Forgotten Tech: Razer Phone 2 Review

After 5 years I wanted to take a look at one of the most forgotten phones in tech history: the Razer Phone 2.
Originally I picked this up because it was the cheapest 120hz phone available on the market, overtime I believe that has changed but it was still a really awesome phone to look back on.

[@azaan-bin-shahid6952]

yeah i am currently using this phone and the only downside of this phone that i am currently facing is the pathetic battery life on this beast of a phone

[@jordanintheknow]

The battery is the only genuine disappointment when it comes to every day use with this phone. If it wasn't for that I'd be very happy. It's a good phone man I am not surprised you are still getting good use out of it!

[@fentlacedxans]

I'm guessing this might be because of how old the phone/battery is(?) there's no reason a 4000 mAh battery should be that bad, I don't know if you can do this anymore but you could possibly take it to a repair shop and get the battery replaced maybe?? idk

[@silvanner]

Exactly, I've used this phone for years now and the battery was always bad. Charging time on the other hand is amazing, but I recently switched to a 14 pro.

[@jrddoubleu514]

To be fair, the battery life is probably more to do with the age of the device than anything else. When I first bought one, it would last longer than anything I'd previously had, or anything my friends had at the time. Nowadays (and I have 5 of them because they no longer make them and I like having spares for parts and replacement), the batteries are nowhere near as good. Unfortunately most of the replacement 'new' batteries all ship from chingchong, and they aren't as good or legit. Biggest fault with these phones is the USBC charging port. The razer phone 1 had LCD display faults (manufaturing issues, common problem) The razer phone 2 it's the port. It will burn out with use especially with fast charging. If you want it to last, use the wireless charger, and use wired for data only if possible. (I've oopened these up many times before. The USBC board ribbon connection will literally be burned out and because it's hard-soldered into the PCB you can't just replace the ribbon. Only a USBC replacement board will do and they difficult to source and extremely expensive due to sparse demand).

[@HangryD4D]

You obviously need to replace your battery because it's old af. ..

[@NPE_7765]

I've had literally no issues with the Razer phone 2 what so ever. The bad battery issue can be solved by putting you're screen refresh rate to 60hz, changing the power mode in razer cortex to battery saver. Turning on adaptive battery, and turning on cool thermal profile in developer mode. It sounds like a lot but it's a 20 second prosses and I have about 6-7 hours of extra battery

[@itsnoonepresents6508]

thanks, but i'm not switching to 60hz because the animations are so butter smooth even on 90hz. I will edit if it makes a big difference.

[@Gimpy17]

I’ve been daily driving this phone since Dec 2018. The biggest negative, the lack of software support since the Razer phone division shut down. I feel like a 3rd Razer phone would’ve knocked the socks off most other flagships that have been released lately. The screen is my favorite quality, I’ve compared my screen to every iPhone I’ve seen and the Razer screen is still better 5 years later.

[@Cardmaster12]

Lmao 513 ppi is insane tbf

[@elijah4685]

Gone but never forgotten, hands down the best phone I've ever had, it was the only phone I was actually sad to "upgrade" from, but the battery started lasting approximately 5 minutes and I botched the replacement.

[@dannydandaniel8040]

I had one. It was a perfectly executed phone from concept to finished product. Just not what ppl want in a phone. It wasnt practical, both front and back shatters as soon as you drop it, and it's so easy to do because of weight, awkward holding, and its ultra slick surface.

[@Exedorable]

Had the first and 2nd one, the 120hz was #amaze and ahead of its time, and speakers were some of the best I've ever heard

[@modmatt1]

Razer Phone2 owner here checking in and I never had so much (positive) interest in a phone whenever I went to use it in my daily life whether that was work or personal related. I ran mine on 90hz due to battery drain even when new and found the battery life very acceptable with the screen and overall experience to be very snappy especially when compared to other 60hz phones at the time. If you can load Google camera, it raises the level of picture quality. My wife thinks it takes much better pictures than her iPhone 11 pro.

