Motorola Razr review

Product Motorola Razr
Website http://www.motorola.com
Specifications Texas Instruments 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage, 4.3in qHD 540x960 Super AMOLED Advanced screen, 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera, Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, 69x131x7.1mm, 127g.
Price £454 SIM free, from £26 per month on contract

US PHONE MAKER Motorola has resurrected its iconic Razr brand this year with its latest thin, light and tough smartphone.

In the looks department the Razr is fairly plain from the front, apart from the shiny Motorola logo at the top. It has a shape that's similar to the firm's Xoom 2 tablets with cut off corners. Unfortunately there's a small hole in amongst the buttons that spoils the look slightly, looking like a DIY accident has occurred.

However, flip the handset over and you're presented with something quite different. You can't help but notice how thin the device is at just 7.1mm - thinner than a biro pen. This is outstanding engineering and makes it the thinnest smartphone we've seen. The phone isn't this wafer thin size from top to bottom, but it's only a small section at the top around the camera that is slightly thicker.

Of course the fact that the phone is thin means that it is light, too. It tips the scales at 127g, which is impressive for a smartphone with a large 4.3in screen. The device is quite comfortable to hold, if a little wide at 69mm.

The back also looks stunning because of its woven Kevlar, which feels good as well as looking cool. It's nice to see something different and it's definitely a phone you will want to show off to your mates. The design is built for overall toughness with a stainless steel core, a Gorilla Glass touchscreen display and a Splash Guard coating to fend off rain or accidental spills.

There is no rear cover so you can't get access to the battery. Instead, the microSIM and microSD card slots are on the side of the Razr underneath a fold-down cover.

You get the kind of specifications that you would expect from a high-end, flagship smartphone. The Razr comes equipped with a Texas Instruments 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage.

This is about standard for the chip and RAM and there's a decent amount of internal storage. The phone's performance is far more impressive than the specifications are on paper. The touchscreen is responsive without being over the top and transitions between home screens or menus happen lightning fast but smoothly.

We found 16GB is enough internal storage to have on-board and you can bump this up by a further 32GB by using the microSD card slot.