Last night I was at the Science Museum, London for the launch of the highly anticipated Razer Phone. Unfortunately, we’re no closer to getting a Chroma Razer Toaster.

We all knew what was coming when Razer bought phone-cobbler Nextbit. What we weren’t sure about is how it would end up in practise.

It appears that the challenge of building a full-blown gaming machine the size of a smartphone was too good to pass up.

Razer officially unveiled their Android phone at a huge bash last night. The thing is, should you do something just because you can?

Razer Phone specifications

The phone, as you would imagine, boasts an impressive spec sheet.

Let’s start with the propriety 5.7-inch 1440p screen. This packs variable refresh rate as well as something akin to NVIDIA’s GSync.

You also get the flagship-standard Snapdragon 835 processor mated to a massive 8GB of RAM. There is also 64GB of expandable storage.

On the face of the device there are stereo front-facing speakers with Dolby Atmos support, each powered by their own amp.

Keeping things going is a generous 4,000mAh battery.

Optics are taken care of by a dual 12-megapixel camera system on the back. One camera has an f/1.8 lens for wide shots and the other is a telephoto f/2.6 shooter.

It was good to see that the user interface (UI) was kept basically as stock Android Nougat 7.1.1 with Google Assistant. However, they have worked with Nova to include a premium version of the Nova Launcher.

[youtube id=”S65ZEd0wta8″]

Android 8 Oreo will follow early next year. This was a surprising compromise for me. Furthermore, the handy cloud backup feature that was core to the Robin experience has been dropped. That is a shame.

Another thing that would’ve been great to see is some kind of IP rating for water- and dust-proofing. Gamers love their Red Bull, looking at what was being offered by way of refreshment last night.

If you were shopping for a phone using the same method as Top Trumps, the Razer certainly ticks boxes aplenty.

Razer Phone design

I have a feeling that this is where the Marmite effect comes in to play. Yes, the CNC aluminium body will take the knocks but there isn’t really much in the way of design happening here.

If you took a Nextbit Robin, made it bigger and ditched the plastic in favour of dark anodized aluminium, you’d basically have the Razer Phone.

Razer said they wanted to break the mould of all the other curved-edged slabs out there, which they’ve acheived. However, even with my love for brutalism, this phone left me a little meh.

I do like the round buttons, and placing the fingerprint scanner in the powerbutton has been done before.

It is also a brave move to slap those chunky bezels on a new phone when everyone else are trying to ditch them.

Of course, Razer needed somewhere to shove those gloriously loud speakers though.

Audio

On the subject of audio I was a little confused. They boasted about their THX and Dolby Atmos certification and the fact that the Razer Phone is equipped with a 24-bit DAC. Perfect for audiophiles, they said. However, the phone iteself is lacking a headphone jack. From what I can see, the phone has plenty of space for one, too.

Upon closer investigation, in the box, you’ll find a THX-certified audio dongle that lets you hook up headphones. This is how they honour their promise of 24-bit “audiophile-quality” sound. I still find this another odd compromise for an uncompromising phone.

For gamers by gamers

This is Razer’s mantra but I cannot help but feel they missed out on some more gamer-y touches. The company’s Chroma kit is much loved by their community of gamers. Having the rear logo RGB-equipped would have been an awesome touch.

[youtube id=”EXDCAr72yMI”]

Instead, you get access to a bunch of game themes and wallpapers.

Display

It was great to see that they went with a Sharp IGZO panel for their screen. This is capable of adjustable frame rates maxing out at 120Hz.

That means you get ultra smooth animations during games and extra slow (and thus efficient) speeds for when the phone is just idling on the home screen. You don’t really need 120Hz when updating Facebook or Twitter, do you?

[youtube id=”YqjgSvspLGE”]

The higher frame rate does make the experience of using the phone feel more fluid. This is obvious even when just running through some demos on a tethered unit.

I really hope that this is one of the areas where other manufacturers take note. It would be great to see this is the sort of tech becoming standard on all mobile devices.

Razer Phone – initial thoughts

As the details were being revealed there were many jaw-dropping moments. Tekken, Final Fantasy XV, Ultra Hunt and Arena of Valour all looked great. The specs were just getting more and more “insane” as they were announced. However, was I excited when I finally got hands-on? Well, no. Not really.

I was more disappointed by my disappointment, if I am totally honest. I really wanted this to be the complete package.

Don’t get me wrong, this is an impressive machine. They have obviously put in a lot of work to get everything to fit and perform how it does.

The thing is, there are many phones out there running the same Snapdragon 835 that Razer uses. Brands such as OnePlus, Xiaomi, amongst others, have already been selling 8GB phones for a while.

Game Booster is neat and having the best “thermals” (i.e., heat dissipation) out there is a rather handy thing to have.

