The Problem With The Motorola RAZR 2
May 16th, 2007 by Ed Lau |Let me tell you a little story, but first, some background.
Engadget posted some hands-on pictures of the Motorola RAZR 2 this week and, like it’s predecessor, it looks fantastic. The exterior screen, in particular, is huge and looks to be a nice, high resolution. At first, I thought it was just a revision of the RAZR maxx V6 but the exterior screen makes it a new design. All the usual RAZR characteristics are there though. It’s still paper thin and metal, although this version goes for a flashier polished surface rather than the matte finish of the original.
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Knowing Motorola, it will also probably have exceptional reception, sound quality and battery life…so why would I rather punch myself in the face than buy one? Well, actually, I wouldn’t complain if someone gave it to me for free or if I found one outside my doorstep in a baby basket but if it were my own money, I’d dig a fork into my thigh.
The problem is that the phone is…well, a RAZR. Now when the original RAZR came out, I was one of the first to purchase one. In fact, I still have one that has a German firmware on it since I imported one from Europe. The phone was great. The reception was clear and I could get a few bars even inside my store, which is under a few floors of condos and a giant chunk of concrete. It was thin, metal and simple in that it was full of phone. It had a camera but it was a rather simple device meant as a phone, not the stupid GameBoy hybrids that many other companies try to make today. It was rather perfect, in fact, since it was just business and the design was sleek and stylish.
It was actually a bit too perfect. About 8 months after I blew a nice chunk of change getting one of the first off the production line, everyone and their grandma could get one…and most did! I seriously saw grannies that didn’t even know what a mobile phone was with these in their bags. I even saw commercials on TV that offered TWO RAZRs for $99 if you signed up for service. Needless to say, I went out and bought myself a new phone.
The RAZR is now entirely too common to be any kind of cool and if you like having something unique that you won’t see everyday, you’re out of luck when it comes to Motorolas. I hated having the same phone as every other person in any given place at any give time. It lost it’s “x-factor” the day Motorola made a deal to bring it to…everyone.
Think about it this way. If everyone had a Ferrari or a Mona Lisa or a Philippe Patek…would it be as awesome? No, of course not. That’s why the BMW 3-series is now the epitome of an un-cool car. It’s the same with the RAZR. The RAZR and all the phones based on it can never be cool again now that it has become the bargain-basement throw-in for 99 bucks. Instead of being an electronic and technical design masterpiece (see Nokia 8890), it is now a Wal-Mart lawn chair.
I’ll still tell friends that if they want the best phone for the money, get a RAZR but if they want something that’s a bit special, go with something else…anything else.
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And Motorola keeps pounding us with variations like the ROKR E6, SLVR, RIZR, etc.
I’m sure that’ll change soon. I’m hoping so, anyway. I recommended the stock on my blog. =S
Yeah, get that Vertu Phone you blogged about on [GAS]
When we were looking for a new phone for Andrea, we were deciding between a RAZR (V3i I believe) and an LG phone… I can’t believe how much the RAZR has come down in price.. it was like $1300 HKD ($185) and of course, no need to sign up for plans.
In the end though, she preferred the LG. It looks nicer, and everything else was pretty much equal in our view. The LG doesn’t have a memory slot, although I don’t think she’ll miss that function too much…
And yeah, pretty much everyone in North America has one now. They were popular for a while here, but now people are going for 3G phones with more functionality.
I am looking to replace my phone, but it needs to have a Windows OS for me to consider it.
i dont care who you are STAY AWAY from the RAZR2!!!!!!!! it is a complete piece ive had mine for under 3 months and paid full retail when it came out $530 and now it shuts off wnot tunr on wont charge freezes on applications and buttons dont work im on my 3rd one and they all have done the same thing sta away from motorola
Eureka, Ed! Basically any “cool” phone purchased from Telus, Rogers, or Fido will not be unique. The new slut on the block is the LG Chocolate and its many variations (Chocolate Slim, Chocolate Bar, Chocolate Cake, etc).
If you wanted to be unique, buy a phone from one of those smaller Chinese shops or a phone when vacationing in Hong KOng.
I bought my phone from one of those Chinese dealers and I bet you STILL haven’t heard of the brand. Does that make my phone crappy? Hmm…well it’s pretty, has a camera, dual display (which are still better than most local phones), mp3 ringtones. Standard stuff? Well i bought the phone over 3 years ago and I havent seen anyone else with one.
That’s why I never buy anything from the dealers. I have an importer that gets me all the stuff I want. I usually go for Samsungs.
The LG Chocolate is a horrible phone AND everyone has one.
All I want in a phone is for it to look good and have great reception…in that order.
The Chocolate is a beautiful phone, has great reception, and good battery life. However the interface is really slow.
Horrible review, I don’t care whats cool or not. I have more important things to worry about, like can I check my e-mails while I’m hundreds of kilometer’s out of the city. How smooth is the data service, or the p3 player. Any actual information would be nice, this review is garbage.
This isn’t a “review”…since I wrote this way in advance of the RAZR 2 actually being in stores.
This is just my opinion of the phone after the RAZR turned from a sleek, high-end phone to a low-end, and often free, toss in.
Please, if you’re going to spend that kind of money, do you really want the same phone as every old granny at the supermarket?
I sort of agree with you. The razr was very popular. But the razr 2 has come out and suprisingly enough everyone already has a razr and a krzr. So no one has the razr 2. It has been out for a while and i only know one person that has it. And it is a pretty sweet phone. So if you’re looking for a phone you should go for it. Otherwise you could try the LG shine. That is pretty sweet too.
I HATE! the razor 2 my music goes off when its on silent my screen has water spots on it when its never been in water or anywere close to water and its only 6 months old ! peaces of my phone have chipped off and the battery pannel on the back always comes off. the buttons are hard to touch so your always retyping txtmsg and numbers. the front screen always is scratched and the flip part of it is loose when i have it closed. so my opnion of the razor 2 is it sucks!
you youg fellers should be ashamed talking about these high technology”cell”
phones and stuff. when i was you i had to run to some ones house to tell them n not send 20 messages to them just to say hi! by the way im 86 years old and will never use a “cell” phone or any high technology device except this computer. so if you want a phone no one else has then get a crappy phone thats 15 years old and shut yer mouth. you damn spoiled little bastards or big fat nerds who just have to have the newest technology so go find yourself a wife and do her then if you have a child and he says i want the newest phone possible tell him the same story i told you and beat the crap out of him!