[@jarodhal9595]

this is certainly not forgotten to me. I still use this thing every day. 5 years of use in south america. this thing is a Peterbilt. The battery is showing no sign of fading. Fully charged, Jen gets 2 days out of it. She spends hours video calling her relatives in colombia. this has been the most realiable phone we have ever owned. Every year that goes by, I just can't believe this thing is still trucking. aside from obvious issues of old version, there are no functional flaws in this phone whatsoever. and extremely minor marks from use. literally looks like it was bought new last week. I pray to God they finally decide to update this thing. Please send this comment to the Moon. There is a whole community of us and we are faithful to your product, so please return some of that to us! UPDATE RAZER

[@pinchealberto]

2023 I still Rock my Razer phone 2, but the selfie camera doesn't work, good thing am a Guy.

[@Quinnebaug]

This is still my daily driver. I absolutely love this phone! Please Razer make phones again they're the best!

[@shaunigothictv1003]

I have always been a Razer fan. I bought both the Razer phone 1 & 2. I paid over 1500 in cash and bought directly from Razer. Both phones were cutting edge at the time but the battery life was bad on both devices. Now that both devices have aged the battery life is even worse so i do not use them as my daily drivers anymore. The speakers on both are excellent - but the original Razer phone has richer speakers - whilst the Razer phone 2 has louder speakers. Neither of them can compete with my iphone 12 pro max for loudness, but both have WAY better quality sounding speakers. My iPhone 12 pro max blows them out of the water in terms of camera quality for photos and videos. But i already knew that the cameras on both devices would be average as Razer do not have the technical expertise to compete with Apple in this department. If you love great speakers and good gaming performance at a very cheap price then both devices can be purchased in almost new condition on some sites like ebay. But if you value battery life and camera quality then do NOT buy these either of these phones as they both have average cameras. By the way, i have had over 15 different flagship phones since 2012 - and the original Razer phone 1 simply has the best and richest speakers on any smartphone i have ever personally owned including every iphone i have owned. But they are no way near as loud as any iPhone i have owned.

[@jordanintheknow]

Love your analysis regarding the speakers. I agree they are amazing but phones today can sound louder even if they don't sound as rich. Also I 100% agree on your thoughts regarding the battery. Imagine if they ended up getting that part right how much better these razer phones could have been. Thanks for your comment my friend

[@shaunigothictv1003]

@@jordanintheknow Totally Agreed. Also, modern gaming phones from Asus and Xiaomi and Redmagic do NOT offer expandable atorage - whereas both Razer phones 1 and 2 offer micro sd card support upto 1tb - so they both have WAY more storage than modern gaming phones. BTW, i Love your channel bro. Bro, You should do a video on retro tech from the early 2000's as there seems to be a massive interest on social media in retro devices from the period from 2000 - 2005. Peach and Blessings from the U.K.

[@gonzalescarloz]

I'm still using this phone until now. Bought it when it went on sale 3-4years ago iirc. But now I think it's time for its retirement.

[@jordanintheknow]

I don't blame you if you feel that way. It's an old boi now and needs an honest days rest 🤣

[@Mikhail12]

I had it Amazing phone and great support Wish more sold and we would be on razer 9 by now

[@netnomad47]

Bring this back with an oled screen, a snap dragon 8 gen 4, and a slimmer speaker bezel!

[@InfoDisco]

The Razer Phone has been by silent killer for the last 7 years, I get them used on eBay for $150 and for that price there still is not a better phone. But yeah unfortunately even the best-kept Razer Phone 2's batteries are beginning to degrade pretty badly.

[@AamitMorthos]

Honestly, I still want to get an razer phone 2. I absolutely loved my rp1 and how I was able to last 2 days on one charge. Because of the aluminum body it didn't make my hands hot... And then my battery started to balloon... The only reason I didn't get the 2 was bc I didn't like the glass body, but now I kinda thinking about it.

