After weeks of speculation, Motorola finally introduced its latest flagship device today, the Droid RAZR HD, a worthy successor to the phone that has kept the company competitive in the increasingly dense Android market. The RAZR HD is a worthy step-up from its predecessor, boasting a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED display with 720p resolution that gives just about every phone on the market a run for its money. It's big, it's beautiful, and it will simply blow you away if you're stepping up from a regular ole RAZR. It's just about as good as it gets.
The new RAZR line is incredibly powerful, with a Snapdragon S4 underneath the hood pushing along Ice Cream Sandwich and just the slightest hint of Motorola tweaking. About that ICS-- Motorola had a mixture of demo units today with both ICS and Jelly Bean, and told reporters that Jelly Bean will be available for the entire line by the end of the year. Something tells me that they're rushing to get it onboard before the RAZR HD and RAZR HD Maxx launch, but don't hold your breath. Regardless, even with ICS, this thing flies, and earns its spot in the upper-tier of premium Android superphones.
Compared to the original RAZR, there are certainly noticeable differences but there are also many similarities. You've got Kevlar back for another round, though this time it wraps around the device, instead of being limited to the back panel only. It's got a 2,530 mAH battery that doesn't match the MAXX's 3,300 mAH but will almost surely match Samsung, LG and HTC's competitors. The new RAZR also has a metallic perimeter, ala the iPhone 4S, that adds a certain sense of luxury to the device. It also adds a solid feel, something that's sorely missing from its major competitor, the plastic GS3. Motorola has always focused on quality hardware, but this iteration of the RAZR takes the company to a whole new level. The RAZR line just may be the most premium-feeling smartphones on the market today.
Motorola was tight-lipped on release date and pricing, though we can expect the RAZR HD sometime before holidays in both a black model and an all-white model as seen below in comparisons with the M. Until then, some hands-on photos of the RAZR HD-- along with comparisons with the Maxx and M-- are below.
Reader comments
Droid RAZR HD hands-on
Very sharp and professional looking. I'd even consider trading my Galaxy S3 for the new Razr HD.
I'm really excited for googerola's future. Motorola is pretty good at releasing top notch hardware, combine that with beautiful software like JB and you've got a pretty nice match.
One thing I really appreciate is that they still include the HDMI out on their devices - something I think folks overlook quite a bit. Yeah, yeah, I know - you can get an MHL adapter to get the same thing. But less is more when it comes to that kind of jazz.
Throw in one of Moto's little bluetooth keyboard/mouse combos and you've got a nice little 2nd/3rd/4th computer to run over your TV and Webtop.
Winning
I'm really excited for googerola's future. Motorola is pretty good at releasing top notch hardware, combine that with beautiful software like JB and you've got a pretty nice match.
One thing I really appreciate is that they still include the HDMI out on their devices - something I think folks overlook quite a bit. Yeah, yeah, I know - you can get an MHL adapter to get the same thing. But less is more when it comes to that kind of jazz.
Throw in one of Moto's little bluetooth keyboard/mouse combos and you've got a nice little 2nd/3rd/4th computer to run over your TV and Webtop.
Winning
Does anyone besides me realize what Motorola is doing? They have successfully overcome one for Android's major weaknesses. Battery life. The S4 processor SIPS battery as anyone with a GS3, One X, or One S knows. With a 2000 mAh battery, the RaZR M will easily last all day. With it's 2,500 mAh battery, the RAZR HD might last as long as the current RAZR MAXX. And with it's 3,300 mAh battery, the RAZR HD MAXX will make the current RAZR MAXX's battery life look short. This is all of course assuming that they got all the software right but still. Motorola Battery life FTW!!!
atleast for these devices. If you look at what they did with the Motorola Photon Q 4g LTE putting a 1700mah non removable battery is a deal breaker for many. Im hoping they will release a Motorola photon Q MAXX 4g LTE dont think it will happen but will keep wishing.
Nice looking phone. Let's see about updates. For some reason I think they will fly out of Googlerola.
I have been wondering the same thing. Their ICS skin is much less blur and closer to stock, that too should lower the wait time.
Looks rather decent at the front side. Too bad Lumia 920 is clearly superior.
dear moto... you have finally made a device i would buy. yay.. too bad you got your nut sack in verizons purse cause i will never go there.
really wish they released more top shelf devices to more carriers. seems like they build high end devices for hte USA CDMA networks and the GSM's get the crap left over.
Wait super amoled? why wouldn't they use an LCD panel like on the Atrix 2?
Nice device no question in spite of Verizon and there inability to push out major updates. Glad I roll with Samsung why cause my Galaxy S3 will have jellybean by the end of September. Plus my NEXT DEVICE PURCHASE will come with jellybean out the box matter of fact the only device launching with jellybean my Galaxy Note 2.
I believe that the nexus 7 launched with jelllybean in fact I know it did.
Get to the real question. Is that stock or near stock Android?
Near-stock. I'm pretty sure the only way you get pure stock is with Nexus devices. Notice that swiping the homescreen to the right gives you options for creating a new homescreen panel instead of having more homescreens already created. Swiping to the left gives you quick settings. I guess you could say the widget counts as non-stock too, but widgets are just widgets, nothing more.
All that said, it's about as close to stock as I've seen on a non-Nexus device. Nearly everything fits in with the Holo design language. The same can't be said of HTC Sense or Samsung's TouchWiz (I haven't seen enough of Huawei's Emotion UI or LG's nameless skin to judge those).
Would be cool without the stupid giant Verizon logo out front. Take a page from how Sprint does it and just have the Moto or HTC or Sammy logo on the front. One is enough on a high end device.
Motorola is promising JellyBean by the end of the year, Verizon isn't.
vzw will get their shit together.....i know it.
When pigs fly.
i'm sure we call all assume it will have a locked bootloader..
..and why is this running ICS again?
Verizon on both reasons.
They are releasing a developer edition for folks that want an unlocked bootloader. Personally, I don't flash anything so I don't care regardless.
Camera must really suck as NO ONE has mentioned it at all. Not surprising since this is Motorola.
Funny how Motorola is the only company that is using Google's ICS+ recommendation of on-screen buttons only (aside from GNex of course). I wonder if they had any influence on that decision...
I wonder if part of the reason they don't is because it requires too much modification of their skins, HTC,LG and Samsung are the major holdouts still using capacitive buttons and they use heavy skins, also sine customers aren't sure about on screen buttons, I have them on my Gnex, I didn't think I'd like them but they are fine, I just wish they'd go away when I'm playing a game, like when I watch a video, that's my only complaint. Sony has used on-screen buttons and their skin is pretty light.
You could swipe up from the bottom to retrieve them when needed.
Not true. Sony, Acer, and Asus also use it. And by Asus, I don't mean the Nexus 7, that is obvious. I mean on the padfone.
Um... I've never seen an Asus phone. And The Acer padfone does not have on-screen keys.
You are mixed up. It is the ASUS padfone and yes it does have onscreen keys, as do the Acer liquid series phones.
http://www.asus.com/Mobile/PadFone/
googlerola ..
Video is private right now, can't watch.
Refresh, fine sir.
Uh-oh, silver bezel, looks too much like an iphone...better watch out!!!!
If anyone is stupid enough to confuse this with an iPhone, then they shouldn't be allowed to have a smartphone at all :)
They should be given a free iPhone as a matter of fact
For being so stupid lol. Match made in heaven
ha good burn.
Hell. I'll take a free iPhone. Sell it on Craigslist :)
I was thinking the exact same thing, watch out for Apple patent trolls.
thats pretty sleek looking, i like it