Samsung may have a big phone on the way in August, but it’s not the only big phone on the way, with another arriving as early as this week.
There’s a new phone in town, and it’s not from a company you might expect a smartphone from: Razer.
Yes, the gaming hardware company responsible for mice, laptops, and mechanical keyboards also has a phone, though you’d be forgiven for not realising it.
Announced last year, Razer’s first foray into the smartphone market is an Android device made for gaming, and given mobile gaming is seriously taking off, it’s easy to understand why.
Razer’s take on this is to get mobile games looking and performing the best they can, last year’s familiar Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and pairing it with a staggering 8GB RAM, as well as Android 8.1 “Oreo”.
The phone also features two 12 megapixel cameras — wide and close — and a special 5.7 inch screen running at 2560×1440 and 120Hz to provide smoother video inside those games, while the audio supports Dolby Atmos and is certified for THX, though will probably sound better with a pair of headphones attached.
You’ll also find 64GB storage, 4G, WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, and a 4000mAh battery to keep the phone going through the long sessions.
Essentially, Razer’s Phone is a 5.7 inch phone made for folks who like mobile entertainment, and quite a bit of it, with a dash of fingerprint security thrown in for good measure under the power button on the side, much like how it used to be on Sony’s smartphones.
But this is no Sony Xperia, and Razer’s phone more comes from the DNA of Razer rather than any other phone company, something that is evident from the specs being focused on media, such as the Atmos and THX sound capability, as well as the 120Hz screen support, something we expect on gaming laptops and monitors, but not smartphones.
The good news is despite the feeling that this one would skip Australia, it appears to finally be landing, albeit a little bit late. While November saw its announcement to the world, Australia is finally getting the Razer Phone pretty much now, with JB HiFi seeing the Razer Phone for $1099 this week, followed by Razer’s online store next week.
