Motorola RAZRi updated review on Jelly Bean

First released in 2012, the Motorola RAZR i is an Android smartphone that represents an excellent deal for the mid range mobile market – powered by a 2 GHz Intel processor, the RAZR i has recently been updated to include Android’s Jelly Bean OS, with the effect of boosting its speed and tweaking its interface. With an edge to edge screen, and that Intel processor in place, why does the RAZR i come recommended?

In terms of size, the RAZR i measures 4.8 x 2.4 x 0.3 inches, and is roughly of the same weight as the current iPhone. However, the RAZR i is distinguished by its edge to edge Super AMOLED screen, which is secured by Kevlar and Gorilla Glass; the phone also comes with an 8 MP rear camera. The 4.3 inch screen has a decent 540 x 960 pixel display, and 256 ppi density, putting it in the mid range of current smartphone resolutions.

One of the key features of the RAZR is its 2 GHz Intel processor; a single core processor, the Intel Atom Medfield chip rivals dual and quad core technology through hyper threading. The RAZR i also comes with a 2000 maH battery, as well as connectivity for WiFi, GPS, HSDPA, NFC, and Bluetooth. GPS is similarly enabled for rapid synchronisation, meaning that the RAZR i is able to be set up for automatic detection of networks.

Motorola RAZRi

The Jelly Bean OS update for the RAZR i, replacing Ice Cream Sandwich, is Android’s latest platform. The primary advantages that Jelly Bean holds over Ice Cream Sandwich includes the general speeding up of booting and processing via a Project Butter development, as well as the addition of new voice and map features, and the improvement of Android Beam device to device connections.

Other updates include actions now being enabled from notifications, as well as some tweaks to the Android and Motorola interface – accessing different apps and widgets is straightforward, and just as intuitive as any other current Android phone – Jelly Bean also adds in a neat vibration feature when the phone is unlocked.

The 8 MP rear facing camera benefits from multi shot and HDR modes, as well as from geo tagging; while the camera won’t deliver quite the same definition as a Samsung or Apple smartphone shot, for a mid range phone, the RAZR i still delivers. The camera is best, though, in daylight, and is not quite as effective when used with a flash. Still, the camera does what you expect it to for the RAZR i’s price.

In general, then, the upgrade to Jelly Bean reinforces the RAZR i’s value as a Motorola and Android phone – you get a slicker overall experience, and the new features ensure that the RAZR is competitive with its smartphone rivals. With contracts available for the RAZR i at from £15.50, it’s fair to say that the Motorola phone is one of the best in terms of value at the moment. The hefty 2 GHz Intel processor also makes it one of the more unique phones for its power, while the edge to edge screen packs a lot into a relatively small handset.

By: Rob