In my perspective, cell phones have become the cigarettes of the 21st century. What? Huh? Are you high? Well…yes, but let me explain. During the heyday of cigarettes all of the big movie stars smoked and looked super-cool doing it. Yet, we soon found out that smoking was not the best for the health (doh!) and after years of puffing, the audiences were left with a fat, leathery man who claimed to be Marlon Brando at one time. THUS, we have witnessed the switch from the unhealthy cigarette to the super-sleek cell phone. Don’t tell me you haven’t whipped out that stylish cellie of yours to impress a lady or shoot a technological wink to that cute guy across the room. Yeah, I saw you and damnit, it was cool.

The Motorola V557 (Cingular) is most definitely a cool phone. Equipped with video capture/playback, EDGE technology, Bluetooth, Internet and a very respectable battery life, the V557 should supply all of the needed features for the cell phone user who isn’t quite ready to have a Blackberry surgically attached to his hand. That’s all good and nice, but like a gnat in the summer heat, I was attracted to the trippy blue light on the front of the phone.

The V557 is pretty rugged, but be careful with the charger as it tends to wear out quickly and a new one will set you back $29.99 (I certainly thought globalization would make the price of imported plastic gear cheaper!). The battery should hold out for at least a year, but like all cell phones it may need replacing after that. The good news for you is that by the time the battery needs replacing, your cell phone will no longer be cool and you can justify the purchase of a new one.

I was able to score a good deal through the Motorola website (www.motorola.com)- free cell phone AND $100 rebate. The rebate turned out to be a bitch, but I did eventually get $75 back a few months later. My only complaint with the phone revolved around the service. After an unexpected defect took root in my phone, I was unable to get a new unit since I was 8 days over the 1-year warranty period. I pleaded and begged and told the guy how BAD ASS it would be if I could score a new phone, but the Cingular/Motorla representatives had no love in their heart for a poor country boy.

Overall, I must withhold the Bad Ass Seal of Approval from the Motorola V557 from Cingular. The phone is solid, but I strongly feel that a phone should last longer than my relationship with my last girlfriend (1 year). But don’t let this sway you playa’s out there, the cell phone industry (and especially Motorola) has never been short on style. So find a phone and get your cool on.

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