Design

Click the image to get a closer look at the V551's features.

The phone features a sleek clamshell design with a large 176 x 220 color display with 65,000 colors. The outside cover of the handset sports a supplementary 96 x 32 blue monochrome display that can display time, call information, battery and signal strength, and more. The VGA camera lens and self-portrait mirror is housed above this display. A stub antenna is placed on the top right side of the unit, next to the phone's headset jack. Volume buttons are placed on the left side, while a one-touch camera button is on the right. Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's control pad. A combined charging and USB data cable port is placed on the bottom of the phone.

Calling Features
The V551's internal phone book can hold up to 1000 contacts while the phone's picture ID system allows you to assign pictures to your most common callers. It also supports polyphonic ringtones as well as MP3 ringers, allowing you to use portions of your favorite songs to alert you to incoming calls. A number of ringtones come preloaded on the phone and more ringtones can be downloaded from Cingular Wireless' MEdia service. There's even an included application, MotoMixer, that lets you mix your own ringtones. For times when you want to be discreet, there's a vibrating alert. A built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear while voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates as easy as saying their names.

Because the V551 is Bluetooth enabled, wireless headsets can be configured with the phone for total handsfree operation. The phone supports Cingular's "Fast Forward" call forwarding device, which enables you to effortlessly forward your wireless calls to your land-line phone.

Messaging, Internet and Tools
The V551 is a messaging and wireless Internet powerhouse. Support is built in for sending and receiving pictures, text, graphics, sound and video via messages. When used in combination with the phone's built-in still and video camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. Instant messaging is also supported via AOL Instant Messenger and the phone ships with a built-in email client with support for POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP protocols (Cingular messaging charges apply). There's also a built-in web browser for MEdia downloads and mobile web browsing. Cingular's MEdia service lets you receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. iTap text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

Getting on the Internet is easy with the V551. It supports the GPRS protocol, as well as the new, high speed EDGE data protocol. When used with a Cingular data plan and the phone's Bluetooth or USB data capability, the phone can be used as a wireless modem for laptops and PDAs.

A number of handy software tools are bundled with the V551 including a voice memo recorder, a calculator, a calendar and an alarm clock. Use the V551's Bluetooth capability to set up a wireless link with a Bluetooth accessory or connect to a computer or hand-held device to exchange and synchronize data. The phone also supports the SyncML PC synchronization standard, which means it can be used with Motorola's Mobile Phone Tools PC application to manage and synchronize contacts, calendar and other data with your PC.

Imaging and Entertainment
The V551 shines in the entertainment department. The phone's VGA camera can capture stills and clips with up to 15 seconds of video, both of which can be sent to your friends via MMS messaging or email, or to your PC via USB or Bluetooth. The phone is capable of MPEG4 video playback when you receive a video message. Meanwhile, an included image-editing application lets you modify the pictures you take before you send picture messages. The V551 also supports custom graphics for wallpapers so you can dress up the phone to suit your fancy.

Support for gaming is built into the phone and games are available for download via the Cingular MEdia service.

Vital Statistics
The Motorola V551 weighs 4.23 ounces and measures 3.5 x 1.93 x .97 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.75 hours of digital talk time, and up to 225 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 800/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.