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Razer Phone 2 Launches With Notch-less Display, Wireless Charging, and RGB Lighting (anandtech.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the new-and-shiny dept.

Last November, Razer unveiled a smartphone designed for gamers who value performance and power over bells and whistles like waterproofing and wireless charging. At an event Wednesday night, Razer took the wraps off its successor, aptly named Razer Phone 2, which sports a brighter, notch-less, 5.72-inch IGZO LCD display with a 2560x1440 resolution and HDR, wireless charging, IP67 water- and dust-resistance rating, and RGB lighting behind the Razer logo on the rear. Given the addition of waterproofing and wireless charging, the Razer Phone 2 appears to be much more well-rounded than its predecessor, making the decision all the more difficult when shopping for a premium, high-end smartphone. AnandTech reports: This display is rated at 645 nits peak, up to 50% higher than the previous Razer Phone, and also supports HDR. Razer states that the display also has wide color gamut, which turns out to be 98.4% of DCI-P3. Also on the front, it has two front facing speakers in identical positions to the previous generation, and it has a front facing camera and sensor (albeit with swapped positions). That front camera is an 8MP f/2.0 unit, capable of recording at 1080p60, a user-requested feature for streaming and selfie recording. The front of the device is Corning Gorilla Glass 5, an upgrade from GG3 in the last generation.

When we move to the rear, things change much more noticeably. Instead of the aluminum rear, Razer has a full Gorilla Glass 5 back, which helps enable Qi Wireless Charging, a much requested feature. This is alongside QuickCharge 4+ through a Type-C cable. On the rear we have the dual cameras, this time placed in the center just above the logo. This time around Razer has gone with a 20MP Sony IMX363 f/1.75 main camera with OIS, and an 8MP Sony IMX 351 f/2.6 telephoto camera to enable some extra zoom functionality. Below the cameras is the Razer logo, which has a full 16.8million color RGB LED underneath which users can adjust through the onboard Chroma software. The Razer Phone 2 is still very much power-focused, as it features Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 845 CPU with a "vapor chamber cooling" which can allow the phone to draw 20-30% more power than other flagships. There's 8GB of LPDDR4X memory, 64GB of UFS storage with support for a microSD card, and a whopping 4,000mAh. Razer says their new smartphone will be priced at $799 and will start shipping in mid-November.

42 of 72 comments (clear)

  1. Notchless? by Joce640k · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Is "Notchless display" a feature already? That didn't take long.

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    No sig today...
    1. Re:Notchless? by iampiti · · Score: 1

      I'd be nice if at least all the phones that have a notch would allow to just show black around the notch (the LG G7 does just that). It's an option that doesn't cost much and would content many people.

    2. Re:Notchless? by tlhIngan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'd be nice if at least all the phones that have a notch would allow to just show black around the notch (the LG G7 does just that). It's an option that doesn't cost much and would content many people.

      The new Google Pixel 3 phones do that actually - you can "disable notch" and it just turns it black. But then it turns into a really big bezel, so it's really siz of one and a half dozen of the other.

      Of course, a nice use of the notch would be to have status icons that don't disappear - a full screen game for example could use everything but the notched area so the notch could still show useful status information like the time and signal status. Or perhaps it could be used for system buttons (back, home, etc) during full screen applications.

    3. Re:Notchless? by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 4, Insightful

      So: notchless is a feature, but waterproofing is a frill. What gives?

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    4. Re:Notchless? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Because for a decent gaming device a good display with a normal rectangular shape is mandatory and waterproofing is not.

    5. Re: Notchless? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Know what would be really useful and attractive? A straight edge where a developer can put whatever they want, without having to figure out how to fix gimmicks.

    6. Re:Notchless? by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      Well the "removed notch" just means the phone has a big top and bottom bevel.
      Now the Notch is a trade off and I really don't get all the fuss about it. If you want your phone with a bevelless display, where the screen goes from edge to edge. (It looks nice, and you can maximize your screen resolution for its size. If you want this as a phone, currently with consumer technology you will need a notch to hold some of the gear camera, speaker, flash...
      Now for the Razer phone, the design choice was to have big speakers this means you don't need a notch. but your camera will be embedded in the speaker. But these speakers give a top and bottom bevel. So your phone will not be edge to edge in display. Making the phone bigger for its screen size compared to the Notched equivalent.

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      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    7. Re:Notchless? by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      So by turning it off. You have pixels that you will not be able to display anything on in both sides of the notch.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    8. Re:Notchless? by lbmouse · · Score: 1

      It has two giant notches.

    9. Re: Notchless? by Miamicanes · · Score: 2

      I personally don't get the obsession with eliminating the top, and especially the bottom, bezels. Width affects the max screen size that can fit in a back pocket, but portrait-orientation height? Pffft.

      Persondlly, I *like* having a reasonable bottom bezel, because it's really hard to hold a large, heavy phone with one hand & operate the back/home/whatever buttons with my thumb if they're all grazing the lower edge. IMHO, the most grippable phone I ever owned was my old Galaxy S3 with Seidio extended battery case... it put the center of mass comfortably low & provided a handy ridge to grip the phone with from behind. The phone couldn't lie flat, but it had a kickstand which mitigated 99% of the annoyance & overall, it rocked. Even though I eventually bought bigger batteries, I kept going back to the Seidio battery/case because it was SO much easier & more comfortable to hold.

      The big question, though... if you keep the phone in an Otterbox Defender-like case & the rear glass cracks, do you HAVE to fix it, or can you just say "fuck it, it's hidden inside the case anyway" & just leave it cracked without affecting anything besides "out of case" aesthetics?

      Also, does the glass help or hurt with heat-removal? Can the phone run at 100% max from power-on until battery-drained (say, if you're using Daydream VR), or will it go into thermal-throttling within a few minutes if you try (like a Nexus 6P does)?

    10. Re:Notchless? by thoughtlover · · Score: 1

      ...designed for gamers who value performance and power over bells and whistles like waterproofing and wireless charging...

      Given the addition of waterproofing and wireless charging, the Razer Phone 2 appears...

      Yeah, this is a poorly-constructed summary. It really blurs what gamers feel are necessary features to have. Personally, I think most mobile gamers would like waterproofing, especially if they're playing in the loo.

      --
      No sig for you! Come back one year!
  2. Wireless charging? by Narcocide · · Score: 1

    Wait, are we supposed to care about wireless charging here or not?

    1. Re:Wireless charging? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      With that name they should actually put a razor on one edge.

    2. Re:Wireless charging? by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      It depends on if you want the phone or not, and the phone that you do want has or doesn't have such feature.

      I personally like it. As the #1 reason why I need to get a new phone over the past 20 years is the charging port gets worn out. So I cannot charge the phone.
       

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  3. Razer is malware by WaffleMonster · · Score: 4, Informative

    Everything from Razer including basic HID devices is basically malware. Their "privacy" policy is literally worse than Facebook.

    https://www.razer.com/legal/pr...

    1. Re:Razer is malware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      and that same policy covers their notebook computers and pc peripherals if you install any of the supporting software.

      why a fucking configuration program for a keyboard or mouse needs access to the internet or a privacy policy in the first place.... they should be paying us to use their overpriced shit.

    2. Re:Razer is malware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Razer's products aren't exactly aimed at a high calibre of person, and if somebody will pay $130, or even $152, for a mouse because they think it'll make them better at Fortnite, then you may as well take their information as well. It's not like they'll care.

    3. Re:Razer is malware by GuB-42 · · Score: 1

      Input devices are underrated.

      I don't know how good these mice really are but $130 for a good mouse is not too shocking for me. Compared to a $1500 PC, it is not that much, it will probably last longer, and it can really make your life better. Same thing for keyboards. I have some friends who bring their old Razer mice with them when they have to use a computer, even at work. Personally I have a MX Revolution that maybe costed me $100 but it has outlasted thousands of dollars of hardware and it is still going strong. No matter the brand, if the mouse that feels the best to you is $130, buy it.

  4. Most imnportant question here by Kokuyo · · Score: 2

    Is that LED crap on the back usable for notifications? If no, go fuck yourself Razer.

    1. Re:Most imnportant question here by Tough+Love · · Score: 2

      Second most important question: where is the headphone jack?

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    2. Re:Most imnportant question here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      If only you could actually read.

      >There are also three active levels:
            >Low (RGB LED is only on when a notification pops up)
            >Medium (led is on when screen is on)
            >High (led is on all the time)

    3. Re:Most imnportant question here by Kokuyo · · Score: 1

      I did in fact miss that. Follow-up: Can color finally reliably be chosen per app?

    4. Re:Most imnportant question here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Yes, by default green = hangouts, blue = facebook, flashing red/white/blue = presidential alerts/MAGA tweet.

    5. Re:Most imnportant question here by Espectr0 · · Score: 1

      yes, but no. yes, because it can be controlled. no, because who the fuck would leave a phone screen down and keep flipping it back and forth.

      --
      Open Source Java Web Forum with LDAP authentication
  5. Boring by quenda · · Score: 1

    Another generic Android phone. They all look like iPhones now.
    I know, once you've perfected the form factor, why mess with it, but it makes for dull upgrades.
    Remember when Nokia seemed to be putting LSD in the design team's coffee??
    The banana phone, the split qwerty keyboard, the rotary dial, and of course the teardrop Nokia 7600.

    You want exciting, check out this new Motorola RAZR flip phone:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    (sadly not real. yet.)

    1. Re:Boring by Kokuyo · · Score: 1

      I still want a 6 inch laptop with hardware keyboard and trackpoint with phone on the outside (think Nokia Communicator 9500).

      I am THIS close to glueing a chinesium Bluetooth keyboard to my phone....

      No seriously, If I can work out how to design a hinge that won't snag on my clothing I will make myself a frankenphone that will scare the living daylights out of any iPhone snowflake out there.

    2. Re:Boring by Vulch · · Score: 2

      Something like this?

