Motorola Razr 2 V8 review

Motorola Razr 2 V8 Review

Reviewed by: Andrew Lim

Reviewed on: 6 August 2007

It's incredible to think that the Motorola Razr V3, one of the most important mobile phones ever to be produced, came out in 2004, particularly when you keep in mind that it's still selling well.

After many ups and downs and a series of average handsets, Motorola has finally produced a Razr worthy of its name -- the Motorola Razr 2 V8. It's thinner, it's shinier and it packs more features.

The V8 will be available on several network operators for free on a monthly contract.

Design
If you've owned the Motorola Razr V3, the first thing you'll notice about Razr 2 V8 is how shiny it is. We're told the case is made up of stainless steel, chrome and chemically hardened glass, but it feels like plastic to us. It certainly feels a little less solid than the original.

In a quick straw-poll, not everyone here was taken by the glossy finish that shimmers in almost every light, but it will appeal to you if you like phones such as the LG Shine.

The V8's external screen is large and lets you control the music player via touch-sensitive keys

One of the most impressive updates is the large external screen that measures a whopping 31mm wide by 40mm tall, which is larger than the main screen on most phones, let alone the external screen. It's a touchscreen, too, but more on that later.

The V8 is a little taller than the V3, but also a little thinner, measuring a pocket-friendly 12mm deep. Fortunately it's just as wide as the original, so you still get that reassuring grip when you hold it.

Open up the V8 and you're presented with a large, bright colour screen and a good-sized, easy-to-use keypad that doesn't have the obstructive lip at the bottom that's common to many slider phones. The keypad design is flat and in-keeping with all the previous Razr keypads.

Due to the V8's slim chassis, the buttons on the side of our engineering sample felt a little fiddly to press and the V8's hinge didn't seem to lock very well when opened -- it produced a creaking sound when pushed back slightly by your ear during calls.

Features
The V8's Linux-based interface is a huge improvement from the cumbersome and annoying Motorola interfaces of old. It really is like using a phone made by another manufacturer altogether. The icons are cute and well laid-out, and everything is much easier to use than usual. Texting, taking photos and playing tunes are all straightforward processes, and you can control the MP3 player without opening the phone.

The V8's keypad is pretty similar to the original V3 keypad, but it doesn't have the big lip at the bottom, making it easier to access the bottom row of keys

It's all thanks to the touch-sensitive external screen, which vibrates slightly when touched to let you know that a key has been pressed. It works well, giving a similar level of tactile feedback as you get when pressing mechanical keys.