Razer Phone 2 launched with a slew of upgrades — priced at $799!

The very device which kick-started the whole gaming phone phenomenon is back in full force. The Razer Phone 2 comes with all the things that made the Razer Phone great, and then some.

For starters, the 5.7″ 120 Hz UltraMotion IGZO display is back, but it is now 50% brighter. Razer of course has to remind you that their device is the only device currently in the market with a 120 Hz refresh rate and 120 Hz touch sampling. The latter is a feature shared with the iPhone XS, but the Apple devices do not deliver 120 Hz refresh rates.

Moving on, there is wireless charging now, which is enabled by the new glass back. Along with the new glass back, the Razer Phone now comes with IP67 ingress resistance. Razer has also crammed in Razer Chroma into the Razer Phone 2. Aside from being just for aesthetics, the Chroma lighting can be used for notifications, which can be set to any color in the spectrum. You can also customize it to your liking, with effects such as Static, Spectrum Cycling and Breathing.

The 4000 mAh battery returns, as does the Qualcomm QuickCharge 4+ fast charging. Battery life is expected to have increased though, thanks to the more efficient Snapdragon 845 now in the Razer Phone 2. The Razer Phone 2 will be feature a new vapor chamber cooling system, which should be a major upgrade over the heatpipe used in the original Razer Phone. 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 64GB UFS storage joins the chipset under the hood.

Now Razer has claimed that they have upgraded their cameras. They do tout dual Sony IMX sensors but have not discussed which specific sensor they used. From the specifications, it’s the same 12MP f/1.75 + 12MP f/2.6 cameras we have seen in the Razer Phone. The new OIS system would definitely help in low light, so perhaps that helps with the imaging department? If you are a mobile gamer who does livestreams, the front facing camera is a 8MP f/2.0 one, with the capability to do 1080p60 video recording for smooth visuals.

The Razer Phone 2 will come in two variants, a glossy Mirror Black and a matte-finished Satin Black version. The latter will only be available in Q4. Pre-orders has begun in the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific regions. The Razer Phone 2 will be priced at $799 (~RM3232), a $100 increment over the Razer Phone’s launch price.

Pokdepinion: The edgy design looks cool, but I think in terms of comfort when gaming for long hours, curves will still be better. I can’t lie, I love curves.