Is Motorola's RAZR 2 a serious threat to the iPhone?
OK, let me lay my feelings on the table right from the outset. If a rehashed version of the RAZR is Ed Zander's idea of "wickedly cool" devices that will pose a marked threat to the iPhone, then I think he's sadly deluded.
Yes, even as a self-proclaimed Apple fanboy, I can see the potential of Motorola's RAZR 2, announced yesterday, but I don't think it's an iPhone killer.
Of course, it has the kind of features you'd expect from a modern, stylish phone: sleek combination of shiny metallic materials, big screen, CrystalTalk technology for clearer phone calls (when you actually use your phone for talking), access to digital music (even if it is via Windows Media Player 11), video, 2 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, HTML web browser, and email.
Against the iPhone, and in fact even against the likes of the Nokia N95 or LG Prada, it just doesn't look all that special.
Stuart has done the decent thing and saved me some work by rounding up how the RAZR 2, Nokia N95, and iPhone compare.
Yes, if you're after a small form factor, and you're not feeling that clamshell is dated, then saying "Hello Moto" isn't the worst thing. The other two devices are bigger, though I wouldn't say bulky, but then they're packing in a lot of functionality.
The iPhone's screen surely wins hands down, particularly for widescreen video playback and web browsing. Both RAZR 2 and iPhone cameras are 2 megapixel, but that doesn't tell the whole story. We'll have to wait until July to find out which takes the best pictures.
The iPhone has the might of iTunes behind it, so should have all the functionality you'd expect from the desktop. Yeah, it won't directly play WMA files, blah-blah, but then it's not got Microsoft's shocking Media Player on it, either. Though the iPhone's interface is a world away from the iPod, we know that it will deliver the same mobile music experience - so if you like iPod, you should like the iPhone.
It could come down to personal preference - presumably both handsets will be able to synchronise music you've stored on your PC at home.
The often discussed lack of 3G on the iPhone may still be seen as a disadvantage when compared to the RAZR 2. I'm still holding out for a 3G European iPhone. Interestingly, our recent survey suggests that lack of 3G may not be so much of an issue with consumers as we like to think.
The RAZR 2 has some coolness about it, and no doubt some will get quite excited about it when it launches in July. Its arrival a few weeks after the iPhone launches in the US may put it at a disadvantage Stateside, though it will have a head start in Europe.
It will be cheaper, with more network and contract choices, than the iPhone, but then so will plenty of other handsets. You'll have to do better, Moto, if you're after stealing the crown from that phone.
Powermat: Revolutionary Gadget Charging
Came straight to this page? Visit www.iphonic.tv for all the latest news.
