Motorola RAZR i review

SNAP HAPPY

Another integral part of the Intel chipset is its image handling, with the eight-megapixel camera capable of a 10 frame burst in a single second – it’s great for capturing fast moving action.

This non-HDR shot has a rather flat and dull appearance – click to enlarge

HDR introduces some artefacts, and colours can look overcooked, but it’s a far more striking image overall – click to enlarge

In single shot mode there’s also a HDR function that looks to take two pictures in close succession, but at different exposures and then combines them almost instantly to good effect. It certainly helps bring out colours in dull scenes, as well as render scenes better that contain light and dark areas. It does however add quite a bit of noise, though this isn’t very noticeable once pics have been resized for Facebook and the like.

The interface works well and provides occasional hints

There’s a dedicated shutter button for the camera, and a quick tap will launch the camera app almost instantly, even if the handset is locked. Once you’ve finished snapping, you will need to unlock the handset from the lock screen before reviewing your snaps – for obvious security reasons.

A resized shot from the RAZR i’s camera, shows good general balance of exposures and colours – click to enlarge

But this pixel-to-pixel crop exposes a lack of fine detail – click to enlarge

Image quality is a bit up and down, exposures were well managed, and colours looked right, but there was a lack of fine detail compared to the best-of-the-best – such as the current HTC line up.

STAB VEST

As with previous RAZR models, the new Motorola RAZR i comes with a range of extras to keep it from harm. The front of the screen is covered in Gorilla Glass to prevent scratches, the back of the phone has a kevlar finish for similar reasons.

Around the screen, Motorola tells us, is an aluminium frame that provides additional rigidity and allows for the thin bezel. Unfortunately, only time wil tell if that’s a weak point in the design. Finally, this handset has the usual RAZR splashproof coating, so water runs off like a proverbial duck’s back. It’s not waterproof, so you can spill your pint on it, but don’t spill it into your pint.

The Kevlar is back, and we love it

The practicality doesn’t end there though. Unlike the HTC One S, the RAZR i has a memory card slot under a flap on the side of the handset. This means you can expand the internal 8GB of memory (of which around 5GB is free for use) with up to a 32GB micro SD card – which costs as little as £13. It also comes with NFC, so you’re all set should the card-less payment revolution get rolling.