Ross Catanzariti Good Gear Guide
Bottom Line:
The RAZR2 V9 is a similar handset to the original version with improvements that are largely aesthetic. This isn’t all bad news, although the camera could use an upgrade.
Now RAZR sharp in metallic gold
Motorola may have been fairly quiet of late in terms of the release of wholly new products, but it has released yet another version of its iconic RAZR handset. This edition of the RAZR2 retains the technical specifications of the original , but gets an added touch of class thanks to its 'Rose Gold' metallic finish.
The MOTORAZR2 Rose Gold is aesthetically pretty stunning. It's been built using a combination of plastic, metal and glass and it feels extremely solid. The design is sleek and stylish, although it does attract plenty of fingerprints. The Rose Gold design seems designed to appeal to people after a fashion-orientated handset. It will certainly attract plenty of attention.
The keypad uses a flat layout, but its tactile feedback is impressive; the controls are well laid out. The phone has touch-sensitive music controls that become visible at the bottom of the 2in external display when the music player is running. The external display is one of the best we've seen on a clamshell handset. The 2.2in internal screen is also noteworthy, displaying bright, vivid colours.
The user interface is speedy and easy to use but somewhat bland and doesn’t do the wonderful display justice (although the animated icons are a nice touch). The general user experience is solid, and the keystroke lag suffered by previous Motorola units when messaging and browsing menu items has been eradicated. The MOTORAZR2 Rose Gold once again uses CrystalTalk technology, which automatically accounts for background noise and adjusts the audio.
A 2-megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom is included, but the absence of a flash renders night-time photography almost impossible. With most other handsets on the market now featuring cameras with a resolution of at least 3.2 megapixels, this is pretty disappointing. The quality of pictures is as expected, although the outstanding display is excellent for browsing through photos. The camera's location on the front of the handset means it can be used during video calls. The 'See What I See' feature allows users to stream live video while a call is in progress.
The included music player supports a variety of audio formats, but the lack of a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and equaliser is a disappointment. Sound quality is fair thanks to the inclusion of spatial audio and bass boost settings, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile means you can stream audio to a compatible set of headphones. The V9 Rose Gold has 45MB of built-in memory, and Motorola includes a 512MB microSD card in the sales package.
Like the original model, the RAZR2 Rose Gold edition is well equipped in terms of connectivity. It is HSDPA capable and has both Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0. Conveniently, you can use it as a USB mass storage device with the supplied micro-USB cable. We were disappointed a standard mini-USB connection wasn't utilised, but a micro-USB to mini-USB adapter is included in the sales package.
