The L7089 measures 5 by 1.75 by 0.8 inches and has a stubby 1-inch antenna. The phone is small enough that you can operate it with one hand, using your fingers to cradle it as you press keys and buttons with your thumb. A swivel-style belt clip is included with the phone, but the phone is small enough that you can comfortably carry it in a pocket and sturdy enough that you won't be overly worried about harming it. The L7089 is bundled with a Jabra EarSet and three international plugs for the AC adapter/charger.

The bright, backlit display with three lines of variable-size text (15 characters maximum per line) and has status icons on a fourth line at the top. Prompts for menu or navigation options appear in small letters along the bottom of the display. The prompts print directly above the Clear (marked "C") key and OK key. Other buttons include a vertical roller-bar key to navigate menus and text, a message button marked with an envelope icon, and a go-back and quick-access key labeled with an up arrow. On the left side, you'll find two volume control buttons and a smart button that launches the phone book. On the right side, at the base of the antenna, is a voice recorder start button. There are 11 ringer tones plus a vibrate mode. The phone book can hold 100 numbers, the SIM card (if supported by the carrier) holds 155, and you can store another 40 numbers in a special fixed list for when you want to limit the phone's use to specific numbers. Any 25 numbers stored in the phone can be assigned Voice Tags for voice dialing. Although this feature is technically supported by the carrier rather than the phone, the L7089 is well set up to support the feature, and we found it quick and easy to use.

Advanced features are explained in the user's manual. The manual's font is so small, however, that while it gets high marks itself for portability, tired eyes might wish for easier reading. If you press the quick-access key, 10 common operations are displayed with an array of icons for such operations as changing service bands, muting the phone, toggling the vibration mode, and reading messages. You can use any of the 25 possible Voice Tags to launch quick-access operations instead of phone-book numbers.

The L7089's call-management and security-features list reads like a phone fantasy wish list. Basically, if your GSM carrier has a service (except Internet access) this phone supports it. From conference calling to caller ID and call forwarding to voice-mail alerts, this Motorola does it all. It supports two-way SMS messages and can be set to receive broadcast messages or alerts, if enabled by the carrier.

The L7089's voice-recorder feature is convenient and certainly easy to use, but its 3-minute capacity restricts it to short notes. A simple press of the record button starts and stops the recording, while the remaining available time counts down on the display.

In addition to phone and keypad locking, the Timeport L7089's security features let you control menu and phone-book access and selectively restrict outgoing and incoming calls.

A port on the bottom of the phone can accept an optional data cable, but the Timeport L7089 already has an infrared port for synchronizing phone-book data with a PC. TrueSync PIM software makes it easy to manage your phone book with a desktop or notebook PC to transfer phone book entries to the phone. No software is included to use the phone as a digital modem for PCs or PDAs, and there is no incoming fax mode.

The Timeport L7089's lithium-ion battery is rated for a maximum 210 minutes' digital talk time and 150 hours' digital standby time. In testing, our sample phone held a call for nearly 210 minutes, but it only lasted for 96 hours in standby mode.

If you don't need multiple phone bands in a single phone, the Timeport L7089 may be overkill. However, even if you only travel within one country, this phone's well-executed design and rich set of calling features are appealing. Casual users may not be interested, but frequent callers will be drawn to this phone. --Testing and evaluation by Brown Consulting Associates, edited by Thom Arno

Pros:

• Triband capacity for worldwide use
• Compact size and lightweight in a nicely balanced case
• Wide range of call-management features
• Good talk-time battery performance

Cons:

• International feature set may be overkill for many users
• Not Web-enabled

How We Tested Battery Talk/Standby Time

When reading our reviews, you should view the test results of mobile-phone battery talk time and standby time as relative information only. Many variables, including carrier signal strength at your location, signal consistency (including incoming and outgoing calls), display and ringer settings, and battery charging methods and history, will affect performance. When handset manufacturers and mobile phone carriers list talk-time and standby-time ratings, they usually include disclaimers about variable performance and often refer to the times they publish as maximum times. Some quote expected battery life ranges, and in this case you're probably safe to assume you'll experience at least the minimum rated range. Note that manufacturers of dual-mode digital and analog handsets publish battery-life rates for both digital and analog modes, as analog mode consumes much more power than digital mode.

Our Tests: We tested digital-mode talk and standby times with each phone. Prior to each test, we fully charged the phone's battery according to the manufacturer's directions. To test digital-phone talk time, we turned the phone on, established a digital carrier signal, dialed a number in our test lab, and, when the call rang through, took the receiving phone's handset off the hook. When all went well, we didn't do anything else except record the time when the phone died. In a couple of cases, the phones lost the signal and dropped the calls. If we were right there and could redial, we did so immediately and continued running the test. Otherwise, we halted the test, recharged the battery, and started the test over. Assuming consistent carrier-signal strength, this test should represent best-case talk time. And it's worth noting that several phones' talk-time performance significantly exceeded the manufacturers' ratings.