Motorola Razr V3 Internet Setup in 2019

For those interested in vintage flip phones: I spent a lot of time and energy figuring out how to get internet working on an original Motorola Razr in 2019. If you want to try using a retro flip phone... This is a step by step guide to getting internet working on your Razr.
Items you will need:
-Motorola Razr V3 setup for T-Mobile
-Smartphone, tablet or laptop that can connect to a Razr over Bluetooth (test it first)
-A Bluetooth File Sharing app if using a smartphone or tablet.
-A Bluetooth dongle might be needed for a laptop
-Opera Mini 4.2 web browser file saved on the smartphone, tablet, or laptop
Opera Mini 4.2 (with GPRS enabled) can be found here:
www.mobiles24.co/downloads/s/3...
The tetris game I installed can be found here:
www.mobilephun.com/free-mobil...
If you have a Cingular or AT&T Razr you need to unlock it before you can use your T-Mobile SIM card. To unlock it go here:
www.att.com/deviceunlock/

[@awesomeone2979]

Finally someone who's straight up and says t mobile. Other people just explain things without giving an answer. Thank you man.

[@danebeck7900]

You're welcome!

[@danthreepwood2760]

2 days, 7 hours and 24 and-a-half minutes later..... I'm online! Your patience is truly inspiring ;)

[@danebeck7900]

Awesome. It's good to get feedback from other people that they actually tried it and it worked.

[@romdex]

Just tried this on a V3 here in Germany with a T-Mobile Sim aswell. Worked immediately. Thanks for the awesome guide!

[@danebeck7900]

Awesome! Glad it worked for you.

[@twachl8039]

Weißt du ob es heutzutage immer noch funktioniert?

[@romdex]

@@twachl8039 Leider hab ich die Simkarte nicht mehr um es zu testen, vielleicht probier ichs mal mit ner anderen. Ansonsten wüsste ich nicht, warum es nicht mehr funktionieren sollte.

[@twachl8039]

@@romdex ok vielen Dank, ich überlege ob ich auf ein altes Motorola wechseln soll, aber wenn es nicht mehr funktioniert, wäre das sehr blöd

[@shocoice22]

also funktioniert es nur mit einer Telekom Sim Karte und nicht mit Vodafone?

[@dannyforys3588]

I love that phone a lot I wish it comes back in the world

[@danebeck7900]

One more year of 2G. Enjoy it while you still can!

[@gabin2024]

I have a motorola razr v3 that is stuck with Vodafone, I dont have a sim card for it but I'm not sure if Vodafone provide 2g sim cards. I'm not entirely sure how it works, do u know if they still do 2g sim cards?

[@danebeck7900]

A quick Google search shows that Vodafone shutdown their 2G network in April 2018.

[@xtremedj1929]

5g was just introduced in 2019. So some phones like the s20 and phones this year 2020 are now moved to 5g. It might do the same thing like enjoy your 4g and 3g before the 5g network takes effect but that isn't to worry about anyways since 5g is still new to people using 3g and 4g networks.

[@danebeck7900]

@@xtremedj1929 At some point all the old networks will be shutdown but it's hard to say when. T-Mobile hasn't announced when they're shutting down 3G so that has at least a couple years left... All the other carriers in the US have made 3G shutdown announcements though. I don't think any carriers have made announcements about 4G shutdowns and probably won't for years.

[@mahrufurrahman9759]

Do I need mobile data or can I send wifi from my smartphone to the phone using bluetooth

[@danebeck7900]

I added links in the video description to the Opera Mini web browser as well as the Tetris game I installed in the video. I also added a link to unlock your phone if you have a Cingular or AT&T Razr.

[@qCJLbggG4IWAY9nTH6o]

it was very tough for me to find a good video on the razr before I bought one, thank you man.

[@KingCharming]

Thank you very much Mr. Beck for taking your time to make this very _educational_ video. All the Best.

[@snapcountersteer]

Thanks man, you're a life saver! I was messing with proxies, APN points etc.., trying to make the default browser work on my V3i, but to no avail. Now it connects just fine and the novelty is unmatched! Here in Greece (and other southern European countries), 2G still works just fine.

[@danebeck7900]

You're welcome!

[@ellenrigaux5111]

Hey dude, do you know how to change the app points on the razr v3?

[@snapcountersteer]

@@ellenrigaux5111 app points?

[@crazydude606]

such a neat little browser. used it non-stop on my krazr

[@samplingthetext]

Same!

[@CallumBell]

Thanks for dropping by on my video man! You’ve got some great tips here :)

[@stevieslicknj3420]

Cool! I wanted flip phone.again! I haven't had one over 8 years ago

[@rosam2771]

You are amazing :) thank you for making these videos on Razr's there really isn't much info online about how to do stuff like this

[@danebeck7900]

You're welcome! Yes, the lack of info on these old phones can be pretty frustrating.

[@aridante4110]

Not sure why I got this rec’d, but I don’t regret watching it! All my co-workers were on the Moto train back in the day, and I was the only one with with a Blackberry Pearl 😆 Always wanted one, though. They were verrrrry nice and very reliable phones.

[@danebeck7900]

Indeed... They're awesome!

[@moahammad1mohammad]

I remember getting one of these at a gas station in Tennessee on august 4th, 2002 when I mugged a guy coming out while on a phone call 🤣🤣 was the best phone I got for free

[@OliviaTMtherobloxian]

Sad that T-Mobile 2G is blacking out on December 31, 2020! We loved these phones and how we interacted with them! R.I.P T-Mobile 2G (2001-2020) :(

[@sumisumi-by8xv]

Thank god the uk is way behind from the rest of the world so 2g will run till 2025 maybe beyond 😅😅😅😅 the so called great britain😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 While the 5g is out i can barely see 4g. It's terrible. Uk is stuck in the 90,s lol

[@Truecrimecommunity]

Was a work of art In the tech industry back when I was graduating high school and starting college 2004 I believe

[@danebeck7900]

Sounds like we're the same age... Class of '03 here.

