Motorola Electrify M - U.S.

For some U.S. Cellular customers, the 4.8-inch Samsung Galaxy S III is just too big. If that sounds like you, the $99.99 Motorola Electrify M is probably just right. Motorola has managed to pack a 4.3-inch, edge-to-edge display into a smartphone that will feel at home in most any hand. And while it lags behind the GSIII in a few key areas, it should be speedy and powerful enough to please anyone that can't quite get a grip on a larger phone.

Design and Call Quality

On the inside, the Electrify M is pretty much the same phone as the Verizon Wireless Droid Razr M. On the outside, it's a little bit different. The luxurious combination of Kevlar and aluminum is nowhere to be found here, replaced by a somewhat flimsy-feeling gray plastic. On the plus side, the phone is protected by an invisible water-repellent splash guard, which makes it a little more durable than it feels.

The Electrify M measures 4.85 by 2.42 by 0.34 inches (HWD) and weighs 3.92 ounces. Compare that with the Galaxy S III, which is still light at 4.65 ounces, but measures in at a hand-stretching 5.38 by 2.78 by 0.34 inches (HWD). When I hold the Electrify M, I can use my thumb to drag down the notifications bar at the top of the screen, which is something I can't do one-handed with the GSIII. And while this is a little vague, there's just something about the size and shape of the Electrify M that feels right when you hold it.

The 4.3-inch, 960-by-540-pixel Super AMOLED Advanced display is bright and very saturated. I don't care for the PenTile pixel layout, which causes text and images to look a bit fuzzy, but most people won't likely mind (the GSIII uses a PenTile screen as well). There's a row of three onscreen buttons and I had no trouble typing on the software keyboard.

U.S. Cellular is the seventh-largest carrier in the U.S. It runs its own 3G and 4G LTE networks in parts of 26 states. Prices are good, but not significantly better than any of the big four carriers. Instead, U.S. Cellular sells itself on a higher level of customer service and network quality. Our readers agreed, giving the carrier our Readers' Choice award last year, for reasonable prices and a reliable network. 

The Electrify M supports U.S. Cellular's relatively new 4G LTE network, which, at the moment, is still limited to four major clusters throughout the U.S. We test U.S. Cellular phones in New York City, where they roam on Sprint's network, which can be frustratingly slow. If you're planning to buy a phone on U.S. Cellular, you may want to take a look at thecoverage map, in case you plan to spend a lot of time outside of the carrier's native coverage area. You can also stay connected via 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi (on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands).

Call quality was good in my tests. Voices sounded very clear in the phone's earpiece, if a little robotic. Transmissions were also clear, with excellent noise cancellation. Calls sounded fine through a Jawbone Era$99.00 at Beach Camera Bluetooth headset and Motorola's voice command system worked well over Bluetooth. The speakerphone also sounded fine, and is definitely loud enough to use in your car, as well as outside, if it isn't too noisy. The nonremovable 2000mAh battery was good for a solid 12 hours and 2 minutes of talk time.

Processor, Android, and Apps

Motorola won't say who manufactures the 1.5GHz dual-core processor that powers the Electrify M, but I suspect it's a Qualcomm S4. It performed almost identically to the Galaxy S III, which is powered by the same chip. Gaming frame rates are actually higher on the Electrify M, but that's because the lower-resolution display means it's pushing less pixels. Either way, this phone is very fast. It's packing enough power to handle any game you throw at it, or any of the 600,000+ apps in the Google Play store, which is on board.