Razr2 V9 on AT&T Cell Phone Review - Hardware
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Mark Brezinski Published on October 02, 2007 Comment on this |
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Keypad
Text Words Per Minute (9.24)
To find out how easy texting on the V9's keypad is, we typed out a test paragraph and timed how long it took to do so. After a few trials, we were able to finish the test paragraph in about 20.76 seconds, which works out to 46.24 words per minute (WPM). This is incredibly fast, and better than some phones with QWERTY keyboards. The reason for this is most likely the roomy keypad, which allows you enough room to see where your thumbs are going, and to navigate by touch.
| Cell Phone | Words Per Minute | Score |
| Razr2 V9 | 46.24 | 9.24 |
| Sanyo Katana DLX | 39.10 | 7.82 |
| Nokia N75 | 42.48 | 8.50 |
| Samsung Blast | 37.54 | 7.51 |
| Helio Fin | 31.70 | 6.34 |
| Apple iPhone | 39.60 | 7.92 |
T9 and Auto Complete (10.0)
The Razr2 V9 from AT&T supports predictive text. Like the other carriers' Razr2 iterations, the V9 uses Motorola's iTap system. This remembers words you commonly type out, which aids word prediction. Verizon's Razr2 has this functionality as well, but it is missing from Sprint's.
One Hand Usability (7.85)
Here we perform the same test as in the Text Words Per Minute section, except with a surprise twist: we only use one hand. This time we managed to limp our way through the test paragraph in 24.47 seconds, which ends up being around 39.23 WPM. Here the Razr2 still finds itself ahead of the pack, though the margin is much closer. Again, the big buttons mean finger accuracy isn't as much of a factor, which allows for wildly reckless typing -- the fastest kind possible.
| Cell Phone | Words Per Minute | Score |
| Razr2 V9 | 39.23 | 7.85 |
| Sanyo Katana DLX | 38.24 | 7.65 |
| Nokia N75 | 38.10 | 7.62 |
| Samsung Blast | 29.23 | 5.85 |
| Helio Fin | 32.70 | 6.54 |
| Apple iPhone | 32.10 | 6.42 |
Keypad Backlighting (7.0)
The V9's keypad is well backlit. The numbers, icons, and borders all light up evenly. While there aren't any timing controls or other customization options for the backlight, the phone does make use of its light sensor.
Controls
D-Pad/Joystick (6.0)
The d-pad on the Razr2 V9 is good. The ridges and raised arrows help navigate by touch. Its size will accommodate those with larger thumbs. It doesn't offer as much tactile feedback as we would like. Reduced feedback is just a side effect from the control interface being imprinted on the same sheet.
Touch Screen (0.0)
The Raz2 does not have a fully functional touch screen. Its external touch-sensitive display is awarded points in the Other Buttons section below.
Jog Dial (1.0)
The volume rocker can be used as a makeshift jog dial, and allows you to scroll through lists. They don't function any differently than just the up and down arrows, right down to the speed of auto scroll they induce.
Soft Buttons (7.0)
AT&T's Razr2 V9 has soft buttons at the top left and right of the control sheet. They are quite large, have raised dots, and are located in corners, all of which make them easy to find and use. Again, the single sheet used for all the keys doesn't allow much travel when pressing them, especially toward the outer edges.
Volume Control (5.0)
Power and Standby (6.5)
As with many phones, powering down is a secondary function of the end key. Turning the phone back on again only requires a normal press. As mentioned in the Talk/End button section, the end key is big and has a unique texture to its symbol, so it's easy to find.
Other Buttons (8.0)
There are a few other buttons on AT&T's Razr2 V9 that aren't discussed above. First of all, there are two buttons below the soft keys. The left button serves as a browser shortcut, while the right opens up cellular video. Bottom center in the d-pad array is where the back button is kept, which is useful for navigating around the phone.
The right side of the phone is host to the camera shortcut button. This button doesn't have a dual purpose like the Sprint version, which can also open up the photo album. It can be used when the phone is closed, however, and allows for easy self-portraits. The left side of the phone has the "smart key," which brings up the Music menu from the external home screen, after which it behaves like a select key.
The external, touch-sensitive controls only encompass three buttons: reverse skip, play, and forward skip. Holding down either skip will rewind or fast-forward, respectively. Pressing the buttons elicits a slight vibration, a sort of mock tactile feedback. These external controls are really disappointing; on the Sprint version, the keys were capable of multiple functions. The hardware was capable of much more functionality here, but the software simply doesn't take advantage of it.