[@asheerarizwan]

btw im 14

[@cad_krenovaku]

Really working. Good ur step by step installing and set up this phone.

[@-di11ingham68]

Thanks so much for this vid btw, I can only imagine the trial and error that was involved with this!

[@danebeck7900]

Oh God... It was insane!

[@laywenjer4133]

Hey Thanks to your video now I can go Web on my Motorola razr v3i with the opera mini browser

[@LemSportsinterviews]

i won a few new-in-box ones on ebay and i'm gonna tear into one to re-live that teenage nostalgia. wikipedia says that T-Mobile will completely sunset 2G by 2022, so hoping i can still get online with one for a while at least. thanks for the video, love these old handsets that use that sweet motorola java OS. ETA: i'm going to be in eastern europe later this year and, being the most frugal person on the planet, i might try to use one of these on a cheapo data plan while i'm there. maybe i'll make a video on it.

[@danebeck7900]

Thanks for the heads-up. I followed the Wikipedia link and got this... Looks like we're good until the end of 2022: www.stanleymonitor.com/article/T-mobile-Sunset-Dates

[@Fr3aKy91rs]

Pure quality video. Thank you sir.

[@Railgo7]

Thank you! It was really helpful

[@robertthomason4410]

you go man. have 2 pink ones from way back att has a 15$ month plan. gonna break that bad boy out. the "hello moto" was much cooler then ty 4 the info fits in your pocket better too

[@AmberKK2020]

Thanks for this video content! It's very informative!

[@danebeck7900]

You're welcome

[@mgbaluca5801]

thank you very much! it still working on my phone!

[@dripmaster247.]

just bought a new "old" razr , im so happy

[@danebeck7900]

Cool... Hope you have a working T-Mobile SIM card you can swap in.

[@Izumisensei2004]

Really useful By pure miracle here in Mexico 2g still exist The day they turn it off I’ll get a v3xx or a v8

[@danebeck7900]

The V8 is 2G just like the Razr. The V3xx is 3G, but that might be shutdown too. Not sure about the situation in Mexico.

[@ailolan]

thank u for this video! in Europe it's still possible to use these 😊

[@fourandtwentyblackbirds3316]

Thanks for the advice! I have an iPhone but I have a weird fascination with flip phones and would like to collect a couple. Also is there any way to use a Verizon sim with these phones if they are unlocked?

[@danebeck7900]

Unfortunately not, that won't work. It has to be T-Mobile. Verizon doesn't support 2G anymore. I still have an old Verizon Razr (my original). It doesn't take a sim card because it's CDMA and I can't activate it on any networks... it's a brick. Before May 2019 it would have been possible to take it over to Sprint, but after that they stopped activating 2G and 3G phones. If you're into collecting old flip phones and you actually want to use them, make sure they're either unlocked or locked to T-Mobile. Keep in mind T-Mobile is shutting down their 2G network in 2021, but from what I've read they'll keep supporting 3G for a little while longer, so after this year you can only use 3G flip phones. At the peak of 3G there were lots of cool flip and slider phones on the market, so I'll be checking out some of those myself. There are newer 4G flip phones out there but they all seem kinda lame IMO. Good luck!

[@Capo_Gaming]

Awesome I got all the way to install the app. But I need to unlock the phone, it's Cingular/at&t. Thanks for the info!

[@heavenly_spears7954]

DAMNN I want one of thesee

[@danebeck7900]

T-Mobile is shutting down 2G at the end of this year, so if you really wanna use one do it now before it's too late.

[@markm0000]

I always wondered what it would be like if I never upgraded to a smartphone. Seems tolerable with custom favorites and a little sms automation.

[@the.littlest.toaster]

So many of these were under the loop at Disneyland lol I'd remember seeing them before you get on the ride.

[@danebeck7900]

I would be so pissed if that happened to me!

[@jaimelopez2503]

In the United States, U.S. Cellular will still activate CDMA razrs (V3c or V3m) that they originally sold. In fact they’ll still activate any of their CDMA phones as long it has E911 support. You need to already have an active line with them or open one with a newer phone as they can’t start a line with non-VoLTE phones.

[@danebeck7900]

Great info... Thanks!!!

[@DG599]

You don’t need an active line, I activated a CDMA phone on their site with a new account with the MEID. They will activate any USCC CDMA phone

[@2011kyle1]

I got Tetris game to work! :)

[@samburger6739]

Impressive

[@jessicarussell4484]

thx so much i need this vid bc iv had one for 5 year now and never had internet it was pretty anoying so thxs so much

[@edoardopalmer2379]

Amazing, thx, did you know of a way of charging it via pc on win 10? i haven't found the right drivers yet

[@DG599]

You can’t. Motorola phones are picky and require their original wall chargers to charge the battery. Not even a standard mini USB will charge it. When I plugged mine into the computer, it showed charging but didn’t do anything at all after leaving it for a few hours

[@ellyawesome]

Dude, the Motorola Razr is the most iconic flip phone ever. I never got to own one as a teen and I still think about them haha. I've been on a motorola razr spiral the last few days, trying to figure out if one would still be usable in Australia and I think sadly there's no real 2G at all here. Then I heard about the Motorola Razr 3xx which apparently runs on 3G. I am not 100% certain if that would work here but I would love to try it. The only ones I can find in a decent price range (sort of worth the gamble) are around $100 refurbished from China. Not sure if it's worth it. Do you know much about these? I really want to get on the flip phone game and get off social media between my work hours. I keep looking my flip phone options, if not a sick razor (or you know what I'd love, an old sidekick with the rotating screen!!) ...I'm leaning towards the Nokia 2720 but it's chunky as HECK. But you can use it as a hot spot, so that's pretty amazing. If you could actually ever hack into one of these and make it 4G I would be foaming at the mouth to try it out hahahah. Thanks for uploading this Dane! Love seeing people who still love the Razr

[@danebeck7900]

Couldn't agree more, no phone will ever capture that vibe again. As for buying one, stay away from the refurbished China phones. Shipping from China is super slow right now anyways because of Covid-19. Go on eBay and try to find one from a private seller that's in decent shape. If 2G is dead in Australia then you're out of luck on the Razr V3. If you want one just to play with you can still use Bluetooth to install games and just have some fun with it. You can definitely get a V3xx since it's 3G, the Razr2 V9 is also 3G. As for the old Sidekicks be aware that they don't have data connection because Danger Inc had their servers shut down years ago. Plus a lot of them are 2G and face the same problem. There's a pretty good selection of cool 3G phones out there, you just have to look.