Are these enough to entice gamers? We can only wait and see. Razer is new to this particular arena and, for that reason alone, I hope it does well.

Perhaps it was the dimly-lit area where the non-VIPs, such as myself, were introduced to the Razer Phone. I have seen photos and hands-on videos taken by the more elite level of journalists, and that does seem to help with everything.

So, I reckon I need some more quality time with the device before making my mind up.

It is a great device but not quite perfect. Yet.

Price and availability

The device is priced at £594 + 10 top up with Three on Pay As You Go! That is an excellent price for such a high-specced phone.

You can get it in the UK through Three and in the states in Microsoft Stores. Naturally, you’ll be able to grab them directly from Razer’s online store too..

You can reserve yours now and expect shipping on November 17th.

The post Razer Phone spec, price, hands on, first impressions appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Razer released their Blade gaming laptop back in 2013 where it claimed to be the world’s thinnest – now it’s getting a refresh making it more powerful than ever.

As all gamers know, as soon as you’ve got the latest kit there’s something newer, faster and more powerful on the market within a few months (looks at his own GTX780 overclocked GPU). Well, the technology inside the original Razer Blade, although still potent, might not be up with the new kids on the block.

Razer have tasked themselves to update the Blade’s GPU and CPU, whilst also doubling the laptop’s system memory.

You are now spoiled by an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M (with 3GB GDDR5 VRAM) and state-of-the-art IGZO (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide) display panel technology, 16GB of speedy 1600MHz DDR3L memory, SSD options of up to 512GB in capacity.

All this should ensure that you will continue to play the latest titles and enjoy the leading edge in portable gaming regardless of where you are.

The post Razer Blade gaming laptop gets more power stays world’s thinnest appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Sharp has just introduced the Free-Form Display, a new technology that will allow device makers to create gadgets without being restricted to those typical square and rectangular form factors.

Sharp’s latest creation will mean that smartwatches can be curved and fit more naturally on the wearer’s wrist, phones could become banana-shaped and digital dashboards can be any shape the designers wish them to be.

Sharp states that “Coventional displays are rectangular because they require a minimal width for the bezel in order to accommodate the drive circuit, called the gate driver, around the perimeter of the screen’s display area,”

According to Sharp their new display incorporates IGZO technology and proprietary “circuit design methods”. The gate driver’s function, the PR explains, is dispersed throughout the pixels on the display area. Because of this, the bezel shrinks and allows them to be formed to whatever shape is needed.

As an example, the company’s prototype is the dashboard of a car, combining a speedometer with the fuel gauge, temperature gauge and so on. There are only two square angles located at the base where it’s connected to the display stand; the rest is all curves.

“There are other possibilities for displays with sophisticated designs that include wearable devices with elliptical displays and digital signage and other large monitors that draw the viewer into the onscreen world,”

Currently, the company plans to go into mass production “at the earliest possible date” but when exactly that will be is unknown at this point. Still, it will be interesting to see how device makers will take to the new technology.

The post Sharp develops Free-Form IGZO display – can be any shape you want it appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Following on from the news that Samsung is planning to drop some ultra HD laptop screens – it sounds as though they should be launched very soon.

Samsung is getting ready to unveil a new super-high resolution panel which could set the standard for notebook displays.

This week, the company will launch a 13.3-inch QHD 3200 x 1800 panel with 276 pixels-per-inch (PPI), and offers greater pixel densities than Apple’s Retina MacBook Pro 13 (227 PPI) and Google’s Chromebook Pixel (239 PPI).

That’s some very impressive boasting, right there.

Last week Sharp announced it would begin manufacturing its new high-pixel density IGZO LCD panels in 11.6-inch, 14-inch, and 15.6-inch flavours.

Samsung says the display will provide 30% greater power-savings than existing LCD displays but has yet to confirm if the panel will come to new ultrabooks.

If it does, Toshiba’s 13.3-inch Kirabook— with its impressive 2560 x 1440 display — could soon have a battle on its hands.

The post Samsung ready to release MacBook Retina Display beating notebook screens appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Here we go again! The rumour-mongers have been at it again with their tales of an iPad mini just because Google and Asus have cobbled together a very decent package with their Nexus 7. Is there any more facts to bolster this latest claim?

Even though the Nexus 7 isn’t actually aimed at challenging the iPad directly, it’s more likely to taunt the Kindle Fire really, the mix of a well put together Android Jelly Bean tablet and a very low retail price may get Apple a little nervy.

Today’s iPad Mini rumours are sourced in China, where Apple’s supply and manufacturing partners are. This particular whisper is that an iPad mini equipped with a 7.85-inch display using Sharp’s IGZO technology will land in the Autumn.

The hinted price of ownership circles the $249 and $299 area. That’s quite a bit more than the $199 (£159) Google Nexus 7. So, why would Apple enter this market and charge between $50 and $100 more for its product?

