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Razer Phone 2
Razer Phone 2
Razer Phone 2
Razer Phone 2
Razer Phone 2
Razer Phone 2
Razer Phone 2
Razer Phone 2
...


7.7/10
Informr score
The Razer Phone 2 currently has an Informr score of 7.7 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 35 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

The "1-Minute" Review

Verdict

If the allure of a high refresh rate display and playing the latest games at full quality appeals to you, the Razer Phone 2 excels. However, if you’re looking for a powerful, all-around phone, there are better values available.

What's good

  • Bright, colorful screen
  • 120hz refresh rate
  • Fast charging and wireless charging
  • IP67 rating
  • Snappy performance
  • MicroSD support
  • IP67 rating
  • Front-facing stereo speakers

What's bad

  • Chunky design
  • Weak camera
  • So-so battery life
  • Phone gets warm during gaming
  • No 3.5mm headphone jack

Gaming phones are a relatively new category.

Razer’s initial release -- the Razer Phone -- set the bar for the niche. And now that other companies are releasing gaming-focused options, Razer is back with a refresh -- the Razer Phone 2.

But does a phone built for gaming first and everything else second work for the average person?

Design

While most brands are trimming bezels and introducing curves to their designs, the Razer Phone 2 is a hefty rectangle of glass and aluminum. The only stylistic flair comes from the RGB logo on the glass rear panel. The logo offers 16.7 million color options and doubles as a notification light with the color changing based on the app wanting your attention.

Reviewers found the design chunky -- both in terms of how the phone looks and how it feels when holding it. While those with larger hands found the phone easy to use, reviewers with small hands found one-handed operation difficult and noted that the squared corners were uncomfortable in the hand after a few minutes of gaming.

On the upside, the design features an IP67 water and dust resistance rating.

Display

Around front, you’ll find the star of the phone -- a 5.7-inch 1440-by-2560 LCD panel with HDR support that runs at 120hz.

What does 120hz mean? Essentially, for every frame that a normal phone renders, this one renders two. This provides silky movement and extra snap in responsiveness. Reviewers indicate the difference in smoothness and response offered by 120hz is noticeable.

However, the 120hz mode only works when apps support it. So don’t expect it to work everywhere.

Reviewers applauded the phone for its excellent contrast and punchy colors. While they also note that it doesn’t compare to an AMOLED or OLED panel, most were happy with the experience when watching movies or playing games. Lastly, with a 500 nit brightness rating, there are no worries about use in brightly lit rooms or outdoors.

Performance

The Razer Phone 2 sports the popular 2.8Ghz Snapdragon 845 processor found in many of 2018’s high-end phones. Paired with 8GB of RAM, reviewers had zero issues with sluggishness, stuttering, or crashes.

The included Game Booster app also allows you to set performance and visual settings for each game to provide a balance between detailed graphics and battery life. Reviewers found the app worked as described by Razer.

Unfortunately, this performance comes heat concerns. The phone gets warm after a few minutes of game play. Reviewer opinions ranged from “warm to the touch” to “uncomfortable to hold”.

Software

The phone’s software is also a mixed bag. While it ships with Android 8.1 Oreo -- an older Android release -- it includes virtually no bloatware and offers a near-stock Android experience. Razer has promised an update to Android 9.0 Pie in early 2019.

Storage

While 64GB of internal storage is enough for the average phone user, gamers might run out of space quickly. Still, microSD card support for cards up to 1TB in size makes expanding the storage on the phone fast and affordable.

Cameras

On paper, the dual-lens rear camera looks impressive. Both lenses are 12MP but one lens is a 2x telephoto lens while the other is a wide-angle lens with optical image stabilization. In real-world use, reviewers had mixed opinions. The camera improves on the lackluster performance of the original Razer Phone but doesn’t keep up with similarly priced options from the competition.

While photos were often in focus and white balance was good, reviewers complained of washed out colors and a general lack of contrast. In low-light situations, noise and a lack of detail rendered many shots unusable.

The 8MP front-facing lens garnered similar reviews. However, it has one stand out feature -- 60 FPS recording. This makes the phone ideal for mobile gamers might stream their game play online or record commentary.

Battery Life

The Razer Phone 2 includes a massive 4000mAh battery with USB Type-C fast charging. Quick Charge 4.0 offers a charge from empty to 50% in about 30 minutes. There’s also wireless charging.

And if you plan to play games regularly, you’ll need all the charging you can get. Reviews showed that a 2-hour gaming session would drop the phone’s battery to half capacity.

However, if you’re simply using it as a phone -- checking emails, browsing social media, and taking the occasional call -- reviewers had no problems hitting a full day from a single charge.

Audio

The phone might disappoint if you’re looking to use your favorite cans to immerse yourself in the latest games and movies. There’s no 3.5mm headphone jack. While Razer includes a 3.5mm to USB Type-C adapter, using it means you can’t charge your phone and use headphones at the same time.

However, if you don’t mind others hearing what you’re playing or listening to, the two front-facing speakers that flank the display received endless praise from reviewers. Many called them the best speakers they’d heard on a mobile phone.

Whether you’re using headphones or the speakers, Dolby Atmos is included to provide more spatial awareness -- a critical feature in games like PUBG or Fortnite. Better still, reviewers found that Atmos was more than a gimmick, allowing them to hear players sneaking up behind them or cars zooming around corners.

