I picked up a Razer phone2 when it dropped in price to $500 and it still looks brand new today (Thanks Spigen).My USB port was saved by wireless charging it overnight. I loved it other than the weight and size when in my pocket and would have used it longer as my daily if Razer supported a later version of Android. 10 or 11 would have been awesome. I loaded up the Google camera app and I get great results (recommended). I use it now to consume content in the evenings since the screen and speakers are still so nice and better than my Pixel5.
@@retrotechdad I haven't looked into it yet, but guess should consider it since it is my backup phone should I have any issues with the Pixel that requires downtime.
I bought it when it first came out, and it was an amazing phone (and still is in some ways). The camera was the determining factor in moving to another device. I currently use it as an emulation handheld with the JungleCat case+controller. One thing to note is if you plan to emulate consoles do not download Lineage OS. The performance is abysmal. I loaded the Pixel Experience OS based on Android 13, and I can play N64, Gamecube, and PS2 games after tweaking the settings.
That is another Razer device I could never get because it wasn't sold outside of US but I always was interested into it. The very first phone to push 120hz, we may have to thank Razer for others to get on-board. Nice video Retro Tech Dad. Cheers
They did sell them outside of the US... I'm in Ireland and I owned one. Just not every country had carriers selling them and so you would have to buy it unlocked and use a simcard from your normal phone company with it.
@@ChrisOReilly They sold them in Canada near the very end of their production and exclusively through their website but outside of that, it never made it to Canadian stores or service providers. Unfortunately by then, I already had no interest for the device but it goes without saying that it was a great one, even by today's standards as showcased by Retro Tech Dad. That 20:9 is properly offputting for many of it's usecase, retro but even streaming. Oh well.
It's funny, I remember going back and forth on buying one when they were dropping in price a few years back and ultimately decided against it. Kinda wish I didn't. 😅
Watching this on my Razer Phone 2. I've had it since launch and it's in pristine condition, I've kept it in the razer phone 2 case all these years and it's my daily driver.
@@tedhenry5310it does not. The snapdragon 845 chip has the LTE-A modem but still fairly fast. I tested it in Las Vegas one time and got speeds over 200 Mbps
@iamvulgar8188 are you still using the stock system or did you put a custom ROM into it? I don't use my RP2 anymore but was considering using it as a test project for my first time rooting
It was a great phone! Had the same processor as my OP6, the SD845, same processor as the Odin. :) What I like about this it was 16x9! I don't understand their new device putting in a SUPER WIDE aspect ratio screen for a gaming device.. Might help to remove integer scaling. They were selling this a few years back for like $150, it was tempting!
Still using mine as a secondary emulation device or more third after my Odin pro and GPD XP plus. Still runs great and has great emulation performance. Also putting Android 12 on it gave it a nice performance boost too.
Good to know about Android 12. It's perfect to serve as a dedicated handheld device nowadays. I wish they held up a little better, the unit I have will definitely need its battery replaced and the USB C port is a bit wonky as well.
@@retrotechdad That is unfortunate. I looked after mine very well. I used wireless charging so I barely have touched the USB port. Only when it goes into the Kishi does it get used. But like yours my battery has seen better days. Android 12 has helped with that though. The process isn't difficult either.
Yea, it really makes me wish I had purchased it new when they started dropping in price a few years back. They are pretty hard to come by in decent condition second hand nowadays. 😭😢
I just purchased one as a Emulation device and android gaming for my son. When we go on vacation I’ll buy a pre paid SIM card for Data. I wanted a Edge but for the Data version I can’t justify $600
Something similar to this was actually my main handheld for about a year. I got a pixel 3xl with a cracked screen for $50 and added a Razer kishi for $40. Worked fine, but it did end getting replaced.
I honestly like the design, its kind of unique and if its uncomfortable then you can easily get a cover for the phone, its not that big of a deal, the same goes to the camera, its a good camera with a good quality, everyone has their own opinion so not everyone are annoyed from the design and the specs of the phone, its good afterall.
