Remember the RAZR? Motorola has brought back the RAZR brand and this is certainly no flip phone. The Droid RAZR from Verizon Wireless is the latest Android phone from Motorola and we’ve spent the last few weeks putting it through the paces.
The Droid RAZR packs a massive 4.3-inch display into a super slim slab of Kevlar lined hard plastic. While incredibly thin, at just 7.1mm, the phone feels solid. The RAZR is also light, at just 127 grams, but still feels incredibly sturdy. It feels like an expensive device, which is not always the case, even in the $200 plus range. The back is lined with kevlar serving the dual purpose of protecting the RAZR from the elements and differentiating itself among other phones. The backing is tastefully done.
As you travel up the top of the device, it curves out to make room for the 8-megapixel camera with an LED flash. Standard ports include an HDMI out and a microUSB port.
The power button is neatly positioned, so that it’s easy to turn on using your thumb. Just below are the volume up/down buttons, which at times can be tough to distinguish from the side panel, since they tend to get lost in the side panel. The width of the Droid RAZR can certainly present problems for one-handed use. At times, I wish that either my thumb was longer or the phone was not as wide.
On the storage front, the RAZR ships with a generous 16GB microSD card. There is also an additional 8GB of internal storage. The card is removable, so you could easily double your memory to 32GB for roughly $36.
RAM, Processor
Under the hood is a 1.2Ghz dual-core processor coupled with 1GB of RAM. No surprise that with this amount of processing power, navigating around the operating system is fluid and applications open almost instantaneously. At no point did I find the device getting sluggish. It just continued to hum along at a nice clip.
The Super AMOLED qHD display measures in at 4.3 inches at 540×960. Motorola uses a pentile display and there has been some debate as to whether the Droid RAZR compares to other Super AMOLED screens, as pointed out by Nilay Patel at The Verge. I did not compare it to the Droid X2, but was plenty happy with the display and thought it was both sharp and vibrant. Perhaps the difference will present itself when compared to the Galaxy Nexus, but I don’t think it’s an issue for most users.
Internal Battery
To achieve the thin frame, Motorola was forced to internalize the battery, so it’s not user replaceable. You won’t be able to carry a spare battery in times of need, which certainly could be an issue for power users. I was able to squeeze a day out of the battery with mixed use. A quick look at Battery Use (Settings > Battery Use) reveals that the display accounted for 40% of battery use. Lowering your brightness and reducing the number associated with the Screen Timeout should help some.
Motorola has included a utility with the RAZR titled ‘Smart Actions’ and it’s incredibly useful. You can create custom smart actions that are based upon a set of rules that you determine. One that I used was a Nighttime Battery Saver, which did the following:
- Disable Background Sync
- Set GPS to Off
- Ringer Volume Silent
- Disable Cellular Data
- Bluetooth Off
- WiFi Off
They have a list of presets that you can use or create your own. Yet another useful smart action is the Charging Reminder, which notifies you to plug in your phone if you forget to charge at night. At times, managing battery life felt like a job, but at least these smart actions automate some of those tasks. Power users or travelers might want to opt for the Universal Portable Charger for the Droid RAZR. It can provide up to 8 hours of talk time utilizing the USB port.
Smart Actions can also extend to other non-battery related activities. You can set it launch an app like Google Music when headphones are inserted.
All in all, this utility is excellent.
Fast Like Lightning 4G LTE
The Droid RAZR runs on Verizon’s LTE 4G network. This is pure 4G speed and in our tests it blazed a trail of glory. In my testing using the Speedtest.net app, downloads were 16841 kpbs and uploads up to 8103 kbps. Web pages, videos and more loaded nicely at these speeds.
Voice calls were consistently clear on both ends, which is likely a byproduct of a good phone and Verizon’s service.
Software
This phone comes with Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread Motorola has packed some customization throughout the Android experience. If you prefer a stock Android experience, then it’s easily removed using the very excellent Launcher Pro. Also included are applications from Blockbuster, GoToMeeting, Madden NFL 12′ demo, MOTOACTV, MOTOPRINT, NFL Mobile, My Verizon Mobile, Vcast Tones, Verizon Video and possibly a few more. I download a fair amount of apps, so this just provided for more congestion in my apps drawer.
At a time when Verizon is preparing to launch the first phone with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The Droid RAZR will at some point get this update, but that likely won’t be until sometime next year.
Camera
The camera on the RAZR did admirable job taking photos and video, provided there was good lighting. Colors were rich and vibrant, although backgrounds were less detailed. In low-light situations, the resulting images were average at best. There is room for improvement here when it comes to optics, something we’ll hopefully see with the Droid RAZR 2. The camera app ships with assorted options, effects, ability to shoot panorama and modify exposure.
The camera also shoots 1080p HD video. Video quality was also good and I was impressed with that my video didn’t suffer from any shake. The sound quality was also superb. Using zoom during filming can be a bit janky, but the video still looked crisp after zooming.
Line of accessories
If you buy into the Droid RAZR, you get the added benefit of picking up on of Motorola’s flagship phones. This enables you to use a number of OEM accessories, all which extend the capabilities of your device. Some folks aren’t so much interested in spending additional cash on accessories, but it’s certainly nice to have options and Motorola provides plenty of them.
Universal Portable Charger: We touched up this one earlier. It will provide up to 8 hours of additional talk time. Just plug in your device to start charging.
HD Station: Allows for easy connection of your Droid RAZR to an HDTV or monitor. Great for viewing photos, videos or pretty much anything.
