Motorola Tundra VA76r

By: Joel Evans http://www.geek.com

Motorola Tundra VA76r, most of them look clunky and aren’t necessarily something that you’d want to sport as a daily phone since they lack web browsing and other multimedia features. In addition, they tend to be offered on the NEXTEL network. Well, AT&T and Motorola are mixing things up with the Motorola Tundra VA76r.

At first glance the Tundra looks just like a NEXTEL phone. It’s bulky, sports a rubber exterior, and feels like it could take a hit. But when you open it up and start using it, that’s when you realize how feature-rich it is.

Packed into an indestructible frame is a quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) 3G world phone that features a 2.2″, 240×320 262k TFT internal screen, 1.05″ 96×80 CLI external screen, stereo bluetooth (A2DP), USB 2.0, PTT, a video and audio player, 2 megapixel camera, 100MB of memory, a web browser, and a microSD card slot. There’s also some specific AT&T enhancements including AT&T’s CrystalTalk Plus technology, which performs noise cancelation (using two microphones) to allow you to hear your caller clearer, even in a noisy location.

I mentioned indestructible above. The Tundra meets 810F US Military Standards for drops, dust, vibration, humidity, severe temperatures and rain. Of course, we didn’t want to take Motorola’s word for it so we designed a series of our own tests including throwing the phone horizontally as well as vertically, and having it land on a variety of surfaces including tar, grass, and stone. We even did a real-world test at a construction site. You can see all of the tests in action below. Surprisingly, the worst thing that we experienced as a result of our field tests was a dislodged SIM card, which required reseating and then the Tundra was back in business.

As for the feature-phone side of the Tundra, we browsed to Geek.com and a bunch of other sites at 3G speed, and we also sent a bunch of texts. The best part about the feature-phone side, though, is how clear it sounds. Callers remarked how they could still hear me even though I was talking with the car window open. Below is an MP3 of me calling my voicemail with the window of my car down while driving 40 mph. In the clip you’ll hear me clearly, and won’t hear the wind at all. Then the wind comes in–I held the phone out the window–and then it goes away again. It’s really pretty remarkable how well the CrystalTalk Technology works.

When I first started playing with the Tundra I figured I’d throw it around and do some stress testing but then would send it back. Instead, I find myself using it as you would a normal phone and then occasionally just throwing it on the ground in front of people to see how they react. You’d be surprised how many people are shocked to see me toss a phone, especially since I’m known as the “mobile guy” and have personally referenced my mobile phone as one of my “kids” in the past.

The only drawback I found to using the Tundra is that there’s a delay when you first power up the phone. This is due in part to the Tundra connecting to AT&T’s PTT service. Once it’s connected, there’s also a delay when you first navigate the menu of the phone, but then it performs like any other phone.

Overall, the Tundra is a great device for just about anyone. It’s especially made for individuals at a construction site or who enjoy rugged outdoor activities like biking and hiking, but I found that just about anyone can appreciate what it has to offer.