Razer teaser for possible smartphone announcement

Game accessory maker Razer has posted a teaser online indicating that the company is announcing its first smartphone on November 1. The teaser image shows a person holding a smartphone.

The teaser with the slogan ‘watch, listen, play’ is on the manufacturer’s site and Razer promises it is ‘its biggest announcement’ yet. The image shows a person looking at a screen and a smartphone is visible in the hands. The shape can be seen somewhat by lightening the image on the site.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Razer comes out with a smartphone on November 1. The manufacturer previously took over smartphone maker Nextbit with the aim of making one or more devices itself. Nextbit made the Robin, a smartphone with a focus on design and the functionality to store hardly used apps on a server to free up space on the internal storage.

There are no details of the product that Razer will introduce, but an earlier rumor indicated that it should be a device for gamers. That wouldn’t be the first time: Sony Ericsson made the Xperia Play with sliding game controls in 2011, and Nokia presented the N-Gage, a gaming-oriented phone thirteen years ago.

If the announcement is a smartphone, it is obvious that it will not appear soon. It is difficult to keep smartphones secret just before the announcement, because they are approved by many carriers and approval authorities well before the release. In addition, many manufacturers want accessory makers to have cases and other accessories ready at release, which requires that they too must have details of upcoming smartphones.