Hello Moto!

"Looks good, sounds good, built to last..." Whatever it is, it sounds tempting, doesn't it? This is just one of the many ways to describe the latest technological additions to the local mobile phone market.

Combining the elements of design and easy functionality, one of the leading mobile phone companies is launching yet another of it’s creations – and this time, it’s perfect for all you young guys and girls, oozing with all that zest for life.

Motorola's MOTOFONE F3, promises to enable even the newest phone users to embrace mobile communication with confidence and style. With most of you already done with it, or nearing the end of your school careers, the multi-faceted commercial world, with all of its challenges, is literally a step away. And interestingly, mobile phones have become an almost essential fixture in it. Apart from its various other uses, mobile phones and young people have become almost inseparable when it comes to communicating. Launching this latest device in Colombo last week, Motorola Inc., being specialists in wireless communications, are now becoming more and more accessible to global markets. Based on Motorola's new SCPL design platform, MOTOFONE is the first of a new breed of handsets designed to cut across price tiers, product segments and international markets. "Today's launch of MOTOFONE in Sri Lanka is another big step forward in Motorola's drive to connect the next billion mobile phone users," said Robert Gagnon, Managing Director of Mobile Devices in Emerging Markets, introducing the product at the innovative launch. "Specifically designed to meet the needs and tastes of consumers such as those right here in Sri Lanka, MOTOFONE is a true game-changing handset that will redefine the mobile landscape," he added.

So let’s get to the best part – what does the MOTOFONE F3 offer? To start off with, it’s paper thin… literally. Being the thinnest mobile phone designed by Motorola, it weighs almost nothing in your hand, and is easy to maneuver. "So don't' worry, you can wear the tightest, trendiest pair of jeans, and it'll fit in your pocket without a problem!" said Gagnon. Measuring approximately 9mm, and weighing just 70g, it offers a flat keypad.

And if you're a novice mobile user, and one of those not-so-techy people, the device has voice prompts to guide you quickly and easily through menu navigation, messaging and other functions. And better yet, the voice prompts are available in local languages, so you can relax with all those qualms over figuring out your new phone. We all know how important talk time is, when it comes to mobile phones. Especially when it comes to young people, whether it's an official call, or a good old gossip session with your best friend, the MOTOFONE F3 provides excellent battery life, offering up to 500 minutes talk time, and 300 hours standby time.

Featuring the innovative ClearVision display, the phone provides users with a large, highly readable screen that is viewable even in bright sunlight, or dimly lit environments from virtually any angle, just like paper. The display is also plastic, lightweight and ultra-low power, and the phone itself is extremely durable, to the extent of it being able to be thrown across a room, or in Gagnon's words, "Out of a tuk tuk, and onto the road," without absolutely any harm done to it! It is also oil, dust and water-resistant. So all you over-energized young people out there, with all those hectic schedules, can forget about being ultra-cautious with your phone.

Being an essentially voice-centred device, the high-volume setting for ringtone and voice clarity in loud environments, is yet another note-worthy feature on offer. So when you want to have a clear conversation in a market, a club, or even a tuk tuk, the MOTOFONE F3 will probably the perfect thing you've been looking for. The device also has embedded polyphonic ringtones, which would make the experience that much more entertaining.

And of course, the most important feature of the device is the fact that it is extremely affordable, with it being available for around Rs. 5000.

With expenses usually being a constant issue for young people, whether they are studying or working, the availability of a trendy, durable device such as this, in the low and average income market, would be a great buy.