[@ellyawesome]

@@danebeck7900 Thanks for the advice! Very tempted to just get one for the nostalgia and enjoy it for what it is :) plus your little bluetooth setup here is a gamechanger haha. Thanks heaps!

[@danebeck7900]

@@ellyawesome Even when the 2G network is shutdown you can still install games and play them. There are lots of compatible games for these phones online. I might make another video on that at some point

[@calebnation7797]

A new OG razr video when the new razr smart phone is available

[@danebeck7900]

I have yet to see a single person using a new Razr in real life

[@calebnation7797]

Dane Beck I’m about to get one to replace my iPhone 11

[@danebeck7900]

@@calebnation7797 Out of curiosity... How much are you paying for it? New or used? I ask because I looked on eBay a couple months ago and it seemed like prices were starting to drop.

[@calebnation7797]

Dane Beck new. It’s upgrade time and the razr is 999.99 from my carrier vs 979.99 for an iPhone 12. For a $20 difference with how similar their performance is, I’m totally sold on the razr

[@joseg5511]

Great Job! I just got mint V3 from eBay; bummed that I'll only get a year use out of it though...

[@danebeck7900]

Enjoy it while you can! A lot of the later Razr's were 3G... Maybe look into one of those.

[@joseg5511]

I was looking at the Razr v3xx which are 3G. Most are shipped from Indonesia, Taiwan and China. Are those any good?

[@theflipphonechannel8198]

@@joseg5511 I wouldn't trust those. Just wait for one from the US. I have a v3xx that I use with Red Pocket AT&T. It gets good reception on 3g and has good voice quality.

[@danebeck7900]

I absolutely agree. Don't waste your time on "refurbished" phones from China. I probably should have specifically addressed this in the video as it's s a really easy pitfall to fall into. You want a legit used phone that has been treated well, not abused. Look for ads on eBay with photos of the actual phone they're selling, not the cookie cutter ad photos. That's a big red flag!

[@theflipphonechannel8198]

@@danebeck7900 I actually own several counterfeit Razrs. One is a v3xx that is stuck in the boot loader. I know it's fake because the Motorola M logos are just painted on and the screws are regular Philip's screws, not hex screws. The other is a V3i that has a cheap plastic screen and camera lens. It also opens too flat and has crappy black paint on the sides. Luckily they were in a lot of many other phones so it was no real loss to me.

[@WingDings_666]

It’s crazy to think the Motorola Razr had actual J2ME support support I’ve always thought the apps ran via arm machine code or something stupid like that because of how low end the SOC was

[@danebeck7900]

If you wanna dig a little deeper I suggest this website. This is about as good as it gets: www.marksmods.com/Hack-the-V3/before_you_start_modding_motorola_v3.html

[@dawnmmenorias]

Hi Dane is your Razr still working right at this moment? 2020? i’ve seen alot of Motorola Razr Silver models here in Bangkok i want to get one any advice on situations like the 2020? Thanks 😌🙏🏼

[@danebeck7900]

Yep it still works! You're in luck, looks like Thailand is keeping 2G alive. Just get an unlocked Razr and a mini-SIM and it should work: www.mobileworldlive.com/asia/asia-news/thai-operators-keep-2g-alive/

[@zeofromthefuture]

hey dane thanks alot for the hard work, im having a slightly different issue i cant seem to find the settings to enable mms and internet on my phone for att, i actually have the razr2 with 3g. i can only find the apn settings as if i had a smartphone, and im using tracfone with att towers. do you know anything about getting those settings and putting them in

[@danebeck7900]

I also have a Razr2 but unfortunately I've never tried setting up internet on it and have no idea what settings you need. It seems like trying to figure out the APN settings on phones this old is kind of a lost cause. You might look into installing another version of Opera Mini. There's a few other minimalistic mobile browsers you can try installing, UC Browser and PicoWeb come to mind. Google is your friend here and keep in mind you might be searching for a while until you find something that works.

[@zeofromthefuture]

@@danebeck7900 its fine i contacted the carrier and they sent a setting ota that enabled mms atleast, internet seems to not work still. i even tried the opera mini file but it came up with an error

[@kamikazetom9785]

It works haha crazy guy thx

[@PhoneCollectionPug]

Hey man, I know I am a bit late to do this. But what sort of bluetooth file transfer app did you use? Seems pretty neat! Thanks in advance! - Pug.

[@danebeck7900]

The one I used is called "Bluetooth Files Share" but I'm sure there are others that would work. The bigger issue is you need to make sure your Razr can do Bluetooth file transfers, meaning it needs to be an AT&T (Cingular) or T-Mobile Razr. If you have a Verizon Razr it's not gonna work because Bluetooth file transfer is disabled on those ones.

[@PhoneCollectionPug]

@@danebeck7900 thanks for the comment! I live in europe, my razr is actually on T-Mobile. But it'll accept simcards from other carriers too, yesterday I tried bluetooth file transfer via my pc. Worked great! Even installed a custom ringtone haha! But thanks for your time! 😃😁

[@samukadatp7969]

Just a question, is the razr compatible with Bluetooth speakers, headphones, and other things like that?

