Hands on Razer Phone review: an absolute beast of a smartphone

Built for Gamers, but you don't have to be a gamer to want it... 

Razer smartphone

The Razer Phone is here at last – a smartphone built for gamers, by gamers, but we'll say this straight away you don't need to be a gamer to appreciate this smartphone. We've had a chance to get hand onwith the device before the launch. So, what makes the Razer Phone so special?

REASONS TO BUY

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  Distinctive design
• +
  120HZ screen
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  Dolby Atmos audio

REASONS TO AVOID

• -
  Camera needs updating
• -
  Do mobile games need the

The next thing you'll notice is the stunning QuadHD 5.7-inch IGZO LCD panel that runs at 120HZ. 

This high refresh rate is a technology Razer uses in its gaming laptops, and is now making its way into a mobile device.

Razer has called this an "Ultramotion" display, meaning it'll dynamically synchronise the GPU and display.

Not only will this high refresh rate improve the look and playability of games (reducing lag), it'll also have an positive impact on scrolling through websites and social media. 

We've seen this in action, and it looks great.

Flanking the display are two large speakers, each with a dedicated amp. Not only are these speakers impressively loud, but they also support Dolby Atmos. 

This will be great for gaming, as well as watching films.

Below you can see a video with a comparsion of the Razer Smartphone and the new iPhone X :

The dual front facing speakers also mean that you hands won't cover them while you're playing games in landscape mode.

We were blown away by the Dolby Atmos demo that's installed on the device, the level of surround sound the two speakers are able to create is phenomenal. 

Inside of the device you've got Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 processor and a monumental 8GB RAM (that's more than my ageing MacBook Pro).

Elsewhere the Razer Phone packs a large 4000mAh battery, Qualcomm 4+ Quick Charge, 64GB of internal storage (expandable), and an 8MP front-facing camera, and dual-camera system with a 12MP wide angle lens and a 13MP telephoto lens.

The camera system is the biggest question mark over this phone at the moment. Razer's competitors have all spent years (and lots of money) developing advanced smartphone cameras, so it'll be interesting to see how it stacks up.

Razer have acknowledged this, and have promised a number of new features (such as slow motion video and portrait mode) via a software update soon.

It'll come running Android 7.1, which will be updated to Oreo in Q1 2018, with the customisable Nova Launcher on top.

Razer has been working with developers to create 120HZ optimized games, such as Arena of Valor, Tekken, and Final Fantasy 15.

From our early hands on, we're very excited about this phone, and can't wait to get it in for a full review.

The Razer Phone will be exclusive to Three in the UK. It will cost £49 upfront on all of the 24 month contracts below:

100GB data, AYCE mins and texts - £49 pcm
30GB data, AYCE mins and texts - £45 pcm
12GB data, AYCE mins and texts - £41 pcm

In the US, it'll cost $699 contract free.

The Razer Phone will start shipping on the 17th November, pre-orders start on 3rd November.

Source:https://www.t3.com/reviews/razer-phone-review