Motorola’s Reimagined Razr Is A Folding Smartphone Triumph That Skips The Display Crease
While the Galaxy Fold is in essence a tablet that can be folded down to the size of a phone, the Razr has the form-factor of a slightly taller than average smartphone that folds down into compact and incredibly pocketable “puck” that fits into your hand. And unlike the Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X, the Razr is able to accomplish its folding trick without leaving an unsightly crease in the plastic display when it is in its “open” configuration.
Razr’s Zero-Gap Hinge, Flex View Display, and Quick Display
Motorola uses what it calls a zero-gap hinge, which allows both sides of the smartphone to fold flush. And when folded, the flexible display bends into a bell shape, which prevents the creasing that we see in the competition. The “snappy” hinge also allows you to satisfyingly open the device with a single thumb, and end a call by simply flipping it closed. There was nothing quite as satisfying as hanging up on a telemarketer by simply folding your old flip-phone closed – pressing the end call button on today’s smartphones just don’t have the same… ring.
As for the display, the flexible Flex View OLED panel measures 6.2 inches across and has a resolution of 2142x876. With the display closed, there’s a secondary 2.7-inch 800x600 panel which Motorola calls the Quick Display on the outside. The company says that this smaller panel allows you to “disconnect for a while” to avoid the distractions that comes with all of the information being presented in front of you with the Flex View display. Quick View allows you to interact with notifications without opening the smartphone, and gives you access to the Google Assistant along with media playback controls. It also comes in handy when taking selfies, and can double as a countdown timer when trying to take staged group shots.
It’s Also What’s Inside That Counts
While the displays(s) on the Razr are space age, the hardware inside is decidedly more pedestrian. Powering the smartphone is a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 SoC paired with 6GB of RAM. It’s been a few years since Motorola has released a flagship smartphone that actually featured flagship-caliber hardware inside, and the Razr does nothing to change this. Qualcomm says that it didn’t go with something like the Snapdragon 855 due to space and heat considerations for the device, so we digress. You’ll also find 128GB of internal storage, which is a bit on the small side considering the price (which we’ll get to later).
There’s nothing special about the camera, with there being a primary 16MP camera with dual LED flash. Again, due to the thin design, there wasn’t much room to add beefier camera and optics inside. There is a 2510 mAh battery inside (non-removeable, of course) that supports 15W TurboPower charging via the USB-C port on the bottom of the device. You’ll also find a second speaker, four microphones and a fingerprint reader in the bulging “chin” at the bottom of the phone.
Pricing and Availability
Now we get to the all-important aspect of pricing. Motorola says that the Razr is priced at $1,499 off-contract and will be available for pre-order starting on December 26th. Unfortunately, the device will be a Verizon-exclusive, where it will also be available on a Device Payment plan for $62.49/month for 24 months. The Razr will actually start shipping and will be available in store in January 2020.
$1,500 is a lot to ask for a device with mid-range specs, but the sheer cool-factor of the folding display just might be enough to entice some enthusiasts that are nostalgic about the old flip-phone days. Sound off in the comments section below with your thoughts on Motorola’s latest creation.