I have one of these. I absolutely love the LCD panel and the sound quality of it. Also the vapor chamber makes all the difference when gaming on it. It still holds up in performance and it has expandable storage, which is awesome.
@@retrotechdad I wish so too but if they do, really would prefer they keep googling their phone to a minimum. They should make their own proprietary ROM with all the razer bells and whistles and software from them specifically. Like I don't need UA-cam or social media on my phone really. I don't need Google play services doing absolutely nothing being spyware on my phone. I don't need or want chrome.. just give it the ability to download apps from Google play store and such without actually using their software and I will buy it in principle.
@@retrotechdad man I know. It sucks they never went back for a third go. I am considering modding mine and taking out the Rbg and the wireless charging coil and slapping on a custom painted aluminum back (helps with the thermals and tbh, I never used either of those functions anyway)
I feel like this phone will definitely become one that's fondly remembered or desirable when it's considered old and "outdated". Kinda like the JXD handheld you featured earlier, but for more modern Androids. Definitely remember being baffled by this phone in reviews (probably the last year I was still watching phone reviews), but boy does it not look bad nowadays. Honestly the biggest gripe I'd have is the device being too squared off and large as a phone.
Recommendation to rename the series to "When Handhelds Were Fun", since almost all handhelds today are just one and the same with minor tweaks and do nothing special. Unless we count true dedicated handhelds like the Switch and Playdate.
Super wide phone displays make absolutely no fucking sense. It's like companies forgot phones are held vertically and we use our THUMBS on the screen. Might I add that the thumb is not a longer finger? You're only able to use like half of the display until you have to move your whole hand UP. It's changing things just for the sake of changing things. I'm glad my Galaxy S23 has a far more sensible aspect ratio and size, but it's still no 16:9 or 16:10 like the good ole days.
I bought the RP2 new for 50% off during a promotion they had, which was a great price for the specs at the time. Honestly the real issue with the removal of the 3.5mm audio jack was the abysmal bluetooth codec support, which randomly got worse with one of the OS updates? I use my phone as a phone quite a lot (not uncommon for me to be on calls for 8+ hours a day), and (perhaps this was just a faulty unit) I couldn't utilize speaker with the device without the person I was talking to mentioning a lot of choppiness. To remedy this I used a headset, however after a single update the call quality for the bluetooth device I had tanked a very noticeable degree to where that was also not usable. This did not affect media audio however, just phone call audio. I still have my RP2, and I do absolutely love the device aside from the issues I had with it using it as an actual phone. I'm looking into reviving it as my dedicated travel emulator device. When I saw the edge had 5G via verizon I had to do some research, sadly it does not function as an actual phone. Maybe I'll pick up the wifi edge in the future. I find it very annoying the kishi that comes with the edge has a dedicated 3.5mm audio jack but the standalone kishi v2 does not
I own one and used it as daily driver for about a year before the phone decided to self destruct . It still works but the usb c is half functional . I have it connected permanently to a GameSir 2 and it’s working pretty well with that . The screen is great btw but the build quality was very poor
I could get the sense that the build quality was not great. I haven't come across one that actually looked "new", which is definitely unusual. The USB-C port and battery is definitely the biggest issue in terms of longevity with the the phone. The one I picked up also has a half functional USB C port, it does not have a tight fit so occasionally the Kishi will disconnect for a second. The junglecat is perfect since it uses bluetooth and doesn't rely on the USB C port. I've also been using wireless charging to preserve the port but then the battery is really degraded. I will probably be replacing it at some point just for preservation sake.
I had the first version, unfortunately the touchscreen stopped working, I still use it with a Bluetooth control for gaming specially emulating. I bought the second version too but I already had another phone, I haven't open it and is brand new, I wonder if at this time is it worth to open it...
