The Razer brand name has always been synonymous with anything related to gaming. The company has been releasing hardware like gaming laptops, mice, keyboards, headphones, speakers, mats, wearables and more. Their products carry the company’s trademark LED lighting and aggressive design. It seems that the company intends to create products that grab consumer’s attention, like its most recent three-screen gaming laptop concept dubbed Project Valerie last January during the CES event in Las Vegas. Now, it has been rumored that they have a mobile phone in development.
From peripherals to smartphones
The speculations regarding a Razer smartphone were reported by Bloomberg. They claim that anonymous sources have tipped them off about the new device. According to the news outlet, the new product is “a mobile device tailored for its consumer base of hardcore gamers." However, the gaming product company has declined to comment about the suspected product.
Nextbit acquisition and partnership with Three supports the rumors
Last January, the gaming-peripheral maker surprised a lot of people when it bought out Nextbit. The small time manufacturer of the Robin smartphone includes veterans from HTC and Google. One of their notable members is Scott Croyle, who previously worked for HTC as their product design director.
Sales of Robin handset were reportedly halted right after the acquisition, which seems highly suspicious.
Additionally, Razer seems to have kept Nextbit’s CEO, Tom Moss, on board as suggested by the former’s LinkedIn page, which currently tags him as senior vice president and general manager of mobile. Furthermore, last May, Razer formally announced their partnership with cellular service provider Three, whose service covers Europe and Asia.
Vaporware speculations
Based on their previous track records, industry experts suspect that the rumors can go both ways. The gaming-centric firm has in the past revealed unique products that never reached the retail market. Also, there were instances wherein their merchandise saw a very limited release and whose availability was only limited to certain markets.
However, there are also confirmed reports that they are about to make the company public in Hong Kong, which is suspected as a means to raise capital for their mobile phone venture. The previously mentioned fact appears to hint that they might be seriously prepared to enter the mobile phone market soon. if Razer does reveal their new handset soon, consumers can expect a dark edgy and aggressive design with their Chroma LED technology, which is somewhat considered their trademark.
