It’s not easy re-launching an icon, but Motorola’s new RAZR does a stand-up job as second act to the best selling phone of all time. With a nod to its predecessor the RAZR V8 is criminally good looking. Slim, shiny and with a sculpted shell free of any obvious seams, it’s a design masterpiece.
Like the original, there’s an external screen to gawp at, although it’s a mammoth 2-incher this time round, complete with touch-screen abilities to control the RAZR’s music player.
What’s more, this is the first phone with ‘haptics’ technology. That’s a fancy way of saying it vibrates when you touch the screen, but it certainly helps when thumbing it in your pocket.
The whole package oozes class. Motorola’s code monkeys have clearly been hard at work, sprucing up the menus to make the new RAZR’s interface infinitely better than the last model. The new system is slick and fast, and while it’s not quite on par with Sony Ericsson or Nokia’s designs, it’s a giant leap forward for Motorola.
The V8’s not just a pretty face with a revamped menu though, there’s a better camera, masses of built-in storage and, if you plump for the 3G version, you’ll get HSDPA for swift web browsing too.
Overall though, the new RAZR feels a lot like the old one. That’s not a criticism. Motorola has taken its golden child and completely eradicated its annoying glitches. The RAZR is dead, long live the RAZR.
Verdict
The best RAZR yet, just wait for everyone to start buying them again.
Best features
High-res display and external touch-screen
2 megapixel camera
512 Mb of memory built in
Stereo Bluetooth
Even thinner than the original RAZR
Not so good
Few real changes in style, so the design looks slightly dated
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