[@NotChar]

I know this is a few years later but, I got a new t-mobile sim but when I put it in it just says "check sim". It's an unlocked v3. Is it worth taking to T-Mobile and asking if they can help or am I just out of luck?

[@annoyingannonymous3181]

Opera mini was the browser back in the day when I had moto slvr l6, l7 and l9. Always wanted the razr but alas!

[@blessingnogzi7711]

I love this phone small but might

[@ShreyasGameboy]

Your a legend

[@danebeck7900]

If this is all it takes to be a legend, then the bar has been set too low.

[@reemj1180]

Wow good old days I had a rizer in 2007

[@rayvega3163]

Oh, btw, what is really surprising is that I was born in April 2004 and around the time I was born, there are GameCube (I used to have one of those/played with it before; very very very new video game consoles are WAY TOO EXPENSIVE and that’s why I prefer old/cheap video game consoles), The Incredibles (Even though this was released about 6 months after I was born), etc., 3 months after I was born, Razr came out. I don’t think my mom have it when I was born, because she said she don’t have it. Several people I knew said they had it though. One time my shop teacher said he had a father-in-law who uses a Razr (At first I was kinda confused by that when he said he can call and text with it, since I thought old cell phones doesn’t have internet anymore because I thought once your service got expired, there is no way to revive the service but after several months, I get totally get it now.)

[@rayvega3163]

And I have 2 flip phones; A LG441G and a Motorola Tundra Va76r. I use the former because it works great...except no back cover and the battery frequently kept getting out so I made a quick thinking...I put a tape over it sand now it won’t fall out. But the latter? Barely works because it took forever (LITERALLY forever) to charge it and when it does finished charging, it only stays 5% and it only reaches as far as 20% but that happens very rarely, I’m afraid. I had a substitute teacher who uses a LG flip phone which looks EXACTLY as my own LG...except some very few differences. Only things that two flip phones have in common is that both of them don’t have a cellular service. Man. :( Fortunately, my LG flip phone is a AT&T-compatible so I can take it to a AT&T (Luckily, it lives 18-30 minutes away from my home so that may help) but I don’t know when. I haven’t activate it yet.

[@siddharthasubba14]

I had this in college ‘twas a big hit then... Lasted for four solid years

[@danebeck7900]

I had my original Razr V3c from like 2006-2012, then I went back in summer 2018. Love it.

[@lifestylewithshikha2860]

you are a machanic of mobiles

[@danebeck7900]

I'm just a guy who knows a few tricks ;^)

[@rory_p.hillips]

Do you have any suggestions for trying to fix up a V3m ? I've seen your comments saying that Verizon has disabled Bluetooth transfer so I know that these steps won't work

[@danebeck7900]

I've had zero luck with the V3m's doing pretty much anything. No SIM card, no Bluetooth, I can't even get the old Motorola Phone Tools software to work. Sorry, I don't have any suggestions. The one and only thing I think you could do with it is use it as a DTMF transmitter, but that's kinda geeky unless you're into that stuff. I made a video on it.

[@ModricoYT]

Can a Pocket PC phone still load music? Like for example, Windows Media files pulled from Bandcamp or stuff loaded from emails? My teacher is sending me loops of my favorite songs, and I was wondering if they can still work with Windows Media, since they are partly made by Microsoft.

[@danebeck7900]

No idea. Not my area of expertise.

[@nowaboutthatpod]

I loved my Motorola Razr, the only issue that I actually had was the speaker stopped working and I could only make phone calls when the phone was on speaker phone.

[@jaegar1nine266]

I'm having trouble getting my SIM to work on the Mixed Tmobile RAZR V3, did you have any similar coverage issues with the mixed version? and yes its a V3, not a VRM

[@danebeck7900]

I'm not sure what you mean by "mixed"? Is it a T-Mobile SIM card and the phone is either unlocked or locked to T-Mobile (as it should be)? Does it say "Insert SIM" when you first turn it on even though the SIM card is in there? If that's the case you might just need to reinsert it and reboot. Does it say "Unregistered SIM"? Or is something else going on?

[@jaegar1nine266]

@@danebeck7900 I mean "mixed" by the silver+grey chassis. The inner label says "V3 (G 8/9/18/19)" if that helps. When no card is in, it says "insert SIM", and when inserted, its says "check SIM." The bars aren't showing; the phone is locked into Tmobile, and says Tmobile on the back. Thanks for the help!

[@danebeck7900]

@@jaegar1nine266 Are you sure the SIM is good? It's activated and your account is all setup? You could try inserting the SIM into another phone to check (assuming you have another phone that takes a mini-SIM). If you know the SIM is good it could be something wrong with the phone. The mixed silver-grey is weird, they weren't made that way. Somebody cobbled together parts from two phones to make that thing. If the phone is bad I would just buy another one, they're cheap on eBay.

[@jaegar1nine266]

@@danebeck7900 Yep. SIM is good, looks scratched but it works perfectly in my Galaxy J3. So the silver one is your recommendation?

[@danebeck7900]

@@jaegar1nine266 If you want Opera Mini on the phone... yeah get one of the silver ones. When I was trying to install it on the grey phones and having trouble getting it to work, I noticed that the grey phones have a different software version than the silver ones. The grey phones work fine if you just wanna call and text. Sometimes I can install Opera Mini on the grey phones but it's just not as reliable. BTW, when you get the new Razr let me know if the Bluetooth connection works with Galaxy J3!

[@MichaelKaraman42]

Hey Dane! I have a Razr V3xx (Gray, Cingular Branded, GSM Unlocked) and I'm trying to transfer files via bluetooth on my Windows 10 Laptop and it says the network host is down whenever I try to send a file. Do you know why this is happening and if there is a workaround? I can't seem to find anything on Google. Thanks for the helpful video. Cheers!

