Motorola DROID RAZR HD review: Now in HD

Unsurprisingly basic retail package

The Motorola DROID RAZR HD ships in Verizon's cool-looking, square-shaped black retail box. Inside it, you will find a charger, a microUSB cable, and a tool for removing the microSIM and microSD cards.

The retail box holds no surprises

A bundled headset would have certainly been a welcome sight inside the handset's box. However, it has become the standard among manufacturers to omit the item from the devices' retail packages in US, so we can't blame Motorola for going with the flow.

Design and build quality

Like we mentioned already, the Motorola DROID RAZR HD's looks can be immediately traced to the original from last year. Motorola's designers have been careful to preserve the design lineage on this instance. Whether or not they have been a bit too cautious is a matter of personal taste.

Motorola DROID RAZR HD and the DROID RAZR M side by side

The smartphone is available in two color schemes - white like our review unit and black.

The build quality of the Motorola DROID RAZR HD is pretty good and so are the selected build materials. The smartphone is made from Kevlar, metal and Corning Gorilla glass. There are also no gaps between the panels like on the Droid RAZR M and the only room for improvement we see are the sides, which have three different colors and materials on them.

The measures of the handset are in line for a device of its size. The smartphone stands at 131.9 x 67.9 x 8.4 mm (5.19 x 2.67 x 0.33 in) weighs 146 g (5.15 oz).

The 4.7" HD Super AMOLED display of the DROID RAZR HD is a massive improvement over previous Motorola efforts. It retains the deep blacks and vibrant colors we've grown accustomed to and adds extra sharpness for an even more impressive image quality.

We reckon that some might find the PenTile matrix an unwelcome sight and it's true that we've seen slightly sharper screens. With a pixel density of 312ppi however, you'd have to be looking from way closer than it's comfortable to tell the difference.

The screen is a welcome improvement

The ambient light and proximity sensors, as well as the front-facing camera are located above the display. The earpiece and notification light keep them company. There's nothing but a mouthpiece below the display.

The view above and below the screen

The microUSB and microHDMI ports are located on the left side. The same goes for the microSIM and microSD cards, which are neatly tucked under a cover.

The left side of the device is busy

On the right side, you will find nothing but power/lock key and the volume rocker. Both buttons are made of metal and feel great when touched.

The power/lock key and the volume rocker

The 3.5mm audio jack is located on top. There's nothing but two great-looking metal bolts on the bottom of the DROID RAZR HD.

The view on top and bottom

The 8MP camera, its LED flash, and the loudspeaker are located on the top of the Moto's back. The usual set of Motorola and Verizon logos are also there.

The back of the smartphone

The Motorola DROID RAZR HD's battery is sadly non-removable. With 2500mAh on top though, it is one of the biggest units offered in a smartphone for the time being.

Motorola smartphones have been among the performance benchmarks in our traditional battery test this year and the DROID RAZR HD is no exception. The Verizon handset achieved an endurance rating of 59h in our battery trial. This means that you will need to recharge your handset every 59 hours if you use it for an hour each of telephony, web browsing and video playback daily.

Handling the Motorola DROID RAZR HD feels great. The all-Kevlar back feels grippy, so accidental drops are highly unlikely. One-handed operation is a bit of a stretch in some cases, though.

On the other hand a strong case can be made that for some operations you always need two hands (those that involve pinch zooming or other complicated gestures) and for the basics (answering a call or dialing a number) - the RAZR HD can easily be operated with one hand.

Handling the smartphone feels great

Following next is a look at the software talents of the Motorola DROID RAZR HD.