Cingular subscribers, we've found your phone. The Motorola V551 is an attractive phone that works well, has the features you want, and is available at a price you can afford. This brilliantly balanced combination makes it our Editor's Choice for feature-rich phones. In most ways, the V551 is just like the company's fine. Slight design changes include a metal front that is now subtly grooved instead of stippled, making the phone seem more stylish and less industrial.

The bright color screen is the same, as are the excellent signal and speaker quality. The buttons are big, easy to press, and backlit. The V551's still camera doesn't quite match up to the V505's. Photos were a little brighter and bluer than the V505's, but they were still in the top rank of VGA camera phones. (See our for comparison.) The V551 adds a video camera capable of capturing choppy 30-second videos; the phone's 6MB memory holds about 150 pictures or 12 30-second clips. The V551 also supports EDGE, doubling the V505's speed for sending photos, picking up e-mail, and connecting to laptops as a modem. Using a laptop and a Bluetooth connection, we got slightly faster than dialup speeds uploading and downloading ZIP files.

The handset's EDGE speeds were in line with other EDGE handsets we've tried. A basic POP3/IMAP4 e-mail client is another welcome addition. The V551 shares the V505's excellent Bluetooth support, AIM client, and so-so gaming performance. With Motorola's $29.99 Mobile Phone Tools software, you can sync the phone's contacts and calendar with Microsoft Outlook. There are a few features, like external picture caller ID and speaker-independent voice dialing, that we wish were on the V551. And sure, Cingular's more expensive phones, like the Siemens S66,,, and, outmatch the V551 in terms of features. But for the average Cingular subscriber who wants to make calls anywhere in the world, play Bejeweled, occasionally snap photos, and maybe check IMs or e-mail, the V551 is a very good choice.

Find great deals for Motorola V series V551 - Silver (Unlocked) Cellular Phone. Shop with confidence on eBay! Feb 08, 2009 Transferring files to Motorola V551. I have a Cingular V551, the USB cable and the motorola software. 83 websites to find a zip file for the drivers.

Benchmark results: Jbenchmark 1: 44 Jbenchmark 2: 1203. PCMag.com's lead mobile analyst, Sascha Segan, has reviewed hundreds of smartphones, tablets and other gadgets in more than 13 years with PCMag. He's the head of our Fastest Mobile Networks project, hosts our One Cool Thing daily Web show, and writes opinions on tech and society. Segan is also a multiple award-winning travel writer. Other than his home town of New York, his favorite cities are Barcelona and Hong Kong.

While he's a fourth-generation Manhattanite, he now lives in Queens with his wife and daughter.

The Good The Motorola V557 features the cutting-edge Screen3 technology, which greatly improves the mobile Internet-browsing experience. The world phone also comes with Bluetooth and a speakerphone.

The Bad The Motorola V557 has a low-resolution camera, low memory, and shaky call quality. Also, the monochrome external display doesn't support picture caller ID.

The Bottom Line Building on the success of the feature-rich Motorola V551, Motorola's next-generation V557 adds a showcase feature without changing a relatively safe design. Visit for details. Motorola V557 At first glance, we thought it unlikely that the Motorola V557 would warrant much attention, given its design similarity to its predecessor, the. Sorry, Moto, we were wrong.

A320 Home Cockpit Software. Unlike the snazzy, the V557 is noteworthy not because of its flashy design but instead of a technological breakthrough that improves the functionality and the connectivity of the Internet. We won't go so far to say the new Motorola exclusive Screen3 technology perfects the Web-browsing experience on a cell phone, but it is certainly a step in the right direction.

And the even better news is that the innovative functionality comes at a reasonable $99 with service. The Motorola V557 is barely distinguishable from its predecessor, the. With the same exact dimensions and weight (1.9 by 1 by 3.5 inches; 4.23 ounces), the V557, like the V551, is a little on the large side, although it does not feel as clunky as the dimensions may lead one to believe. It fits just fine in a pocket, even with the protruding external antenna. The appeal of the simple Motorola V557 lies on the inside. Sporting a two-tone black and chrome finish--as opposed to the blue and chrome color of the V551--the Motorola V557 still has the same slightly gripping, rubbery texture that Motorola calls soft touch to help it stay in place on slippery surfaces.