[@danebeck7900]

First of all I really don't know much about the V3xx, I've barely used them. If I had to guess I would say try using Motorola Phone Tools, search online for a download. I use it for my V3's with an old Windows XP laptop. I tried MPT on a Windows 7 laptop and had some issues. I seriously doubt it'll work on Windows 10 but go for it if you want. MPT does data transfer over USB so make sure you have the right cable (mini USB).

[@MichaelKaraman42]

@@danebeck7900 Ok!! Thank you so much for the reply I appreciate it :)

[@danebeck7900]

m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZuzi6KHlJaee5om00s Just a quick correction, I meant to say the grey Razr was on T-Mobile, not AT&T.

[@bigsandwich]

I have a grey v3 on mint mobile, looks to have newer software on it. I try to use data and it kicks me off the network, I know I need to change apn settings most likely but I am missing the option to do it. Do you think I need to unlock it? Thanks

[@danebeck7900]

Did you actually watch the video? The way I describe it is the only way I know to make it work. Also, read through the comments. I've answered tons of these questions.

[@bigsandwich]

@@danebeck7900 Sorry just had to scroll down a bit further, will be returning and getting a silver/red one. Thanks

[@DG599]

It’s probably the “disconnecting” issue that happens on old phones when using data

[@loonysedits5549]

I’m a little confused; I don’t know much about phones and currently have an iPhone 8 but really want to go back to flip phones. If I have a plan with T-Mobile on my current smartphone could I buy the motorola and still use the same SIM card? What are my choices?

[@danebeck7900]

Yeah, you've got that right. Since you're already on T-Mobile you can pull out your SIM and stick it in a Razr and it should work for the rest of 2020. This is kind of a recent change of events since T-Mobile stopped activating SIMs for 2G (I'm not sure what the cutoff date was). I'm guessing you probably have one of those nano sized SIMs in your iPhone, so you should get an adapter to convert it to a mini SIM to stick in the Razr. In 2021 you need to switch over to a 3G flip phone, there are plenty to choose from, including a lot of the later Razr models.

[@loonysedits5549]

Dane Beck Awesome! Will do. Thank you so much for getting back to me, that was very helpful:)

[@danebeck7900]

People keep asking me if they can still use a Razr V3, so let me make this clear. The original Razr is a 2G phone, and NONE of the carriers in the US are activating 2G phones. The only way you can use an original Razr V3 is if: 1. You're already on T-Mobile and you swap in your SIM card. It will work for the rest of 2020. If you try switching to T-Mobile it won't work because they won't activate it. 2. If you have a Razr V3 that's already activated on Verizon you can keep using it for the rest of 2020 but again you can't activate it. 3. If you have a Razr V3 that's already activated on Sprint you can keep using it until the end of 2021, but just like Verizon you can't activate. Rule 1 applies to 99.9999% of people. If you qualify for rules 2 or 3 then congratulations, you're a unicorn. If you qualify for rule 3 then you can use a Razr V3 even longer than me. I envy you! Now for 3G phones, the Razr V3xx and V9 are in this category. Nobody is activating these phones. The only way you can use them is if: 1. You're already on T-Mobile and you swap in your SIM card. You can use it for the rest of 2020. 2. You're already on AT&T and you swap in your SIM card. You can use it until February 2022. 3. You already have an activated phone on Verizon, you can use it for the rest of 2020. 4. You already have an activated phone on Sprint, you can use it until December 2022. Rules 1 and 2 apply to 99.9999% of people. If you can get away with rules 3 or 4 then again, you're a unicorn. Congratulations. This list of rules should be crystal clear. If you don't fit the qualifications to the letter than forget it, it's not gonna work. These rules apply in the US. It'll be different for carriers in other countries. www.digi.com/blog/post/2g-3g-4g-lte-network-shutdown-updates#:~:text=Most%20of%20America's%20largest%20carriers,service%20or%20plan%20to%20soon%3A&text=T%2DMobile%20plans%20to%20sunset,at%20the%20end%20of%202020.

[@Jaded42O]

Does the AT&T rule apply if you’re using an AT&T phone with a T-Mobile Sim?

[@danebeck7900]

@@Jaded42O If that AT&T phone is unlocked you can put in a T-Mobile SIM.

[@Ava-casey]

If I buy one now will it work and what can I do with it when it doesn’t?

[@redcowcat8705]

Opera mini ❤

[@danielvazquez8727]

wonderfull

[@gayanthavitharanage9306]

Hi, can I know if you can still browse the net with this phone in 2021?; coz my Arc S couldn't do that anymore due to that TLS 1.2 thing (only a few sites like google, youtube are displaying). And if you know an alternate workaround to fix it, please let me know... Thanks

[@danebeck7900]

Only if you're already on T-Mobile (or one of their MVNO's), you swap in your SIM card, and you still get 2G coverage in your area. If you're on Verizon, AT&T or Sprint it will NOT work! Switching to T-Mobile at the last second doesn't work either because they won't let you activate. That's assuming you're in the US. Networks are different in other countries.

[@danebeck7900]

There are NO alternate workarounds

[@mcjacobsjr]

Motorola should be announcing the new Moto Razr today. 👍

[@danebeck7900]

Frankly I'd prefer to see the Razr rebooted as a feature phone with 4G LTE rather than a $1500 smartphone... but that's just me. Kinda like what Nokia did when they rebooted the 8110. That would be perfect.

[@joshyee7384]

When I tried installing opera mini, it will say it failed to connect to the internet. Have you ever had that issue? The regular browser still works though. Thanks!

[@danebeck7900]

Yes, I've had that happen many times. The most obvious question is are you using T-Mobile and do you have data enabled on your account? If yes, then did you try installing Opera Mini v4.2 with GPRS enabled from the link in the video description? If you use any other version it won't work. I've also found that some of the Razrs have a software version that seems to be incompatible with Opera Mini and I'm not sure why. These are usually the grey T-Mobile Razrs with S/W version R3442A_G_0E.43.25R.

