Motorola RAZR i review: Intel inside

PenTile Display

The Motorola RAZR i's qHD Super AMOLED Advanced display is a pretty familiar sight. Debuting on the Motorola RAZR XT910 last year, the 4.3" display uses a PenTile matrix, as opposed to the conventional RGB arrangement.

The Motorola RAZR i screen

This means that even though its pixel density stands at the pleasing 256 ppi, the perceivable sharpness is far lower on many occasions. This leads to the familiar dottiness, which can be unpleasant when trying to read fine text.

Contrast on the other hand is perfect, as it has always been on AMOLED screens, while the viewing angles and sunlight legibility are pretty good too.

Display test	50% brightness			100% brightness
	Black, cd/m2	White, cd/m2	Contrast ratio	Black, cd/m2	White, cd/m2	Contrast ratio
Sony Xperia S	-	-	-	0.48	495	1038
HTC One S	0	177	∞	0	386	∞
Motorola RAZR XT910	0	215	∞	0	361	∞
Motorola RAZR i	0	169	∞	0	370	∞
Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II	0	231	∞	0	362	∞
Nokia 808 PureView	-	-	-	0	455	∞

Contrast ratio

• Nokia 808 PureView
  4.698
• Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III
  3.419
• Samsung Omnia W
  3.301
• Samsung Galaxy S
  3.155
• Nokia N9
  3.069
• Samsung Galaxy Note
  2.970
• HTC One S
  2.901
• Samsung Galaxy S II
  2.832
• Huawei Ascend P1
  2.655
• Nokia Lumia 900
  2.562
• Motorola RAZR i
  2.366
• Apple iPhone 4S
  2.269
• HTC One X
  2.158
• Nokia N8
  2.144
• Apple iPhone 4
  2.016
• Sony Ericsson Xperia ray
  1.955
• Sony Xperia U
  1.758
• LG Optimus 4X HD
  1.691
• HTC One V
  1.685
• LG Optimus Vu
  1.680
• HTC Desire V
  1.646
• LG Optimus 3D
  1.542
• Nokia Asha 302
  1.537
• Nokia Lumia 610
  1.432
• Gigabyte GSmart G1355
  1.361
• HTC Desire C
  1.300
• LG Optimus L7
  1.269
• Meizu MX
  1.221
• Samsung Galaxy Pocket
  1.180
• Sony Xperia tipo
  1.166
• Samsung Galaxy mini 2
  1.114

You can find more information on our display test here.

Overall, the Motorola RAZR i screen is pretty good, but 720p screens flying left and right these days, put the smartphone squarely in the mid-range category. qHD might not be bad, but it's no longer associated with high-end devices.

Handling

Handling the Motorola RAZR i is a pleasure. The compact body allows for easy one-handed operation, while the grippy Kevlar-covered back makes accidental drops unlikely. You will find nothing to frown at here.

Overall, the Motorola RAZR i receives nothing but high marks for design and finish, and while its build quality could be better, the impressions it makes are extremely positive. It certainly feels more expensive than it actually is but that's not an end in itself - the RAZR i aslo very comfortable to handle.

The Motorola RAZR i held in hand

Coming up next is a look at the software talents of the RAZR i.