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The Razr2 V9m

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

As expected, Alltel today formerly picked up the Motorola Razr2 V9m, that lovely Razr revamp that caught our attention last month. Alltel joins Verizon Wireless and Sprint in offering the feature-packed handset while AT&T has already countered with the GSM Razr2 V9. As is the case with the other carriers offering the Razr2, Alltel adds its own customization to the phone. The massive external display shows the missed calls list (handy indeed) and you'll find the carrier's unique Celltop application. The carrier chose to use Moto's standard user interface rather than applying its own, and the phone's color scheme is the same dark pearl gray found on the Sprint model. The standard features include stereo Bluetooth, a 2-megapixel camera, a microSD card slot, a digital music player and support for EV-DO networks. As for other goodies, Alltel's V9m has satellite XM Radio and a TeleNav GPS application. You can buy it for $299 with service; check back soon for a review.

The Razr2 V8

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

With Alltel's announcement, only T-Mobile has yet to make any Razr announcements. Rumors persist that T-Mobile will acquire the GSM/EDGE Razr V8 next month, but that's remains unconfirmed as of now. We'll let you know when we know something for sure.

The Razr2 V9m

(Credit: Corrine Schulze/CNET Networks)

Just when you think Motorola has milked everything it can out of the Razr line, here comes yet another version of the now-iconic phone. But instead of just a simple refresh, the Motorola Razr2 series is a complete redesign of the handsets. Believe us when we say we're as tired of the Razr as the next person, but Motorola has managed to pique our interest with this second-generation model. It's attractive, packed with features and for the most part it's a good performer as well. While the original Razr was a Cingular exclusive for the first six months of its life, Moto spread the carrier love this time around. The Razr2 is coming to almost all the major carriers at the same time; so far we've reviewed the CDMA V9m models for Sprint and Verizon Wireless and the GSM V9 for AT&T. After giving each phone a full shake down we can report that the AT&T and Sprint models are the best so far but that could change once we get our hands on the Alltel version. And for your viewing pleasure check out our Sprint V9m and Verizon V9m slide shows.

The Razr2 V9m in Alltel and Sprint colors

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

Motorola announced today that its second-generation Razr phone will be arriving at most major U.S. carriers by the end of the summer. The GSM Razr2 V9 will come to AT&T while the CDMA Razr2 V9m will come to Alltel, Sprint, and Verizon Wireless. T-Mobile is out of the game at the moment, mostly due to the carrier's lack of a 3G network. That said, it theoretically could adopt the GSM Razr2 V8, which tops out at 2.5G EDGE speeds, but that's just speculation for now.

Announced in May, the Razr2 line adopts the now iconic Razr form factor but offers a fresh approach. Besides being marginally thinner and more streamlined, the phones offer steel and hardened glass casings; large, higher-resolution displays; and onscreen touch controls with tactile feedback. Carriers were given a lot of freedom as to the design of their phones. They could change the appearance of the external displays and alter which touch controls they wanted to show on the screen. Colors also vary among the carriers. Sprint and Alltel come in dark pearl grey, AT&T's phone is mahogany, and Verizon chose the espresso model.

Razr2 V9 for AT&T

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

Features are the same on all versions. You'll find a 2-megapixel camera, full Bluetooth, a microSD card slot, 3G support, video conferencing, a full HTML browser, Windows Media Player 11 with PC syncing, a 500Mhz processor, USB 2.0, and "CrystalTalk" voice technology that will adjust the volume automatically based on ambient noise.

Sprint's version will go on sale August 22 for $249 with service. The other carriers will get their phones at about the same time and for a similar price.

We'll have full reviews of the phones in the next couple of days. In the meantime, check out some from our initial hands-on session. Though we're as sick of the Razr as the next person, we admit that the Razr2 line is undeniably eye-catching. We've been saying for a long time that Motorola needs something completely new--and we still feel that way--but this will do for the time being. If this Razr's performance is as good as it looks, then Moto may just be able to revive its flagging cell phone division.

The Razr2 V9 in maroon

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

A day after Motorola released its new Razr 2 cell phones, I got the chance to play with the handsets up close. Though I've grown quite weary of recycled Razrs, I have to admit I liked what I saw. The Razr 2 design is more a refresh of the popular thin handset than a revolution, but it wins new points for beauty. The redesigned hinge and the flattened bottom end are eye-catching, and they contribute to the overall sleek and shiny appearance. And though the V9, V9m, and V8 are just a hair's (0.07 inch) slimmer than the original Razr V3, the change is quite noticeable. As for colors, I'm partial to the maroon hue on the V9 but the dark blue on the V8 and V9m is attractive as well. Meanwhile, the metal casing gives the cell phone a relatively solid feel. Check out more pictures in our slide show.

The Razr2 V9m and the new external display

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

The external displays are a huge improvement over the original screen on the V3. It's rich with color and detail, and the tactile feedback for the on-screen touch controls is definitely cool. It's disappointing that Moto made some messaging functions available only on the V8's external display. Why the company can't do the same for every Razr is beyond me.

Inside I liked the internal display as well. It's also bright and vivid, though again I don't understand why Moto doesn't spread the love when adding new features to a phone. Though the V8 features a slick new interface thanks to a Linux/Java platform, the V9 and V9m include the same boring and stodgy Moto interface that we're thoroughly over.

