0322

Author: simplyfree.biz

Description: After three years of touting the Razr brand, Motorola has yet to give up on the thin phone that jumpstarted the skinny-handset trend. Motorola has come out with the second-generation set of the Razr, dubbed the Razr2. While we admit to feeling a little fatigue over the Razr, we have to admit we like this new Razr2 series. Stacked with a number of cool features like a 2-megapixel camera and full Bluetooth support, the Razr2 sets itself apart from the rest with a very eye-catching design. The brand-new chassis is made of steel and hardened glass, and there's a gorgeous external screen with haptic touch screen buttons on the bottom row. These buttons differ depending on which carrier the Razr2 is under.

The Razr2 V9 is AT&T's version of the Razr2, and it has all the same features plus a few that are tailor-made for AT&T. It has HSDPA support, which also lends itself to access to AT&T's broadband services like Cellular Video and AT&T Music. The bottom row of the external screen is also dedicated to music player controls, which is different from the Razr2s from Sprint and Verizon. There are a few issues with the design, like the lack of one-button access to the music player and certain hard-to-press keys, but we like its overall aesthetic. Add that to excellent performance, and you have a very impressive successor to the original Razr. The Motorola Razr2 V9 is available for $299 with a 2-year contract.

Design
Like the other Razrs, the Motorola Razr2 V9 is certainly a design-focused phone. However, it is remarkably different from its predecessors, with a beautiful steel shell and a hardened glass exterior protecting its front face. It is also significantly wider, with a measurement of 2 inches wide, 4 inches long, and 0.5 inch deep. The overall feel is quite luxurious, thanks to its extra heft and sturdy construction. The hinge appears to be a solid piece of steel, adding to the feeling of durability.

The primary attraction of the Razr2 is its massive external screen, which is overlaid by the aforementioned glass exterior. Measuring about 2 inches diagonally, the display is simply stunning, and provides the phone with a distinct look that sets it apart from the other Razrs. The glass does attract a lot of smudges however, and its glossy surface makes it hard to see in bright sunlight. It supports around 262,000 colors, so photo caller ID is definitely supported. On standby mode, the date, time, signal, and battery strength are displayed, as well as background wallpaper. You can use the external screen as a camera viewfinder for self-portraits, and it displays caller ID as well.




The Razr2 V9 has a camera lens above the external screen.

The Razr2 V9's external screen isn't just pretty, it's functional too. When the music player is activated, three display keys show up on the bottom row. They act as rewind, play/pause, and fast-forward/skip buttons, respectively. Luckily, even though the keys are all touch-sensitive, they provide haptic or vibrating feedback when touched. In general, we prefer real physical buttons over touch-sensitive ones, but the vibration does provide enough tactile feedback for controlling the music. We wished that these music controls were on the external display even when in standby mode, so that we didn't have to go through the phone's menu to activate the music player. The external display also shows album art and the currently playing track.

Rounding out the phone's exterior are the skinny volume rocker and Smart key on the left spine, with a dedicated camera key on the right. The Smart key is used to lock or unlock the side keys, and when the music player is activated, it also opens up the music player menu. The volume rocker can then be used to scroll through the menu. A nice bonus is that these side keys also provide a vibrating feedback when pressed, which is a good thing because they are so skinny and hard to press. On top of the external screen is the camera lens, while the microSD card slot is located behind the battery cover. We found the cover incredibly difficult to remove, and would prefer it if the microSD card slot was located somewhere else.

Flip open the phone and you'll find a fabulous 2.2-inch diagonal internal display. Like the external screen, it also supports 262,000 colors, and images look great as a result. They were bright, vibrant, and saturated with color. The menu interface is fairly standard for AT&T, and it's easy to navigate through. Though you can adjust the backlight time, you can't adjust the brightness or font size.

The navigation array is located underneath the display and the Razr2 V9's huge hinge and consists of two soft keys, the familiar circular toggle with middle OK button, a dedicated Web browser key (which goes directly to AT&T's MediaNet portal), and a dedicated key for AT&T's Cellular Video service. The toggle also doubles as shortcuts to a new text message, the instant-messaging menu, the address book, and mobile e-mail. There are also the familiar Talk, Clear/Back, and End/Power keys. The keypad buttons underneath are set in a slightly curved design, which sets it apart from the other Razr2s. As with previous Razrs, the keypad and the navigation buttons are flush with the surface of the phone, making them a little difficult to dial. That said, the buttons have a little more snap when pressed. Thankfully though, the keys are very well-spaced, with large type, and have slightly raised numbers that provide a little bit of tactile definition