Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News

      MultiChoice: We can’t afford to compete without help

      17 July 2025

      The internet’s weakest link is under the ocean

      17 July 2025

      AI misuse shakes South African courtrooms

      17 July 2025

      Boom gates go hi-tech at South African malls

      17 July 2025

      Megayachts and mansions: the lavish life of 80-year-old Larry Ellison

      17 July 2025
    • World

      Grok 4 arrives with bold claims and fresh controversy

      10 July 2025

      Samsung’s bet on folding phones faces major test

      10 July 2025

      Bitcoin pushes higher into record territory

      10 July 2025

      OpenAI to launch web browser in direct challenge to Google Chrome

      10 July 2025

      Cupertino vs Brussels: Apple challenges Big Tech crackdown

      7 July 2025
    • In-depth

      The 1940s visionary who imagined the Information Age

      14 July 2025

      MultiChoice is working on a wholesale overhaul of DStv

      10 July 2025

      Siemens is battling Big Tech for AI supremacy in factories

      24 June 2025

      The algorithm will sing now: why musicians should be worried about AI

      20 June 2025

      Meta bets $72-billion on AI – and investors love it

      17 June 2025
    • TCS

      TCS+ | Samsung unveils significant new safety feature for Galaxy A-series phones

      16 July 2025

      TCS+ | MVNX on the opportunities in South Africa’s booming MVNO market

      11 July 2025

      TCS | Connecting Saffas – Renier Lombard on The Lekker Network

      7 July 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E4: Takealot’s big Post Office jobs plan

      4 July 2025

      TCS | Tech, townships and tenacity: Spar’s plan to win with Spar2U

      3 July 2025
    • Opinion

      A smarter approach to digital transformation in ICT distribution

      15 July 2025

      In defence of equity alternatives for BEE

      30 June 2025

      E-commerce in ICT distribution: enabler or disruptor?

      30 June 2025

      South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

      17 June 2025

      AI and the future of ICT distribution

      16 June 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CambriLearn
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SevenC
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Telit Cinterion
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Wipro
      • Workday
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Science
      • SMEs and start-ups
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » Gadgets & Reviews » Motorola Razr review: top-heavy powerhouse

    Motorola Razr review: top-heavy powerhouse

    By Editor15 November 2011
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp

    Remember the Razr? It was Motorola’s incredibly popular series of super-thin flip phones that sold more than 130m units, making it the most popular “clamshell”-style phone in the history on the mobile device industry.

    Well, the Razr is back, at least in name if not in design, in the form of the XT910. However, the new Razr, and Android-powered smartphone, bears little resemblance, apart from its slim profile, to the clamshells that Motorola made so popular in the middle of last decade.

    The XT910 is a feature-packed device and a great advertisement for a company many critics had written off as a handset manufacturer.

    Like many of its Android-based contemporaries, the Razr boasts a 540×960-pixel 4,3-inch screen. Like the high-end offerings from Samsung — the Galaxy S II and the Galaxy Note — it’s a “super Amoled” display that looks fantastic in almost all light conditions. Despite its large screen, it feels smaller in the hand than the similarly sized HTC Sensation, no doubt because of its ultra-slim profile.

    The rear of the Razr XT910

    At just 7,1mm at its thickest and weighing only 127g, the Razr has a wafer-thin body that broadens at the top where the 8-megapixel camera and LED flash are housed. Like Apple, Motorola has opted for a closed unit with the Razr — the 1 780mAh battery cannot be removed and the micro Sim (yes, you read that right) and microSD slots are accessed beneath a cover on the side of the device.

    With 16GB of internal storage and support for an additional 32GB using microSD cards, the Razr is well positioned to exploit its fantastic display for media playback – and the camera shoots video at 1080p. Motorola claims a screen density of 256 pixels per inch.

    The Razr ships with Google Android 2.3.5 (that’s Gingerbread to those who don’t like jargon) and this, in conjunction with the handset’s powerful 1,2GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 processor and 1GB of RAM, results in a snappy and smooth interface. Motorola says it will be upgradeable to the new Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) — but there’s no date specified for that just yet. Given that Google is in the process of buying the company, we’re inclined to believe it won’t take long.

    Motorola’s Android overlay provides five home screens, as opposed to the seven favoured by some other manufacturers, but this shouldn’t present any sort of limitation for most users.

    Otherwise, the overlay is primarily cosmetic, with a couple of Motorola-specific widgets and is less offensive and all-encompassing than the MotoBlur overlay the company favoured for phones like the Atrix.

    Super-slim smartphone

    Like the Atrix before it, the Razr offers an HDMI port, a further indication that Motorola wants to position the Razr as a pocket-sized media powerhouse. To this end it also includes support for DLNA — which allows users to stream media to compatible devices – and the ability to use the device as a Wi-Fi hotspot.

    It also includes an FM radio, which, while previously common on all handsets, is now something that some manufacturers choose to include and other don’t.

    Being a high-end smartphone, the Razr includes 3G (up to 14,4Mbit/s on the downlink) and all Wi-Fi protocols. The display supports multi-touch input, offers haptic feedback, and is protected by damage-resistant Gorilla Glass. There’s also an accelerometer for automatic rotation of the user interface and a proximity sensor for deactivating the screen during calls.

    As with the Atrix, Razr users can purchase an optional “lapdock” that essentially turns the device into a netbook. The lapdock is a “dumb” device in that it’s a screen, keyboard and battery but isn’t functional without the Razr plugged into it. It’s an interesting move from Motorola and we will have to wait until its next set of financial results is announced to see how well the accessory has performed.

    Motorola has included the ability to create “smart actions” on the Razr. These include location-triggered actions like turning off mobile data when you get to the office or time-based actions like turning off all data functionality between, say, midnight and 6am.

    Like so many of its counterparts, the only serious complaint to be levelled at the Razr is its battery life. With Wi-Fi on but the device otherwise idle, power on our test unit dropped by about 15%/hour. Though smartphone power users will be accustomed to charging their devices daily, or even several times a day, it’s the one area where smartphones really need to catch up in terms of innovation.

    Otherwise, the Motorola Razr is a beautiful device. The interface is clean and intuitive, the phone is incredibly responsive, and the display is outstanding. If you’re looking for an Android smartphone, the Kevlar-backed Razr is both stylish and incredibly capable. Quite frankly, it’s a joy to use.  — Craig Wilson, TechCentral

    • The Razr costs R6 999 out of contract and is available now
    • Subscribe to our free daily newsletter
    • Follow us on Twitter or on Facebook
    • Visit our sister website, SportsCentral (still in beta)


    Apple Google HTC Motorola Motorola Razr XT910 Samsung
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleGijima extends focus on IT consumerisation
    Next Article More criticism of telecoms law amendments

    Related Posts

    TCS+ | Samsung unveils significant new safety feature for Galaxy A-series phones

    16 July 2025

    Mental wellness at scale: how Mac fuels October Health’s mission

    15 July 2025

    Apple plans product blitz to reignite growth

    11 July 2025
    Company News

    SA businesses embrace gen AI – but strategy and skills are lagging

    17 July 2025

    Ransomware in South Africa: the human factor behind the growing crisis

    16 July 2025

    Mental wellness at scale: how Mac fuels October Health’s mission

    15 July 2025
    Opinion

    A smarter approach to digital transformation in ICT distribution

    15 July 2025

    In defence of equity alternatives for BEE

    30 June 2025

    E-commerce in ICT distribution: enabler or disruptor?

    30 June 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.