Motorola Razr2 V9m on Verizon Cell Phone Review - Value & Comparisons
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Alfredo Padilla Published on September 12, 2007 Comment on this |
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Value (3.0)
The Razr2 V9m is available from Verizon for $249.99 with a two-year contract or $349.99 without. The in-contract price is the same as that from Sprint, but the out of contract price is $50 less. The Razr2 V9 from AT&T is more expensive at $299.99 with a two-year contract, however the difference isn't huge. The hardware improvements that come with the Razr2 are significant, we like the 2-megapixel camera, large external screen, and general hardware feel. However the lack of upgrades on the software side mean under the hood the Razr2 V9m really isn't much better than the older Razr V3m. As a result we don't feel that it's a good value at this time. As with most phones, we expect prices to drop within a few months to a more reasonable level, and we recommend you wait until it does.
Comparisons
Helio Fin - The Helio Fin packs better features like GPS into a similarly sexy form factor and at a lower price than the Razr2 V9m. The V9m does have better hardware, however, especially with the keypad and control keys, which can be difficult to use on the Fin. We also like the Razr2 V9m's large external screen, but the software on the device doesn't take full advantage of this. If you're willing to switch to Helio we feel like the Fin is an attractive option, but without some of the style of the Razr2 V9m.
Motorola Razr2 V9m (Sprint) - The Sprint iteration of this handset has the same hardware but sports a different user interface. In some areas the Verizon version is slightly better, for example the camera performed better in our tests. However the Sprint version also has its pluses, including the ability to watch Sprint TV on the external display. It's really half a dozen of one or six of the other here; pick the one that's on the carrier you want.
Motorola Razr V3m - The Razr2 V9m is definitely an upgrade over this older version, with an improved camera, better battery life and improved hardware overall. However under the hood we don't see a big difference, and a lot of people can save themselves more than $200 at this point by picking up the older Razr rather than the new one.
LG Chocolate VX8550 - The Chocolate is a small and sexy music handset that provides almost all the functionality you would get out of the Razr at a significantly lower price point. We can't see spending significantly more for the Razr's 2-megapixel camera and underutilized external display here.
Apple iPhone - We think the Razr2 V9m is a little overpriced, but even after a $200 price drop the iPhone costs significantly more. Of course despite all the little things the iPhone is missing, like MMS and video recording, the software puts the Razr2 V9m's to shame. The simple fact of the matter is that the V9m isn't in the iPhone's class, and it's overpriced when you compare it to similar devices.
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