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IT has
been three years since Motorola, the Illinois-based
global purveyor of wireless communications, released the
original RAZR, unquestionably the mobile phone that
pushed the increasingly ubiquitous communications tool
from its utilitarian realm to a lifestyle statement, an
expression of über-style then unseen in handsets with
its unbelievably slim form factor, metallic body and a
nickel-plated copper-alloy chemically etched keypad.
Needless to say, the RAZR went on to become a monster
success, seen in the hands of celebrities trend-setting
or otherwise that upped its desirability.
Since
then also, Motorola issued several other low-end and
midrange handsets that borrowed much from the RAZR
aesthetic. This cannibalization may have seemed like a
good thing, increasing as it did mind share and market
share for the company in the short term, but it also
severely impacted the RAZR as a passion brand while the
handset’s subsequent iterations took hits from the tech
media as being technologically and aesthetically
underwhelming.
 Now,
Motorola brings to the market the RAZR2, which comes in
two variants (3G and non-3G). No doubt, the company
hopes it will not only reverse the negativity that
greeted the original RAZR’s successors but also improve
Motorola’s numbers following a few quarters of
disappointing sales leading to much-reported downsizing.
Does the
RAZR2 bring the passion back to the brand? In a word:
yes. More than that, one can say—without tongue firmly
in cheek—that it is fabulosity any way you slice it.
Impossible it may seem, given the groundbreaking design
of the original, the RAZR2—which was launched in the
region recently amid much fanfare at the swanky Portman
Ritz-Carlton in Shanghai, to which we were invited by
Motorola Philippines’ emminently likable Mari Litonjua—is
even more stunning to hold and behold. With the review
unit that was provided to us by Motorola, the V8 non-3G
version of the RAZR2, it was impossible to not fixate on
the handset’s utter beauty, its Dark Pearl Grey body of
seamlessly put-together stainless steel, chrome and
chemically hardened scratch-resistant glass belying the
industrial build quality that makes it feel sturdy in
the hand and in use. Yes, the RAZR2 retains the
oh-so-cool etched metal keypad that looks and feels much
better than that found in the original. And, yes,
incredible it may also seem, but Motorola has also been
able to shave off a few more millimeters from the
already-thin original, resulting in an even sleeker form
factor that should go big in this thin-obsessed world.
All that
thinness notwithstanding, the RAZR2 packs in such
excellent niceties as largest-in-its-class internal
(2.2") and external (2") QVGA screens that show off
vibrant and dazzling colors whether the handset is open
or snapped close; a 2-megapixel camera that has good
automatic white balance to yield solid snaps and also
captures videos at 15 fps; a music player that plays AAC,
AAC+, eAAC+, MP3 and WMA audio files and can create
playlist (it doesn’t offer background playback, such as
when making a call and sending text messages, although
it can do music even when the handset is closed);
external touch buttons that allow the user to work the
RAZR2 even when snapped close, powered by the so-called
haptics technology that provides vibrating feedback in
response to finger taps; plus the innovative CrystalTalk
technology that automatically adjusts audio to ensure
clear calls even in a noisy environment. Sweetness all
around.
Of
course, one of the issues that users have had with
Motorola handsets in the past was its rather unwieldy
user interface that detracted much from what could’ve
been a thoroughly pleasurable experience. We’re thrilled
to report that the company’s new Linux-based operating
system powering the RAZR2 has not only banished such
annoying UI quirks but also spruced up the visual
elements that do justice to the handset’s gorgeous
physical qualities. Needless to say, the mobile phone
also greatly benefits from the speedy new ARM 11 500MHz
processor.
Overall,
the RAZR2 is an excellent handset, although we did
encounter a few OS issues in which things came to a
screeching halt after we had opened and closed several
applications (nothing that presumably a system update
can’t fix), and no doubt some consumers—specifically
technophiles—will also take issue with the absence of
Wi-Fi in both the 3G and non-3G models, or with the lack
of memory expansion in the non-3G variant (reportedly,
this iteration comes in either 512MB or 2GB of onboard
memory; choose your poison). From where we sit, however,
none of those detract from the gorgeous value that the
Motorola RAZR2 provides.
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