Wednesday, November 1st 2017

Razer Phone Unveiled, First Smartphone with 120 Hz Display

Razer today unveiled the Razer Phone, an Android smartphone with groundbreaking audiovisual technologies and processing muscle that takes personal entertainment to the next level. The first device from Razer's mobile division, the Razer Phone comes with a phenomenal display, cinematic audio and enough power to last a user all day, all in the palm of his or her hand.

The Razer Phone is equipped with the world's first 120 Hz UltraMotion display that delivers the fastest refresh rates and smoothest graphics among today's smartphones. UltraMotion's adaptive refresh technology synchronizes the GPU and display to remove image tearing or lag while driving efficient power usage. The 5.72-inch display - a Quad HD IGZO LCD - delivers vibrant and sharp images with a wide color gamut.
True to Life Cinematic Audio
The Razer Phone is powered by Dolby Atmos technology to provide true cinematic audio via front-firing speakers with dual dedicated amplifiers. A THX-certified USB-C audio adapter with a 24-bit digital audio convertor (DAC) guarantees audiophile-quality sound with one's favorite headphones.

Insane Performance
The Razer Phone ensures the ultimate viewing and gaming experience with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Mobile Platform and a massive 8 GB of RAM. Users can fine-tune their experiences with the Razer Game Booster app, and the phone's best-in-class thermal design reduces throttling to maximize power and performance.

Power that just keeps going
The Razer Phone packs a large 4,000 mAh battery, one of the largest capacities found on smartphones today. This allows gamers to keep playing all day long, while Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ enables rapid charging.

Amazing Camera Performance
With dual rear 12 MP cameras, the Razer Phone gives photographers a versatile tool to create amazing images. Zooming from wide angle to telephoto is seamless with a quick pinch on the display, and the dual-tone flash ensures that subjects will always look natural.

A Premium Experience for Power-users
The Razer Phone's sleek, 8-mm-thin aluminum body is a beauty to behold and to hold. It comes with Android Nougat and will receive the Android Oreo upgrade in spring 2018.

The device comes with Nova Launcher Prime with Google Assistant Integration. A wildly popular launcher, Nova Launcher Prime offers extreme customizability of the Android experience to suit every taste and need.

Watch. Listen. Play.
Every feature of the Razer Phone was designed to bring users the ultimate in mobile entertainment:

Watch - Enjoy movies the way they were meant to be seen. Feast your eyes on a big screen with crisp details and the smoothest motion, complete with true-to-life vibrant colors. Add loud, riveting sound to complete the cinematic experience right in your hand.

Listen - Go ahead and turn up the volume-everything sounds amazing. Expertly tuned audio delivers all the highs and lows of your favorites tracks whether you listen through the stereo speakers or your favorite headphones. Don't suffer in silence, there's enough battery power to keep your tunes streaming all day long.

Play - From your everyday commute to playing in a tournament, experience buttery smooth gameplay and lightning-fast performance thanks to top-of-the-line components. Dial in your graphics to optimize your experience no matter what game you're playing. And with a larger battery size, you can indulge in the latest games without worrying about running out of power.

"It's common knowledge that I'm obsessed with my smartphones, I play a ton of games on them, and they're my go-to for streaming content," said Razer Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan. "We have wanted to make a phone with gaming-level tech for years, and the Razer Phone delivers in every way we imagined."

Gaming Partnerships
Razer is proud to partner with the world's top gaming companies, including Tencent and Square Enix, to bring the best gaming experiences to mobile and take full advantage of the Razer Phone's extraordinary features. Mobile games are being optimized by partners for Razer Phone's UltraMotion display with frame rates of up to 120 frames per second.

"Arena of Valor," which Tencent is launching soon in North America, is the world's most popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA). Players battling on the Razer Phone will engage in overclocked action and turbocharged team fights, thanks to the device's powerful gaming capabilities.

"The future of gaming is rapidly expanding to mobile devices, and both Razer and Tencent are at the forefront of fast-tracking development," said Vincent Gao, global marketing director at Tencent Games. "Arena of Valor brings gamers a fast-paced, competitive experience, and the Razer phone was built to handle the visuals, sound and quick-reflex mechanics of the game. This partnership sets the standard for the next generation of mobile screen play."

