Motorola RAZR i review

SHARPER ANDROID

Android 4.0 is now the norm for new handset launches, which is a huge relief. Motorola has made a few alterations, and for a change we’re actually quite keen on the manufacturer’s meddling with Android.

The first clever idea is to only provide a single home screen when you first turn on the handset. Scroll left and you get a screen of commonly used settings, such as wireless connections, GPS, flight mode and others. Flick to the right and you can add an extra home screen, either blank or based on a template of widgets.

RAZR i lets you take full control of your home screens

It all means you only have the real estate you need, rather than endless blank screens. This approach also means Motorola hasn’t pushed its own services at you via a raft of branded widgets. On a similar note, Motorola will be providing the RAZR i with its bootloader unlocked, SIM-free or where networks allow it, so you’re free to tinker with the OS without having to crack the security first.

It’s not all good news though, as we did have some browser problems. Double-tapping on text on the BBC new site caused it to reflow to fit the screen in places, but others still ran off the edge. We doubt this is Motorola’s fault, but we reckon the blame is more likely to lie with the x86 version of Android. Either way, it needs to be fixed and quickly.

CONCLUSION

The Motorola RAZR i stands up well to similarly-priced handsets, such as the HTC One S, both SIM-free and on a £25 monthly contract. It’s incredibly fast at browsing the web, has a decent camera and is remarkably compact. It’s tough and practical, with both its micro SD card slot and dedicated camera button. Its Android installation has a few niggles, but these are easily outweighed by some great design decisions. It’s not the most exciting phone, but it’s a very good one.