Display
Primary Screen Gross Resolution (8.0)
The main display of AT&T's Razr2 QVGA resolution is 240 x 320 pixels. While this represents a huge step from the original Razr, it's become a standard for current phones. Higher-end phones often have higher resolutions.
| Cell Phone | Resolution | Score |
| Razr2 V9 | 320 x 240 | 8.0 |
| Sanyo Katana DLX | 320 x 240 | 8.0 |
| Nokia N75 | 320 x 240 | 8.0 |
| Samsung Blast | 220 x 176 | 4.0 |
| Helio Fin | 320 x 240 | 8.0 |
| Apple iPhone | 480 x 320 | 9.0 |
Primary Screen Pixels per Inch (9.09)
PPI, or pixels per inch, measures just that: how many pixels are squeezed into every inch of screen. Obviously, higher densities offer sharper lines and deeper colors than those with lower PPI. All Razr2 phones measure 181.8 PPI, since they all have the same hardware. This is a good score for a mid-range phone.
| Cell Phone | Pixels Per Inch | Score |
| Razr2 V9 | 181.8 | 9.09 |
| Sanyo Katana DLX | 200.0 | 10.00 |
| Nokia N75 | 166.7 | 8.34 |
| Samsung Blast | 127.0 | 6.35 |
| Helio Fin | 173.9 | 8.70 |
| Apple iPhone | 164.8 | 8.24 |
Screen Physical Size (5.5)
The Razr2's main screen spans 2.2 inches diagonally. The old version's main screen was a tenth of an inch smaller. Most phones' primary displays are between 2 and 2.4 inches, so the Razr2 finds itself dead center in this spectrum. Again, this measurement is the same for all Razr2 phones, as the carriers didn't change Motorola's issued hardware.
| Cell Phone | Size Diagonal (inches) | Score |
| Razr2 V9 | 2.2 | 5.50 |
| Sanyo Katana DLX | 2.0 | 5.00 |
| Nokia N75 | 2.4 | 6.00 |
| Samsung Blast | 2.1 | 5.25 |
| Helio Fin | 2.3 | 5.75 |
| Apple iPhone | 3.5 | 8.75 |
Screen Brightness (6.25)
To test screen brightness, we first browse the phone to a blank white website. We then hold it two inches away from a light meter and measure the amount of lux it outputs. The Razr2 V9's screen measured 95 lux, which is substantially bright, but not as bright as the magnesium flame that is the iPhone's display. The V9 also has six presets for brightness.
| Cell Phone | Brightness (lux) | Score |
| Razr2 V9 | 95 | 6.25 |
| Sanyo Katana DLX | 72 | 4.85 |
| Nokia N75 | 69 | 6.90 |
| Samsung Blast | 92 | 5.85 |
| Helio Fin | 78 | 5.15 |
| Apple iPhone | 168 | 15.40 |
Screen Bright Light Performance (6.0)
This test approximates what it would be like to use the phone outside on a sunny day. To test this, we shine 3000 lux on the phone, and judge how badly it hinders the user experience. The Razr2 V9 performed reasonably in this test; we were able to to get around the interface. The biggest problem was that text was difficult to read, but it's a rare phone that allows you to easily read text in bright light situations. Still, we have to say it wasn't as good as the Helio Fin, which performed very well in this test, and we actually think the older Razr V3m performed better than the Razr2 V9 here.
Color Depth (6.0)
The Razr2's main screen can handle 65,000 colors. While standard for most phones, higher-end phones can typically output 260,000 colors. Considering the price, we would've expected the latter number.
| Cell Phone | Colors (thousands) | Score |
| Razr2 V9 | 65 | 6.0 |
| Sanyo Katana DLX | 262 | 8.0 |
| Nokia N75 | 1,600 | 10.0 |
| Samsung Blast | 262 | 8.0 |
| Helio Fin | 262 | 8.0 |
| Apple iPhone | 65 | 6.0 |
Secondary Screen (16.68)
The secondary screen on the V9 is much more sophisticated than typical flip phone fare. It measures 2 inches diagonally, with a 320 x 240 resolution that can show 65,000 colors. This is equivalent to the main displays on most phones. It also has the touch-sensitive portion at the bottom, although AT&T's V9 doesn't take full advantage of them. The Sprint and Verizon versions placed program links in the touch-sensitive area, but AT&T opted to only give the external screen music functionality.
Ports & Storage
Power & Data Ports (5.0)
The Razr2 phones all sport a standard micro USB port for charging and data. Unfortunately, micro USB isn't as prevalent as mini USB yet, and as such doesn't receive as many points.
Headphone & Jack Compatibility (4.0)
Like all previous breeds of Razr, the Razr2 uses its data/power port as a headset port. AT&T's V9 came with an adaptor for a 2.5mm jack. The phone also supports Bluetooth headsets.
Internal Storage (1.0)
The Razr2 has an internal capacity of 128 MB. The user has access to somewhere between 60 and 80 MB of this, which is really only good for storing your PIM and maybe a song or two. If you want more than a few songs, you'll need a memory card. Some versions of the Razr2 have up to 2 GB of internal memory, which is much preferred. Given we live in a post-iPhone society, phones need to adapt and start packing at least a few gigabytes of memory.
Expansion Slot & Format (5.0)
The V9 has a slot for Micro SD cards, which is the standard in modern cell phones. Unfortunately, the Razr2 can't handle the new high-capacity SDHC cards. You can find the memory card slot under the battery cover. The card is flush with the battery, which is worse than being under it, because although you can see it, you still need to remove the battery in order to get at it. Please, manufacturers, avoid this design.
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