Currently watched this with my razer phone 2 and its still great for sure ! The only issue i have with it is the battery drains pretty quick now and i feel like its due to lack of updates , i might just have to replace the battery but its still very great some games tho there are fps dips but they play
@@retrotechdad absolutely my man ! It's my daily driver as I also have the razer watch nabu still and a razer blade and my desktop is razer lmfao , in fact I still have my razer phone 1! I found you channel very entertaining and I subscribed to you 😁 cheers 🥂
@@retrotechdad hey lil off topic, but do you know anyone who has the original razer edge from 2013 I'd love an in depth overview of the old one vs the new
@@retrotechdad Ah i see, yes i believe I read all sorts of info on it on Reddit. I actually purchased one and cancelled it promptly after reading the "typo". Looking forward to some reviews from yourself and RGC about emulation performance. If great, I'll repurchase.
Razer Edge update: not a good option, in all honesty. Phones nowadays have powerful internals and high refreshrates. With the asus phone existing aswell, it just doesnt seem useful to have two devices capable of gaming. Not to mention for like 200$ more, you can get the steam deck. I feel like if they kept improving the razer phone instead of laying off staff, we wouldve seen a real competitor to the asus phones and a real option for android gaming as its finally getting somewhere. The edge just seems outdated at this point. Also those bezels on the edge looks awful, I returned mine and instead replaced my phone with the Asus phone, which seemed like a much better alternative. At least it did better than the old razer edge pro lol. That thing died on launch.
Skyline and Skyline Edge (paid Patreon version). This is the official website for Skyline: skyline-emu.one/. You will need to sideload the APK, it is not available directly on the Play Store. You will need prod and title keys, which I cannot provide (google search should help). BTW, it's still quite early in development despite a lot of progress being made in the past year.
yeah my razer phone 2 bought new unlock on amazon. not renewed i checked...first week i found the phone is heating up when i play new modern game and i found my samsung a53 is better at gaming. also my battery i didn't use phone a lot. only got it because the phone had a huge discount. the batter even when turned off...it used so much batter. not sure if battery leakage is a thing. i use phones for mostly music players and gaming. music it handles it okay but gaming performance i am disappointed. im too lazy to sell and use the money to get a better phone :l also it looks hard to sell and the resell value looks bad so im keeping phone but i am thinking of finding someone to help me take out everything on the phone, chipset, battery, cameras and replacing them. think that is a bit expensive tbh... but i really like the design of the phone. also i turn off rgb to save battery life and keep phone at 60hz....
Did you own a Razer Phone when they were new?
I picked up a Razer phone2 when it dropped in price to $500 and it still looks brand new today (Thanks Spigen).My USB port was saved by wireless charging it overnight. I loved it other than the weight and size when in my pocket and would have used it longer as my daily if Razer supported a later version of Android. 10 or 11 would have been awesome. I loaded up the Google camera app and I get great results (recommended). I use it now to consume content in the evenings since the screen and speakers are still so nice and better than my Pixel5.
The screen really is amazing on it. Have you considered loading LineageOS on it (latest is based on Android 13)?
@@retrotechdad I haven't looked into it yet, but guess should consider it since it is my backup phone should I have any issues with the Pixel that requires downtime.
I owned a Razer Phone but not for long because it had battery issues and died. I did like the phone.
I bought it when it first came out, and it was an amazing phone (and still is in some ways). The camera was the determining factor in moving to another device. I currently use it as an emulation handheld with the JungleCat case+controller. One thing to note is if you plan to emulate consoles do not download Lineage OS. The performance is abysmal. I loaded the Pixel Experience OS based on Android 13, and I can play N64, Gamecube, and PS2 games after tweaking the settings.
Still have 2 of them, one matte and glossy. Can't wait for the edge
Nice, is the matte one the original Razer Phone?
That is another Razer device I could never get because it wasn't sold outside of US but I always was interested into it. The very first phone to push 120hz, we may have to thank Razer for others to get on-board. Nice video Retro Tech Dad. Cheers
Thank you! 🙏🤗
I'm not sure why Razer keeps limiting their products to just the US audience.
They did sell them outside of the US... I'm in Ireland and I owned one.
Just not every country had carriers selling them and so you would have to buy it unlocked and use a simcard from your normal phone company with it.
@@ChrisOReilly They sold them in Canada near the very end of their production and exclusively through their website but outside of that, it never made it to Canadian stores or service providers.
