In short: The successor to last year’s Razer Phone was certified by Google, having been spotted in a new Play Console listing earlier today. While its depiction matches the high-resolution render AndroidHeadlines exclusively shared last week, the surprising part of the sighting is the list of its core specifications which appear to be identical to the 2017 device, all the way to its system-on-chip of choice. According to the certificate, the Razer Phone 2 will ship with the Snapdragon 835 which will be nearing its second anniversary by the time the gaming handset becomes available for purchase. One novelty mentioned by the newly spotted Play Console listing is the existence of a “Chroma” app that’s presumed to be a controller for LED lights that will be integrated into the smartphone, according to recent rumors.
Background: The first known depiction of the Razer Phone 2 that AndroidHeadlines obtained several days back suggested the visual side of the original device won’t be significantly changed for the new iteration of the Android gaming phone line and the manufacturer appears to be adamant on keeping things the same on the inside as well. While one benchmark listing previously suggested the Razer Phone 2 will utilize the Snapdragon 845, the Play Console certificate contains information that Google received from Razer itself, making it unlikely that any specifications of the device code-named “Aura” listed by the thereof are incorrect. Razer already sent out invites for an October 10 event that’s expected to serve as the launch vehicle for its new Android-powered gadget.
Impact: While the Snapdragon 845 seemed like an obvious choice for Razer, using an older silicon could allow the company to save significant manufacturing costs while still delivering a high-end user experience, should its software optimization efforts be as successful as they were last year. It remains to be seen how the mobile gaming community will react to the unexpected chip choice given how the original Razer Phone was targeting consumers interested in the very best the smartphone industry has to offer and its successor doesn’t appear to be on the road of offering that experience once again.