Motorola V171 Prepaid Phone NET10
Motorola V171 Prepaid Phone NET10
This update to the tried-and-true Motorola V66 features all the rock-solid features of its predecessor, plus a gorgeous color screen. You’ll also get polyphonic ringtone capabilities, instant messaging, and enhanced text messaging — making the V171 the perfect complement to a Net10 prepaid wireless account, which includes voice mail and text messaging services.
Design
The phone features a sleek clamshell design with a 98 x 67 color display with 4096 colors. Most of the phone’s features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset’s control pad. There’s also a standard jack to accept universal hands-free headsets.
Calling Features
The V171’s built-in address book that can store up to 250 contacts for quick and easy management of phone numbers and other contact information. The phone also comes with built-in polyphonic ringtones (20 of them!), and there’s even a built-in composer so you can fashion your own ringtones. A silent vibrate mode is available, too, for times when you want to keep things discreet. And perhaps most importantly, the integrated airtime balance display shows you how much airtime you’ve used and how much is left, allowing you to keep an eye on your minutes.
Messaging
The V171 covers the messaging basics with support for sending and receiving messages that contain text and graphics. The phone also supports instant messaging. 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 text messaging users.
Tools and Entertainment
In addition to offering customizable ringtones and graphics, the V171 ships with three games to keep you entertained while you’re on the go. Plus, a calculator with a currency converter, as well as an alarm and stopwatch, are included.
Vital Statistics
The Motorola V171 weighs 3.14 ounces and measures 3.43 x 1.80 x .93 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 450 minutes of digital talk time, and up to 300 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the GSM 850/1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.
What’s in the Box
Motorola V171 handset, lithium-ion battery, AC charger, SIM card, user’s manual.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Pleased so far
I actually have the Motorola V 176 phone with Net10. I purchased it locally and it would not activate. I called Net10 and immediately got a tech. Yes, they are from out of the country, but I was able to understand them. The next day I still did not have service, but I got a tech immediately. Was pleased with that. They could not resolve the problem from their end and said they would send me a new SIM card. It actually arrived in 2 days, special delivery. I was really impressed with that, called and the phone was activated.
This phone does not have bells and whistles, but it actually has better coverage at our home than my daughters fancy expensive sprint phone. I only want a phone for quick calls and/or emergencies. It seems clear, has caller ID, and voice mail. Thats all I need. I am really pleased to not have to have a 2 year commitment. I haven’t had to add minutes yet, but so far, I am pleased with their service, and pleased with the phone for what I need. If you don’t need fancy gadgets, try the Motorola V176 and Net10. 10 cents a minute and 5 cent text messages. Its great!
1 Star Horrible Price!
I have been a NET 10 user for a few years and have been pleased with the service so far. I only use my phone every once in a while so it’s great for me. However, if you are looking into buying this phone, go to the NET 10 site to buy it! They have this exact model for $19.99 with all the same stuff put on it. That’s a $70 savings. But like I said, NET 10 is perfect for people who only use their phone occassionally.
1 Star Defective products – Customer Service runarounds
I had two Net10 phones. Both were defective. The latest is an LG 600 that cannot access the web browser. I have talked with Customer Support for over hours on about 12 different occasions in the last two weeks. Each time the same script is read to me with no satisfactory. Just today, I had to correct the representative on the codes to be entered as she gave me the wrong codes, and I have entered those codes about 5 times already.
They do not seem willing to solve problems. I have talked with various levels of supervisors, and I have never found a person interested in providing quality support for me. Stay away from Net10 and Tracfone, a related company.
3 Stars Good Phone, Poor Service
The phone is fine, no real features to speak of, but reception is good, works good, no problems with the phone at all. However, you will find that with Net10 you literally get what you pay for. There is a reason this is the single cheapest phone service available at $15 per month. Customer service is truly the worst in the world. Entirely incompetent, under-trained, and no one ever knows what’s going on or how to fix problems. I’ve never had an easy time of adding minutes or airtime. I always have to go through the automated tech support to manually program in the minutes and airtime each time they are added. It took them over 2 months to overnight express my initial sim card when porting over my old landline number. I recently let the phone deactivate and it took over two weeks for Net10 to realize that they had to send me a new sim card in order to activate again. I repeatedly asked them if that was the problem from day 1. It’s pretty bad when the customer knows more than the company. And activating phones IS their business, you’d think they would know how. Anyway, I’ve stuck with Net10 because there just isn’t anything cheaper out there and for me that is the most important factor. I understand what I am paying for and accept the fact that customer service is just going to be difficult lessons in patience. I can say however, that I am thankful that normally you rarely have need to deal with them anyway. If you just need a cheap phone to make and receive calls, this works fine as you rarely need to contact customer service. For a cheap cell phone for an adolescent who doesn’t take care of their things very well, this is perfect. Also, you can purchase the phone refurbished direct from Net10 for about 1/3 the cost, and mine has worked fine for nearly two years now.
4 Stars good for once-in-a-while phone use
I don’t use the phone often, so this phone was just right. I’ve had dealings with customer service at Net10 and I don’t find the phone tree any worse than other businesses, nor did I have any problem reaching a human. Any difficulty in my understanding was due to background noise in the call center. The problem (additional purchased time not appearing on the phone) was quickly and efficiently handled. The only thing missing in the service is a time extension (as Tracphone has) for folks like me who run out of time with thousands of minutes still on the phone.