[@danebeck7900]

Oh the regular browser still works?! You've confirmed you have full web access? I've never seen that! If it's really working then you have no need to install Opera Mini because you already have internet! Please reply with details explaining your setup, what kind of Razr you have, browser type, software version, etc. I'm really curious!

[@danebeck7900]

Also, what are your network configuration settings? That information would be invaluable!

[@dayanaratavarez8925]

Hey, would you be about to transfer a nano SIM card to this phone with a micro SIM card adapter ?

[@danebeck7900]

Yes you can do it with an adapter but it's a mini SIM, not micro. Most of the adapter kits include both.

[@blessingnogzi7711]

Yes

[@gza06955]

Still working into the new year or is 2G officially down now? I carried a black one in the day, what a great phone.

[@danebeck7900]

Still getting service! They haven't pulled the plug yet.

[@Sherbertworm]

@@danebeck7900 how? I can’t find anyone who supports my razr v3. I tried T-Mobile, mint, tello, etc! I want to use mine 😢

[@danebeck7900]

@@Sherbertworm Do you have an active T-Mobile SIM card? Just try putting it into a Razr and see what happens. Unfortunately if you're on another carrier it's not going to work.

[@Sherbertworm]

@@danebeck7900 I was actually able to activate a Speedtalk SIM card this month for use in my razr! They said it wouldn’t work but I tried it anyway and it did 🤷🏻‍♀️. Do you know when the plug will officially be pulled?

[@danebeck7900]

@@Sherbertworm That's awesome! Glad you were able to activate it. I hadn't heard of Speedtalk before... Looked them up and they used T-Mobile's network. According to the latest update you should have coverage until the end of 2022.

[@simpsonboy2198]

Only question i got is, would it be possible to use a motorola razr v3m (verizon) on the prepaid card thing? I wanna try it out till December since thats when they will smash the last of the cdma towers

[@danebeck7900]

It's worth a shot but I can't make any guarantees that it will work. The CDMA Razrs didn't use SIM cards, so I'm not sure how you would activate it without going to a Verizon store and I doubt they can do it.

[@Krzrrazrrokr]

I had one of those active from mid 2018 to late 2019. I don't use it anymore though.

[@danebeck7900]

@@Krzrrazrrokr Was it deactivated? If not you could probably still use it.

[@Krzrrazrrokr]

Dane Beck I never renewed it the last month it ran out so I guess it's deactivated.

[@danebeck7900]

Bad news Razr lovers... T-Mobile is no longer activating 2G SIM cards. Here's what that means for you: 1. If you're thinking about buying a Razr but haven't, and you don't have an activated T-Mobile SIM, you can't use a Razr, so don't bother buying one. 2. If you bought a Razr and procrastinated on activating your SIM, you're out of luck. 3. If you have a different T-Mobile phone with an activated SIM, you can still get a Razr and swap in your SIM card and it'll work until 2021! 4. If you planned ahead and already got your Razr and SIM card activated, you can keep using it until 2021. 5. If you like Razrs but don't want to use it as an actual phone, you can still get one, install games and send grainy photos to your Android friends over Bluetooth at a Retro Party ;^) But calling, texting and data is off limits for you and your Razr. *Note: If you don't live in the US this might not apply to you. Depends when 2G is being shutdown in your home country.

[@loonysedits5549]

I’m a little confused; I don’t know much about phones and currently have an iPhone 8 but really want to go back to flip phones. If I have a plan with T-Mobile on my current smartphone could I buy the motorola and still use the same SIM card? What are my choices?

[@zrinzoj]

Ah! I've had a v3xx I wanted to get working. I tried popping in my newer TMobile 5g sim and it went into a bootloop after it originally had full bars then mentioned an update? I'll mess with it again(figure were in quarantine why not) I gotta look at the connection settings. I was able to use the razr on fi last summer. Wish I did this sooner.

[@danebeck7900]

I honestly know nothing about 5G SIMs but I'm not surprised it didn't work. Sorry to hear that.

[@akiraperera9574]

Hi, I saw a message you put where you said that 2g will dissapear in a year (in a message from 2020) What were you talking about? 2g is still here right? Thanks.

[@danebeck7900]

Yeah T-Mobile pushed back the deadline at the last minute. It's going down sometime in 2022 now. I think it should be running until at least June or July but need to double check.

[@akiraperera9574]

@@danebeck7900 I don't get where you read that? A quick Google search tells me they're dropping 2g and 3g at the same time in 2033?

[@-di11ingham68]

What T-Mobile plan are you on? I am currently on the $20 plan (voice and text only) SOC UNLMTT but I am unable to activate it on the network. However, a T-Mobile rep was able to pull out his SIM and put it in and the phone worked. Also does this hack bypass no data connection and run everything through a radio that shouldn’t be able to use Data but just does?

[@danebeck7900]

I use Ting... It's a T-Mobile MVNO. You can actually see it in the top left corner of the screen on the Razr. I have a data plan enabled for the Razr... The amount of data it uses is super low. It accesses the data network through GPRS (super slow) and I don't know if deactivating the data plan would kill the GPRS. My guess is it would.

[@-di11ingham68]

Dane Beck Tried to activate with Ting this morning and it rejected the IMEI. I guess other dude was right they are blocking all new activations of EDGE/2G devices on the T-Mobile network. T-Mobile would not confirm this but when we took a T-Mobile reps SIM and put it in my Razr it works, on a newly activated line for me, it would not read the device. T-Mobile also informed me they cannot manually input IMEIs into their system (At ATT we were able to). The T-Mobile network is now fully operational under automated IMEI registration ONLY according to two technicians. RIP 2G...

[@danebeck7900]

@@-di11ingham68 I checked Ting's website and sure enough you can't check IMEI's anymore. What a turn of events! I wonder what the cutoff date was? Since they're shutting down the 2G network in 9 months I guess they figured there's no point activating anymore phones.

