Razer Edge 5G Review
Overall
-
Build Quality
(4)
-
Display
(4.1)
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Features
(3.5)
-
Processing Power
(4)
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Price
(4)
Summary
It’s more versatile and powerful than Nintendo Switch if we’re talking pure specs and the fact that it runs Android. But if we’re being honest, just get a Razer Kishi for your smartphone and call it a day.
Pros
- Nice display and build
- Great controller
Cons
- A phone sized tablet with no telephony capability
- The Snapdragon “G3X Gen 1” is actually just the 888+
Gamer-centric computer brand Razer is throwing their hat into the mobile gaming market with their first mobile gaming device, the Razer Edge. It comes in two flavors, a Wi-Fi variant more widely available – and the Verizon exclusive 5G model. In this review we’re going to take a look at the Razer Edge 5G.
It’s an inconspicuous looking tablet, that could easily be mistaken for a smartphone, but there are no telephony capability (text and calling features) on the device. One hint that the device isnt a phone is that there are no cameras on the back, which is even rare for a tablet.
But the back is sleek and smooth, with only a Razer logo on the back.
| Specs | Razer Edge 5G |
| Screen | 6.8-inch FHD+ AMOLED Display (1080 x 2400 Pixels) with Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 20:9 Aspect Ratio, 144Hz Refresh Rate, HDR10+ |
| OS | Android 12 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon G3X Gen 1 |
| CPU | Octa Core CPU 1x Cortex-A78 @ 3.0GHz , 3x Cortex-A78 @ 2.6GHz & 4x Cortex-A55 @ 2.0GHz |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MC9 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Rear Camera | None |
| Front Camera | 5 Megapixels,1080p @60fps |
| Storage | 128GB (UFS 3.1) |
| SD Card | Yes, up to 2TB |
| SIM Card | eSIM with 5G |
| Cellular | 5G (Sub6,mmWave),LTE,UTMS, Global LTE, and LTE Cat 22 Networks |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E |
| NFC | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Infrared | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS with A-GPS (dual band), GLONASS, GALILEO, and BeiDou |
| OTG USB | Yes |
| USB Port | USB-C |
| Sound | 2-Way speakers with 2 digital microphones Verizon Adaptive Sound 3.5mm headphone jack via controller |
| FM Radio | No |
| Security Sensors | None |
| Battery | 5000 mAh Li-Po Battery (Non-removable) |
| Material | Glass Front and Back with Polycarbonate coated Aluminum Frame (IP53 Splash and Dust Resistance) |
| Dimensions | 260 x 85 x 11 mm |
| Weight | 264 g (tablet only) 401g (with controller attached) |
| Colors | Meteorite Gray, Moonlight White, and Celestial Blue |
| Launch Date | February 18, 2023 |
| Price | $399 (6GB + 128GB) – $499 (8GB RAM + 128GB) Razer Store |
Gaming
The Razer Edge has no shortage of gaming options, with the Google Play Games, EA Play, Parsec, and XBox platforms content accessible from the Razer Nexus app. All games downloaded from any of the aforementioned platforms show up here. There’s also settings to tweak the controller settings, like button layout and haptic feedback.
Gaming feels as seamless and console-like as the Nintendo Switch, with the added ability to use your tablet like a full-on Android device outside of your Gaming sessions. And while the Razor Edge has nothing comparable to the Nintendo ecosystem on the Switch, all of the prior mentioned Platforms available on Razer’s gaming console makes it hard to miss the restrictive OS on the Switch.
There are other competitors closer to Razer’s product than Nintendo – Logitech and Valve’s gaming devices come to mind. But the build and separate controller makes it a more sleek and lighter device that the current options in the market.
Conclusion
While it definitely does what it’s marketed to do really well, disconnected from the Razer Kishi Pro controller bundled, the tablet is a dull affair. With no back camera, a selfie camera placed so you can only take pics in landscape orientation, and a compact size that makes it smaller than a Galaxy s23 Ultra – and it’s a moot tablet.
For version 2, Razer should make a stronger effort to implement exclusive features or even map out the hardware spec a bit more. As of now, without anything to make it stand out in a highly competitive industry – the Razer Edge comes off like a prototype concept. The Kishi Pro controller (that isn’t sold separately at the time of this article) is a great product on its own – maybe wait until it can be bought separately and use it with the smartphone you currently have.
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