The new menu interface on the Razr2 V8

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

The keypad shows some changes as well. It covers nearly the whole surface of the phone's bottom half. The alphanumeric buttons are completely flat with the surface of the phone and have no definition between them but we'll hold our firm assessment on their usability until we get a review model. The navigation array features the same round four-way toggle with the central OK button.

The V9 and V9m have a microSD card slot but it's crammed behind the battery cover. The V8 doesn't have expandable memory but it comes with 512MB of shared memory plus an additional 2GB of internal storage--impressive indeed.

Motorola wouldn't tell which carriers will get the Razr 2 but we can say that the V9 was running on Cingular, the V8 was operating on T-Mobile, and the V9m was using Alltel. While the V9 and V8 could be flukes since they could use any carrier's SIM card, it seems pretty clear that the V9m will land at Alltel. I can't imagine Alltel hooking up a strange phone on its network unless they were thinking about supporting it. All three Razr 2s will be out by the end of the summer.

Moto Razr 2

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET Networks)

Motorola today showed off a bunch of fancy cell phones, including the new Razr 2. At an event in New York City, the company debuted not only a successor to the popular Razr line but also showed off the Rokr Z6, the "media monster" Z8, and new versions of the Motorola Q. Multimedia is a big theme here, while slider and thin designs continue to be in. Check out photos of the event and the new handsets in our slide show.

Motorola Razr2

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET Networks)

Motorola CEO Ed Zander today took a page from the Steve Jobs school of product announcements when he showed off three new cell phones and two new smart phones at an event in New York City. After the "media monster" cell phone tuned out to be a handset that we covered already (the Moto Z8) we were thinking the whole thing might be bust. But then Zander saved the biggest news for last with the unveiling of the Motorola Razr 2.

As we told you yesterday, we've been hoping for a while now that Moto would give us something completely new, beyond just another recycled thin design. But we have to admit that the Razr 2 looks pretty cool. Also called the V9 (for the GSM model) and the V9m (the CDMA version) the Razr 2 makes other improvements on the Razr. Besides being slightly thinner (0.07 inch), it features a smaller hinge and it shrinks the large section at the bottom of the phone that holds the internal antenna (Zander called it the Razr's "double chin"). The Razr 2 also has larger, higher-resolution displays and it's crafted from metal and hardened glass. The external display will feature onscreen touch controls for the music player that will give tactile feedback.

Inside both the V9 and V9m, you'll find a 2-megapixel camera, full Bluetooth, a microSD card slot, 3G support, video conferencing, a full HTML browser, Windows Media Player 11 with PC syncing, a 500Mhz processor, USB 2.0, and "CrystalTalk" voice technology that will adjust the volume automatically based on ambient noise.

The Razr 2 also comes in a GSM/EDGE version called the V8. It also offers a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and a music player but adds in a couple extra goodies not available on the V9 or V9m. Thanks to a Linux/Java platform, it sports a much-needed refresh of the Moto's stodgy menu interface. Also, you can use the external display to send template text messages. There was no official word on U.S. availability for any of the Razr V2s, but the GSM V9 will be out first (in July) with the V9m and V8 following later in the year. Speaking of that, Zander said the number of Razrs sold is about to pass the 100 million mark.

Moto Rokr Z6

(Credit: Motorola)

Also at the event, a Moto exec showed off the Rokr Z6 and the aforementioned Z8. We first saw the Z6 earlier this year at CTIA, while the Z8 made its debut at 3GSM. The Z6 has a built-in music player with "drag-and-drop" music syncing, a 2-megapixel camera, USB 2.0, a slider form factor, a Linux/Java platform, and stereo Bluetooth. The company also showed off its Motorola S9 stereo Bluetooth headset as a perfect accessory for the phone.

Moto Z8

(Credit: Motorola)

The Z8 is the "media monster" cell phone that Moto teased us with last week. As a refresher, it features a "kick slide" design that cradles the head much as a flip phone does. Features are all about multimedia with a 2-megapixel camera, HSDPA support, a video player, videoconferencing, world phone support, a 16 million-color display with a vertical and horizontal orientation, and 90MB of internal memory. As we said before, the Z8 will be able to play full-length movies from SD cards and show video at 30 frames per second (the same as on a standard TV). Admittedly, that sounds pretty cool, but we're not so thrilled with the prospect of watching an entire movie on a tiny cell phone display.

The Moto V9m (right) with two Krzrs.

(Credit: PhoneNews.com)

We all know Motorola is launching a "media monster" cell phone tomorrow, but we don't know exactly what the handset will look like. Will it be something completely new or will it be a repeat of a current Moto design? Certainly, we're hoping for a break from the now old-hat Razr line, but it wouldn't surprise us if the company continued in the same direction.

In the midst of our musings PhoneNews.com posted pictures today of the new Motorola Razr V9m. Referred to as both the Razr 2 and Moto Lazr (enough with the vowel dropping) the new phone definitely looks like the Razr, but with some minor adjustments. It's rumored to offer dual touch screens, a Brew UI, and support for Adobe Flash. The carrier should be Verizon Wireless. We'll have more news as we get it, which could be as early as tomorrow. Ya think?