Unfortunately by then, I already had no interest for the device but it goes without saying that it was a great one, even by today's standards as showcased by Retro Tech Dad. That 20:9 is properly offputting for many of it's usecase, retro but even streaming. Oh well.
Good to know!
It's funny, I remember going back and forth on buying one when they were dropping in price a few years back and ultimately decided against it. Kinda wish I didn't. 😅
Watching this on my Razer Phone 2. I've had it since launch and it's in pristine condition, I've kept it in the razer phone 2 case all these years and it's my daily driver.
Very cool! I love when RP2 owners drop by and comment. 💗
Really? Does it have 5g?!
No 4g @@tedhenry5310
@@tedhenry5310it does not. The snapdragon 845 chip has the LTE-A modem but still fairly fast. I tested it in Las Vegas one time and got speeds over 200 Mbps
@iamvulgar8188 are you still using the stock system or did you put a custom ROM into it? I don't use my RP2 anymore but was considering using it as a test project for my first time rooting
It was a great phone! Had the same processor as my OP6, the SD845, same processor as the Odin. :) What I like about this it was 16x9! I don't understand their new device putting in a SUPER WIDE aspect ratio screen for a gaming device..
Might help to remove integer scaling. They were selling this a few years back for like $150, it was tempting!
The SD845 is such an amazing performer.
Damn I missed out. I gotta be more sales friendly
Still using mine as a secondary emulation device or more third after my Odin pro and GPD XP plus. Still runs great and has great emulation performance. Also putting Android 12 on it gave it a nice performance boost too.
Was about to get a odin pro in December but just figured ill wait till the edge comes out and get that
@@ultimategohan1551 If I had known about the Edge I probably wouldn't have gotten the Odin. But like you I'm keen for the Edge to come out.
Good to know about Android 12. It's perfect to serve as a dedicated handheld device nowadays. I wish they held up a little better, the unit I have will definitely need its battery replaced and the USB C port is a bit wonky as well.
@@retrotechdad That is unfortunate. I looked after mine very well. I used wireless charging so I barely have touched the USB port. Only when it goes into the Kishi does it get used. But like yours my battery has seen better days. Android 12 has helped with that though. The process isn't difficult either.
Yea, it really makes me wish I had purchased it new when they started dropping in price a few years back. They are pretty hard to come by in decent condition second hand nowadays. 😭😢
I just purchased one as a Emulation device and android gaming for my son. When we go on vacation I’ll buy a pre paid SIM card for Data. I wanted a Edge but for the Data version I can’t justify $600
still have my razer phone 2 since launched.
Very cool! 🤗
The motivation I feel it. I gotta learn to keep my stuff in crispt condition
Something similar to this was actually my main handheld for about a year. I got a pixel 3xl with a cracked screen for $50 and added a Razer kishi for $40. Worked fine, but it did end getting replaced.
Nice, that's got a SD 845 as well. I love repurposing old devices and giving them new uses.
im looking at getting Another one because i loved it
I honestly like the design, its kind of unique and if its uncomfortable then you can easily get a cover for the phone, its not that big of a deal, the same goes to the camera, its a good camera with a good quality, everyone has their own opinion so not everyone are annoyed from the design and the specs of the phone, its good afterall.
I adore the Razer Phone 2. I love that it has a 16:9 screen and still has plenty of power to use today!
The razer phone was a sleeper 😮
Still an awesome device, I wish Razer would make a follow-up phone. 😭
I have one of these. I absolutely love the LCD panel and the sound quality of it. Also the vapor chamber makes all the difference when gaming on it. It still holds up in performance and it has expandable storage, which is awesome.
Razer did a lot right with this phone. I wish they'd consider revisiting Android phones in the future!
@@retrotechdad I wish so too but if they do, really would prefer they keep googling their phone to a minimum. They should make their own proprietary ROM with all the razer bells and whistles and software from them specifically.
Like I don't need UA-cam or social media on my phone really. I don't need Google play services doing absolutely nothing being spyware on my phone. I don't need or want chrome.. just give it the ability to download apps from Google play store and such without actually using their software and I will buy it in principle.