[@Ananchel27]

I think with a battery replacement as well as a nice Android 13 custom rom flashed on it, I will consider it as a daily driver.

[@159tony]

For a 4 year old device with a stock battery presumably having gone through constant recharge cycles, i am surprised it is lasting as much as it is with you. I would look into replacing it, as they do still sell those batteries and individual parts for the device. It should boost the performance and the battery life significantly.

[@hengineer]

I still own it and have it as a backup, a weakness for me is the charging port which has all but died, fortunately the wireless charging still works, AND I do own the expensive but cool original wireless charger Razer came out with.

[@hengineer]

I recommend getting the gcam port for the camera. It has the same hardware as one of the pixels (forget which one). The issue wasn't the hardware, it was the software.

[@hengineer]

Also pointing out the original wireless charger, it had better placement for the coil, and the coil had to be lower to accommodate the LED light in the back.

[@ALBINOGORILLA748]

Can this work on verizon guy by me has a mint 1 for 50$

[@jarodhal9595]

I don't understand why there's so many complaints about the battery life. we get 2 days on a full charge.

[@Kaiser187]

I didn't even know they made phones or I fried my brain so bad and forgot! This phone looks so sick though! Looking at my Razer Viper Mini as I watch this video lighting up the exact same as this phone! so dope! WIsh they kept making phones.

[@5punkybob]

I loved my razer phone 2..

[@sinister8924]

I adore this phone, i just wish i could update the android version, the hardware is completely awesome, it just needs software updates to function properly! 120 hertz eats battery, turn it down to 60 for daily use, only use 120 during gaming or showcasing something to a friend.

[@danielstevens243]

The battery doesn't do well on max settings but I doubt any phone lasts long gaming at 1440p 120hz... Its a great phone I have been using it an unhealthy amount since launch... Man how time flies has it really been almost 5 years? Still almost as powerful as todays top phones with 2.8ghz and 8gb of ddr4 ram it's no slouch... As far as your theme issue.. The razer phone 2 came with nova settings built in and now I will use nova settings for future phones. In the nova settings you should be able to change alot of the theme related stuff.

[@01020m]

I'm gonna buy a razer 2 and sell my s21 ultra 5g as I can get profit and both have same resolution and refresh rate so yea

[@NovaCaine2489]

@@01020m don't sell your s21 ultra dude, that's gonna last you alot longer and is a lot more powerful

[@01020m]

@@NovaCaine2489 I know I decided to keep it but thank you for telling me anyway

[@voteDC]

While I don't have a PS4 controller to test with Android 9 most definitely does have controller support. I've used an Xbox One S and a variety of Bluetooth controllers with my older devices. Perhaps it would be fairer to say it doesn't have PS4 controller support.

[@papillon3986]

4:50 yo shoutout for have the Bible app God bless you bro!

[@omegalongdong]

still worth getting one for cheap? i have used the nexus 6p (2015) iam used to old andorid version and battery that dies at 40% after a hour of usage, but this phone looks unique and fun

[@arranmc182]

root the phone put a custom rom on it as most custom roms will use less power especially the ones based on stock android

[@oliverstrubin]

I always had issues with both razer phones, I remember I had to get a replacement razer phone 2, the speakers kept giving up on me or it would refuse to charge, got warranty replacements over 6 times, in the end I cancelled my contract early and switched to a Samsung S9 (this was back when the S10 was released), after the S9 which I had for about a year I switched to iPhones and have been on them ever since, the razer phone ruined my chance with android really, left a sour taste for it.