Other Gaming Partnerships
  • "Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition" from Square Enix
  • "Gear.Club" from Eden Games
  • "Lineage 2: Revolution" from Netmarble Games Corporation
  • "Old School RuneScape" from Jagex Limited
  • "RuneScape" from Jagex Limited
  • "Shadowgun Legends" from Madfinger Games
  • "Tekken" from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe
  • "Titanfall: Assault" from NEXON Co., Ltd. and Particle City, Inc.
  • "World of Tanks Blitz" from Wargaming Group Limited
Razer Theme Store
The Razer Theme Store allows gamers to customize their phone, changing wallpapers, icon packs and colors throughout the phone. It includes custom ringtones by Razer DJs and custom wallpapers inspired by the world's top gaming titles, such as "Shadowgun Legends".

Three as Exclusive European Carrier
In Europe, Razer has exclusively partnered with Three to be its launch carrier in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark and Sweden.

Dave Dyson, CEO at Three UK, said: "My ambition is always to innovate in ways that deliver better experiences for our customers and a partnership with Razer is a perfect fit. Razer has produced something that is a step ahead of any other mobile gaming device and I am delighted to be able to make this exclusive experience available to Three's customers."

Susan Buttsworth, CEO at Three's international opportunities development division at CK Hutchison, said: "The launch of Razer Phone with Three marks another step in growing our Group strategic partnership with Razer and our position in the wider mobile gaming space. Not only is the device fine-tuned for gamers but it will also be of appeal to customers looking for a best of breed entertainment device, thanks to its stunning display and great audio quality. We look forward to a deeper co-operation with Razer, and will continue to bring to the Three customer base the most new and exciting products, services and digital experience."

Razer Phone Special Edition
1,337 sets of the Razer Phone Special Edition with Razer's iconic green triple-headed snake logo will be available from Three stores in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, at Razer Store in San Francisco, and online in the USA and Canada via Razerzone.com.

The standard edition of the Razer Phone features a chrome triple-headed snake logo.

Pricing
Recommended Retail Pricing: USD $699.99 / €749.99 / £699.99.

For more information, visit the product page.
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50 Comments on Razer Phone Unveiled, First Smartphone with 120 Hz Display

#1
Parn
Is the Adreno 540 powerful enough to drive modern games at QHD with a sufficiently high fps so that 120Hz can actually make a difference?
Posted on Reply
#2
natr0n
I have never seen tearing on a phone honestly.
Posted on Reply
#3
NTM2003
No RGB? Lol I take the iPhone x or google pixel 2 over razer any day but not to bad looking I’m sure Verizon won’t sell it. Least at Verizon I can pay monthly then full blown retail.
Posted on Reply
#4
CoD511
natr0nI have never seen tearing on a phone honestly.
Aren't they all using vsync though?

This is a cooler product than I was expecting though from Razer, the 120Hz panel is a nice move and I'd love the fluidity. Though I currently wouldn't sacrifice the AMOLED display on my Note 8 for 120Hz, as much as I love high refresh rates.
ParnIs the Adreno 540 powerful enough to drive modern games at QHD with a sufficiently high fps so that 120Hz can actually make a difference?
I doubt it, not without making at least sacrifices to graphics.
Posted on Reply
#5
ShurikN
Never seen something as pointless as a 120Hz screen on a phone... what a time to be alive.
Posted on Reply
#6
Frick
Fishfaced Nincompoop
It'll be a financial hit for them. Getting into the smartphone market is so very hard.
Posted on Reply
#7
TheLostSwede
News Editor
And as usual, Razer is not being honest in their marketing. Sharp has had a phone with a 120Hz IGZO screen since last year www.sharpmobile.com.tw/products/p1/
120Hz makes no real visible difference though, I can tell you that much.
Sadly Sharp's software is crap, which makes that phone suck, but that's a different matter.

