Is newer always better? We took the Motorola RAZR2 for a test drive to see how it stacked up against the first generations and found it slick and stylized, everything the press promised it would be. The first thing you notice after charging up is how impossibly clear the new screens seem in comparison to the older versions; a solid and elegant chunk of molded metal and plastic (the keypad has graduated from the etched metal to a grooved heavy plastic) features an internal and external display set that immediately blows you over, perfect for video playback and scanning info without squinting.
Playing up to its media features, the external screen has a touch-sensitive strip along the bottom allowing you to control your music playback without engaging the keypad, and supports up to 2GB of onboard memory (enough for up to 1000 songs) for easy storage of your mp3s, pictures and videos on the go (check below for samples of pictures taken with the RAZR2).
Answering a long call for faster Motorola software, the company also upgraded to a lightning-fast 500mhz processor to help speed things along as you stream audio and video directly. There’s some concern that this may actually drain the battery much faster than before (one friend insists he has to recharge every evening, but this may also be a product of sitting on the phone all day), but we’ve only had to recharge every few days without much problem on the standard battery. Plus syncing up with your computer is a snap — no cables or software necessary to crack to code, just use the Bluetooth feature to download photos from your phone, drag-and-drop new ringtones from your arsenal of mp3s, or back up your contact list.
The new RAZR2 features Motorola’s Crystal Talk technology which works to reduce noise and adjust volume automatically leading to quality, clear calls on both ends of the phone (it’s not another one of those “phone in a box” speakerphone mobiles). If your service is carried through Sprint Nextel or Verizon, you can also utilize a built in receiver to pick up GPS satellite signals for pointed driving directions when you’re in a lurch.
The RAZR2 also comes with a full media player with the ability to sync with Microsoft Windows Media Player 11, a full HTML web browser, external music keys, point-to-point video, built-in email functionality, Google mobile search, USB 2.0, stereo Bluetooth, and Haptics technology that provides vibrating feedback when the keys are pressed. The RAZR2 is available in 3 versions: the V9 (3G HSDPA), the V9m (EVDO CDMA) and the V8 (GSM).
Photos taken with the RAZR2:
