The Razer Phone

[V_R]

Yes, that Razer, the ones that make mice and keyboards.

Putting the whole gaming thing aside, this looks like a solid phone, Though I have a feeling the camera might not be all that great.

That 120Hz scree will be amazing, and I bet it will be the new standard going forward. The rest of the specs are great too.


https://www.razerzone.com/mobile/razer-phone

Specs:

• Nova Launcher Prime Razer Edition (!)
• Stock Android (Nougat, Oreo coming in Q1 '18.)
• Snapdragon 835
• Screen is QHD LCD. 5.7, 120HZ with tech to reduce screen tearing and lag.
• Dolby Atmos, THX certified, dedicated amp per speaker. Dual speaker front facing.
• 8GB Ram. Outperforms S8+. Has good thermal performance for heat.
• Battery - 4000mah. Their benchmarks: 12.5 hours movie. 63.5 hours for music. 7 hours gaming straight. Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ - Single hour, 0-85%.
• Camera - Dual 12MP - Updates coming for portrait mode, slow-mo, etc. 8MP front camera.
• 64GB storage, Micro SD Card slot.
• Fingerprint sensor in the power key. Power key is on the right side.
• Phone dimensions: 158 x 78 x 8mm, shorter than S8+, wider and slightly thinner.
• No headphone jack but the included adaptor has its own 24bit DAC built in.

 

[Ian]

That's some nice specs, but it's one heck of a brave move for Razer - they've come a long way!

Do you know if this is an indigenous design, or have they outsourced it somewhere?

I'm really going off Android phones, because of the sluggish and varied updates (with the exception of Google's own series of phones). I may go for a Google branded one next time.

 

[V_R]

Razer bought Nextbit - https://www.nextbit.com/ - So this is basically a Robin 2.

Yeah I know what you mean, Samsung are one of the worst offenders unless you have one of their flagship devices. A few of the others aren't too bad, Usually if they stick close to stock Android (Oneplus, Razer, Motorola, Nokia etc) then its not too bad. But if you want timely updates a Pixel or Pixel 2 are your best options. That said even Pixels aren't 'stock' Android anymore.

Or tbh a Oneplus 5 or the upcoming Oneplus 5T are also a good bet, they've come a long way and are doing everything right atm, including keeping the headphone jack.

If I'm not happy with my P2XL's screen a Oneplus 5T is going to be my next stop.

There's also a lot of relatively unknown Chinese phones starting to gain popularity too that might be worth a look.

As much as it pains me to say it, this is where Apple does it right. Although they do only have a few handsets to support.

Edit: Any of these are a good bet: https://www.phonearena.com/news/Best-2017-phones-that-run-stock-or-near-stock-Android_id97781

 

[Core]

Well... I suppose it's a good thing, to have yet another manufacturer of phones.

But for once I would like to be surprised by something. I just don't see how these phones are set apart from the hundreds of other cheap Android phones.

I wish MS hadn't dropped the ball so hard with Windows Phone, and that Canonical had not given up on Ubuntu Phone, and then there's the lukewarm pseudo-success of Jolla, etc...blah blah blah.

I'd like to buy the phone based on its specs and functionality, and then run whatever OS I want on it. That to me would be wonderful.

 

[Ian]

I'd like to buy the phone based on its specs and functionality, and then run whatever OS I want on it. That to me would be wonderful.

This had never really occurred to me... what a great idea. I know that Android phones can run other operating systems, but they're primarily just other versions of Android.

A phone that could run genuinely different operating systems would be fantastic.

I'm also disappointed about Windows Phone dropping off the map. They're going to miss out on a lot if they give up mobile devices - and oddly, I trust Microsoft much more than other vendors. Whenever I've had interactions, Microsoft seem 100x more responsive and proactive.

 

[nikolasd]

The specs are quite impressive. The 8gb ram is a big factor.

 

[V_R]

Yes 8GB or RAM is a lot for a phone, 6 is probably ample. The new Onpleus 5T also has 6 or 8GB depending on what version you go for.

TBH, I'm not sure whether Android can even utilise all 8GB's of RAM at this time...

Edit: https://www.androidcentral.com/oneplus-5-do-you-really-need-8gb-ram-phone