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Razer Phone 2 confirmed (Updated: Chroma LED lights possibly included)
Update, September 7, 2018 (09:57AM EST): We have confirmation that the Razer Phone 2 is on the way, but that’s about all we know for certain about the gaming phone. But a new tweet from tech journalist Roland Quandt suggests that the Razer Phone 2 might incorporate one of the company’s most iconic features: Chroma.
Here’s his tweet:
The Razer Phone 2 will (highly likely) finally have Chroma LED effects built in. They’re working to use an LED controller from Texas Instruments to make this happen so the phone lights up when notifications come in.— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) September 7, 2018
For those of you out there who are not big gamers, Chroma is a proprietary lighting effect that Razer incorporates into its gaming products, with keyboards being one of the more popular items. Using Chroma LED effects, gamers can customize the lighting of their peripherals to their favorite color or make it fade in and out with all the colors of the rainbow.
Quandt is not exactly sure how Chroma could be incorporated into a smartphone, but our guess would be a band that wraps around the bezels that lights up with notifications. However, it’s anyone’s guess at this point.
Original Article, September 3, 2018 (05:40AM EST): The Razer Phone arguably kick-started the current era of gaming smartphones following its 2017 release. Now, Razer has revealed that a successor is on the way.
Razer announced the news in an earnings report (spotted by WCCFTech), calling itself an “industry forerunner” when it launched the original Razer Phone.
Read: PlayStation Phone — Why the time is right for a Sony gaming phone
“Razer is now focusing its resources into the development of the second-generation Razer Phone and accompanying software releases which will extend its software and services from PC into the mobile market,” read an excerpt of the earnings report.
It’s interesting to note the firm’s intention to bring its PC services to mobile. The company has several PC services, such as its zGold wallet and rewards platform and its Razer Game Store, which could be prime candidates for a mobile release.
What to expect from Razer Phone 2?
The gaming brand hasn’t revealed anything else about the new smartphone but we’d expect a power boost thanks to a Snapdragon 845 chipset. The first model still stands out thanks to its 120Hz display, so it seems like a no-brainer that the Razer Phone 2 would offer this screen tech too.
In his Razer Phone review, former Android Authority reviewer Joshua Vergara said the company made “one hell of a start” with the device. Joshua praised the performance and display, but felt that the photography experience was “terrible.” Hopefully the new phone delivers big improvements over the old device in this department.
Rival gaming smartphones could also potentially give us a preview of what to expect from the Razer Phone 2. The ASUS ROG Phone is a noteworthy example, offering interesting accessories, a faster-clocked Snapdragon 845 chipset, and ultrasonic shoulder triggers.
What would you like to see from a Razer Phone 2? Let us know in the comments below.