    3. Re:Boring by Kokuyo · · Score: 1

      Yes, if they added phone capabilities and a trackpoint. You can't remote access GUIs for shit with a touchscreen...

    4. Re:Boring by jon3k · · Score: 1

      I believe this can be solved with software. In my opinion, with that tiny space, you're better off using the touchscreen with a mouse cursor than trying to shoehorn in a trackpoint or touchpad. The Citrix client used to actually have a really great way of doing this on iOS (and possibly android?) devices where you enabled it and it showed a cursor on the screen. You didn't place your finger ON the cursor (which would obscure it). You just placed your finger on the screen anywhere and the cursor would move relative to your finger. So you could place your finger say, 1/2" below the cursor, so you could still see it, then move it where you wanted it and tap the screen to click. Alternatively you could also include bluetooth support so if you needed better control and had time/space to setup you could just use a full blown mouse. So you can use the on-screen option for simple/quick mouse work and a real mouse when you were using an application(s) that required more mouse interaction.

    5. Re:Boring by Tough+Love · · Score: 1

      I-Phone is just a lame, overpriced imitation of an Android phone. Nobody cool gets an I-Phone, just middle aged moms now.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    6. Re:Boring by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      The problem is that a 6" laptop is too small to do real work with, while to big and clumsy for a mobile device.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    7. Re: Boring by Miamicanes · · Score: 1

      A Trackpoint isn't a touchpad... it's a tiny isometric pointer stick commonly associated with Thinkpads. And the whole point is that it enables you to use the mouse without having to lift your hand from the keyboard (something that the finger-pointing unwashed masses just don't seem to grasp the importance of).

      I hate finger-pointers. They're the users who ruined touchpads. Back in "the old days", touchpads acted like flat trackballs, but adjusted curving gestures to appear straight like a thumb-trackball did. Then, manufacturers all jumped on the "optimize touchpads for finger-pointers instead of thumb-sweepers", and touchpads became unusable by thumb-sweepers. They COULD have made touchpads dual-mode, but instead they just eliminated the thumb-optimizing DSP logic entirely. Fuckers, that's why we can't have nice things...

    8. Re:Boring by Lost+Race · · Score: 1

      Alternatively you could also include bluetooth support so if you needed better control and had time/space to setup you could just use a full blown mouse.

      The Gemini has (er, will have, if they ever build it) two USB ports.

  6. Re:I can't imagine real gaming on a phone. My $0.0 by Ormy · · Score: 2

    I completely agree with you on every point.

    However, if this phone had a 3.5mm headphone jack and an AMOLED display I'd buy it immediately (I'd prefer it smaller, 5 inch screen is perfect for me). I like the hardware specs (plenty of RAM) and I love they have retained a microSD slot (my biggest gripe with my OnePlus 5) and I love that they have not included a notch (I'd throw money at them just for that choice alone if I could afford to). I would never game on it for reasons stated by parent, but I like to have a device with top-end hardware specs so I know it won't feel painfully slow even after 3-4 years

  7. Re:I can't imagine real gaming on a phone. My $0.0 by Cederic · · Score: 4, Funny

    The wife plays some of those mindless garbage things similar to candy crush on hers
    [...]
    Games on a PHONE are for children.

    Why are you married to a child?

    playing PC games, as time and circumstances permit, since way back when 300baud was fast
    [...]
    fleapower of a phone

    Could I suggest seeing a medical professional regarding your apparent senility?

  8. Doesn't even hit the "must haves" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Not a gaming phone without expandable storage and headphone jack. These are basic must-haves if you're trying to persuade ppl to buy your device over competition...which this fits squarely into as "meh" and "oh...another one of those'

    It's great that you add superfluous things like wireless charging (which you cant use while gaming) but no headphone jack (so you also can't charge and game without dongles)

    Makes no sense from a usability perspective and that's a shame

    1. Re:Doesn't even hit the "must haves" by HarrySquatter · · Score: 1

      It does have expandable storage.

      64GB of UFS storage with support for a microSD card

      And what does a headphone jack have to do with something being a gaming phone? How is a game's performance affected by the lack of a headphone jack?

    2. Re:Doesn't even hit the "must haves" by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

      Bluetooth uses more battery life then a headphone jack.

      Hard to game when your phone is dead.

  9. Re:stop being sheeple! by HarrySquatter · · Score: 1

    Why are you so obsessed with what other people do with their money?

  10. Re:But does it have by Gabest · · Score: 1

    And FM radio?

  11. no android pie support yet by Espectr0 · · Score: 1

    ships with android 8.1 and no mention of upgrades. old razer 1 still hasn't received an update nor even has been announced.

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    Open Source Java Web Forum with LDAP authentication
    1. Re:no android pie support yet by ennis99 · · Score: 1

      as a gamer, i'm really happy to hear that. From what is written, it will be a really powerful phone, which promises full functionality and durability. I can not wait to see that and see if he keeps his promises. https://downloader.vip/the-pir... https://downloader.vip/yify-yt... https://downloader.vip/rargb/