Gaming phones like the new Razer Phone 2 seem to fascinate the companies that make them more than the general public. Razer really wants “gaming phones” to happen. But if you’re not sure what that means, the only way for them to convince you is to make gaming phones.
So Razer is at it again with the second iteration of its phone that’s dedicated to the idea that people want the smartphone equivalent of a high-end PC with gaming specs. Razer’s hope is that if you’re deeply involved in mobile gaming, want to stream gameplay, or think you can gain an edge in your next match from gaming-oriented hardware, investing in a phone specifically tailored for what you’re into might make sense.
However, mobile gaming doesn’t have the same lofty requirements as PC gaming. You don’t need a massive desktop or a 2,000$ Laptop to play mobile games at their best settings; any other flagship smartphone will do. What Razer wants you to believe is that the Phone 2 is a great phone and the best gaming phone. But only one of those things is true.
Advantages in this flagship are Smoothest display on any current Android phone, Best speakers on any current Android phone and A light-up Chroma logo. Where disadvantages are Cameras are (still) a miss, brick design is unwieldy and gets warm playing videos / games. Since the original Razer Phone launched last year, the
Razer Phone 2 has gone through a long list of improvements, but it kept its boxy design. Razer didn’t change the bezels in this year’s model. They’re everywhere! For a device with such thick top and bottom sections dedicated to the speakers, I would have hoped there would be smaller bezels framing the screen.