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Announced on October 10, 2018, the Razer Phone 2 was a refinement of the original Razer Phone—not a ground-up redesign. Its glass back enabled wireless charging, IP67 protection made it less vulnerable to everyday accidents, the rear logo gained Chroma RGB lighting, and the Snapdragon 845 plus vapor-chamber cooling targeted sustained gaming. The core experience remained the same: a large, heavy phone built around a 5.72-inch 120-Hz LCD and unusually powerful front-facing speakers.
At its U.S. launch, the phone cost $799 MSRP, with preorders opening October 11, 2018. Those are historical launch facts, not a 2026 price or recommendation. The useful question is which upgrades changed daily use and whether they justified replacing the first model.
A familiar phone with a more practical exterior
The original Razer Phone used a squared-off metal body. The Phone 2 changed to a glass rear panel, adding the visual polish expected of a 2018 flagship and, more importantly, creating a surface suitable for inductive charging. The trade-off was a more fragile, fingerprint-prone back and a greater reason to use a case.
Its dimensions—158.5 × 78.99 × 8.5 mm—and approximately 219-gram weight made it heavy and broad even when new. Large bezels and the 16:9 screen looked dated beside the increasingly narrow designs of the period. The shape helped accommodate the stereo speakers, but this was never a thin or compact phone.
#1 Best Overall
- FULL SIZED CONTROLLER FORM FACTOR — Console performance meets mobile convenience for iPhone* and Android; play for extended periods in complete comfort and control with larger ergonomic handles that feel more natural to hold than standard mobile controllers (*iPhone 15 series and up)
- FULL SIZED TMR THUMBSTICKS — Perfect your aim with high-precision, anti-drift thumbsticks that are superior to Hall Effect designs
- DUAL MOUSE CLICK BACK BUTTONS — Enjoy the same ultra-responsive actuation found in our top gaming mice with 2 back buttons built into the controller’s ergonomic handles
- UNPARALLELED CASE COMPATIBILITY — Fits many popular phone cases thanks to an innovative USB C ‘island’ design and thicker depth clearance than other controllers
- POWERED BY THE RAZER NEXUS GAME LAUNCHER — Launch games, customize controls, record and share gameplay, and keep the controller updated with a free* app that can be brought up at the touch of a dedicated button. (*Razer Nexus does not require a fee/subscription, however some apps within Razer Nexus do)
Wireless charging arrives, but wired charging is still faster
The Phone 2 supported wireless fast charging, and Razer sold a dedicated Wireless Charger with Chroma lighting. The charger used the Qi inductive standard and was an extra accessory, not part of the $799 phone package. Razer support identifies the Phone 2 as the charger’s native Chroma-compatible device; other Qi phones may charge, but only one phone can be paired with the charger’s lighting features at a time. Pairing is not required simply to charge. See Razer’s compatibility guidance.
Wireless charging is convenient for a desk or bedside stand, but USB-C Quick Charge 4+ remained the practical choice when time mattered. Razer claimed a 0-to-50-percent charge in 30 minutes; actual results vary with temperature, charger, battery condition, and the starting charge level. A case, poor alignment, debris, or excess heat can also make wireless charging intermittent or slower than expected.
IP67 means protection, not waterproofing
The Phone 2 was rated IP67. The first digit, IP6X, means dust-tight protection. The second, IPX7, describes temporary immersion in up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes under controlled test conditions. Razer’s launch material separately described water resistance up to 1 meter; it did not make the phone universally waterproof. Read the launch qualification at Razer.
- Do not deliberately submerge or use the phone underwater.
- Avoid saltwater, chlorinated water, high-pressure spray, and wet charging.
- Wait until the USB-C port is completely dry before connecting a cable.
- Seals can weaken after drops, repairs, aging, or damage, and liquid damage is not automatically covered by warranty.
Compared with the first Razer Phone’s lack of a headline protection rating, IP67 was a meaningful everyday improvement—provided owners treated it as a safety margin rather than permission to test it.
