Razer’s 2017 phone launch was targeted to a special group of people called “Gamers”. The phone witnessed some people who really cared about the performance rather than funky design factors. The first Razer Phone was launched with startling specs and an amazing 120Hz display. The gaming smartphones space was quickly joined by the Xiaomi’s Black Shark and ASUS ROG Phone. Also, Honor Play and the Red Magic Phone joined the game later on. On 10th October Razer launched their second generation of the gaming phone with certain improvements over its predecessor. In today’s suddenly swollen market, is there any room for yet another gaming-focused smartphone? Let’s find out.
Design and Display
From the front, the Razer Phone 2 looks quite similar to the Razer Phone. Both have the same boxy, hardline design, with identical 16:9 aspect ratio display. The 5.75-inch IGZO IPS LCD screen still maintains the 120Hz refresh rate. Razer seems to fix the issue with the original Razer Phone. The Razer Phone 2 hits improved 645-nits brightness and upgraded 10-bit color accuracy. On paper, the display is about 50% higher than the first generation. The display, however, has a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
The 1440x2560p LCD panel has chunky top and bottom Dolby Atmos certified speakers. Razer claims that the speakers, now, are even louder and clearer than the previous phone. The original Razer Phone housed some of the loudest phone speakers we’ve ever in a smartphone.
On the rear side, there is one key difference. This time the back has a Gorilla Glass with a splash of Chroma. The backlit Razer logo acts as a big customizable notification LED. Using a dedicated app, you can pick from 16.8 million colors and also set dynamic effects by choosing from Static, spectrum, Cycling, and Breathing. You can, however, turn the whole thing off if you want a better battery life. This change also brings support for Qi wireless charging. Razer’s folding wireless charging dock can also sync with the Razer Phone 2’s Chroma RGB lighting.
Razer has also added IP67 water-resistance to the Razer Phone 2 which means it will survive a drop into a pool or the bath. Nova launcher and Android 8.1 also make a comeback with a guaranteed update to the next Android version. The fingerprint sensor is still mounted on the power button which is a great implementation.
Camera
One of the biggest problems with the Razor Phone was the camera. Despite being a flagship, the phone had a mediocre camera. But now, you’ll find a pair of 12MP lenses on the back of the Razer Phone 2. A primary f/1.75 Wide lens has an Optical Image Stabilization whereas the secondary f/2.6 telephoto lens has a 2x optical zoom. Razer claims to have worked on the camera interface. The image quality should be much improved with the Sony IMX setup.
On the front, there is an 8MP selfie lens with the support of taking Full HD videos. The rear cameras are more impressive, being able to record in 4K.
Battery and Performance
The internals of second-generation Razer phone has a similarly light spruce. These include basic upgrades like the newer Snapdragon 845 chipset with vapor chamber cooling for reduced thermal throttling, and 8GB of RAM to blitz through most tasks.
The phone, now, has “Ultramotion” feature which is a similar technology to G-Sync which was debuted with the original Razer phone. It syncs the GPU with the phone’s variable refresh rate screen to reduce the number of screen tears.
Unlike most phones, the Razer Phone 2 should run at different refresh rates depending on what it’s doing. While doing static tasks, the phone should lower the images-per-second it displays to preserve the battery. And while doing something intense, like gaming, the phone should bump up to a maximum of 120Hz, offering players a smoother, more reactive experience.
The phone has just 64GB of onboard storage which can further be expanded up to 512GB via a dedicated microSD card slot. There’s no headphone jack in the Razer Phone 2. But just like last time, a USB Type-C dongle with a 24-bit DAC comes in the box. Fueling up the phone is a 4000mAh that should help in longer gaming sessions. You also get some software features like the Game Booster, which allows for tweaking performance on a per-game basis, and Razer Cortex, which makes it easier to find good games from the PlayStore.
Razer Phone 2 Price
For just $799 (NRs. 94,500) you get this high-end gaming phone with flagship specs and performance. A satin-finish model will also be available for $899 (NRs. 1,26,000) with double the internal storage. The phone also packs amazing speakers, one-of-a-kind display, and a host of gamer-centric features. Android gaming is also getting increasingly popular these days. Thanks to the success of PUBG and Fortnite, the gamers are now showing interest on the gaming phones too. This is a perfect time for the Razer Phone 2 which is, no doubt, a perfect gaming smartphone.
What do you think of the Razer Phone 2? Let us know in the comment section down below.
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