@@retrotechdad man I know. It sucks they never went back for a third go. I am considering modding mine and taking out the Rbg and the wireless charging coil and slapping on a custom painted aluminum back (helps with the thermals and tbh, I never used either of those functions anyway)
I feel like this phone will definitely become one that's fondly remembered or desirable when it's considered old and "outdated". Kinda like the JXD handheld you featured earlier, but for more modern Androids. Definitely remember being baffled by this phone in reviews (probably the last year I was still watching phone reviews), but boy does it not look bad nowadays. Honestly the biggest gripe I'd have is the device being too squared off and large as a phone.
Recommendation to rename the series to "When Handhelds Were Fun", since almost all handhelds today are just one and the same with minor tweaks and do nothing special. Unless we count true dedicated handhelds like the Switch and Playdate.
Retro Tech Dad, where's Retro Tech Mom?
🤣😅😲
She's gone to get some milk
Hardly any such thing as a retro tech mom. Probably too busy doing her nails or shouting at the kids than to appreciate nostalgia.
Super wide phone displays make absolutely no fucking sense. It's like companies forgot phones are held vertically and we use our THUMBS on the screen. Might I add that the thumb is not a longer finger? You're only able to use like half of the display until you have to move your whole hand UP. It's changing things just for the sake of changing things. I'm glad my Galaxy S23 has a far more sensible aspect ratio and size, but it's still no 16:9 or 16:10 like the good ole days.
I bought the RP2 new for 50% off during a promotion they had, which was a great price for the specs at the time. Honestly the real issue with the removal of the 3.5mm audio jack was the abysmal bluetooth codec support, which randomly got worse with one of the OS updates? I use my phone as a phone quite a lot (not uncommon for me to be on calls for 8+ hours a day), and (perhaps this was just a faulty unit) I couldn't utilize speaker with the device without the person I was talking to mentioning a lot of choppiness. To remedy this I used a headset, however after a single update the call quality for the bluetooth device I had tanked a very noticeable degree to where that was also not usable. This did not affect media audio however, just phone call audio.
I still have my RP2, and I do absolutely love the device aside from the issues I had with it using it as an actual phone. I'm looking into reviving it as my dedicated travel emulator device. When I saw the edge had 5G via verizon I had to do some research, sadly it does not function as an actual phone. Maybe I'll pick up the wifi edge in the future. I find it very annoying the kishi that comes with the edge has a dedicated 3.5mm audio jack but the standalone kishi v2 does not
I own one and used it as daily driver for about a year before the phone decided to self destruct . It still works but the usb c is half functional . I have it connected permanently to a GameSir 2 and it’s working pretty well with that . The screen is great btw but the build quality was very poor
I could get the sense that the build quality was not great. I haven't come across one that actually looked "new", which is definitely unusual. The USB-C port and battery is definitely the biggest issue in terms of longevity with the the phone.
The one I picked up also has a half functional USB C port, it does not have a tight fit so occasionally the Kishi will disconnect for a second. The junglecat is perfect since it uses bluetooth and doesn't rely on the USB C port.
I've also been using wireless charging to preserve the port but then the battery is really degraded. I will probably be replacing it at some point just for preservation sake.
i hope this can be a new series on "neo-vintage" emulator devices. like a dingoo a320
Yes, I'd love to do more of these retrospective videos! 🙏
Good stuff my guy.
Thank you, much appreciated! 🙏
NGL the Jungle Cat controller NEEDS to be revisted.
Fully agree! It would've been cool to see something similar for the Razer Edge.
@@retrotechdad Basically a Switch before the Nintendo Switch.
I had the first version, unfortunately the touchscreen stopped working, I still use it with a Bluetooth control for gaming specially emulating. I bought the second version too but I already had another phone, I haven't open it and is brand new, I wonder if at this time is it worth to open it...
That is really cool that you still have one brand new!
