MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

Motorola brings back the RAZR as an incredibly thin smartphone

October 19, 2011

Motorola is bringing back the RAZR, as an incredibly thin smartphone

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The Motorola RAZR is back, only this time it's a smartphone - and a very slim one, at that. Motorola Mobility and Verizon Wireless unveiled the new 7.1 mm-thick DROID RAZR yesterday, with the promise that it should be in stores early next month. Not only is the device said to be the skinniest smartphone in existence, but it is reportedly also the first to be able to stream video from Netflix at HD resolution.

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In order to keep from folding up like a piece of cardboard, the RAZR incorporates Kevlar and Corning Gorilla Glass in its construction. Its 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Advanced display is said to offer non-blurry movie and TV viewing, and a wider range of colors than most LCD HDTVs.

Running on Verizon's 4G LTE network using a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, it is claimed to be able to navigate the web at speeds as much as ten times faster than possible with 3G. This is what allows it to stream HD content from Netflix, and also to access video from NFL Mobile.

Apps included with the RAZR include Motorola's MotoCast, which lets users stream or download content from their PC to their phone, and Smart Actions, which allows them to create rules that maximize efficiency and battery life.

The new Motorola DROID RAZR is just 7.1 millimeters thick

Some of the phone's other features include ...

Android 2.3.5, Gingerbread OS
1GB RAM
8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p HD video capture and image stabilization
Front-facing HD camera for video chat over 4G LTE, 3G or Wi-Fi
4G LTE Mobile Hotspot for up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices
Water repellent nanocoating
Remote wipe, pin lock and government-grade encryption for email, calendar and contacts as well as voice and video chat conferencing
Bluetooth 4.0 low energy
32 GB memory: 16 GB on board and 16 GB microSD card pre-installed (actual formatted capacity is less)
1780 mAh battery

The Motorola DROID RAZR will be available in Verizon stores and on the company website starting in early November, at a price of US$299.99 (which includes a two-year customer agreement). It will be available for preorder as of October 27th.

About the Author

An experienced freelance writer, videographer and television producer, Ben's interest in all forms of innovation is particularly fanatical when it comes to human-powered transportation, film-making gear, environmentally-friendly technologies and anything that's designed to go underwater. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta, where he spends a lot of time going over the handlebars of his mountain bike, hanging out in off-leash parks, and wishing the Pacific Ocean wasn't so far away. All articles by Ben Coxworth