MobileMotorola Revive Razr Brand Following Google Acquisition

Motorola Revive Razr Brand Following Google Acquisition

Motorola has unveiled the latest addition to its smartphone range with the launch of the Razr, which will run on Android 2.3.5 and is the first device from the firm since its $12.5bn acquisition by Google in August.

BERLIN: Motorola has unveiled the latest addition to its smartphone range with the launch of the Razr, which will run on Android 2.3.5 and is the first device from the firm since its $12.5bn acquisition by Google in August.

Super-thin Kevlar Motorola RazrMany will remember the Razr range of phones, first launched in 2004, as one of the firm’s most successful, and Motorola will be hoping that by resurrecting the brand it can create some buzz in the industry to rival Apple’s iPhone 4S.

The handset is powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, boasts 1GB of RAM and a whopping 16GB of storage as well as an 8-megapixel camera.

It also has a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera and an HDMI port, while the screen is a sizeable 4.3in and has a super AMOLED display.

The firm claims that it is the thinnest smartphone on the market, measuring just 7.1mm at its thickest point, while it weighs just 127g.

Despite the slim and lightweight design, Motorola said the device was strong enough for everyday life, with a Gorilla Glass screen for scratch resistance while the back is made with Kelvar, usually found in bullet-proof vests.

The firm officially unveiled the device at an event in Berlin at which Alain Mutricy, senior vice president for product management, said the firm was confident the device would rival other high-end smartphones on the market from firms such as Apple and Samsung.

“The Razr is a marvel of technology and engineering. It is 7.1mm thin and has one of the world’s best screen displays, with a richer colour saturation and larger screen than the iPhone 4S,” he said.

Mutricy also revealed that Motorola would be pushing out the Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) Android 4.0 software release to the phone during the first few months of 2012, after the update was unveiled last night by Google and Samsung.

“We plan to have the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade for the phone during the first half of 2012 as ICS becomes available to OEMs in the coming weeks,” he said.

Mutricy explained the device has several new software features, including SmartActions, which is designed to automate key functions on the phone, such as turning off features that use up a lot of battery power once battery life drops below a certain point.

Additionally, the firm has launched a new cloud application called Motocast that allows users to link the phone with a work or home PC in order to access documents, images and other content on-the-go.For business users, the phone also has a number of key security features, including encryption and remote wipe for both the phone and any SD cards inserted in the device, Mutricy explained.

It also comes preloaded with business applications from Citrix including GoToMeeting for conferencing and Receiver for virtual desktop access.

The phone is set to be available in November in several nations across Europe, including the UK, although no pricing information was made available.

No Google representatives were at the event and given the launch of the Razr only a couple of months after the web giant’s acquisition of Motorola, it is likely the phone was already in the pipeline before the deal took place.

Many had suggested Google’s deal with Motorola could alienate its other core partners, notably Samsung, but with Google partnering with Samsung for the launch of its Galaxy Nexus device, it appears Google is keen to show this is not the case.

This article was originally published on V3.

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