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Razer Phone 3 in doubt following company layoffs

Razer 2 07
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Razer is going through changes, some of which may not be great for fans of the brand's smartphones. Over the weekend, the gaming company announced that it was closing the Razer Game Store in order to refocus its resources. In addition, this restructuring involved layoffs in the mobile division that could put the fate of a new Razer Phone in doubt.

Droid Life initially reported that Razer had laid off the majority of its mobile device and hardware engineer staff on Friday, as well as some in marketing. The same source also said that the remainder would work on updates for the Razer Phone 2, but that a the possibility of a future Razer Phone 3 had been scrapped.

In response, Razer issued statements, which confirmed the layoffs in the mobile division and the cancellation of several projects while attempting to reassure that the brand's efforts in the mobile space were far from over:

"In our mobile division, there were some staff members who were let go, and others who were reassigned to other new projects. We see great opportunities in the mobile gaming space that we created with the Razer Phone and will continue to invest in this category through a combination of hardware and software initiatives. We are working on new exciting mobile projects and will share the news when we are ready. The Razer Phone 2 will continue to be on sale and we are committed to supporting it with the latest updates and features."

Conspicuously absent from the statement is any mention of the Razer Phone 3, and whether new smartphones would be part of the aforementioned hardware initiatives.

The first Razer Phone was a refreshing specialist device in the rather same-y Android market, and kicked off a trend of gaming focused smartphones from brands big and small. We also found a lot to love about the Razer Phone 2 - fast and powerful with a distinct aesthetic, impressive speakers and an industry-leading 120Hz display like its predecessor. But with their blocky design, mediocre cameras and a lack of carrier support, both devices may have struggled to break out of their niche.

The Razer Phone 2 continues to be supported with updates, with Android Pie set to roll out on February 27. Hopefully Razer will stick to their commitment for software support and perhaps more interesting peripherals such as the Raiju controller. As for other Razer mobile hardware that was on the horizon, such as the Satin Black 128GB Razer Phone 2 or the intriguing Project Linda laptop dock, we'll have to wait and see.

What do you think of Razer's mobile hardware? Were you looking forward to a Razer Phone 3?

Source: Droid Life

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Nicholas Montegriffo

Nicholas Montegriffo
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A cyberpunk and actual punk, Nicholas is the Androidpit team's hardcore gamer, writing with a focus on future tech, VR/AR, AI & robotics. Out of office, he can be found hanging around in goth clubs, eating too many chillies, or at home telling an unlucky nerd that their 8th level wizard died from a poisoned spike trap.

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  • 25
    Deactivated Account Feb 21, 2019 Link to comment

    In a smartphone, specially a flagship one, camera is very important to me, and I believe Razor just can't outperform a Pixel or our Sammy. Further not all games are demanding, and most can be played even on a midrange snapdragon chipset, due to the fact that Snapdragon GPU's are more powerful and are one generation ahead of the competition in all price segments.


    • 1
      jordanperek21 Aug 19, 2019 Link to comment

      Razer Phones are not about the camera