You a collector or just rich
Would really like to see the battery replacement as a video when you go to do it 🙂
Currently watched this with my razer phone 2 and its still great for sure ! The only issue i have with it is the battery drains pretty quick now and i feel like its due to lack of updates , i might just have to replace the battery but its still very great some games tho there are fps dips but they play
I always love getting comments from viewers that are still rocking their Razer Phone 2! 🔥💗
@@retrotechdad absolutely my man ! It's my daily driver as I also have the razer watch nabu still and a razer blade and my desktop is razer lmfao , in fact I still have my razer phone 1! I found you channel very entertaining and I subscribed to you 😁 cheers 🥂
great video. I recently purchased 2. One running the original OS and the second running LineageOS 21.
I really should try LineageOS on mine!
Lodi
I need to get a razer phone 2 peeps
Still a great device! 💗
Hey look, it's the Nextbit 3
Someone knows their history 😉
@@retrotechdad well of course.
@@retrotechdad hey lil off topic, but do you know anyone who has the original razer edge from 2013 I'd love an in depth overview of the old one vs the new
It's something I've been trying to find for a while now. They are pretty hard to come by in good condition and at a reasonable price.😭😢
@@retrotechdad damn, I see. And there was hardly even any press at launch. I feel like it's a ghost device
Will you be talking about the controversy about the Edge on a new video?
Yes, I will be discussing it briefly throughout. I was actually part of the group that discovered and called Razer out on the whole thing.
@@retrotechdad Ah i see, yes i believe I read all sorts of info on it on Reddit. I actually purchased one and cancelled it promptly after reading the "typo". Looking forward to some reviews from yourself and RGC about emulation performance. If great, I'll repurchase.
is not OLED. 144HZ matters
Razer Edge update: not a good option, in all honesty.
Phones nowadays have powerful internals and high refreshrates. With the asus phone existing aswell, it just doesnt seem useful to have two devices capable of gaming. Not to mention for like 200$ more, you can get the steam deck.
I feel like if they kept improving the razer phone instead of laying off staff, we wouldve seen a real competitor to the asus phones and a real option for android gaming as its finally getting somewhere. The edge just seems outdated at this point.
Also those bezels on the edge looks awful, I returned mine and instead replaced my phone with the Asus phone, which seemed like a much better alternative. At least it did better than the old razer edge pro lol. That thing died on launch.
How have you been able to emulate Switch games on Android?
Skyline and Skyline Edge (paid Patreon version). This is the official website for Skyline: skyline-emu.one/. You will need to sideload the APK, it is not available directly on the Play Store.
You will need prod and title keys, which I cannot provide (google search should help).
BTW, it's still quite early in development despite a lot of progress being made in the past year.
@@retrotechdad Very helpful, thank you!
Bro ny razer 2 gets heated up almost to 42 C after 30 mins of gaming please help
Wait.........this is old now??? Wtf!?!
I'm about to send you a complete list of Android games for you to try. I hope you'll like it.
Oooh, I will look out for it. I got your other list of games, I'm not sure if you saw my message on there.
@@retrotechdad Just sent it, I hope you enjoy it. 😁
Battery life was horrible on these phones though
Not surprised, mine is particularly brutal because the battery is old.
Sixty ninth.
Niiiiiiice
Niiiiiiice
NOICE!!!
yeah my razer phone 2 bought new unlock on amazon. not renewed i checked...first week i found the phone is heating up when i play new modern game and i found my samsung a53 is better at gaming.
also my battery i didn't use phone a lot. only got it because the phone had a huge discount. the batter even when turned off...it used so much batter. not sure if battery leakage is a thing. i use phones for mostly music players and gaming. music it handles it okay but gaming performance i am disappointed. im too lazy to sell and use the money to get a better phone :l also it looks hard to sell and the resell value looks bad so im keeping phone
but i am thinking of finding someone to help me take out everything on the phone, chipset, battery, cameras and replacing them. think that is a bit expensive tbh... but i really like the design of the phone. also i turn off rgb to save battery life and keep phone at 60hz....
Why my mom watch this
First to say first
Second 😁
Eu não vou comprar isso. É perca de tempo esses emuladores.
nice vid... thx
Thank you for watching! 🙏