Perhaps Cupertino has seen the writing on the wall that has been sprayed in huge letters by Google – cheap Android tablets don’t have to be nasty!

Granted, the iPad and Nexus 7 are completely different beasts but, to the punter looking for a tablet which can surf the web, gain access to social networks, play funny cat vids from YouTube, etc the keen pricing of the Google tab will certainly play a part.

I’m still not convinced that there is a point to a smaller iPad – surely the iPhone *is* a mini iPad?

The post New iPad Mini Rumours Surface in Response to Google Nexus 7 Tablet appeared first on GadgetyNews.

You may already have felt the excitement caused by the possibility that the Apple iPhone 5 may come rocking a 440ppi OLED screen courtesy of LG – but Sharp have just announced their 498ppi TFT LCD mobile display and it looks stunning!

Sharp and research company Semiconductor Energy Laboratory have just announced an advancement in thin-film transistor (TFT) technology called CAAC-IGZO (C-axis aligned crystal Indium gallium zinc oxide just in case you were wondering), which they believe will do nothing short of “revolutionize” display technology.

As it is with a lot of advancements, the new crystalline structure was discovered by accident and proved to have much better electrical properties, allowing Sharp to make even smaller transistors, decrease power consumption, increase touchscreen performance, and produce even higher resolution displays.

Sharp believes the advance is particularly important in the mobile industry, where manufacturers are constantly pushing for higher pixel density.

The two companies proudly showed off their new 6.1-inch LCD display with a remarkable 2560×1600 resolution. At 498 ppi, the prototype offers even more pixels per inch than LG’s 5-inch 1080p display from earlier this week.

The company says the new technology has other benefits as well, including much lower background noise when used in touchscreens, and the ability to produce much narrower bezels.

So – how about one of those beauties in your new smartphone then?

The post Sharp Announce Amazing 498ppi LCD Mobile Display – Better than LG OLED appeared first on GadgetyNews.

Apple has launched their new Apple TV 3 at the same time as the new iPad – but what everyone is waiting to see is the Apple HDTV set. It sounds like it might be here for Christmas.

Yeah, I know. But it is exciting news even if it doesn’t actually happen!

The Apple-branded HD gogglebox has been rumoured to come with a new TV subscription service, similar to 4Seven by the sounds of things, as well as being originally dubbed the Apple iTV – which wont happen.

But, according to a recent report, Apple are expected to launch their Siri-packing HDTV in quarter four of 2012, due to some information received from various supply chains.

Jefferies & Company analyst Peter Misek met with unnamed sources during a recent trip to the East, and he now believes Apple’s “iTV” is a sure thing. “Specialty components have begun to ship to Apple’s Asia panel suppliers with polarized films, filters, and IGZO components starting to move in small quantities,” the analyst wrote in a note to investors Tuesday morning. “We expect commercial production in May/ June with 2M to 5M builds likely. We still expect a CQ4 launch.”

We know Apple is working on an HDTV as it was confirmed in Steve Jobs’ biography – it’s just a matter of when…

The post Apple HDTV to Arrive for Christmas appeared first on GadgetyNews.

If my rumour round-up of the iPad 3 got your juices flowing then prepare the flood gates as news has reached me that Apple has taken delivery of 4-inch screens ready for the iPhone 5!

I know that the 4S is supposed to be the iPhone 5 in all but name but we were promised a phone that not only had uprated innards but also sported a ‘radical new design‘. The other tantalising thing is that the iPhone 5 was apparently being used in the wild before Apple pulled it from their launch schedule.

One of the main differences between the iPhone 4/4S and iPhone 5 was to be the larger, edge-to-edge screen which was estimated to be a 4-inch number.

The fab news is that Apple is taking delivery of these new displays created by by Sony and Hitachi right now!

There’s whispers on the web that the iPhone 5 screen will not only be larger but the resolution will be increased to 330ppi. This 30ppi upgrade over the standard 300ppi Retina display rating would be possible thanks to the new IGZO tech which allows for a higher pixel density whilst not added girth to your device.

This all sounds very plausible and I’m trying my hardest not to get too excited.

What do you think about this? Do you think iPhone 5 is being built or do you think that this is just the wishful thinking of Apple fans?

The post 4-inch iPhone 5 Screens Land at Apple Factory appeared first on GadgetyNews.

I am sure that you’ve been getting the buzz regarding the next gen iPad and, over the months, there’s been plenty of rumours and outright silliness being passed around. Here’s a collection of the most probable pointers to what iPad 3 will be made of.

Retina Display

The main thing people are asking is whether or not iPad 3 will be packing a Retina Display. Well, there have been reports that Apple and its supply partners are having problems with producing the next generation iPad screen. Apparently, Samsung, LG and Sharp are able to produce a display with a 2048 x 1536 resolution – which is double that of the iPad 2. Hoorah!

