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Created as a smartphone for gamers, the Razer Phone is definitely going to appeal to that market.
Starting off with the design, the phone is definitely very well built, with a CNC-machined aluminium unibody and a lovely matte black finish. Razer has also rejected the current trend towards bezel-less phones by incorporating large front-facing stereo speakers, and they give quite a chunky ‘chin' and ‘forehead' to the phone.
The benefit of that, however, is the sound quality – the physical space allows each channel to be amplified separately, and the overall sound quality is just very listenable and easy on the ears. To my mind, these are undoubtedly the best smartphone speakers on the market right now.
The display is also a big selling point. After all, it is a Sharp IGZO IPs panel with a 120Hz adaptive refresh-rate. I have to say, I really think the display is a game changer for the smartphone market – everything is just so smooth and fluid, it would be very hard to go back to my 60Hz LG G6 now. If you are worried about battery life, too, there is the option to set the display to either 90Hz or 60Hz, too, which would keep the battery lasting longer.
So, the excellent front-facing speakers and 120Hz display really make an excellent gaming/multi-media phone. Having a 16:9 aspect ratio is actually also highly beneficial as there are no ‘black bars' when watching standard HD content – many modern phones with 18:9 (or wider) aspect ratios have to compromise with black bars when consuming 16:9 content.
Accordingly, the Razer Phone is undoubtedly a brilliant phone and one that is likely to appeal to those who want to game or consume a lot of content via their mobiles. The big downside for me is currently the camera app as it is quite slow and lacking in many features. The camera itself actually takes quite decent pictures, but it is really let down by the software. We've been promised updates but we'll have to see how that pans out.
On the whole, though, I think the Razer Phone achieves what it set out to achieve – to be an excellent phone for gamers. It won't appeal to the mass-market the same way the Galaxy S8 has, but the excellent sound, fantastic display and all-round performance make it perfect for mobile gamers or streamers.
You can pre-order one unlocked directly from Razer for £699 HERE.
Discuss on our Facebook page, over HERE.
Pros
- Great stereo speakers.
- 120Hz display is so smooth and fluid.
- Stock Android experience.
- Excellent performance.
- 16:9 1440p display.
- Camera is pretty good.
- Quick Charge 4.0+ support, with included charger.
Cons
- Camera software is very poor.
- Battery life isn't as good as expected.
- No headphone jack.
KitGuru says: While it may not be for Average Joe on the street, gamers and hardcore content consumers will find a lot to like in the Razer Phone.
The only flagship with 4000mAh. Winrar!
doesn’t seem to be a big deal, I could be impressed if they could get out something like the sony xperia play with the slide in/out game pad. That could be a gamer phone.
Other than that it seem to be a good enough flagship phone but just that. Maybe it is just me here because camera is a big factor for me, but I don’t see anything to justify the cost of that phone.
I love the design and features of this phone. My only issue right now is the lack of aftermarket cases. Razer has 2 on its website, but neither is what I would call high impact resistant. I tend to like to keep my phone is the highest quality cases; Griffin Survivor, OttorBox Defender, Lifeproof, etc. As of yet I can’t find any manufacturers producing aftermarket cases for this phone, and that’s a deal breaker for me, as much as I like it. I hope this changes after release, cause I’m still rocking an S6. It’s survived hundreds of drops and is in perfect condition, so a quality case does make a huge difference.
According to the review it uses so much more battery that in the end it seems like a standard phone
If only it were available to be used in Verizon. Such a shame to cut off a huge US market share.
Its a great phone and the key feature is obviously the 120hz panel – no one else does that, so its going to sell to gamers on that point alone. I can’t help but feel however that the Samsung Note 8 is a better overall phone – just for the software alone. Its tough for Razer to jump in and compete with the big guys as they are just working on the first iteration of their software. Samsung have been around for so long in the Android sector, their software is what makes the phone so good.
As someone how is currently using the G6 too. how was your experience going back to the LG and which one would you prefer continue using ignoring the camera fact about the Razer Phone?
I’ll start this off by saying the Razer Phone is actually my daily driver now. I’ve not used the LG G6 much since switching, although I do have a few thoughts. The G6 is definitely easier to use one-handed due to the form-factor – it is not as wide as the Razer Phone, so reaching across is much easier. the G6’s 3.5mm jack is definitely in its favour, and it’s overall a bit smaller and more pocket-friendly. The Razer phone has better screen, better sound and better performance, though, while the battery life is probably similar. Razer Phone all day for me
Sounds Gr8 ordered mine earlier today. One big concern I’ve got tho how long did it take you to get used to the lock button on the right? I can’t imagine right now having it not on the back. Only used LG phones for the last couple year starting with the G2. And I’m so used to it that sometimes it forget that I have my buddies iPhone in my hand and wonder where the damn button went 😀
I got used to it pretty fast. As a right hander you’re thumb rests there naturally I think so it didn’t take long at all. Similarly intuitive to the G6 I’d say
Alright, thanks alot for your effort and this well written guide.
welcome 🙂