Mobile
Motorola Droid RAZR HD Features: What Not to Expect
The Motorola Droid RAZR HD for Verizon remains an elusive beast. We have yet to see the device officially announced for Verizon’s network leaving its specifications as unofficial entities. However, based on leaks and earlier Motorola releases, we can make some educated predictions about what to expect, feature-wise, from the Droid RAZR HD.
The Droid RAZR HD is expected to replace the Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX as the new, high-end, Droid in Verizon’s 4G LTE smartphone lineup.
Thus far though, the device remains unofficial and a release date remains a mystery.
Its specifications, however, have come up to the surface on several occasions, offering up a glimpse of the device that many have held out for for quite sometime.
And while we have already taken a look at what consumers should expect from the Droid RAZR HD features, it’s time to take a look at what we don’t expect from the Droid RAZR HD’s features when it arrives at some point later this year.
Surprises
The Droid RAZR HD that has leaked to the surface, the one with the dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor and 720p screen and design similar to those of the Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX, should be the device that consumers should expect to hit shelves this year.
Don’t expect many surprises from the Droid RAZR HD.
What we mean is that customers shouldn’t expect any surprises once the phone is officially announced.
Verizon devices, especially Droid-branded smartphones, often leak out before their launch date and the Droid RAZR HD has been no different.
We’ve seen it appear in photos showing off its Kevlar back and its overall build, and we’ve seen benchmarks confirm its 720p display and speedy processor.
Those are the features on the device in the hands of testers and those are likely to be on board the Droid RAZR HD when it arrives. So, don’t expect a 1080p display or a quad-core processor to magically arrive on the device.
The Droid RAZR MAXX’s Battery
While the battery on the Droid RAZR HD is going to be bigger than most batteries found in 4G LTE smartphones, those interested in the Droid RAZR HD should not expect the same 3,300 mAh battery that’s found in the Droid RAZR MAXX.
An FCC filing revealed that the Droid RAZR HD will have a 2,530 mAh battery which, while large, is not on the same level as the Droid RAZR MAXX battery which has helped the device to sell in the United States.
This likely won’t change given it passed through the FCC with the smaller battery on board and that means that owners shouldn’t expect to get 21 hours of continuous talk time, the amount that the Droid RAZR MAXX’s battery offers, on the Droid RAZR HD.
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
As we’ve told you, future owners should expect Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, Google’s latest software, and not Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
The reason for this is simple. The Droid RAZR HD would be gimped at the start with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on board. If it doesn’t have Android 4.0, it would mean that owners would have to wait for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
And given that there are already older devices running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the Nexus S for instance, it would be ridiculous if Motorola and Verizon decided to launch this phone with Android 4.0.
If Motorola does do the unthinkable and launches this phone with Android 4.0, customers should not expect a swift update to come after launch either.
It took Motorola and Verizon months to get ICS to the Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX after they launched.
Don’t expect MotoBlur to be overwhelming.
Overwhelming MotoBlur
One of the issues many people had with Motorola phones of the past was MotoBlur, the user interface that Motorola draped over Android.
Well, if the Motorola Atrix HD is any indication, there is good news for those that either hate MotoBlur or just want to see it shaved down a bit.
The Atrix HD has MotoBlur on board but it’s not intrusive and actually offers some pretty nifty features including a new clock widget that provides awesome, up-to-date information.
MotoBlur also used to slow down devices considerably and that hasn’t happened with the Atrix HD and we doubt that it happens on the Droid RAZR HD either.
Best-in-Class Cameras
Many companies, HTC and Apple for instance, pride themselves on the cameras they offer on their smartphones. Motorola though has never been one to do that and we just don’t see that stance changing with the Droid RAZR HD.
The cameras will be serviceable, probably 8MP (this is what we’ve seen in leaks) in the rear and 2MP up front, but don’t expect an HD front-facing camera and don’t expect anything best-in-class for the rear camera.
A Bulky Design
And finally, customers should not expect a bulky design. Motorola was able to pack a 3,300 battery, dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM into a slim 8.9mm design on the Droid RAZR MAXX and it will likely do the same with the Droid RAZR HD.
In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Droid RAZR HD have a design that’s on par or close to the 7.1mm form factor found on the Droid RAZR.
We still don’t know the exact measurements but it’s safe to say, Motorola won’t be launching a bulky smartphone with the Droid RAZR HD.
Rudi Xeno
08/06/2012 at 12:46 pm
I have a feeling they’ll use the thicker Maxx build since most users thought it more comfortable than the original thinner Razr.
Jay Knutson
08/07/2012 at 4:42 am
I find it difficult to believe that Moto would alienate followers of the Razr Maxx by decreasing battery life. This is the primary reason I purchased the Maxx…if this is really the case I say “goodbye Moto…hello plan B”.
Reno arch
08/07/2012 at 6:19 pm
If the phone comes with another terrible camera I am switching to the IPhone. Forget 8 or 12 MP give us a camera that takes decent picts.
breakers
08/30/2012 at 8:46 pm
This does not matter to 90% of the people who buy these phones. People buy these phones for the commercials, the looks, and how smooth the OS is in the store on the display model. Nothing is installed on display models! It will run like a charm. The nice kevlar back makes people think “durable” (which it is). The large screen means big movies and fun youtube, and the HD is just a number that most people can’t tell the difference on anyways without some fancy shmancy glasses for their eyes. Sure, nobody who likes to run benchmarks for fun will buy it, but how many people do that? .5% dare i say? ICS is smooth out of the box, and the new BLUR is very attractive. They don’t know that the cameras are bad because it’s an 8MP, people don’t know sensors are what make the difference. They know motorola for good radios, though. Posts like these are useless. Girls will buy the RAZR M in white because it’s “cute” and the guys will buy the HD because of the screen, size, and kevlar. Most people use their phones as the developer intended them to. To play games, facebook/twitter, watch videos, and other media/phone-like things. Developers don’t make phones to beat the S3 in terms of benchmark speed, it’s not necessary. with a lightweight UI, you don’t need as much as say TouchWiz. I don’t see why people don’t understand this, benchmarks mean nothing to a phone that has mid-range specs. The slight 1 second less boot times and loading times, also mean nothing to users. Nobody even cares about the camera all that much! MOST people whip out their phone, snap a pic, and don’t analyze pixel for pixel for sharpness. It’s the ease of use that people care about, and how fluent it transitions between screens.
Please, reason with yourself about why no company advertises their benchmark scores on their websites and ads. Sure, it could bring many many customers so they have a mindless way of comparing phones which is how i got sucked into the S3, until i smartened up and realized specs don’t mean shit with current flagships.
Please, refrain from flaming if i offended your puny beliefs.