Motorola unveils next-generation RAZR2

If there’s one product on which the future of a whole company rests, it’s got to be the iconic RAZR phone of Motorola.

The first-generation RAZR V3 single-handedly placed Motorola on a golden pedestal.

It was launched in the last quarter of 2004 and had sold a milestone 50 million units by June of last year (though not a record — Motorola’s StarTac analog phone sold 75 million units in the 90s).

At its peak, the RAZR was being purchased worldwide to the tune of half-a-million units per day.

But two years are a long time in the mobile phone business and despite notable upgrades in the RAZR V3i and V3x, Motorola needed to come up with a truly worthy encore to the pioneering V3.

Enter RAZR2 V8, which made a glitzy local debut late last week at NBC Tent at the Fort Bonifacio Global City. Sleeker outside, more powerful inside, the next iconic device from Motorola promises to deliver the ultimate mobile experience. Which is why Motorola packed this new RAZR with yet more features in an even slimmer — and sleeker — package.

The new RAZR2, which retails for P21,000, packs cutting-edge features such as CrystalTalk technology, up to 2GB of on-board memory, Web browsing, real-time point-to-point video, and ultra-fast menu navigation.

“With the modern style and powerful performance of RAZR2, Motorola is once again redefining the cellphone,” said Ed Zander, Motorola’s chairman and chief executive officer.

“This device takes the world’s best-selling feature-phone to the next level. Combining groundbreaking new features and an even slimmer exterior than the original icon, the RAZR2 is capable of giving consumers the ultimate mobile experience,” he added.

It must have been a tough product brief: pack in more features yet make the phone even slimmer. But the wizards from Motorola did just that, shaving two millimeters from the original RAZR’s 13.9 mm.

Motorola also greatly enhanced the dual screens to give users a largest-in-its-class 2.0-inch external screen that allows crisp picture caller ID and readable text messages (without flipping open the phone), and a 2.2-inch high-resolution 320 x 240 internal screen.

To further beautify this sought-after icon, Motorola incorporated a seamless casing, a soft touch back and a stunning vacuum metal front finish that feels ultra-smooth to the touch.

Beauty does not come at the expense of toughness, though. At the core of RAZR2 is a stainless steel internal frame to provide strength and durability. And that’s not even scratching the surface — literally.

The big external screen is made with chemically hardened glass to be more scratch-resistant.

To prove its ruggedness, Motorola tested the cast aluminum hinge in more than 100,000 lab tests to help ensure that every time a customer flips open the device, it will work perfectly.

The brain part of the equation comes from new software smarts. The RAZR2 V8 (GSM/EDGE) will run Linux/JavaTM5, giving Motorola entry to the next generation of mobile architecture.

The RAZR2 V8 also has a completely redesigned user interface (UI) so users can search contacts even faster. This eliminates duplicate entries for the same person while allowing contacts to have multiple numbers.

The main menu is customizable, so consumers are never more than two to three clicks away from favorite applications.

Fast menu and applications navigation comes from the new ARM 11 (500MHz) high-speed processor, whose processing speed is 10 times faster than the original RAZR.

And with high-speed USB 2.0, it only takes about two to three seconds to transfer a song.

Motorola’s innovative CrystalTalk technology on the RAZR2 automatically adjusts audio to ensure clear calls even in a noisy environment.

More smarts? The RAZR2 V8 “talks” to users by speaking the interactive menu, contact lists, e-mails and messages aloud — a feature developed for people with visual impairments, but convenient for in-car use or when on the go.

On the music side, the RAZR2 is available with up to 2GB of memory (good for up to 1,000 songs) and stereo Bluetooth wireless technology.

Microsoft Windows Media Player 11-compatibility helps RAZR2 users easily synchronize and transfer their music library to their handset in only a few minutes.

The RAZR2’s external display incorporates Motorola’s breakthrough “haptics” technology, which provides users with vibrating feedback in response to their finger taps. This, combined with the virtual music keys, allows the user to effortlessly control their music.

The Web-browsing experience, including a full HTML browser, in the new RAZR2 takes advantage of its stellar internal display and high-speed wireless data connections for faster, bigger and richer surfing.

Built-in e-mail functionality gives easy, PC-like access to both personal and corporate email accounts.

Imaging functionality has not been forgotten. The RAZR2’s multi-shot feature on its 2.0-megapixel camera automatically snaps up to eight new pictures so users can choose the best image from a complete series of shots.

If there’s one feature lacking in the RAZR2 V8, it’s got to be 3G functionality. But that’s precisely where the soon-to-follow RAZR2 V9 takes over.

The 3G/HSDPA-enabled RAZR2 V9 has a new real-time point-to-point video feature, allowing another wireless user to “See What I See” while a voice call is in progress. This new feature will be available with up to 2GB of memory, allowing users to capture and store up to two hours of video footage on the device.

With the RAZR2 V9, music can be downloaded over the air at near-broadband-like wireless data speeds.

With the debut of the new RAZR2 handsets, it looks like Motorola’s got its weapons sharpened right in the nick of time.