[@wiffmastermase]

Forgotten? I just replaced the battery today xD I finally had the opportunity to bench it against the S22, according to the 3DMark, it's about 60%, but still destroys alot of modern devices. The LED is a battery killer, and so is 1440p and 120hz. The internals are very well done, very tight and high quality. Lastly the vapor chamber is as effective as they claim. It's downsides are the brightness, camera failure is common, charging coil location (which can be adjusted if you crack it open) battery and USB-C, it's really weak but is plug-n-play replaceable. Now that my Razer 2 is running like new (without waterproof for now), I can retire my S22 from gaming/ intense applications for now. If you want to capitalize on Battery. Dial back to 1080p, 60hz and disable the RGB light on the back. You can take this even further, dialing down to 720p/40fps. But I warn you, most 'buttons' on many apps are not aligned with whats on screen, you have to tap about 1/4'' lower. But name another phone that lets you do that, I'll wait. :)

[@atlas-POG]

Try running lineage OS on a razer phone as it is supported I expect it would see a major improvement in battery and performance

[@nyroc2coryn523]

I also have the Razer phone too with the matte finish in the back and my theme is stuck on the one I use last so I know how you feel

[@magallanthepenguin9132]

Not sure if my razer phone has a defect...battery drains so much even when turned off. I mean turn off as in go to menu and shut off device. Still lost so much battery when I wake up. 10 minutes of youtube 1080p 60hz...yes I prefer battery life over having high refresh rate. Phone is kinda hot. Also my samsung a53 handled genshin at low settings but the razer phone could run low setting genshin but it runs hot so much faster. I got the phone for around 500 bucks Canadian. Also planning to get red magic 8 phone for gaming

[@360X]

since RAZER released the razer Edge 5G, which is similar to a phone (or a gaming phone). So, is there a possibility that RAZER would release a RAZER phone 3 or phone 4?

[@larrydrollinger3429]

i have 2 of them also they are still good

[@Noopplayer-official]

actualy it is possible to use a controler, if u have that ones from razer ...

[@mogenvonbogel7342]

Had the first one and could barely hold it in my hand

[@salimrazzaq2145]

8:11 what game are you playing here ?

[@SASMacDroid]

Did you even hear of the ROG phones they have rgb or displays on the back .and there are other companies like redmagic and black shark

[@tylere.8436]

As an owner of the Razer Phone 2, is it just mine or is the finger unlock feature just gone? Mine just stopped working like last week and not found on settings anymore. like wtf

[@ErnisTheFirst]

Does Pubg/Cod Mobile run well on this? And can you play with good graphics?

[@TheAtlanticGroup]

I just got one today and I can't seem to find dark mode in the Android settings. I also am noticing a little swelling I think the batteries at one time heated up. Is there something that happens?

[@ereseven]

How good is the bass on front facing speakers?

[@anonymoustryagain]

Hey there, could you answer a quick question for me? Does this phone’s list of default notification sounds (not ringtones, more like short sounding text/app notifs) have the option of a notification sound like “Skyline” by Samsung/Android? I know this is a bit of an odd question but I’m asking for personal reasons and need some clarification. Thank you in advance.

[@patrykpatty5835]

No

[@larrydrollinger3429]

i have 2 of them both great

[@DironMc]

Hope they'll comeback😮‍💨😔

[@jordanintheknow]

Me too =(

[@shadaylacrooks8774]

Can you connect a line on it still

[@jordanintheknow]

Yup. Been doing this in AT&T network for the last few months. Service seems good and no signs of slowdown regarding the connecting of a phone line.

[@joshuaorgin3346]

Doesn't make a lot of sense 'cause ya talk of the theme store at the beginning. I understand ya wanted to include this but this isn't relevant at all anymore .. 'side from that cool video . I am using the Razer phone ATM great phone vs the flip 3 ( my previous phone ) looking at the price and time between .

[@jordanintheknow]

I appreciate the feedback! And I know what you mean the theme store is such a legendary feature we don’t see these days I definitely wanted to mention it. So sad they shut the store down though. I loved my time with this phone, definitely in my top 5 old phones of all time

[@joshuaorgin3346]

@@jordanintheknow yeah I can understand that. And I know I am going against every tech in the world now but this isn't an old phone . The blackberry classic is an old phone . And again I know 2018 was a long time ago but Wich flagship from 2018 has the same feature as the Razer.