[@-di11ingham68]

Dane Beck Yup, they had to draw the line somewhere. Bummer I have two Razrs now I can’t use, one of them is mint like that silver one you have.

[@danebeck7900]

@@-di11ingham68 I have an extra Ting SIM card that wasn't activated. Tried activating and it failed. Damn... It was fun while it lasted!

[@AmitSharma-mv4cj]

Thankyou bro

[@tintinzaeem]

Hi do you know the Data and MMS settings for T-mobile? I have Mint Mobile /Mint SIM and they run on tmobile towers. but they told me the data doesn't work on my M.Razr V3 phone. I'd like to try with tmobile settings. Anyone know to how set it up on the phone? I love going back to the Razr V3 in almost 2020!

[@danebeck7900]

I tried going down that path and it went nowhere. I spent like 2 months researching that issue reading through old tech support discussion forums and all the info online about network and MMS settings is obsolete. I tried contacting tech support with basically the same question and they were ZERO help! Nobody in tech support has dealt with network settings for a Razr in years, they don't know how anymore. I would just make sure you have data activated on your account, install Opera Mini and see what happens (go to the link in the description). If you go down the path of trying to figure out the MMS settings to get the native browser working, depending on how persistent you are you're just setting yourself up for frustration.

[@awesomeone2979]

Two questions how much did you pay to install it? And how much is your monthly phone bill?

[@danebeck7900]

To install Opera Mini? I paid nothing, it's a free download. Same with the games and all the Java downloads that can be found online for a Razr. As for my phone bill, I get service through Ting. They buy coverage from T-Mobile and resell it, like MetroPCS. I have a few different lines on that account (only one is the Razr), but it's generally less than $50/month depending on my usage.

[@carmellaventura845]

Hi there. It's 2022 and I don't use my old Motorola V3 Flip but there are some videos I would like to try and retrieve that I was never able to in the past. Do you know of a way I can transfer them in this day and age?

[@danebeck7900]

Hey. Check out my most recent video, it should answer your question.

[@Dan-zt7uj]

Hello, my parents took a few videos and pictures of me and my sister when we where kids but the phone won't turn on at all. Is there a way to extract data while the phone is dead/off? The phone is structurally intact, externally, it looks fine, maybe there's an internal issue? with the battery? Anyways, I want to extract photos/videos from a dead phone and don't know how to.

[@danebeck7900]

Get a battery for it, they're available online. You can also get a charger if you need one.

[@toshineon]

Quick question, I see you keep refering to carriers not activating this phone anymore, what does this mean? I'm from Sweden, so maybe our carriers work differently, but no phone has ever needed activation here, if you have a SIM, it'll work.

[@danebeck7900]

We're talking about the same thing. In the US, if you were to get a newly activated SIM card and put it into a Razr, the network wouldn't recognize it. But if you put in an older T-Mobile SIM card that was activated a while ago (before the cutoff date) it would be recognized by the network. I had my Ting SIM card (which uses T-Mobile's network) activated back in summer 2018, so I can put it in pretty much any Razr and use it. But if I tried to get a new SIM card today I wouldn't be able to do that.

[@toshineon]

@@danebeck7900 Oh, okay, interesting. I guess this still works here because we still have 2G, I guess.

[@rollyservino7738]

just want to know if the browser is secured? (where i downloaded the tetris?)

[@danebeck7900]

Those are super old websites. Probably not.

[@rayvega3163]

Hey what kind of network that OG Razr covers? (Any type of connection)

[@danebeck7900]

I explain that in the video. T-Mobile only.

[@rayvega3163]

Dane Beck oh, btw. Does Razr v3i supports 3G or any other Razr phone besides a V3 and V3i has a 3G?

[@theflipphonechannel8198]

@@rayvega3163 The V3i is only 2g. The only Razrs that support 3g are the V3x, the V3xx, the V9, and the MAXX V6. However only the American versions of the V3xx, V9, and V9x will work in the US on 3g.

[@FlashMashups]

Thank u

[@onkeldare78]

Okay, so I have a Razr V3xx that was locked on Cingular (which I unlocked) and I wanted to try this out. I installed the Opera browser on the phone, but upon booting it, it gave me an error that it cannot connect to the network; Is it possible that the different network is the issue? I'm on a foreign network that still supports 2G and 3G, though it seems to be an issue with the phone, since I've tried out using mobile data on other old phones and they work fine. I'd appreciate if you'd be able to help me troubleshoot this, I really want to get it working!

[@danebeck7900]

I haven't actually tried this on a V3xx. The V3xx is 3G vs the original Razr which is 2G, so it doesn't surprise me that you're having trouble with the V3xx. The version of Opera Mini I install in the video uses GPRS which is 2G data. I've only ever tried it on the V3 and it works about 70% of the time. In the cases where it doesn't work there isn't much I can do. You can always try looking for a different web browser or try messing with the internet settings but that's going to be a big headache to deal with. You can even try calling tech support but they'll probably just tell you to get a new phone. If you're really serious about getting this working you need to do some research. Search through old discussion forums from 15 years ago and see what they were doing back then. Follow whatever links they have to different programs and see if it leads anywhere. You might have to search in the Wayback Machine. Even then it still might not work, the telecom world has largely forgotten about these old phones and we're lucky they're still supported at all. The fact that I was able to get it working on the V3 was mostly luck. All I can say with certainty is this: If you get a V3 and try it the way I did in the video it has a good chance of working. That's really all the advice I can offer.

[@danebeck7900]

Here's a little experiment you can try. Hook up the V3xx to your laptop through a USB cable and see if you can connect to the internet with WiFi turned OFF. You might be able to connect to the internet through your phone. I did that on a V3 many times before I got Opera Mini working. I don't know if it will work on a V3xx. That will just give you a clue if the phone can connect to the internet at all.

