Razer presented in London the first smartphone dedicated to gamers: 120Hz screen, dual front speakers, Snapdragon 835 and exclusive games
The smartphone market is now saturated: there are hundreds of devices on the market and very often they are all very similar to each other.
The smartphone market is now saturated: there are hundreds of devices on the market and very often they are all very similar to each other. When you have to buy a new smartphone is not easy to make an informed choice and very often we rely on the advice of a friend or to that of experts.
Some companies are trying to create new market niches where to insert their devices, but the road ahead is not easy. The last one to try is Razer, an American company very famous among videogames fans and specialized in the realization of keyboards, mice and portable computers. At the beginning of the year, the company acquiredNextbit, a small startup that created the Robin smartphone. Thanks to Nextbit, Razer acquired the knowledge to make its first smartphone. The Razer Phone was unveiled in London by the company's CEO and is the first smartphone made "by gamers for gamers".
The Razer Phone has some features that have not been seen on a smartphone until now: for example a 120Hz screen with dynamic refresh rate and an audio compartment featuring a Dolby-certified dual speaker. In addition, the Razer Phone is the first to receive THX certification (dedicated to audiovisual reproduction systems). But the surprises don't end there: the smartphone will exclusively feature some video games made specifically for the 120Hz screen.
The Razer Phone features
Let's talk more in depth about the Razer Phone's data sheet. For a smartphone dedicated to gamers, the features could only be those of a top of the line. The phone mounts a Snapdragon 835 chipset supported by 8GB of RAM (one of the few in the world to have it) and 64GB of internal memory with the ability to expand it with a microSD card. The screen is 5.7 inches with a QuadHD resolution (2560×1440 pixels) and a dynamic refresh rate that goes up to 120Hz. This is possible thanks to the proprietary Ultramotion technology that significantly improves the gaming experience of users.
For the Razer Phone, the U.S. company has used its experience in the world of computers and has created a special system of heatpipes that allow you to dissipate the heat produced by the chipset in an exceptional way.
The photographic compartment consists of a dual rear 12-megapixel camera. The main sensor has a 1.75 focal aperture, while the secondary one is a tele zoom with a 2.6 focal aperture. The 8-megapixel front camera has a 2.0 focal aperture. The CEO of the company assured during the conference that in the coming months the photo software will be updated with new features such as bokeh mode.
The battery is 4,000 mAh and should provide a battery life of 7 hours while we are playing, so you should get through the day without too many problems. The Razer Phone also has Quick Charge 4.0+ charging that ensures 80% battery life in 60 minutes. The smartphone runs Android Nougat 7.1.1 (the update to Oreo is expected to arrive in Q1 2018) customized with Razer's Nova Launcher Prime UI. There will also be a store where users can download free themes to customize the device.
Razer Game Booster
To be a true smartphone dedicated to gamers, top-of-the-line features can't be enough. Razer has created an application - Razer Game Booster - that allows you to set the smartphone's features according to the game. If a game isn't optimized for the 120Hz screen, there's no point in wasting power and the smartphone will automatically lower performance.
The Razer Phone will also feature some exclusive video games designed specifically for the 120Hz display. Among the first titles will be Tekken, Final Fantasy XV and Ultra Hunt.
Razer Phone price and release date
The Razer Phone is available for pre-order on the U.S. company's website and shipments will begin on November 17. The price of the smartphone is 769 euros, an all in all acceptable cost seeing the features and functionality of the device.