The Razer design is also very Nextbit (the phone maker Razer bought), just in black rather than ugly mint green and with a few tweaks here and there...
Posted on Reply
#8
cryohellinc
Who plays games on phones? Little kids?
Posted on Reply
#9
Xzibit
Swiping right or left just got smoother
Posted on Reply
#10
TheLostSwede
News Editor
cryohellincWho plays games on phones? Little kids?
Plenty of people in Asia, especially those that don't have a PC. Clearly you're not the target audience.
Posted on Reply
#11
Tomorrow
ShurikNNever seen something as pointless as a 120Hz screen on a phone... what a time to be alive.
Actually it could be extremely useful in making the phone feel more snappy. Even when just scrolling web pages. Same on desktop. High refreshrate has uses beyond just gaming.
Posted on Reply
#12
ShurikN
TomorrowActually it could be extremely useful in making the phone feel more snappy. Even when just scrolling web pages. Same on desktop. High refreshrate has uses beyond just gaming.
Don't recall ever hearing someone say "oh man I wish I had a high refresh rate screen on my phone so that scrolling web pages feels more smooth"
It's Chrome, not a twitch shooter. It's snappy as much as it needs to be.
Posted on Reply
#13
RejZoR
I don't understand the need to stuff QuadHD/4K/whateveruberresolution screens into 6 inch devices. I mean for god sake, we use 1080p 24 inch monitors and I wouldn't call it "pixelated". Shrinking just 1080p down to under 6 inches as it's usual on mobile phones and to be honest I could hardly notice a difference when 1080p was scaled down to 720p on my Huawei using their ROG tech. And I was looking at it from like 10cm distance which is entirely unrealistic for any kind of use.

Cramming such ridiculous resolutions to such tiny screens is just a really retarded waste of compute power and battery in a pointless race whose phallus is longer. I have a 5.15" Xiaomi Mi5 and the image on this 1080p phone is so crisp and sharp I really don't understand how would ANYONE need anything more than 1080p on such screen that's just a tiny fart smaller than this Razder one. Maybe 1440p on 6" but quite frankly if 1080p works on bloody full size monitors that are 5-6x larger, you really don't need anything more on ANY phone.

Wouldn't it make more sense to stick with 1080p/1440p and really make use of high refresh rate if they really bothered to include it?
Posted on Reply
#14
TheLostSwede
News Editor
TomorrowActually it could be extremely useful in making the phone feel more snappy. Even when just scrolling web pages. Same on desktop. High refreshrate has uses beyond just gaming.
It doesn't make any difference at all, at least not in the case of the Sharp Aquos P1 which has a very similar IGZO screen, as I pointed out above.
RejZoRI don't understand the need to stuff QuadHD/4K/whateveruberresolution screens into 6 inch devices. I mean for god sake, we use 1080p 24 inch monitors and I wouldn't call it "pixelated". Shrinking just 1080p down to under 6 inches as it's usual on mobile phones and to be honest I could hardly notice a difference when 1080p was scaled down to 720p on my Huawei using their ROG tech. And I was looking at it from like 10cm distance which is entirely unrealistic for any kind of use.

Cramming such ridiculous resolutions to such tiny screens is just a really retarded waste of compute power and battery in a pointless race whose phallus is longer. I have a 5.15" Xiaomi Mi5 and the image on this 1080p phone is so crisp and sharp I really don't understand how would ANYONE need anything more than 1080p on such screen that's just a tiny fart smaller than this Razder one. Maybe 1440p on 6" but quite frankly if 1080p works on bloody full size monitors that are 5-6x larger, you really don't need anything more on ANY phone.

Wouldn't it make more sense to stick with 1080p/1440p and really make use of high refresh rate if they really bothered to include it?
Recently got a Nokia 8 and I can't tell the difference between 2560x1440 and 1920x1080 on a phone. Between 720p and 1080p there's a clear difference on most screens, as you can actually see the pixels on a lot of 720p screens, or at least I can.

It doesn't make squat difference on battery life though, in fact, the Nokia 8 has vastly better battery life than any recent Android phone I've owned.

I guess each to their own, but Sony has a 4K screen on at least one of their handsets which is really going crazy imho.
Posted on Reply
#15
Tomorrow
ShurikNDon't recall ever hearing someone say "oh man I wish I had a high refresh rate screen on my phone so that scrolling web pages feels more smooth"
It's Chrome, not a twitch shooter. It's snappy as much as it needs to be.
TheLostSwedeIt doesn't make any difference at all, at least not in the case of the Sharp Aquos P1 which has a very similar IGZO screen, as I pointed out above.
On Android go to Devekloper Options and set Windows, Transition and Animator scale settings to Animation off and watch your phone getting much more responsive. Higher refreshrate has the same effect. I would argue that this is even more apparent on touch based devices where quick response is important.