The Takeaway

Reviewer recommendations on Razer’s latest release are mixed.

On one hand, it offers stellar performance -- even if it gets warm. But battery life is only so-so when gaming and the cameras are weak compared to similarly priced options.

While the phone offers a gaming experience like no other, it sacrifices ergonomics and camera quality to do so. For some reviewers, that compromise was unacceptable.

Engadget says, “If you're a person that puts gaming first, then definitely take a look at the Razer Phone 2. If you're not though, then you might want to look elsewhere.

Android Central says, “I'd recommend the Razer Phone 2 to anyone 's fully onboard to invest in mobile gaming and appreciates the ability to play the latest and greatest games as they were meant to be experienced.


Android
Operating system
Operating system
Android
2.8 GHz
Processor
Processor
2.8 GHz
5.7"
Screen Size
Screen Size
5.7"
12+ MP, f/1.75
Camera
Camera
12+ MP, f/1.75
4000 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


Cellular News
Cellular News

Razer Phone 2 is still a smart buy this year and could easily compete with your latest gaming phones. With a decent chipset thoughtfully combined with excellent mobile architecture, it lives up to its purpose — that is to be a true gaming device. What’s more, it’s getting cheaper! You might want to...

- Rexan, Cellular News
TheCanadianTechie
TheCanadianTechie

The Razer Phone 2 is a solid device that offers a great 120Hz display, fast performance and a battery that lasts all day. But after using the Razer Phone 2 for a few weeks, I’m not sure I’m totally sold on the idea of gaming phone considering that there are other smartphones out there will similar o...

- Sachin Bahal, TheCanadianTechie
Techaeris
Techaeris

This device offers great value for the specifications. It performs well for apps and gaming, features a nice buttery smooth display with high refresh rate, and has some of the best sounding speakers I’ve heard in a smartphone. With services like Google Stadia and Project xCloud on the horizon, when...

- Jason Bouwmeester, Techaeris
Phandroid
Phandroid

If you’re looking for something that truly focuses on gaming while doing the other day-to-day tasks well, then the list should with the Razer Phone 2. This isn’t just a “gaming phone”. This has much of the same hardware as any other flagship on the market right now, save for the newer 2019 flagships...

- Matt Adams, Phandroid
Softpedia
Softpedia

For now, the Razer Phone remains one of the best gaming phones out there, but only because there aren’t too many of them. The third generation, which is due later this year, should better improve all of these significantly.

- Bogdan Popa & Silviu Stahie, Softpedia


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Razer Phone 2 user manual here.


Razer backs up the Phone 2 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Phone 2 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Razer support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Razer's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.



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Screen Size
5.7"

The Razer Phone 2's screen size is 5.7 inches with 1440 x 2560 pixels resolution.

Processor
2.8 GHz

There is a Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 Octa core 2.8 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on the Android 8.1 Oreo (Update Available: 9.0 Pie) operating system (OS).

Camera
12+ MP

You can take photos or capture video with the phone's onboard 12+ MP, f/1.75 camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with 8+ megapixels resolution.

Storage
64 GB

Internal memory is 64 GB. An external, MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 1000 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
4000mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion), 4000 mAh battery. Razer's performance ratings are 1625 minutes, 512 minutes Wi-Fi surfing.

Phone 2 Specs

Overview
Release Date October 26, 2018
Regions Available USA, Canada, United Kingdom
Operating System Android 8.1 Oreo (Update Available: 9.0 Pie)

Compare Android Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 Octa core 2.8 GHz
Internal Storage 64 GB
RAM 8 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible No
TTY/TDD No
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Head: 0.58 W/kg
Body: 0.58 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included USB Power Adapter, Manual, Data Cable
Cellular
Networks
GPRS, EDGE, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE
Mobile / Cellular Data
4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling Yes
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Yes
SIM card size
Nano-SIM
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB USB Type-C
USB OTG Support Yes
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, OPP/FTP, HID, HFP, HSP, PAN
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 1000 GB)
NFC Yes
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
12+ Megapixels, f/1.75
Zoom
2x optical
Flash
Yes (Dual LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Effects, Face detection, Geotagging, Image stabilization, ISO, Multi-shot, Panorama, Self-timer, Dual camera feature (12 MP 2nd camera, f/2.6), HDR
Video Recording Formats
MPEG-4
Video Recording Parameters
Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels)
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
8+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
Aperture f/2.0
Video Recording Parameters
Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels)
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology LCD (IPS)
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution 1440 x 2560 pixels
Pixel Density 513 pixels
Size 5.7 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating Yes
Additional Display Features Capacitive touchscreen, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 120 Hz refresh rate, Wide Color Gamut
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
Battery Capacity 4000 mAh
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging Yes
Fast Charging Yes
Video Playback Time Up to 415 minutes
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Up to 512 minutes
Internet Use (Cellular) Unknown
Talk Time Up to 1625 minutes
Standby Time Up to 23 days
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Glass
Colors Mirror Black, Satin Black
Dimensions [H x W x D] 15.85 x 7.899 x 0.85 cm (6.2 x 3.1 x 0.3 in)
Weight 220 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Water Resistant
Rugged design No
IP Rating IP 67
Headset Jack No
External Speakers Stereo
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key No
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor Yes
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Additional Information Other Names (AKA):
Related Links Manual (PDF)
Razer Phone 2 Reviews
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