The drawback is that half of the screens produced are faulty in one way or another, or, to use tech terms – have poor yield rates.

The other slight drawback is with the resolution itself. 2048 x 1536 is mighty impressive, and beyond any other tablet currently on the market but the pixel density can’t truly be considered a Retina display if judged by Apple’s own terminology. You see, an ‘official’ Retina display has to have a pixel density of at least 300 ppi (pixels per inch), whereas the above screen will manage a ppi rating of 254.

It’s all very well having a spanky screen but word is that this doozy of a display could mean extra girth on the iPad 3. It’s believed that the dual-bar LED backlight needed to make those colours pop would add bulk to the device, which runs contrary to Apple’s aim to make its devices ever-thinner.

However, a rumoured new deal between Apple and Sharp – whereby Apple is spending up to a billion dollars on its own equipment for a dedicated Sharp screen factory – has apparently provided a new way forward for Apple devices. A new screen technology could provide a true 9.7-inch Retina display with no size or weight penalties.

According to Jefferies & Co analyst Peter Misek (courtesy of Forbes), the two companies have produced “a modified IGZO  (indium, gallium and zinc) technology to achieve 330 dpi [or ppi], which is sufficient for an HD display while not using IPS nor having to include dual-bar LED backlighting”. All-in-all this would mean that “the device can be thinner, battery life should be  longer, and the overall experience for users should be meaningfully improved”.

Fantastic then. Well, it’s very doubtful that this will be in place for iPad 3 as there’s strong reason to suspect that production is already well under way. I’d expect a slightly chunkier iPad this time featuring a very bright and rich display with the supermodel version appearing with iPad 4 in 2013.

Update Feb 20: Apple’s iPad 3 looks to be retaining the 9.7-inch form factor from the original iPad and existing iPad 2 devices with the much mooted Retina display making a premature appearance on the interwebs. It even allowed its peeper pleasing 2048 x 1536p resolution to be measured.

Thicker but lighter

I am still holding out for the iPad 3 to be constructed from carbon fibre. This would offset the extra depth and still make the new tablet sexy. Apple even employed a specialist engineer remember?

Update Feb 20: Apple Daily over in Taiwan has obtained photographs through “special channels” which clearly show the differences up against the previous generation devices. They report that the case is “beveled” in order to accommodate a larger battery.

Near Field Communication (NFC)

Apple seems to be digging NFC tech and, going by one very interesting rumour, the iPhone 5 will use NFC to take over nearby Macs, enabling you to use your data and settings with a flick of the wrist!

The iPad 3 will have more storage

The iPad 2 appeared with the now familiar 16/32/64GB storage options but, as the iPhone 4S dropped with a 64GB option and flash storage comming down in price, I reckon it’s fairly safe to assume that there may be a 128GB option appearing with iPad 3. That would be pretty cool wouldn’t it?

You know the score – Quad Core!

iPhone 4S arrived sporting the dual-core A5 processor and it zings along very nicely thank you. That’s the chip in the iPad 2 – so, it stands to reason that if the A5 is now deemed ok to power the Apple phone then the more potent iPad should be rocking the next chip up doesn’t it? Quad-core A6 would be very fine and dandy methinks

Update Feb 20: The latest word on the street seems to rebuff that common thought as images of what is being touted as the iPad 3s new innards shows it sporting an improved A5X CPU.

8MP Camera for iPad 3

Photos of an alleged iPad 3 case are reported to prove that the new tablet will inherit the snapper from iPhone 4S.

Thunderbolt is go!

Righty, neither of the previous iPads have sported a USB port even though many think that would be kinda handy to have. Apple does seem pleased with their Thunderbolt port which appeared on the 2011 iMac, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. Even Acer and Asus have joined the Thunderbolt party. The speedy accessory/display connector is multipurpose, unobtrusive and Appley – so why not?

iPad 3 would be 4G

It would be wise to hit the next-gen iPad with next-gen connectivity. CNet, for one, cetainly thinks that the new iPad may feature Qualcomm’s 4G LTE Gobi 4000 chip.

In Summary

So then. The iPad 3 will be a 10-incher with a screen resolution of 2048 x 1536px meaning it will almost have a Retina Display 291ppi. A quad-core A6 processor should be under the hood with that 4G LTE Gobi 4000 and some NFC tech. It might be more ‘cuddly’ than the iPad 2 in order to house the dual light bars that will make it shine. But that will also give more space for roomier 128GB of flash storage inside and a Thunderbolt port outside of its carbon fibre body.

All this is expected to arrive in the UK for a March 2012 launch – I’ll add to this page as I get more info so please keep checking

Have you anything to add to the list or disagree with something above? Let me know!

The post Apple iPad 3 Rumours Round-up – Retina Display, Storage, Processor and the rest appeared first on GadgetyNews.