The Motorola Razr 2022 is finally here. After the underwhelming launches of the first two Razr models, Motorola has finally launched its new foldable model in its latest attempt to take on Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip series, but the company has a lot to prove with this year's flagship foldable.
The budget phone-maker returned to its roots with the Motorola Razr (2019), a visually impressive smartphone that ticked the right nostalgia box but was far from perfect. Motorola made some notable improvements with the Razr 5G in 2020, but unfortunately still fell short and failed to compete with Samsung. Now, we look to the Razr 2022 to see just how Motorola plans to counter Samsung's foldable assault.
Motorola skipped out on launching a new foldable in 2021, but it used that time to revamp the design and pack in flagship-quality specs that'll give the Razr 2022 longevity and a better chance at catching the eyes of consumers.
Motorola Razr 2022: Price and Release Date
After canceling its original launch event at the last minute, Motorola introduced the Razr 2022 on Aug. 11 in China. The device went on sale the same day in the region.
As for price, the Razr 2022 starts at just ¥5,999, which is just under $900. And that's for the lowest configuration, but if you want top-end specs, consumers are expected to shell out ¥7,299 or under $1,100.
At these prices, the Razr 2022 could easily undercut the Galaxy Z Flip 4, which launched in the U.S. for $999. However, price conversions rarely translate when devices launch across regions, so Motorola could price the Razr 2022 higher and possibly match Samsung's foldable.
That said, the company has not revealed any plans to bring the Razr 2022 to markets outside of China. With any luck, Motorola will launch the Razr 2022 in the U.S. and other regions.
Motorola Razr 2022: Design
The Motorola Razr 2022 makes some significant design changes from the Razr 5G. The 2020 foldable looked more like a classic flip phone of yore, thanks to the prominent chin and rounded edges. With the newer model, it has a more square, boxy design when closed, similar to the Z Flip 3, and the chin has vanished to give the phone a full-screen look.
Motorola purists may resent the choice to adopt a more modern, mainstream look, but it leaves room for a larger display — 6.7 inches instead of 6.2 inches — and ensures the phone doesn't look behind the times. The phone is also a bit shorter and wider than its predecessor, with the display coming in at a 20:9 aspect ratio. You can also see a standard hole-punch selfie camera instead of the notch used by the Razr 5G.
Regarding the folding display, the Razr 2022 appears to follow its predecessors in how it handles the folding display and thus has minimal creasing evident when the phone is open. The company also seems to have improved the hinge, as the device can open halfway with a new Flex View for hands-free use.
On the front is a 2.7-inch touch screen for interacting with notifications, the camera, and more. Next to it is a dual-camera setup and the LED flash unit. On the back, the Razr 2022 retains the Motorola logo on the lower half of the device, but it no longer houses the fingerprint sensor. Instead, the sensor has been moved to the right side of the device, just beneath the volume rocker.
Motorola Razr 2022: Specs
The Motorola Razr 2022 is a big step up from its predecessor. As opposed to sporting a mid-range chipset, Motorola has chosen the latest flagship Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. This is the chip powering many of the best Android phones for the second half of 2022, including Samsung's latest foldable. According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 has a Cortex-X2 chipset clocked at 3.2GHz and is 30% more efficient than the 8 Gen 1 chip released earlier this year.
The Razr 2022 comes in a few RAM/storage configurations: 8GB/128GB, 8GB/256GB, and 12GB/512GB. Unfortunately, there is no expandable storage.
The internal display is a Full HD+ OLED panel with an impressive 144Hz refresh rate, making it the first foldable to sport such a high refresh rate. The external display is an OLED panel with an 800 x 573 resolution.
On the camera front, the Razr 2022 sports a 50MP primary sensor with an f/1.88 aperture alongside a 13MP ultrawide camera that also doubles as a macro sensor. The internal selfie camera is a 33MP unit.
Powering everything is a 3,500mAh battery that supports 33W charging. Unfortunately, there is no wireless charging available.
There is also no IP rating, but Motorola tours a water-repellent coating, meaning you should treat the Razr 2022 with care.
Motorola Razr 2022: Software
The Motorola Razr 2022 launches with Android 12 onboard with the company's MyUI 4.0 on top. The company touts new icons with rounded corners, a more "personalized" and "intuitive" UI, and a sidebar with shortcuts to your favorite apps, among other enhancements.
On the external display, users have access to various widgets for travel, weather, the calendar, and more, which users can customize to their liking. It can also be used for checking notifications and taking selfies with the main camera sensor.
Motorola also touts the latest version of its Ready For software, allowing the Razr 2022 to wirelessly connect to a display for a desktop-like experience.
Perhaps the biggest question is how Motorola will handle updates. The Razr 5G will only receive two OS updates to Android 12 despite its high price tag, as is the case for many of Motorola's flagship smartphones. With Samsung now promising four OS updates for its flagship devices, Motorola's typical pattern of offering fewer updates at a slower pace will make plenty of buyers cautious.
Android 13 is also on the way, with Google putting its finishing touches on the next version. Hopefully, the Razr gets this update sooner rather than later.
