Billing itself as the Android smartphone that "invites users to watch, listen and play," Razer is branding its "Razer Phone" as "The Ultimate in Mobile Entertainment".
Promising "ground-breaking audiovisual technologies and processing muscle that takes personal entertainment to the next level", the company talks up the 120Hz Ultramotion Quad HD Sharp IGZO mislay as being "phenomenal", coupled with Dolby Atmos certified cinematic audio and "enough power to last a user all day, all in the palm of his or her hand".
The 5.72-inch display "delivers the fastest refresh rates and smoothest graphics among today’s smartphones", with a "wide colour gamut" and UltraMotion's adaptive refresh technology said to "synchronise the GPU and display to remove image tearing or lag while driving efficient power usage".
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As you'd expect, the Razer Phone is "powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Mobile Platform and a massive 8GB of RAM."
Need more power for gargantuan gaming? We're told that "users can fine-tune their experiences with the Razer Game Booster app, and the phone’s best-in-class thermal design reduces throttling to maximise power and performance".
The aforementioned 4000mAh battery is also joined by the latest Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ technology which "enables rapid charging".
A 2017 flagship wouldn't be a 2017 flagship without dual rear cameras (unless you're the iPhone 8 or either Google Pixel 2 or 2 XL model,) and the Razer Phone is no exception.
Its dual rear cameras are 12 megapixels, with Razer stating it "gives photographers a versatile tool to create amazing images".
"Zooming from wide angle to telephoto is seamless with a quick pinch on the display, and the dual-tone flash ensures that subjects will always look natural."
With such a big battery, you might expect the Razer to be thicker, but they've managed to pack it all into a "sleek, 8-mm-thin aluminium body" which we're told "is a beauty to behold and to hold".
Ir only comes with Android 7 Nougat at the moment, but "will receive the Android Oreo 8 upgrade in spring 2018", which for us here in the Southern Hemisphere will be autumn 2018.
Full specs can be seen further down on this page, but we note 64GB storage and Bluetooth 4.2, rather than going for at least 128GB storage and Bluetooth 5.0. At least, unlike the more lacklustre efforts from Google itself with its Pixels, or from companies that never settle like OnePlus by selling for eschewing a MircoSD slot, you can indeed add additional MicroSD storage to the Razer Phone.
The device comes with Nova Launcher Prime with Google Assistant Integration.
This is said to be "a wildly popular launcher", and thus with Nova Launcher Prime you get "extreme customisability of the Android experience to suit every taste and need".
Razer co-founder and chief executive Min-Liang Tan said: "It’s common knowledge that I’m obsessed with my smartphones, I play a ton of games on them, and they’re my go-to for streaming content.
“We have wanted to make a phone with gaming-level tech for years, and the Razer Phone delivers in every way we imagined.”
GAMING PARTNERSHIPS
Razer has also partnered with the world’s top gaming companies, including Tencent and Square Enix, to bring what it says are "the best gaming experiences to mobile and take full advantage of the Razer Phone’s extraordinary features".
Mobile games are being optimised by partners for Razer Phone’s UltraMotion display with frame rates of up to 120 frames per second.
“Arena of Valor,” which Tencent is launching soon in North America, is the world’s most popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA). Players battling on the Razer Phone will engage in overclocked action and turbocharged team fights, thanks to the device’s powerful gaming capabilities.
Vincent Gao, global marketing director at Tencent Games, said: "The future of gaming is rapidly expanding to mobile devices, and both Razer and Tencent are at the forefront of fast-tracking development.
"Arena of Valor brings gamers a fast-paced, competitive experience, and the Razer phone was built to handle the visuals, sound and quick-reflex mechanics of the game. This partnership sets the standard for the next generation of mobile screen play."
OTHER GAMING PARTNERSHIPS
- “Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition” from Square Enix
- “Gear.Club” from Eden Games
- “Lineage 2: Revolution” from Netmarble Games Corporation
- “Old School RuneScape” from Jagex Limited
- “RuneScape” from Jagex Limited
- “Shadowgun Legends” from Madfinger Games
- “Tekken” from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe
- “Titanfall: Assault” from NEXON Co., Ltd. and Particle City, Inc.
- “World of Tanks Blitz” from Wargaming Group Limited
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
Pricing is US$699.99, €749.99 or £699.99
Availability is first set to the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, North America, Canada, Germany and France.
There is no word yet on Australian availability. Presuambly this will come sometime in 2018, but in the meantime you can always source one from overseas.
Here's the Razer Phone video:
