Razer introduces smartphone with 120Hz screen and 8GB RAM
Razer has presented its first Android smartphone. The Razer Phone has a 5.7″ LCD with a refresh rate of 120Hz and adaptive refresh technology. The device runs on stock Android and contains a Snapdragon 835-soc, combined with 8GB ram.
Razer says that the screen of the Razer Phone was made in collaboration with Sharp and based on the igzo technology, but that it is a unique screen that is not available for other manufacturers. Razer speaks of an Ultramotion Display and under that heading it categorizes the adaptive refresh technique that is used to synchronize the GPU and the screen.
According to the manufacturer, this works just like Nvidia’s G-Sync for monitors and the technology was developed in collaboration with Qualcomm. The Ultramotion technology also benefits the battery life, claims Razer. The 5.7″ screen has a 16:9 ratio and a resolution of 2560×1440 pixels.
At the beginning of this year, Razer bought the company Nextbit, which was the maker of the Robin smartphone. The angular appearance of the Razer Phone shows similarities with the Robin. The Razer phone has an aluminum housing, weighs 197 grams and measures 158x78x8mm. The fingerprint scanner is located in the on/off button on the side of the device.
There are two 12-megapixel cameras on the back. One is a regular camera setup and the other is a telephoto lens. According to Razer, ‘seamless zoom’ is possible because both cameras are always used when shooting. The camera will later get features such as 120fps recording, slow motion and a portrait mode. Those features are not yet available at release.
Razer claims that its smartphone delivers good audio quality and is louder than other phones. At the front are stereo speakers that bear a Dolby Atmos logo and have a THX certificate. Razer acquired audio company THX itself at the end of last year. Razer also promises good quality via headphones; the company supplies a USB-C adapter with built-in DAC for this, the phone does not have a 3.5mm connection.
The housing contains a 4000mAh battery. According to the manufacturer, that is good for 12.5 hours of video watching or 7 hours of playing Hearthstone. The battery supports fast charging with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4+. This allows the battery to be charged to 85 percent in one hour. The device runs on a Snapdragon 835-soc, just like most other top devices with Android. However, according to Razer, the cooling of the Razer Phone is better regulated and that should benefit the performance. The device has 8GB of RAM and 64GB of flash storage, which can be expanded with a micro-SD card.
Razer says the phone runs on stock Android and ships the device with the Nova Launcher Prime Razer Edition. The device is Android 7.1.1, in the first quarter of 2018 Razer promises an update to Android Oreo. The Razer Phone will not come to the Benelux, but Razer will sell the phone in the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Denmark and Sweden. The suggested retail price is 750 euros and the Razer Phone is for sale from November 17.