[@user-pr9lw9de8j]

do you think t-mobile is really going to shut down their gsm network on april 2nd like they say? i hope not, but theyve delayed it so much at this point its hard to tell. i dont know why they dont just go ahead and leave it up forever instead of playing these stupid games with us so i dont have to worry about getting a new cellphone.

[@cecilegurrolafaulconer2516]

Dane, I just followed the instructions but after I pressed Yes to reset the screen remained blank. Can you comment on what to do next? Thanks

[@danebeck7900]

Do you mean the part where you have to reload the page in Opera Mini to accept the terms and conditions? First I would just check if you can select the "Accept" button without reloading the page, because maybe you'll get lucky and it will just work. As far as why your screen goes blank? I have no idea. If it won't go away just reboot the phone and try again.

[@waylonfinlay4927]

I've commented plenty of times before, but just curious if it's still kickin? Hope it still gets calls and stuff

[@danebeck7900]

Yep, it's still going! Hopefully I make it to the end of the year.

[@waylonfinlay4927]

@@danebeck7900 heck yea

[@autisticrebel1253]

I have a Samsung SGH E850 which has WAP on it. would I still be able to use WAP now?

[@danebeck7900]

I don't know anything about those phones. The answer is most likely no.

[@mobilephonesandtech]

It is possible, but older GPRS phones like the SGH-E850 require a WAP gateway.

[@DG599]

Now T-Mobile send SIM updates that automatically programs GPRS/EDGE settings in the phone. Unfortunately 2G will shut down April 2nd, 2024

[@SavannahRose1597]

I have a v3 with no sim. I want to be able to use it for the camera, games, etc. But when I turn it on I can't even get passed the Insert Sim warning. Is the phone useless then?

[@danebeck7900]

You literally can't do ANYTHING without a SIM. Try finding an old SIM card on eBay and swap it in there.

[@yaboidustin2447]

Do you need any sim card to call or text if it's unlocked? New to old phones I daily use a note 8

[@danebeck7900]

Just having an unlocked phone isn't enough and it depends where you live. In the US, the only way you can start using a Razr right now is if you're already on T-Mobile, and you swap your SIM card into the Razr. You'll likely need a SIM card adapter to convert to mini SIM. If you're on any other network like Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint you can't use a Razr. Period. That's because none of those networks cover 2G anymore, and if you switch over to T-Mobile your newly activated SIM card won't be compatible. You need a T-Mobile SIM card that's at least a year old. Even if you have that you can only use it until 12/31/2020, then T-Mobile is shutting down 2G and 3G. AT&T will be supporting 3G through 2021, then they'll shutdown their 3G network in 2022. If you really want an old phone I suggest getting an unlocked 3G phone and activating it with AT&T. The Razr V3xx and Razr2 V9 are both 3G, so look into those maybe. Now if you're not in the US, other countries are keeping their 2G networks running a little longer. For example I think New Zealand is keeping 2G until 2025. Hope that helped.

[@yaboidustin2447]

@@danebeck7900 it helped and I'm kinda sad that the us doesn't cover 2g anymore I live in Tennessee and the wifi is already horrible here 2g would be abismal so I'll probably try to find a flip phone that's 4g

[@danebeck7900]

@@yaboidustin2447 Lots of old 3G flip phones out there. You could get one unlocked and use it on AT&T for a while. Good luck.

[@angelesbiana]

maybe this is a dumb question but is there a way to connect it to wifi?? with mods or something idk

[@danebeck7900]

No, these things are way too old for WiFi.

[@KristianNowak]

I found the same file transfer app as you used, but the transfers never go through on my RAZR V3C.

[@danebeck7900]

A V3C is a Verizon CDMA phone and I'm pretty sure it has Bluetooth file transfer disabled. I know they did for the V3M. Are you in the US? If so you can't activate that phone anywhere, it's a brick. The one exception (I think) would be if you activated it on Sprint before May of this year, then you might get service.

[@maineindividual5202]

With 2G gone now, what Razrs came with 3G and can still be used on T-mobile? Im a t-Mo post paid user who would like to pop my SIM into a 3G Razr. Any comments appreciated!

[@danebeck7900]

2G is still alive, and will keep going longer than 3G. They decided to extend it at the last minute: www.stanleymonitor.com/article/T-mobile-Sunset-Dates

[@Kaylakoo225]

is this my last chance to get a working motorola razor? since t-mobile is shutting down 2g at the end of the year?

[@danebeck7900]

Yes this is your last chance, but the only way you can use one is if you're already signed up with T-Mobile, then you can swap your SIM card into a Razr. It wouldn't work if your SIM card was just activated in the last few months, but if your current phone has been on T-Mobile for at least a year it should work. If so you also need to get a SIM card adapter kit to convert to a mini-SIM so it fits in the Razr, but those are easy to find.

[@Kaylakoo225]

Dane Beck thanks! i don’t know much about sim card adapters. are they all the same or is there a certain one i have to get? thank you!!

[@danebeck7900]

@@Kaylakoo225 www.walmart.com/ip/SIM-Card-Adapter-Nano-Micro-Standard-4-in-1-Converter-Kit-with-Steel-Tray-Eject-Pin-2-Pack/572250145

[@francesegenevieveoracoy2782]

So this was how I used to train my long patience huh 😅😆😆 I miss those days

[@danebeck7900]

It was a different world back then

[@shaynalynn228]

I want this phone so bad!!! I’m 15 btw. I have an iPhone but I just REALLY want a Motorola Razr V3xx and I’m dying here🙁

[@danebeck7900]

They're so cheap on eBay... Just get one!

[@riot.heart0532]

Me too!! I'm 13 and I want this phone super bad too!

[@xxhalfemptyxx7713]

i am 10 and i have a huawei but i want a motorola V3i!

[@dariusandrade5801]

Shayna Lynn i haven’t seen a Motorola razr v3 in years

[@selah_2215]

omg samee I’m also 15 and I want Motorola V3xx too.

[@TilaposGR]

5 years later it will still be working?I will try