I've always been a fan of the MOTORAZR, particularly when it was upgraded to the V3 and high-speed 3G (much better than that inaugural version for Cingular). But that phone, even in its unique Dolce & Gabbana and Red versions, is getting tired. Enter the Motorola MOTOKRZR K1m, Motorola's latest cell-phone-design triumph in its music-phone incarnation for Verizon Wireless.

I just got my hands on a review unit on Friday and took the phone around with me all weekend. Here's what I found:

Looks: Though narrower than the RAZR, the KRZR is actually a bit thicker (17 millimeters versus 13.9 millimeters). Once opened, the keyboard and screen are essentially the same, though a little narrower. What's truly different is the sleek and elegant gray gloss finish. Yes, it gets fingerprint-covered quite easily, but cleanup with your T-shirt or jeans is a breeze. So far, the surface seems to be scratch-resistant. The surface also has a front LCD screen that disappears when it's off and three touch-sensitive controls for music.

Features: This is a state-of-the-art EVDO-capable phone with just about any Verizon feature you'd want: GPS capability, stereo Bluetooth, still and video camera, multimedia messaging, streaming video, and downloadable music (from your own collection or the Verizon Music Store with an up-to-1GB microSD card). I found shooting stills and video and messaging to be as seamless as on any other Verizon phone (except the Chocolate), though I'm bummed that the KRZR doesn't let me make my own video screensavers as you can on the LG 8100.

Music: As a portable music player, the KRZR suffers from many of the same problems that most other music phones on the market suffer from—namely, a proprietary audio input that requires an adapter to use most headphones, slightly sluggish controls, and volume that simply isn't loud enough. Still, even the KRZR's touch-sensitive controls on the front panel (for backward, forward, play, and pause) are more responsive than the touch-sensitive controls on the Chocolate. The speaker sounds like an AM radio, but is plenty loud with some detail on the new Beck tracks I downloaded and listened to—perfect for, say, the shower.

Calls: Verizon's network is strong where I live (on the East Coast), so I experienced clear reception and no dropped calls.

Verdict: This is a stylish, powerful, full-featured, and compact addition to Verizon's 3G lineup. The KRZR's music phone functionality rivals that of other music phones, at best, so it's a good part-time, do-it-all device when you don't feel like lugging around your iPod. And as a distinctive, shiny offspring of the RAZR, it'll definitely turn heads. All in all, a winner!