Do either of you even use high refreshrate displays? It feels to me like you have no idea what a difference this makes.
Posted on Reply
#16
Prima.Vera
RejZoRI don't understand the need to stuff QuadHD/4K/whateveruberresolution screens into 6 inch devices
Because...Brain washing marketing. Thank Apple for starting this with that with stupid "retina" brand :laugh::laugh:
Posted on Reply
#17
erixx
I have zero games on my phone (years ago I had Angry birds free installed during some weeks). But it must be all related to the fact that I don't use public transportation (motorcycle!).
But for those interested it looks like a cool product.
Posted on Reply
#18
TheLostSwede
News Editor
TomorrowDo either of you even use high refreshrate displays? It feels to me like you have no idea what a difference this makes.
Have you ever used a 120Hz screen on a phone? I have.
Posted on Reply
#19
uuuaaaaaa
ParnIs the Adreno 540 powerful enough to drive modern games at QHD with a sufficiently high fps so that 120Hz can actually make a difference?
I does have something similar to frees-ync/G-sync.

Two of the games are clones. One is a clone of League of Legends and the other is a clone of PUBG. They got it pretty close on both cases. The PUBG clone even runs poorly, just like the real game xD
Posted on Reply
#20
Ferrum Master
TheLostSwedeHave you ever used a 120Hz screen on a phone? I have.
I have a feeling, due to power saving things and monkey coders... the 120Hz mode kicks in very rarely in that Sharp one. Or only when watching 120Hz videos or in gallery app etc...
Posted on Reply
#21
GreiverBlade
OOHHHH ni... oh wait ... actually the first one was Sharp with the Sharp Aquos P1/R compact ...
www.gsmarena.com/sharp_announces_aquos_r_compact_with_120hz_display-news-27841.php
well the screen is actually a Sharp (the brand, not the qualificatif) screen

mmmhhh so-so design (well not really Razer's fault... since it's just a Nexbit) same chipset as the other (well the SD835 is common so, no biggies) knowing Razer, it will probably have a bloated UI ... the "gaming partnership" are laughable, Nova Launcher Prime include? oh bloody hell ... ok maybe not a bloated UI but an include launcher that a lot of android user have paid for it already ... (integrated google assistant? what a feat .... every android smartphone have it ....) camera wise, it's in the middle (well they use the same setup as the 250-350$ range ) 4000mAh might be actually the only good point

$699.99 / €749.99 / £699.99. mmhhhh, the price is a tad lower than a S8/S8+/8S/8S+/X but being a tad lower than product that are already overpriced is ... :laugh:


"Razer has produced something that is a step ahead of any other mobile gaming device"
UH? errrr nope absolutely not .... it's in line with all the rest (but since it's Razer .... ah...ah...ahah...ah..... urk)
that were announced previously this year .... what innovation? the 120hz display? (Sharp Aquos P1/R Compact ...) nahhhh it's actually a gimmick ... 60hz screen are doing perfectly fine and QHD 120hz is useless sub 10" 720p is fine up to 5.2" and 1080p is ideal up to 8" (1200p actually for 8")

oh well a rebranded Nexbit Robin with a 120hz IGZO screen and a SD835 .... neeeext .....
Posted on Reply
#22
Ubersonic
cryohellincWho plays games on phones? Little kids?
In fairness it is a phablet.
Posted on Reply
#23
P4-630
cryohellincWho plays games on phones? Little kids?
This is a phone for "Enthusiasts".... OC it till it melts down in your hands!!! :rockout::pimp:
Posted on Reply
#24
Roph
120hz phones have been around for a while already in Japan. This isn't the first by a long shot.

And it's also missing the headphone jack, so it can get lost.
Posted on Reply
#25
GreiverBlade
Roph120hz phones have been around for a while already in Japan. This isn't the first by a long shot.

And it's also missing the headphone jack, so it can get lost.
and also missing a fingerprint scanner .... feature that even 250$ (and slightly under) phones have

given the choice at almost a similar pricing between that one and a Nokia 8 .... i take the later (tho i already own a Nokia 5 that does everything i need quite fine .... including PSP emulation, with rom of games i own from my previous PSP, at a satisfying rate with PPSSPP, or any other games that run smoothly even at 60hz on a SD430 )
Posted on Reply
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