Motorola recently unveiled the brand new Motorola razr device. This phone is a reinvention of the classic RAZR that was all the rage in the early 2000s. The original RAZR, with its sleek design and ultra-thin body, was an iconic flip phone, one that many Gen Xers and older Millennials remember fondly.

Now Motorola has resurrected this device as a modern foldable smartphone. The new razr is a great combination of retro and modern, combining the old school clamshell design with an innovative flexible touchscreen to bring you an entirely new smartphone experience (as well as the satisfaction of being able to hang up on someone again). As nostalgic as the word “T9” may be, Motorola has gotten rid of that keypad and small screen and replaced it with a 6.2-inch foldable OLED display.

The new Motorola razr is priced at $1,499; you can expect preorders from Verizon to begin sometime in December, with phones shipping in January 2020.


Motorola razr vs. Other Foldable Phones

With the emergence of larger and larger smartphones, it appears that foldable phones could be making a comeback. There’s no denying the practicality of having a phone you can fold and slip easily into your pocket, but how affordable are these devices? The answer is, not very. The Samsung Galaxy Fold costs nearly $2,000 and the Huawei Mate X costs about $2,400. At $1,499, the Motorola razr, although not exactly cheap, is more affordable than these other new foldable phones, and could mark a shift in making foldable screen tech accessible to the masses.

Another noticeable difference between the new Motorola razr and the Galaxy Fold and Mate X is screen size. While the latter two devices more closely resemble small tablets, the razr is more like a conventionally-sized smartphone that folds into a pocketable, portable device.

Motorola razr Samsung Galaxy Fold Huawei Mate X
Price $1,499 $1,980 $2,400
Screen size 6.2″ 7.3″ 8.0″
Operating System Android 9.0 Pie Android 9.0 Pie EMUI 9.1.1

Specs and Features

The Motorola razr is a marriage between the nostalgia of 2004 and the smartphone needs of 2019 consumers. There are a lot of cool specs and features to check out.

The Satisfaction of Hanging Up

Who doesn’t miss the satisfying feeling of hanging up on someone by flipping your phone shut? Whether you’re frustrated with a spam caller or are arguing with a loved one, pressing a button on the touchscreen of a smartphone just isn’t the same. With the new razr, you have the capabilities of a smartphone combined with the ability to hang up with a quick flip of the phone.

Interactive Quick View Display

The new razr has an external 2.7-inch interactive Quick View display that allows you to make calls, view and respond to messages, authorize mobile payments, control your music, take selfies, and use Google Assistant, without ever having to open your phone.

Flex View Display

When you do decide to flip open your razr, you can easily transition from Quick View display to the internal Flex view thanks to app continuity. The Motorola razr has a 6.2-inch OLED display, with an ultra-widescreen 21:9 aspect ratio for video viewing.

The screen feels firm when the phone is open due to moveable metal plates that pull the display tight. Understandably, there are still some wrinkles to iron out—the screen does have a plastic-type feel to it and you can feel the bumps on the base behind it.

Zero-Gap Hinge

Flip phones have always had hinges, as they rely on them to flip open and closed. While old-school flip phones had visible hinges in the middle of the phone, the razr has a hidden hinge behind the display to create a more modern and sleek design, while allowing both sides of the phone to fold completely flush. This technology not only protects the display but also allows for a thinner, more compact design.

Moto Actions

Touchless gesture smartphone controls are becoming more and more popular, and Motorola has joined the party with Moto Actions. With this feature, you can control your phone with a flick of the wrist. Some examples of things you can do with Moto Actions include taking a selfie, turning on your flashlight, and silencing notifications.

Cameras

Compared to some of the latest smartphone releases like the iPhone 11 and Samsung Galaxy S10 and Note10, the razr’s cameras aren’t going to blow your mind. That doesn’t mean that they’re bad; they simply aren’t going to take the most impressive photos a smartphone can take. The main rear camera is a single lens 16MP and the front camera has a 5MP sensor. Since the main camera sits on the outside, it can act as a camera for selfies when the phone is folded shut. Another cool feature is the Auto Smile Capture, which uses AI to automatically take a photo when everyone in the frame is smiling (this may be bad news if you’re one of those people who never learned to smile in photos).

Operating System

The brand new Motorola razr operates on Android 9.0 Pie. This is somewhat disappointing considering Android 10 Pie was launched in September and specifically included technological developments for foldable phones, such as seamless adaptations to different screen dimensions as the smartphone is unfolded. Nevertheless, Motorola promises a seamless transition between the closed quick view screen and the main flex view screen.

Who is the razr Best for?

With a price tag of $1,499, the razr is pretty darn expensive, and most people probably aren’t willing to fork over that much cash for a new smartphone with midrange features. In short, it’s not for many people until the price decreases.

Once the price decreases, the razr may be a popular choice for Gen Xers and old Millennials with a taste for nostalgia (and Verizon plans, since the phone will only be available through Verizon). Moreover, Motorola touts the razr as a device for consumers who value the capabilities of a smartphone combined with the portability of a flip phone.

According to Ruben Castano, Motorola’s Head of Design, “Our goal was to bring the right device to market—one that solved a consumer pain point. Our research shows that consumers are looking for increased portability, so designing a device that was compact, sleek and seamless guided every decision we made.”

The razr probably isn’t the right choice for consumers who want the most powerful and advanced smartphones on the market; however, if you want a fun device that serves as a blast from the past, then you may find it irresistible.

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Marisa Crane is a content writer and editor with more than 5 years of experience in digital publishing. She is a skilled researcher with an uncanny ability to translate confusing tech jargon into plain English. Outside the world of Let’s Talk and cell phone plans, Marisa is a published creative writer, with her short stories and poetry published in more than 40 literary journals.