T-Mobile's stable got one stall wider when we heard the RIZR Z3 would be hitting this month -- but was it worth the carrier's trouble? T-Mobile is the first US provider to offer up this already long-in-the-tooth handset -- which commands a respectable $100 on a two-year contract -- and LAPTOP had the opportunity to put it through its paces. As we knew, it's really nothing more than a KRZR redone as a slider, so, uh... yeah, if that's what you're looking for, this here handset is the only game in town. LAPTOP was a little less than happy with the phone's music and photo capabilities; the music player was difficult to find and operate, while the pic quality left something to be desired. Call quality was solid, though (as is often the case with Motorola devices) and volume was plenty loud. The magazine's verdict? You can probably do better for the price, but again: if you want a KRZR-esque slider on T-Mobile, the RIZR's your one and only hookup.

Read - LAPTOP Magazine review
Read - T-Mobile's RIZR Z3 product page

[Thanks, Allen]

While you loyal T-Mobile users have patiently braved the news of Moto's RIZR Z3 passing FCC inspection, getting some love on Vodafone Germany, and receiving a relatively glowing review, it's about time it sashayed over to your carrier, huh? If that's you, go on and circle March 12th on your current mobile's calendar, as that'll be the day when it gets overshadowed by a newer, sleeker handset. Reportedly, the MOTORIZR Z3 will be launched on T-Mobile just over a fortnight from now, and will sport a two-megapixel camera with video capture capabilities, music playback, stereo Bluetooth, quad-band connectivity, speakerphone, voice recognition software, predictive text input, and a 220 x 176 resolution screen, just like we've gotten used to. No word on what T-Mobile plans on charging for the device, but be sure and hit the read link for the full promotional sheet.

[Thanks, TJ and the Fish]

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- better known to most as the Oscar people -- are apparently promising to come down hard on the use of cameraphones at this year's event with a complete ban. That, in itself, is not surprising; the last thing our friends in Hollywood want is a flood of grainy, bootleg footage getting MMSed across the lands in real time. What is surprising, however, is that Motorola's been called out as a bit of a freeloader here. As you might recall, Moto had been trumpeting that some super-duper version of the MOTORIZR Z3 would be handed out to the "top 25" nominees at the event -- problem is, it turns out that the company isn't even sponsoring the show in any capacity, leaving them with zero leverage to override the Academy's ruling. We suppose they could mail out the phones before or afterwards, but how lame is that? Don't fret though, Moto, your efforts aren't for naught -- send those Z3s on over to us and we'll make sure they find loving homes.

Maybe our good friend Boy Genius has a crystal ball to see into the future or maybe he just has all the right connections, but either way he's on point again. Motorola announced that they will be giving a customized MOTORIZR Z3 to the top 25 nominees from this years Oscar awards. As it turns out, the winners of the soon-to-be released (stateside) slider will come in a custom made box with the nominees name on it along with H800 and S9 Bluetooth headsets. Now, if the nominees were getting that svelte Z6 slider we've been talking about, we might just have to make a move for one of them.

The MOTORIZR Z3 isn't exactly awe-inspiring in terms of features, but being that its Moto's "first attempt at the slider design trend," it gets somewhat of a pass in the value department. CNET was able to get its paws on the predictably thin new mobile, and while the list of niceties wasn't exactly suited to the (admittedly) high $300 pricetag, they couldn't help but fall for its snazzy good looks. Aside from the design, the phone offered a pleasantly crisp LCD, user-friendly navigation array, call quality similar to the GSM KRZR (read: satisfactory), "respectable" battery life of 6.5 hours, and a highly improved volume level. All wasn't peachy, however, as reviewers found the built-in camera to be fairly awful, the button layout to be a bit cramped / slick, and the speakerphone to be less than impressive. All in all, this rendition of Motorola's (almost) vowel-less lineup did the slider motif "quite well," and while CNET suggested holding out until prices drop just a bit, it was deemed a solid performer nonetheless.

[Thanks, Justin]

With the MAXX and V3xx both coming out of the woodwork recently and into customers' hands, it's already been a helluva week for Motorola launches -- but there's no rest for the wicked. The MOTORIZR Z3, alternatively known in some circles as the RAZR slider (but not that RAZR slider), has gone ahead and dropped on Vodafone Germany for the reasonable sum of €100 on contract (about $128). Though the RIZR falls behind its launch-mates with nothing more than old skool EDGE data to its name, it's a solid alternative to the K1 KRZR for those that prefer sliders and just can't bear to give up that Moto look. Here's hoping the Voda launch is only the first of many in the next few weeks, eh?

[Thanks, Jewburg]

In case there was any ongoing concern among the populace that Motorola's RAZRiffic slider, the MOTORIZR Z3, wouldn't win FCC approval, it looks like that (needlessly) stressed-out faction can finally rest easy. We found the typical bounty of documentation on the FCC's site for the Z3 this week -- and while much of it is about as fun as reading a phone book (the white one, not the yellow one with pictures and ads and stuff), they've also dropped in some decent pictures and a draft user's manual for our viewing pleasure. Thanks for the goodies, Moto; now onto the official release, eh?

No surprises from Motorola today, though we were able to spend some quality time with their upcoming RIZR and KRZR models. We were surprised at how light and solid the RIZR felt, especially considering we're looking at a pre-production unit here. The matte, rust red finish was a nice touch, but check out the intricate design on the phone's hindquarters after the break -- it's a unique detail and we hope this makes it to the production handset.

What was once known as the Capri -- the US Motorola team's first 4LTR slider effort , not to be confused with the Korean team's Z -- can now be called the MOTORIZR, and the skinny is, of course, not entirely surprising. The 0.6-inch thick quad-band device features EDGE, a 2 megapixel camera, QQVGA display, Bluetooth with A2DP, microSD, and a 2H launch time frame. Again, nothing to turn the head of anyone who's heard about the device over and over online, but still a welcome addition to Moto's staid lineup of RAZRs in an ever-increasing array of colors.