Razer Phone reveal: is it iPhone's next competitor?

What happens when you cram the best specs you can have on the market inside one smartphone, coupled with the most advanced screen to ever be used in mobile devices? Razer Phone is your answer. We knew we were in for a treat with Razer’s first ever smartphone, but we didn’t expect something that can take on devices like Apple’s from the get-go.

After months of speculations, analysis, and rumors, here’s our first look into what Razer has been cooking. The PC and Gaming peripherals company just made the jump to mobile, and it looks like a darn good jump thanks to its acquisition of Nextbit team earlier this year.

Official reveal of the Razer Phone took place in an event inside the London’s Science Museum, where we got to see the final product live. What we have here is a high end smartphone with some of the best-in-the-market specifications, as it boasts a Snapdragon 835 SoC, 8GB of RAM, and 64GB internal memory.

These areas might be the least interest, however, as the main selling point for the Razer Phone is its blazing 5.72 inch IGZO LCD display of 1440p resolution and an insane 120Hz refresh rate. What this means is that this screen can stand on its own against TV and PC screens in snappiness and image speed. Afterall, this is a phone that is targeted towards gamers.

You don’t have to worry about the battery life neither, as this beast packs a 4000mAh one that will keep you in duty for many hours of use throughout the day. On the back we have a double 12MP camera that can shoot wide and normal angle shots and switch between them on the go.

The borders on top and bottom of the device double as a Stereo speaker system which is said to be very loud and does support Dolby Atmos audio. No 3.5mm headphone jack sadly, so you’ll have to rely on the singular USB-C input to do every connectivity and recharging task. Luckily Razer does include a 3.5 to USB C cable, and we have a nice internal DAC certified by THX on the inside.

In short, Razer is aiming very high with its first mobile device just like it did with its Razer Blade laptop a couple of years ago when it entered the laptops market. What’s really interesting about the Razer Phone is how it focuses on essentials without all the unnecessary bells and whistles. It runs a stock Android Nougat 7.1.1 (upgradable Q1 2018 to Oreo), and has NOVA Launcher Prime pre-installed for free to customize your own experience the way you see fit.

All of that’s great, but what about the price? Well, we’re glad you asked, as this might be the single best thing about this smartphone. Whereas Apple and Samsung are selling their latest and greatest for upwards $1000 dollars, this bad boy will be costing you $300 dollars LESS. That’s right, the Razer Phone is a $700 device despite having a one-of-a-kind killer screen and insane specs for an Android device.

As for when this’ll be available we’re not so sure, but you can head over to Razer’s own website to reserve your unit right now so go check it out for more info.