Razer Phone launch: Spec monster with 120Hz variable refresh, £699

The time has finally come – after months of speculation, hype and teasers, Razer has unveiled its first smartphone: the Razer Phone. With a lot of power, nifty features and crafty design touches crammed into the device, the Razer Phone has been made with gamers and entertainment in mind, and at a price of £699 unlocked, it is a fair bit cheaper than I was expecting.

Getting straight into the nitty-gritty, the Razer Phone was launched tonight, November 1st, at an event inside London's Science Museum. I actually got some hands-on time with the phone three weeks ago and managed to snag some pictures and a short interview with Razer PR wizard Nick Haywood.

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Razer Phone's core spec is very impressive: Snapdragon 835 SoC, 8GB RAM, 5.72in IGZO LCD 1440p display, 64GB internal storage (with up to 2TB expandable storage via micro SD), 12MP dual cameras and a 4000mAh battery.

While those raw specs alone are impressive, there are plenty of extra talking points which make the phone seem like quite an exciting device.

For one, that 1440p display is not just any 1440p display. Not only does it boast a 120Hz maximum refresh rate, the refresh rate is actual variable, meaning the refresh rate of the display changes to match the frames being outputted on-screen. Essentially, it is G-Sync/FreeSync but for a phone.

On-top of that we have the front-facing stereo speakers which actually support Dolby Atmos. They get very loud and are even positioned far enough apart to allow for pretty convincing 360-degree audio. The only potential downside to the speakers is the slightly chunky bezel that is required to house them. However, that is a trade-off that has to be made for decent front-facing speakers, and considering this is a phone specifically designed for gamers and content consumption, it could prove the right call.

Speaking of the general design, there is definitely a Nextbit Robin style about the phone – Nextbit being the phone company Razer acquired at the start of the year. However, the overall look is unmistakably Razer. In fact, at the press preview event last month, I was told the matte black aluminium was designed to exactly match the Razer Blade‘s finish, while the speaker grilles are also exact matches to the speakers found on the Blade.

Also of note is that the Razer logo on the rear of the device is actually black and chrome – not green. There is going to be a version of the phone with a green logo, as teased by Razer co-founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan not too long ago, but I am told this will be a very limited run and is expected to sell-out almost immediately. So if any of you were worried about carrying a bright-green three-headed snake on the back of your phone, fear not.

Moving on, another interesting aspect of the Razer Phone is that it has been designed with horizontal use in mind. This is obviously a feature aimed at the gaming/streaming audience, and because of that the volume buttons and power button are positioned smack-bang in the middle of the phone's sides – that way, they are not in the way when the phone is being held two-handed, as if you were playing a game or watching Netflix.

Elsewhere, the side-mounted power button also doubles as a fingerprint scanner, and it is also worth mentioning that there is no headphone jack on the Razer Phone – just a USB Type-C port on the bottom edge. A short adapter cable is included, with an in-built DAC that has been certified by THX, but the decision to omit the headphone jack is likely to prove divisive.

In terms of software, the Razer Phone runs Nougat (7.1.1), not Oreo, but we have been told to expect an update to Oreo in Q1 2018. That aside, Android purists will be very glad to hear that Razer has decided not to create their own launcher or skin for the phone. Instead, every Razer Phone will actually come with Nova Launcher Prime pre-installed, something which usually costs $4.99.

Wrapping things up is availability and pricing. We aren't yet sure when the Razer Phone will begin shipping, but you can either buy it for £699 unlocked from Razer's own website, or you can get it on contract from Three. Three has an exclusive deal with Razer so if you want the phone on a contract, you will have to get it from them.

KitGuru says: I must admit, when I got my first look at the Razer Phone in October, I was pretty excited to finally get my hands on one for good. What do you guys think of the phone – its specs, design and features? Let us know, we'd love to hear your thoughts. Stay tuned for more Razer Phone content, too, including our full review.

Full Razer Phone specs are as follows:

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