Motorola Aura
With it’s impressive 62-carat sapphire crystal lens which highlights its circular display, it’s safe to say that visually this phone does not disappoint.
Yet, this high-end phone does a lot less than what should be expected from it, especially as it carries a hefty price tag.
Its 2-megapixel camera takes a not-too-great picture, but let’s face it, what attracts us to the Aura is not its ability to take pictures.
The menu button, which once pressed reveals a circular clock-like face looks striking, but unlike more practical phones on the market, requires a more lengthy selection process. However there’s a shortcut key that will save a lot of time and endless keystrokes. And if you don’t have perfectly manicured nails, the texting process may prove to be a little tedious.
Specifications
2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
Dimensions 96.9 x 47.6 x 18.6 mm
Weight 141
GPRS YES
Bluetooth Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
USB YES
Internal Memory 2 GB
Camera SINGLE
Camera Resolution 2 MP, 1600×1200 pixels
Camera Resolution Search 2M
Display Type TFT, 16M colors
Display Size 480 pixels diameter, 1.55 inches
Type SWING
Messaging SMS, EMS, MMS
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML
Battery Type Standard battery, Li-Ion 810 mAh
Stand-by Up to 410 h
Talk time Up to 7 h 20 min
MP3 YES
Video Support YES
Speaker STEREO
With the world’s first circular display is set against a stainless steel case, which apart from being heavy, it’s sleek, stylish and impressive to look at. Motorola’s eagerly awaited Swiss-made 200 part slide mechanism glides effortlessly, which certainly contributes to its luxury style.
And as for applications, web access is fast, reliable, and after you get over the feeling of reading through a ship’s window, its circular face becomes rather charming. Reading through a web page does involve constant scrolling as the display is small in comparison to the likes of the Apple iPhone or the T-Mobile G1, but the sapphire crystal lens makes this a breeze.
Overall the Motorola Aura ticks all of the luxury boxes. It’s sleek, timeless and is the perfect phone to show off with. Yet, we can’t help being slightly disappointed in the lack of attention to detail in its applications, camera and layout. We think it’s best to think of the Aura as the trophy-wife of the phone world, it’s great to look at and bring to social occasions, but that’s about it.
