If the Samsung E700 is a sleek sports car, the Motorola V300 is a reliable, rubberised family hatchback with surprisingly good speakers. Launched in late 2003 as a mid-range contender on the T-Mobile and Orange networks, the V300 is Motorola’s attempt to bring high-end clamshell features to the average punter. It’s a chunky, blue-bodied flip phone that feels like it could survive a drop from a moving bus, weighing in at a substantial 122g. While it lacks the ‘razor-thin’ aspirations of its future siblings, it is a robust and honest bit of kit that handles the basics with surprising flair.nnOn the technical side, the V300 is a quad-band GSM powerhouse, meaning it will find a signal in the middle of a Cornish field or a New York skyscraper with equal ease. The internal screen is a 65k-colour TFT with a 176 x 220 resolution, which is remarkably sharp for a mid-range handset. It also features a VGA camera with a dedicated side button, allowing for quick snaps that can be sent via MMS. One of the genuine highlights is the ‘MotoMixer’ application, which allows you to remix your own MIDI ringtones by toggling different instrumental tracks. It’s the sort of technical gimmick that is fun for exactly ten minutes, but it showcases the phone’s 24-polyphonic sound system, which is loud enough to be heard over a roaring jet engine. nnThe interface remains Motorola’s greatest challenge. It’s still the ‘Personality’ system, which is a labyrinth of menus and sub-menus that feel like they were designed by someone who has never actually used a telephone. The lack of Bluetooth is a major disappointment, forcing you to rely on a proprietary data cable if you want to get your photos onto a PC. Battery life is respectable, offering around 150 hours of standby from its 700 mAh Li-Ion pack, but you’ll want to keep the charger handy if you’re a heavy texter. The V300 isn’t trying to change the world; it’s just trying to be a solid, dependable, and slightly fun flip phone for people who aren’t ready to spend £400 on a smartphone. It’s rugged, it’s colourful, and while it might be a bit of a ‘brick’ in your pocket, it’s a brick that works.