Razer is working on a "hardcore gamer" smartphone

Razer is always looking into new ways to improve the gaming experience, be it through high quality peripherals like mice or keyboards, or dedicated devices like laptops, modular desktops and tablets. Looks like the only device missing from Razer’s portfolio is a smartphone for gamers, and according to Bloomberg, that is exactly what Razer is focusing on right now. The company plans to roll out a Hong Kong initial public offering in order to fund the development of the gaming smartphone. This expansion into the Asian gaming market will also increase the value the gaming gear maker at around US$5 billion.

This sudden interest in a hardcore gamer smartphone could be explained by Razer’s move to acquire smartphone maker Nextbit in January 2017. This company is now operating as an independent division within Razer, as disclosed by Nextbit co-founder and CEO Tom Moss. The project can also be linked to Ouya – the Android-based micro console, also acquired by Razer in 2015.

If Razer really wants to stand out of the crowd with their gaming smartphone, they most likely need to offer something innovative in terms of design and gameplay, since on the hardware side they would probably be using top of the line components from Samsung and Qualcomm. Just like the Razer Edge gaming tablet that came with a unique dual controller, the gaming smartphone could expand on innovative controls and gameplay mechanics. Looking back at previous attempts, Nokia did not really have much success with the N-Gage model, but Razer could be able to pull this off with the amount of expertise already acquired.

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