Rank #2
- FULL SIZED CONTROLLER FORM FACTOR — Console performance meets mobile convenience; play for extended periods in complete comfort and control with larger ergonomic handles that feel more natural to hold than standard mobile controllers
- FITS PHONES, IPAD MINI & ANDROID TABLETS UP TO 8" — Game on a phone or go even bigger; get a viewing experience worthy of the best AAA games with an innovative telescopic bridge that fits iPad mini and Android tablets up to 8 inches
- FULL SIZED TMR THUMBSTICKS WITH SWAPPABLE CAPS — Perfect your aim with high-precision, anti-drift thumbsticks that are superior to Hall Effect designs; customize them for more speed or precision with 2 swappable caps
- DUAL MOUSE CLICK BACK BUTTONS & CLAW GRIP BUMPERS — Enjoy the same ultra-responsive actuation found in our top gaming mice with 2 back buttons built into the controller’s ergonomic handles—topped with 2 claw grip bumpers for even more control
- POWERED BY THE RAZER NEXUS GAME LAUNCHER — Launch games, customize controls, record and share gameplay, and keep the controller updated with a free* app that can be brought up at the touch of a dedicated button. (*Razer Nexus does not require a fee/subscription, however some apps within Razer Nexus do)
The RGB logo is memorable, mostly cosmetic
The illuminated Razer logo on the rear could show notifications and cycle through effects including Static, Spectrum Cycling, and Breathing. Razer advertised 16.8 million colors through its Chroma ecosystem. This was lighting on the logo, not a phone-wide set of independently controlled RGB zones.
Chroma made the handset distinctive and could be useful as a glanceable notification indicator. It did not improve frame rates, cooling, or input latency. Its value was primarily branding and personalization.
Snapdragon 845 and vapor-chamber cooling
Razer replaced the original Snapdragon 835 with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 and Adreno 630 GPU. The launch configuration included 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM, 64 GB of UFS storage, and microSD expansion listed by Razer at up to 1 TB. A 4,000-mAh battery supplied power, while a vapor chamber was intended to spread heat during long gaming sessions and reduce performance throttling.
Razer claimed up to 30 percent more performance than the predecessor, attributing the gain to the newer processor and cooling system. That is a manufacturer claim, not an independently measured benchmark result. Likewise, the LTE Cat 18 modem’s advertised capability of up to 1.2 Gbit/s depended on supported bands, carrier aggregation, network deployment, signal, and plan; it was not a guaranteed user speed.
Rank #3
- 120HZ ULTRAMOTION DISPLAY: Zero lag or stuttering—just fluid, buttery smooth motion content for you to enjoy. Display: Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- DOLBY ATMOS POWERED AND THX CERTIFIED: A cinematic sound experience all around you reproduced through dual front-firing speakers and dual amplifiers. 4000 mAh battery for all-day power
- POWERED BY QUALCOMM SNAPDRAGON 835: 8GB of RAM and a 4000 mAh battery and stereo front-facing speakers, dual amplifiers, audio adapter with THX certified DAC
- NETFLIX HDR AND DOLBY DIGITAL PLUS 5.1: The first smartphone to support premium video and audio for Netflix. *Netflix streaming membership required
- The Razer Phone is a GSM-compatible unlocked phone (AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.) and will not work with CDMA carriers (Verizon, Sprint, etc.). Android 8.1 included
| Component | Launch specification |
|---|---|
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 |
| GPU | Adreno 630 |
| Memory | 8 GB LPDDR4X |
| Storage | 64 GB UFS |
| Expansion | microSD, up to 1 TB according to Razer |
| Battery | 4,000 mAh Li-Po |
| Operating system | Android 8.1 at launch |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, LTE Cat 18 |
Razer’s complete launch specifications are documented in the press announcement.
The 120-Hz LCD remains the star
The defining feature carried over from the first model: a 5.72-inch IGZO LCD with 2,560 × 1,440 resolution, wide color gamut, Gorilla Glass 5, and a 120-Hz refresh rate. Razer called it “true 120 Hz” and paired it with UltraMotion technology and 120-Hz touch sampling in its product messaging; those are Razer’s claims. The panel was LCD, not OLED.
High refresh made supported games, scrolling, and animated interfaces look smoother and could reduce perceived input latency. The benefit depended on software that could render at high frame rates, so it was not universal. LCD blacks and contrast were less impressive than OLED, while the 16:9 aspect ratio and thick bezels reinforced the phone’s older design.
The Tool Desk
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Dual front-facing stereo speakers, dual amplifiers, and Dolby Atmos support gave the Phone 2 a strong media and gaming advantage. They projected sound toward the user instead of into a hand covering a bottom grille.
Rank #4
- CONSOLE QUALITY MOBILE GAMING CONTROLS — Designed with cutting edge microswitch buttons, analog triggers, and programmable macros to bring console-quality control to the phone
- UNIVERSAL FIT WITH EXTENDABLE BRIDGE — Features a stable, extendable bridge that provides a secure fit that perfectly holds all modern iPhone models, including the latest iPhone 14 models lightning connectors
- DISCOVER THE BEST GAMES IN ONE PLACE FOR FREE — Browse through thousands of compatible games, record and share gameplay, and keep Kishi updated with an integrated Razer Nexus App that allows full customizability
- STREAM PC AND CONSOLE GAMES — Play full PC, Xbox and PlayStation games directly on the phone, with support for the biggest game streaming apps.
