Motorola RAZR2 V8

The RAZR 2 V8 is even slimmer than the original RAZR, and uses premium materials in its construction to update its look. Novel features such as an external touchscreen for playing music, and CrystalTalk technology for enhanced call clarity make it well worth a try. The camera is average, but the music player is good, the memory is good, battery life is acceptable and the phone offers a good all-round mix of style and functionality.

Key Features :

• Large Dual Screens 262k Colour Display (320 x 240 Pixels)
• 2 Megapixel Camera with 8 x Digital Zoom
• 420 Mbytes or 2 Gbytes Memory Option
• Size 103 x 53 x 11.9 mm
• Music Player with Touch Sensitive External Music Controls
• Bluetooth® with A2DP Technology

After 3 years, the original Motorola RAZR is still in the shops, and that's a rare achievement in the mobile industry. The RAZR spawned various follow-ups, including a range of 3G phones, but now a new milestone has been reached with the launch of the RAZR 2 V8. The V8 is even thinner than the original RAZR, at just 11.9mm thick, and when opened it's astonishingly thin. Yet it's heavier than the original, which gives it a really substantial feel. Part of the reason for the heaviness is the use of stainless steel in the casing. The phone also uses premium materials such as chrome and chemically hardened glass. Although it looks similar to the RAZR, it feels more upmarket, like Nokia's premium 8800 Sirocco. The keypad is larger than that of the original RAZR, and the keys are more tactile too.

But the RAZR2 is not simply an upgraded RAZR phone - it is a quite unique device, as we will explain. One of the most striking features of the RAZR2 is the size of its external screen. It's an ultra-high resolution 2 inch display, which makes it the best external display in its class - possibly in any phone. It's also a touchscreen, making this phone the first of its kind. The touchscreen controls appear on the external screen, like the LG Prada or the iPhone, and are context-sensitive. For example, if the music player is on the touchscreen can be used to select tracks, etc, meaning that the phone can be used as a media player even with the clamshell closed. Other functionality is available through the external screen, such as reading and replying to text messages. This is a really nice concept. When not in use as a touchscreen, the external display shows information such as the date and time, or incoming calls.

The media player installed in the RAZR2 is Windows Media Player® 11, which is an excellent music player, with wide support for virtually all music formats. You can create and manage playlists from the phone, and synchronisation with a PC is simple. It's a shame that there's no radio though, and also the bundled headphones aren't the best on offer. The memory available is either 512 Mbytes or 2 Gbytes, depending on which version of the V8 you choose. It isn't expandable, so we'd recommend that you choose the 2 Gbyte version, as you won't be able to change your mind later!

Another new feature in the V8 is Motorola's new CrystalTalk technology. This is a mix of hardware and software improvements that are designed to enhance voice clarity and reduce background noise. Does it work? In a word, yes. The V8 offers call clarity that beats previous generations of Motorolas and puts it up there with the best from Nokia, Samsung or Sony Ericsson.

The RAZR2 V8 comes with a voice features which includes a voice reminder feature which allows the user to record & store a voice reminder on their handset. The phone comes with a speaker independent name & digit dialing feature & a vibration alert feature which allows the user to select these features if required on their mobile phone. The user can take their calls over the phones speaker system which allows the user to place their handset on a table or desk which provides the user with a handsfree call feature. The user can hear their contact talking to them over the phones loud speakers & the users voice is recorded by the phones discrete built in microphone. The phone comes with a variety of messaging services which include text messaging (SMS), multimedia messaging (MMS) & email service. The text message service comes complete with a predictive text input method. The user can read & reply to their text messages on the 2 Inch external screen which is a useful feature when the user does not want to keep opening their handset for a quick & simple reply. The MMS service allows the user to send a message complete with a photo or video which is a quick & easy way for the user to share their experiences with others. The Motorola RAZR2 V8 comes with a MotoSync™ feature which allows the user to synchronise their email, phonebook & calendar over the air. The RAZR2 V8 is a fun & user friendly mobile phone which comes with many useful features to suit today's mobile phone user.

The RAZR2 also has a camera and video recorder, but at just 2.0 megapixels and no flash the camera is at best average.

The V8 supports Bluetooth wireless connectivity (version 2) with support for Bluetooth headsets, and also microUSB 2.0 connectivity, giving fast data connections with a PC.

Battery life is acceptable, although the big LCD displays do tend to eat power. Depending on how much you use the phone, you'll probably get between 1 and 3 days' use between charges.

Summing up, the RAZR2 V8 is a really interesting phone - far more than just a slimmed-down V3. The external touchscreen is a really nice concept, the CrystalTalk feature works well, and the media player is excellent. Connectivity is good and so is memory (provided that you choose the 2 Gbyte version). Battery life is fine. We like it!