[@andreasxenis2991]

I have razer one and work fine

[@larrykang2586]

This is probably one of the only cheap products that they actually make lol

[@PhoenixFromYoutube]

Time to review oneplus 5t 🌝

[@10gamer64]

I use this phone :)

[@Lazyontheroad]

I have Razer Phone 2, and now i have problem with Port Type C not Charging anymore. i don't know where i can fix that thing, cuz ini my Country (indonesia) dont have service can handle it.

[@jordanintheknow]

Hey man, sorry you're going through this :( while putting together my review I forgot to talk about the many reports around the bad USB port. Apparently a lot of units are experiencing this and I heard repair is not easy. I have been using wireless charging as often as I can to mitigate the issue. Good luck 🤞

[@JoseDiaz-yu2in]

I downloaded an app to solve the charging issue, "ampere", it did magic!!!, but only for a day, next day it stopped charging, i am back to wireless charging. The irony is that i really love this phone, i ordered a pixel 6a since it went on sale for $299 but the Razer 2 is an extra 1/4" wider that it really makes a difference for me holding it up on my hand.

[@EVRLYNMedia]

reminds me a lot of my RED Hydrogen One. what an awful phone that was lol

[@jordanintheknow]

I completely forgot about that phone. And now I want one so bad 😭

[@EVRLYNMedia]

@@jordanintheknow fr fr they're cheap on eBay. I tried daily driving it for like a week and it was so gigantic and heavy, plus the battery life sucked despite it's 4500mah cell. I low-key wish they made another but like... Made it good. Or at least gave it a single update... It still runs Oreo.

[@marvinmorong3204]

They didn't develop it due it's low potential to rack up cash...

[@Goodbye_Eri]

The closest thing to Razer phone now is the red magic

[@cheerful_crop_circle]

I hope Razer makes another Razer phone or perhaps a PC Handheld like the Steam Deck, Legion Go and others

[@peacem_ker]

Can you sell it to me?

[@KennethDoradoP]

What android version is it on?

[@jordanintheknow]

Android 9 is as far as it goes for now. You can use custom roms to get to Android 11 I believe!

[@Cardmaster12]

Tbh one of the worst parts of this phone imo is those giant plastic speaker grills, they get dinged up so easily!

[@convaluisset496]

I got mine peeled off, they were damaged too much, .. now I know where the microphone is and where the speakers are exactly located 😂😂 ...... yep I need a new phone .. this smartphone can't hold it any longer

[@Cocoyz]

Where is this brand? It seemed to disappear like bubbles after pandemic. Even laptop i have not heard from Razer lately...

[@spike24.7]

ROG has phones too 😂

[@gerylmarconi8958]

I own the RP1 and RP2 and they both suck big D. Worst phones in the history of phones. Both phones barely got any support, no replacement parts available, I can bet 90% if not more of the owners of these phones have and/or had problems with unresponsive screen, broken usb c charging port, terrible battery life not only on usage but it goes bad pretty quick and I didn't even use the chroma logo on my RP2. Both of my phones have bad battery, unresponsive screen, etc, etc, etc. After buying these 2 phones I lost all trust on Razer. I own a lot of Razer products and half of them have just gone bad after a few months of use. Going logitech once I change all my current setup. Even the Razer iskur chair sucks balls! Don't buy Razer products guys!

[@GoddaryuTUBE]

still got mine, wireless charge coil broke like a week in to owning it and refuses to pair with the official razer phone 2 wireless dock, charge port just finally broke this week, constantly had issues when trying to close apps id minimize to swipe away and close them and they'd just keep popping back up fullscreen before getting a chance to swipe it closed. The NFC that you use to tap n go paypass stopped working the other week too. Battery life was surprisingly good but as all batteries when they get old they start draining quicker and quicker and shutting off well before it says 0%. I wish now it was discontinued they offered replacement parts to keep it alive, not sure you can even send it in to get fixed now Razer fired all its phone department and aren't making phones anymore.