- OPTIMIZED FOR MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE — Utilize iPhone's lightning connection to eliminate input latency, allow for seamless control—and passthrough charging for ultimate iOS compatibility
The rear camera system was revised to a 12-megapixel wide camera with an f/1.75 aperture and optical image stabilization, plus a 12-megapixel telephoto camera with an f/2.6 aperture and 2× zoom. Dual PDAF and 4K video were supported; the front camera was 8 megapixels with 1080p video. This was corrective hardware, not evidence of a camera-first flagship. Launch coverage described improvement, but the phone’s identity remained gaming.
There was no conventional 3.5-mm headphone jack. Wired audio used USB-C and the supplied 24-bit DAC adapter. The 4,000-mAh capacity was retained from the original generation, and 64 GB of base storage was modest even in 2018, making the microSD slot important.
Original Razer Phone versus Razer Phone 2
| Area | Original Razer Phone | Razer Phone 2 | Practical effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Snapdragon 835 | Snapdragon 845 | Newer silicon and better sustained-gaming potential |
| Rear construction | Metal | Glass | Enabled wireless charging |
| Protection | No comparable headline IP67 feature | IP67 | Better dust and accidental-water protection |
| Display | 120-Hz IGZO LCD | Brighter 120-Hz IGZO LCD | Same core advantage with improved visibility |
| Logo | Static | RGB Chroma | Notifications and customization |
| Cameras | Earlier dual-camera setup | OIS wide plus telephoto | Improved imaging hardware |
| Battery | 4,000 mAh | 4,000 mAh | Capacity essentially retained |
Razer’s original-phone announcement provides the baseline specifications for this comparison: Razer Phone launch details.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhich upgrades changed daily use?
- 120-Hz display and speakers: These remained the central reason to choose the device for games and media.
- IP67: A substantial practicality upgrade over an unprotected gaming phone, within the rating’s limits.
- Wireless charging: Genuine convenience, but dependent on buying or supplying a Qi pad and slower than wired rapid charging.
- Vapor chamber and Snapdragon 845: Useful for sustained 2018 gaming workloads; Razer’s 30-percent figure was not an independent test.
- Cameras: Better hardware, but not a transformation into a photography flagship.
- RGB logo: Distinctive and functional for notifications, yet mostly decorative.
Who should have bought it in 2018?
The Phone 2 made the most sense for someone who valued 120-Hz gaming, excellent front-facing audio, sustained performance, a large battery, expandable storage, wireless charging, and unmistakably Razer styling. It was a more complete flagship package than the original.
Best Value
- Made from the high quality tempered-glass for maximum scratch protection and no residue when removed
- 2.5D rounded edge glass for comfort on the fingers and hand
- 9H hardness, 99.99% HD clarity, and maintains the original touch experience
- Hydrophobic and oleo-phobic coating to reduce sweat and reduce fingerprints
- Include 2 pcs tempered glass screen protectors
It was a poor fit for buyers prioritizing thinness, low weight, OLED contrast, compact dimensions, best-in-class photography, a headphone jack, or the fastest possible charging. The gaming advantages mattered most in titles that supported high refresh rates.
For an original Razer Phone owner, the upgrade was defensible because it addressed real omissions: wireless charging, IP67, a brighter display, newer silicon and cooling, and improved camera hardware. For someone with another late-2018 flagship, the case was weaker unless the 120-Hz screen, speakers, or Chroma features were decisive.
What it means in 2026
The Razer Phone 2 is now a historical, discontinued-era device rather than a normal current flagship recommendation. Its Snapdragon 845 is no longer competitive with modern processors, and Android 8.1 is obsolete. Current software-support status, carrier compatibility, battery condition, and accessory availability should be verified separately before any purchase.
A used unit should be evaluated as a gaming collectible or secondary phone. Check battery health, LCD condition and refresh-rate behavior, USB-C port wear, speaker function, storage-card support, carrier bands, evidence of opening or repair, and whether the water seals can still be trusted. A 2018 launch MSRP of $799 does not establish present-day used value.
Verdict
The Razer Phone 2 fixed several obvious weaknesses without abandoning the original’s identity. Wireless charging, IP67 protection, a brighter 120-Hz display, upgraded cameras, Snapdragon 845 performance, and vapor-chamber cooling made it a better gaming phone and a more practical daily device. But the heavy body, large bezels, LCD panel, USB-C-only wired audio, modest base storage, and merely adequate cameras remained. It was an excellent refinement for a new buyer who specifically wanted Razer’s high-refresh gaming experience—not a radical redesign or an automatic upgrade for every first-generation owner.
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