(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Motorola has been teasing the idea of reviving its iconic Razr as part of a new folding phone lineup for several months. Images showing the device have leaked from several sources and the new design is interesting — though there are a lot of questions about how Motorola will pull it off. The design definitely recalls the iconic Razr handheld, but with a different screen and overall design than we’ve seen from any other foldable phone manufacturer.
Leaker Evan Blass is responsible for the images below, though he’s not the only person to leak photos. The phone is being officially announced on November 13.
Image by Evan Blass
Here we see the Razr in-hand, but there’s precious little else visible. How about we punch things up a bit?
Image by Evan Blass / adjusted by ExtremeTech
The same image as previous, but with the brightness and contrast adjusted. This gets us a USB-C port at the bottom of the phone and a clearer view of the fingerprint reader.
Image by Evan Blass
The front of the device, showing a selfie camera. The screen on the front is quite small-looking and seems as though it would mostly be used for notifications and pop-up messages.
Image by Evan Blass
The front screen appears to also be a touch screen.
Image by Evan Blass
The front screen, unfolded, is shown above. The Motorola Razr still has a notch, but the device appears to unfold differently than the Samsung Galaxy Fold, and with a very different aspect ratio. Estimates from various sources online and based on the patents Motorola has filed have put the aspect ratio on this phone at 22:9 or 23:9. That’s markedly different from the 18:9 or 19:9 we tend to see on flagships today. Longer, thinner devices have proven easier to manage, so manufacturers have shifted towards them, but Motorola would definitely be pushing the envelope a bit in this regard.
Between the fold and the ratio, Motorola is obviously trying to blend a mix of old and new. It’s not clear how well this play will work. Originally, devices like the Razr were popular with young people because they were light, thin, and colorful, with a keypad that made them easy to use for texting. The form factor shown in these photos is an obvious throwback to the original Razr design, but modern phones don’t use a T9-compatible keyboard. I’m curious how texting works on this, with such a wide form factor.
The Motorola Razr has been rumored to start at around $1,500, putting it below the Galaxy Fold but well above even modern stratospheric smartphone pricing. Whether it’ll be a hit or not? Too soon to say. It’s hard to believe a midrange smartphone company like Motorola would beat other companies to the punch on such a distinctive product, and the Galaxy Fold hasn’t exactly set the mobile world on fire. We’ll see what happens in two weeks.
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