Vehicle Navigation Dock: The Droid RAZR comes with VZW Navigator, which appears to be a rebranded version of Google Navigation. It works brilliantly and this dock effectively replaces any need for a separate GPS.
Laptop Dock 100: Compatible with a number of Motorola phones including the RAZR, this can effectively charge your phone and run Android on a 10.1″ display with full keyboard.
PROS
- Fast
- Beautifully designed, well built and ultra-thin
- Will be upgradable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
- Offers support for Verizon’s LTE 4G network
CONS
- No removable battery
- Poor photo quality in low-light
- Too much bloatware and Blur UI interference
- Price
Conclusion
The Droid RAZR on Verizon Wireless is a stellar device on a great network, that comes with a higher price tag. It’s rock solid hardware that delivers excellent performance and features. The thin, but solid construction with kevlar lined backing results in a beautiful piece of hardware. Those considering the RAZR will need to sharpen their battery management skills, given the lack of a removable battery, but Motorola’s included Smart Actions utility is a capable assistant in helping to extend battery life. With Motorola’s promise of an Ice Cream Sandwich update forthcoming, you can count on a vast number of improvements coming to an already excellent phone.
Written By 
The best written review of the device I had seen to date. Most level-headed and independent.
Thank you for that!
You might say that the lack of ICS is a CON. With many new devices coming with ICS, I see this as a deciding factor for me…
At the time of Razr release, ICS did not exist on the market (it still does not more than 2 weeks later). You’re saying that in the Nexus a lack of Jelly Bean OS should be a CON?
It was a personal opinion, your comments were uncalled for!!! BTW, ICS has been released for a few weeks already!! I would have waited and sold it with ICS. Attack that comment…
Lmao but ICS on the overrated galaxy nexus sucks.
I hate those Samsung plastic feeling crap phones.
I rather wait for ICS to be released on my razr with an excellent hardware to compliment it.
I agree. Samsung does feel plasticy so I would rather get the Razr as well. but samsung has excellent software/hardware integration. also the unremovable battery mite make rooting and modding difficult.
I appreciate the fact that you didn’t simply parrot the oft-heard claim that the screen is mediocre. While there are screens out there with better specs, I found the eye-popping Super AMOLED qHD display nothing short of stunning. Out of the box, the white balance skews a little yellow but I fixed that by going to settings and turning off the auto-dim. Manually adjusting the brightness, I ended up with a more neutral white that left the display sharper. (The Galaxy Nexus, with its higher specs, has the same problem relative to the iPhone 4S and the HTC Rezound.)
With respect to the specs, I don’t know how the screen could be much sharper than it is (following the adjustment described above). While there are better specs out there (the original Droid, with its 3.7 inch display, has a higher PPI than the Razr) – pixel density is overhyped. The iPhone, with its coveted 326 PPI, gets there largely by sporting a 3.5″ display. Even then, it’s outgunned by the HTC Rezound and at least five other phones, four of which have smaller smaller screens. The Sharp IS03, which has the same-sized screen, also has the same pixel count and PPI as the iPhone.
When it comes to pixel density, size matters, which is why Apple’s next-best pixel rate is on its 5th-generation Nano while the 17″ MacBook Pro has a PPI of 128 and a 42-inch HD TV, pumping 1080i, has a PPI of 52. If any display could use the Razr’s PPI of 256, it’s the 42-inch HD TV, yet when is the last time you heard someone complain about pixel density on a 42-inch HD TV? Comparing the LED display on the Razr to the LCD display on the pixel-packing Rezound, I prefer the Razr (particularly with the auto-dim turned off).
In fact, because of the Razr’s PenTile display (which shares pixels), it ought to be a much inferior viewing experience. Yet, the same PenTile display – albeit with a higher PPI – is found on the much-anticipated Galaxy Nexus, whose reviewers have raved about the quality of the display (and not just its size). There are magnified images comparing the Razr’s screen to that of the Galaxy Nexus and the Rezound, images that show, at the pixel level, noticeable differences in sharpness and clarity between each of these phones. Still, those images are taken with the auto-dim feature turned on and it’s debatable whether differences, at such an extreme level, are picked up by the naked eye. What was noticeable for me was the color shift imposed by the auto-dim (with dramatic improvements when it was turned off) and the sensational difference between LED and LCD. LED doesn’t just give you brighter brights; it gives you darker darks. Black is black, not a shade of grey. To my eyes, the contrast ratio of LED is more significant than the differences in pixel count.
Of course, your mileage may vary, but that’s precisely the point. The automatic conclusion that the Razr has a mediocre screen – because of pixel counts on paper – is unfounded. Without a doubt, higher PPI is more marketable than less, but there’s more to picture quality than PPI. From a practical point, it’s hard to imagine how a four-inch screen with a PPI more than five times richer than that of a 42″ HD TV could be “mediocre. The math doesn’t add up and the claim doesn’t match my own experience with the Razr.
My advice, to anyone who cares enough to take a trip to a Verizon store, is to manually switch off the auto-dim and adjust the brightness yourself. Compare the “pop” and “sizzle” of the LED on the Razr to the LCD on the Rezound. You’ll see two terrific displays at work, neither of which deserves to be called “mediocre.”
Thank you for calling it like you “see it,” not like you “hear” it or “read” it.
I really like the look of this new RAZR, I love how thin it is and how it looks.
This is one of the best smartphones now, no matter the battery, or how bloatware it is.
I hope it gets ICS as soon as possible!
Lack of replaceable battery is a deal killer for me.