mics and speakers, has rubbish 'first letter only' phonebook access, the battery life is pathetic and it has poor, nay bizarre, bluetooth functionallity.

As a result, I would never, ever again have another Motorola phone. If it wasn't a work phone it would have gone back the moment after I first used it. I've used a V3 for the last few weeks as I finally lost my rag with UK Voda and demanded they send me something that actually works and a V3 they sent as it had to be Motorola for Motorola swap. It's only fractionally better. Think thin V525 with a couple of minor improvements. Motorola have lost the plot when it comes to phones. I'll be glad when the contract is up and they're gone forever in favour of Nokia, Samsung... or just about anything. :*

Sorry, rant over. To answer your question. No, you won't hear them and they won't hear you.

[Keef]

Ah - an old, unfixed Motorola :(

My Razr V3 (now) allows multiple letter entry for searching the phonebook, it doesn't freeze up, and responds instantly to key presses. It was frustrating before the fix (flash), that's true. It's brilliant, now.

The Bluetooth works perfectly to my Ipaq, to the laptop, and to the Motorola BT headset. I had an older Sony-Ericsson BT headset, and it wouldn't work properly with that. (Nor would the S-E Z600 that it came with).

[SyllogismCheck]

I just haven't got time for the things, Motorolas all told, anymore I'm afraid. It really has been that bad an experience. I use the phone a lot and every day they've tested my patience.

The V3 still has a Motorola 'feel' - illogical menus, quirky contact adding, bluetooth thats reluctant to browse other devices and only seems to like to have things dragged from it or pushed to it but won't actually do the pushing or dragging, lazy scroling and entirely unpredictable and unreasonably short battery life.
That I've suffered 18 months of Motorola use and they, either 525 or V3, still don't feel intuitive sums it up.

I suppose I am anti and as such not terribly objective, but not without good reason. I'll admit the V3 is a nicely built and quality feeling phone, but that's no excuse for the rest. Samsung have just launched one of similar dimensions, with the same metallic keypad and high quality looks. That, I've no doubt, will make the V3's look clumsy by comparison, in all areas. I'd look at that first, Windy.


Edit: Oh yes, the absolute piece de resistance of Motorolas occurred just yesterday. I was adding a number, had it only on the screen as I'd keyed it as someone gave it to me. They left, drove away, and I was just about to finish adding their name when the phone rang. Took the call, didn't press any other buttons and let the caller hang up. Guess what? Number, beginnings of entry, all gone. Back to the home screen. Any other phone would end up back where you were before the the call at its termination. Not a Motorola. And yes, it was the number of a potentially good client I happened to stumble across by chance and have no way of contacting otherwise. Useless. :*

[drauk]

SyllogismCheck, too late for you I suspect, but if you go to the "Calls" list (where you'd expect to see the numbers you'd recently called and those that had called you) you will find an option titled "Notepad". On there you'll find the last number you keyed in.

I've had lots of phones and the only time I've gone from one model to an upgraded version of the same thing is with a V3 (and then V3i), so I guess I must like it. One nice thing that it does is allows you to dial hands free by just saying the number or the name from your phonebook without having to train it for each one.

[EGBKFLYER]

http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/page/dft_rdsafety_025216.hcsp

I hope the above clarifies the law. If you need to hold the phone at any point, it's illegal. Even if you don't there is a risk (allbeit a small one) that you could still be done for due care if you had an accident.

[SyllogismCheck]

Thanks Drauk. Now you say it, I do recall having seen that option in the past I think but it didn't come to mind at the time. I can't check (since said phone is now sitting on the reception desk at my office waiting to be exchanged having decided it has an aversion to charging its battery) but I assume it saves the last keyed digits regardless of whether you actually dialed the number or not. If so, you're indeed correct, it would have saved the day had I looked there right away... but then I only would if I fully understood the sheer illogicallity of the device and checked such obsure places rather than simply expecting the number to still be shown on the screen in the fashion every other manufacturer has deemed sensible. :* Sorry, ranting again. :O

[PPRuNeUser0211]

SC,

If you're pikey like me... get the standard wired headset/mic combo, remove the ear buds and strip down the wires, purchase cassette adaptor/3.5mm adaptor to plug into your car stereo, remove the headphone jack on that, connect the 2 together and use liberal amounts of speed tape to attach wiring to your dash. Then add cheap phone cradle courtesy of halfords (note other automotive stores are available) and you get a factory fitted handsfree kit for a tenner. And in to the bargain, you can play mp3s etc on your car stereo from your phone (assuming your phone is capable of playing them!)....

pikey but it works!

[Techman]

What ever you do, stay away from the V3.

I have one of those poser phones and it is a complete pain in the butt. And yes, my phone has been re-flexed. The phonebook must have been designed by somebody who have never seen, or used, a mobilephone before. Or think that users have a completely flat learning curve. Even that much heralded 'multiple letter search' is so cumbersome to use that the old system is quicker. And don't get me started on iTap. Or................

Anybody who have seen Star Trek, will know who it is to use this phone. At least 25 buttons must be pressed to accomplish even the smallest task.

Nice hardware, utter crap software.