Motorola Unveils Slimmed-Down, Linux-Based RAZR2

So, that "media monster" phone Motorola promised us last week? Turns out it was the RIZR Z8, that "kickflip" phone Moto was showing off two months ago at CTIA (click here to read all about it). But the handset giant had another trick up its sleeve at today's New York press conference: the RAZR2, the latest in a long, long line of RAZR phones.

While I haven't made it a secret that I've had enough of the tired RAZR line, the RAZR2 has a few interesting features worth noting. First off, this marks the first RAZR using Motorola's Linux and Java-based OS, which promises speedier menus and overall performance (other Linux-based phones from Moto include the ROKR Z6 music phone). The new RAZR is also a bit slimmer than older models (about 2mm thinner, to be exact), and its stainless steel and cast-aluminum shell is truly arresting-it reminded me of the stylish new Kyocera handsets I saw at CITA. The RAZR2 felt light yet durable in my hand, and I was impressed by its smooth, rounded lines, as opposed to the sharp edges on earlier RAZRs.

Another interesting innovation is the RAZR2's jumbo-sized external display—about 2 inches diagonally, pretty big considering that the internal screen is 2.2 inches across. That means you'll be able to watch videos with the flip closed (similar to the upcoming Nokia N76 multimediia phone), and you can also read and reply to text messages (using canned quick messages) with just the external display—very cool.

Moto also touted the RAZR2's new "Crystal Talk" technology, which promises to improve call quality by automatically adjusting volume according to background noise. Sounds interesting, but I'll reserve judgement until I can test it against the roar of traffic in Manhattan.

Music lovers will be able to sync their Windows Media Player tunes to the RAZR2, and you can play, pause and skip music using touch-sensitive music controls on the external screen. Nothing new there, except Moto has built in some tactile feedback by making the phone vibrate when you touch the virtual buttons. I tried it at the NYC demo this morning, and the subtle vibration worked well—it's definitely the ticket for making touch-sensitive phones easier to use.

Rounding out the features are a 2MP camera, support for stereo Bluetooth headsets, a USB 2.0 port for speedy music transfers, a full HTML Web browser, corporate e-mail support, and one-way video conferencing (similar to AT&T's "Video Share" on the LG CU500v).

Look for HSDPA and EV-DO versions of the RAZR (dubbed the V9 and V9m, respectively) to arrive in August, with a GSM/EDGE-only variety (the V8) slated for July. No official word on carriers, but it's a safe bet that the V9 will be an AT&T phone, while the V9m will likely be on Verizon Wireless and Sprint. Expect the EDGE V8 RAZR2 to land on T-Mobile.