The P8167 weighs 4.8 ounces with battery included, and measures 3.7 by 2.2 by 1.0 inches. When collapsed, the antenna sticks up an additional 1.3 inches. The case is a bit thicker than some StarTAC models, due to its more accentuated sculpting and slightly more rounded keys. Whether worn around your neck (you can buy a jewelry-style lanyard), on your belt in the included plastic holster, or in your pocket, the Timeport P8167's construction and finish give the clear impression that it will last for a long time. Our test model, provisioned by Sprint PCS, performed admirably.

It helps if you're a former StarTAC user when you pick up the P8167, as the 23-key keypad can be a bit intimidating. You should plan on investing a bit of time and practice to get this one down. The screen lights up brightly with blue backlighting, although only three lines of text are displayed at a time, less than ideal when reading messages or Internet menus. Menu navigation, by scrolling or tapping numbers, is straightforward, but all those extra keys can make one pause. The P8167 has nine ringer tones and a phone book with a 99-number speed-dial capacity. The absolute number of phone book entries is greater because each entry can have up to four numbers.

The Timeport P8167 supports caller ID, call waiting, voice mail alerts, e-mail, one-way SMS text messaging, and wireless Internet access. You should check with your prospective service provider to make sure it supports the features you want. If you do decide to use the P8167 as a digital modem for a PC or PDA, you'll be pleased to find that the documentation included with the communications kit is thorough and easy to follow. A serial adapter is included for use with PDAs--the adapter acts as a connector between the phone cable and the PDA's synchronization cable. For hands-free use, a standard 2.5-millimeter jack is located on the top of the phone. To keep your P8167 secure, you can use four-digit codes to lock the whole phone or to restrict outgoing calls to one or 10 numbers stored in special memory locations.

We were impressed when the P8167's lithium-ion battery lasted for the exact rated maximum talk time, an impressive 252 minutes. Standby time clocked in at 170 hours, which also matched Motorola's maximum rating.

Overall, the Timeport P8167 is a stylishly updated classic, chock full of communications features and studded with control keys. If you're not a heavy mobile phone user, you can spend less for another capable phone, but then you'll miss out on the latest version of one of the most successful cell phones ever manufactured. --Testing and evaluation by Brown Consulting Associates, edited by Thom Arno

Pros:

• A fully featured update of a successful standard
• Impressive battery life

Cons:

• Small three-line display
• Keys and buttons are overly complex

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.