There are already several notable reviews for the Droid RAZR available even before the phone has been launched. We thought it would be useful, especially for those folks that are still undecided, to have a post and thread with a master compilation of RAZR Reviews from around the web. We are including 8 of the most noteworthy reviews compiled from reputable sites in the main story of this post. However, we also want you guys to either write your own mini-reviews in the thread, and/or add links to more reviews that you have found beyond the 8 in the main article. That way, we can compile a true master list of RAZR Reviews. Also, it's important to note that we did not choose these particular reviews over others for any particular reason. These were simply a smattering of the many well written reviews available and serve as a broad sample of what is out there.
Obviously, we can't include every detail from the reviews on these sites, so here is how we are organizing it. At the top, there will be a list of links to the 8 different reviews. Then, below that, we will list each one with a brief summary of notable features in their article, and a synopsis/conclusion quoted directly from their respective review That way, if you just want to read some brief final thoughts, or you want to pour over every detail in their articles, you will have options.
________________________________________
Droid RAZR Review Links:
- BGR - Motorola DROID RAZR review
- PhoneArena - Motorola DROID RAZR Review
- TechCrunch - Motorola Droid RAZR Review: So Close, Yet So Far
- AndroidCentral - Motorola Droid RAZR review
- CNet - Motorola Droid Razr
- Engadget - Motorola Droid RAZR review
- AndroidCommunity - DROID RAZR Review
- SlashGear - Motorola DROID RAZR Review
[*]BGR - Motorola DROID RAZR review
This article was concise, but included just enough detail. They seemed to really like the aesthetics of the phone, and were impressed at all the features packed into the thin design. They had some quibbles with the Pentile display, but indicated that it was good for what it was. They also where not too thrilled with the width of the phone, and indicated that it was very difficult to use one-handed. They really liked the Smart Actions software that "lets you specify different actions for your phone to automatically perform based on locations", and they found the call quality to be excellent, although speakerphone was weak. They were very impressed with the battery life, and got days of standby out of it, even when using 4G occasionally. Overall, they loved the device, and even talked about its accessories a bit. Here is some of their conclusion:
[*]PhoneArena - Motorola DROID RAZR Review
This review was several pages long and was jam-packed with information. They really loved the design and called it, "game changing!" and an "an incredible engineering masterpiece." With its slightly moisture-resistant design they indicated it was the most solid Moto design yet. They also made mention of the Pentile Matrix screen, but still enjoyed the rich colors and deep blacks it displays. They were actually impressed with the Motoblur (although no longer called that) that is running on top of Gingerbread 2.3.5, but they indicated that it is similar to what is on the Droid 3 or the Bionic, although a bit quicker. They liked that the software seems to have a deeper level of social integration, and their article went in-depth with even more of the software on the phone. They felt that the camera was similar to the Bionic, but not quite as good, and noticed a bluish hue on almost all pics, and some digital noise. They were also not impressed with the video quality of the camera, even in 1080p HD, probably due to lack of auto-focus for video, but instead has touch-focus. The reviewers did like the microHDMI port. They described the internet performance as impressive with "wicked speeds". They also really liked the Smart Actions software, and here is a description from them of it,
This review wasn't quite as impressed with the battery life, yet they did indicate that it was good, and that you could get 10 hours of battery life even with LTE usage, which would facilitate nightly charging. Overall, they were in love with the phone as well, and practically gushed at the end. Here is a part of their final conclusion,
[*]TechCrunch - Motorola Droid RAZR Review: So Close, Yet So Far
I really liked the format of the TechCrunch review because they gave a summarized short version, as well as a fairly in-depth long version. However, they did seem to nit-pick the device a bit. Still, their opinion is less over-enthusiastic than the others, so their objectivity is appreciated, and they had several great pics of the phone. I will just quote from their short version for the tidbits, and then give you their conclusion from the long version after,
The reviewer's final thoughts,
[*]AndroidCentral - Motorola Droid RAZR review
AndroidCentral's review was pretty thorough and packed in a ton of info, and a lot of pics. I also liked that they included a brief summary at the beginning. In their review, they agreed with BGR that the phone was too wide. They commented more fervently about of the fact that the battery was not removable, and weighed the pros and cons of that. Here is their initial summary, followed by their in-depth wrap-up,
Here is their wrap-up,
[*]CNet - Motorola Droid Razr
CNet's Editors did a short and "too the point" review of the RAZR. They didn't get overzealous with massive amounts of information or pictures, but they eloquently kept strictly to their opinions of the device. Furthermore, they also commented on the corporate and government friendly features of the phone, which has been largely ignored thus far by other reviewers. They included their own summary and conclusion that I will let speak for itself,
[*]Engadget - Motorola Droid RAZR review
Engadget's review was a good solid medium-length writeup that concentrated on the many of the primary features of the RAZR. They loved the "premium" feel and look of the device, although they too were a bit concerned about its width. They were not impressed with the display, although they didn't have any major complaints, which is pretty typical of a Pentile Matrix. (Interestingly, they weren't sure if it was a Pentile and were trying to get confirmation from Moto.) They bench-marked the phone and found it to be slightly slower than the SGS2, but faster than the HTC Amaze 4G. They were mostly happy with battery performance, and indicated that you might get 2 days out of it with only very-light usage. This reviewer again compared the camera to that found in the Bionic and found them to be similar. Once again, when talking about the software on the phone, they felt there was too much bloatware, but really loved the Smart Actions, tasking app. Their overall impression seemed rather ho-hum. Here is their final wrap-up,
[*]AndroidCommunity - DROID RAZR Review
AndroidCommunity's review was very complete, yet concise. It included a ton of benchmarks, pics and videos as well. The reviewer actually enjoyed the new Moto UI overlay, and the excellent performance of the phone. Interestingly, this reviewer really liked the camera on the phone, far more than any of the other reviewers. They indicated that the battery life was merely "OK" and even did some in-depth real-world tests of different situations that could drain the battery. Again, this reviewer mentioned the excessive width of the phone, but overall liked its feel. Here is their wrap-up,
[*]SlashGear - Motorola DROID RAZR Review
SlashGear's article had a few videos and a massive amount of pics. They still packed in a decent bit of info about the device too, and where very objective. The device may be light, but it is so large that this reviewer actually found it tiring to hold for long periods of time. SlashGear seemed to like the Smart Actions just as much as the rest of the reviewers, and even found the UI enhancements to be useful. They described the camera as "not the best, but not the worst" both in picture and video quality. They loved the VZW LTE speeds of the device, but were mostly unimpressed with the battery performance. Overall, SlashGear leaves us with the impression that the phone focuses on style over substance (my words, not theirs). Here are their final words,
We intend that these tidbits and links will help make your phone purchasing decisions a little easier. Don't forget to add your Droid RAZR comments in the forums. Also please add more links to reviews that you found helpful an interesting.
Last edited: