ITWire

When it comes to smartphones, every major manufacturer has to have some kind of improved, flagship model that runs the latest version of whatever OS is available this year .

In 2012, that’s both Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS 4.0, and for a few of the smartphone vendors, it will also be the currently tablet-only Jelly Bean OS 4.1.1, most likely by the end of the year, which should, in theory, include the RAZR V, too.

The Android RAZR from last year’s was Motorola’s attempt at resurrecting the famous RAZR of the 2000s, from the pre-iPhone era, with last year’s 7.1mm RAZR with 4.5-inch screen billed as “the world’s thinnest smartphone”.

While the RAZR V is thicker at 8.4mm, it is supposed to be a bit smaller than the first RAZR thanks to “a narrow bezel” and soft-touch “rim”, along with “Kevlar fibre” for strength and light weight.

There’s even a water-resistant “splash guard coating” which “protects the outside and the internal components”, with those internal components being a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3-inch qHD touchscreen display (with "Colorboost" tech to try to match and outdo AMOLEDs and other screen technologies), an 8 mega-pixel camera with auto focus, LED flash, digital zoom and VGA front facing camera, the upgrade to 1080p HD video capture/ playback/streaming, 1GB RAM and 8GB eMMC and a 1780 mAH battery.

The other big change for the RAZR V is a lower price, and while no outright price is listed, the contract price from Optus is a $4 upfront payment and a $35 minimum mobile plan per month over 24 months.

A function called “Smartactions” also “learns when and where you like it quiet or loud, and even when it can switch off certain applications and functions to get the most out of your battery life”.

Moto’s Aussie HM, Timo Brouwer, said in a statement that with the RAZR V, “we’ve created the perfect smartphone for stylish, smart and tech-savvy consumers who want great looks, great performance and great value. We are committed to creating devices that are beautiful and powerful, but also affordable. The new Motorola RAZR V embodies that commitment perfectly.”

Meanwhile, the Optus MD of Marketing, Michael Smith, expressed strong confidence that, at the “accessible price point”, he was positive this smartphone will be a hit with our customers.”

All-in-all, it’s an upgrade to the previous RAZR model with ICS 4.0 and a dual-core processor with 4.3-inch screen to provide a still-powerful but a lower cost alternative to the top-of-the-line Galaxy SIII and HTC One models.

It’s also the first Motorola Mobility handset I’ve seen launched in Australia since the Google buy-out of the company, although the RAZR V was surely in train before Google’s spending splurge on the legendary comms company.

So, while Moto’s newest may not be as cutting-edge as the expensive flagship models from competitors, Moto’s RAZR V is still pretty sharp!