Product Listing

Motorola RAZR - Thin as a Blade

By Wong Casandra - 17 Nov 2011
Launch SRP: S$888

Overview & Design

To RAZR or not to RAZR?

The newest Motorola RAZR in town holds some similarities with its past iteration; off the bat, there's a lot of effort placed into making the phone look good but otherwise, this new family member shares more similarities with its top-end Android Atrix siblings. Some of these high-end functions include: 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Advanced touchscreen, and an 8-megapixel camera. Thin, high-functioning and attractive, what's there not to like in this svelte smartphone? Well, we take a quick look in this review:

Thin and minimalist, we say.

During the official launch, Motorola waxed lyrical about "precision machine stainless steel core, laminated construction for enhanced rigidity, and laser-cut woven Kevlar fiber" and we must say, it shows magnificently on the smartphone. The back feels smooth and scratch-proof and best yet, does not attract fingerprints. Another thing to note about the construction of the phone is that it is slightly tapered at all four corners, making it easier to get a firm grip on it. All in all, the RAZR is a lean and mean phone that comes across as well-constructed, sturdy and comfortable to hold.


At 7.1mm thin, the RAZR is slimmer than a pencil and most importantly, the thinnest smartphone of its class. To give this declaration some context, the device is about 2mm thinner than both iPhone 4/4S and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

There are no physical buttons on the smartphone. Instead, it relies on four well-spaced touch controls below its huge screen. The bad thing is that they aren't really obvious under bright sunlight. On the bright side, they light up in the dark, saving us the trouble of fumbling.

The ports are all readily available on the top, keeping it in line with its overly minimalist image.

Keeping in line with the minimalist and classy look, black, grey and silver are part of the color palate that decorates the RAZR.

As the phone's battery is unremovable, the microSIM and microSD card holders have been relegated to the bottom left of its profile. A simple hatch has been constructed to protect these from external elements.

Notice the attractive silver-accented button at the top of the right profile? Yes, that's the power/sleep button. Slightly below it, you can find the volume controls. While these buttons are flat, they are relatively easy to press and are responsive. The volume controls could do with a little more length, but this isn't a big complaint on our part.

The Kevlar fibred back feels smooth and scratchproof (and best yet, does not attract fingerprints).
 

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8.0
  • Design 8.5
  • Features 8
  • User-Friendliness 7.5
  • Performance 7.5
  • Value 8
The Good
Sturdy and classy design
Thin 7.1mm profile
Useful software additions and accessories
Substantial battery life
The Bad
Finicky auto-focusing issues and poor low light performance
Confusing and clunky UI
Sluggish user experience with UI navigation
No Android 4.0 OS yet
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