Motorola Talkabout T800 Review

    I reviewed the Motorola Talkabout walkie-talkies. These walkie-talkies have the usual features — push-to-talk communication and a built-in flashlight — but they also have one killer feature: they can chat over radio waves using your phone.

    The Talkabouts connect to an Android or iOS app via Bluetooth, which lets your phone act as the keyboard and control center while the walkie-talkie functions as the transceiver. The app can also send your GPS location to other users — all without an internet connection. All you need is the app, Bluetooth, and the walkie-talkie. So, is this $109 device worth it?

The Good

The walkie-talkies are very durable, and the app works well. They come with their own charging dock that uses USB-C, and you can also charge the individual walkie-talkies directly. Pairing is quick and easy, and you get all kinds of telemetry info in the app — including battery percentage. They include 22 channels and 121 sub-channels, so interference is rare. You also get ringtone and channel scan options, plus the ability to use your phone as a push-to-talk controller to transmit over the radio. The mobile app loads quickly and sends messages without issue. There aren’t any fancy features like RCS or reactions, but it gets the job done.

The Bad

And now for the glaring drawbacks.

Zero PC support. None. No third-party apps, no emulation, no official desktop client. This makes no sense — why can’t I send radio messages from a PC? The bandwidth exists; Motorola just hasn’t implemented it. I’m honestly determined to figure that out myself because this feature could make the product so much better. For context, even the old EyeSpy toy from 2011 supported full video and text up to 500 feet — with no phone, no Android app, just built into the device. Motorola can, should, and must fix this oversight.

    As for range, the advertised 25 miles is pure fiction. In real-world urban tests, it barely reached 2 miles — yes, two. Finally, the VOX (voice activation) feature is nearly useless; you have to speak so close to the mic that it defeats the purpose.

It’s a neat tool and could be useful if you want to transmit messages down the street or around the block, but beyond one mile — especially in the city or wooded areas — I wouldn’t trust it. God bless and Tech Talk To You Later!!!