Razer Phone 2 vs Razer Phone: Specs comparison

Razer has just unveiled the Razer Phone 2 and — as expected — it is a real powerhouse. The specs on the first Razer Phone are still pretty impressive, however. Let’s take a look to see how the Razer Phone 2 improves upon the original so you can decide whether or not it is worth upgrading.

Razer Phone 2 vs Razer Phone: Design

As you can see from the pictures, the Razer Phone 2 has a very similar design to the Razer Phone. They both have a boxy chassis which clearly marks them out as Razer Phones.

The Razer Phone 2 has almost the exact same dimensions and display size as the original phone. The large bezels found on the original phone are also still present. While this means the Razer Phone 2 doesn’t have the sleekest design, it does keep the two huge front facing speakers that were housed in the bezels of the first phone.

The biggest design difference is that the Razer logo on the rear of the Razer Phone 2 illuminates. You can even change the color. The phone also changes color when you get a notification, though at the moment the color of the notification cannot be set by the phone owner.

This may not be the biggest design change but it could still be pretty useful to ensure you don’t miss notifications when your phone is placed face down on a surface. It will also likely be a well-received addition by people who are already fans of Razer and the Chroma LED effects built into its other products.

The other main design difference between the two phones is that the rear dual-camera setup has been moved from the top corner into the center of the phone.  This gives the Razer Phone 2 a slightly more symmetrical look and, according to Razer, improves the phone’s portrait mode.

Razer Phone 2 vs Razer Phone: Display and performance

When it comes to display and performance, there are some similarities between the two phones and also a few ways in which the Razer Phone 2 is better than the original.

Both phones have a 5.72-inch 120Hz LCD display with a 1440 x 2560 resolution. However, with a maximum of 645 nits, the display on the Razer Phone 2 is 50 percent brighter than the original phone. This is great news as one of our complaints about the first phone was that the screen was a little too dim.

Additionally, the newer phone uses Gorilla Glass 5 while the older phone uses Gorilla Glass 3.

The biggest performance difference is that the Razer Phone 2 has a Snapdragon 845 processor, while the Razer Phone uses a Snapdragon 835. Having said that, this may not make the biggest difference in day-to-day use. While the Snapdragon 845 is the latest unit, the Snapdragon 835 is still a more than capable chipset that should be able to handle pretty much whatever you throw at it.

When the Razer Phone was first unveiled, it was one of the first devices to get 8GB RAM. The Razer Phone 2 also comes with 8GB RAM. While phones with 8GB RAM may not be quite as rare as when the first Razer phone was released, it is still far more than enough to power the phone.

The RAM size may be the same but there is a difference in the type of RAM used. The Razer Phone uses LPDDR4 RAM while the Razer Phone 2 uses LPDDR4x RAM. The latter is more power efficient and could result in the phone having better battery life.

While the original Razer Phone came with 64GB storage, Razer has unveiled both 64GB and 128GB versions of the Razer Phone 2. Both phones have an SD card slot so you can add more storage if needed.

Razer Phone 2 vs Razer Phone: Camera

Like the Razer Phone, the Razer Phone 2 has a rear dual-camera setup with a 12MP wide-angle lens with f/1.75 aperture and a 12MP telephoto lens with f/2.6 aperture. On the front, both versions of the Razer Phone have an 8MP f/2.0 selfie shooter.

On paper, it all sounds familiar but there are some differences. This time around the wide sensor has Optical Image Stabilization and the sensors are made by Sony. The position of the rear cameras has also changed which should help improve the phone’s portrait mode. Finally, Razer has made adjustments to the camera app’s UI which, it says, will make the app more intuitive.

Overall, Razer says that this means the newer phone has a much better camera than the older version.

When the Razer Phone was first released, the camera was poorly received. If the camera on the Razer Phone 2 is much better — we’ll have to wait for our review to find out if it truly is — it would certainly help make the phone seem like a more attractive proposition to those who want a device with features that go beyond gaming.

Razer Phone 2 vs Razer Phone: Audio

The dual front-facing speakers on the Razer Phone were praised highly upon the phone’s release. In our review, we said they were louder than pretty much any other phone.

Fortunately, these speakers are set to make a return on the Razer Phone 2. Like the first Razer Phone, the Razer Phone 2 does not have a headphone jack, although it does come with a USB-C adapter with 24-bit DAC.

Razer Phone 2 vs Razer Phone: Battery

There is little to separate the battery found in the Razer Phone and the Razer Phone 2. Both are 4,000mAh and support Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 4 technology.

The only thing that might make a difference to battery life is the Razer Phone 2 has more efficient RAM and a newer Snapdragon processor. We’ll have to wait until we test out the newer phone’s battery to see how much of a difference it makes (if any) to regular use.

Razer Phone 2 vs Razer Phone: Extras

One huge extra is that the Razer Phone 2 is IP67 water resistant. This is quite impressive considering the huge speaker grills on the front of the phone. The original Razer Phone had no IP rating.

The Razer Phone 2 will ship with Android 8.1, the same version of Android that the Razer Phone currently uses. However, Razer says the Razer Phone 2 will soon get Android Pie. While the company has not yet said whether or not the original phone will also get a Pie upgrade, it would be pretty surprising if it doesn’t.

Razer Phone 2 vs Razer Phone: Price

The Razer Phone 2 costs either $799 for the 64GB version or $899 for the 128GB version. This is a $100 increase on the price of the first Razer Phone upon its release.

As it is now a year old, you may be able to find the first phone for significantly less than this. While it is currently listed as sold out on the Razer website, the Razer Phone can still be found for a discounted price on Amazon.

So, which one should I choose?

If you already own the Razer Phone, then you may not find the changes Razer made to its latest model to be enough to warrant an upgrade.

However, if you don’t own either phone, then the Razer Phone 2 is the better device. It has a newer processor, an upgraded camera, and a cool new lighting effect. The brighter screen will also be something that you will likely notice when using the phone.

The Razer Phone 2 has also kept a lot about what made the original such an enticing proposition, such as its 120hz display and its dual front-facing speakers.

The Razer Phone 2 is more expensive than the Razer Phone so if you can find a good deal on the original phone, then you will have to factor this into your decision. However, if you are just looking for the better phone, then the updated version is the way to go.

More Razer 2 coverage

• Razer Phone 2 hands-on: A sharp upgrade
• Razer Phone 2 announced: More style, more power
• Razer Phone 2 specs: Familiar, but better in all the ways that matter
• Razer Phone 2 vs Razer Phone: Specs comparison
• The Razer Raiju Mobile lets you play Android games with actual buttons