What you need to know
- Motorola's second generation of the RAZR folding phone has been unveiled.
- It has a refined design, the Snapdragon 765G, an improved 48MP camera, and more.
- The phone will be available at AT&T, T-Mobile, and unlocked this Fall for $1,400.
One of the more interesting foldable releases so far has been the Motorola RAZR. The RAZR was the first device to introduce the flip phone form factor to the foldable market, bringing a ton of nostalgia with it thanks to that iconic RAZR aesthetic. Unfortunately for Motorola, the RAZR was ultimately outshined by the vastly better Galaxy Z Flip from Samsung.
Looking to right its wrongs and kick out a vastly better product, Motorola is trying its hand yet again with the "new RAZR." Even if Motorola doesn't want to call it the RAZR 2, there are enough improvements here that make it quite promising.
Source: Motorola
Design-wise, the new RAZR moves a bit further away from the 2000-era style of the first-gen model while still retaining the same general look and feel. The chin is now tapered, the phone is made out of glass, and the corners are more rounded than before. Motorola also moved the fingerprint sensor to the back underneath the "M" logo, which helps to make the chin less bulky. All of that's great, though the lack of wireless charging is a bummer.
In regards to durability, one of the main concerns of the first RAZR, Motorola says it's made a few "small mechanical tweaks" to ensure the phone works as intended. There isn't a major redesign for the hinge mechanism, but Motorola has made it quieter and made the display flexing a bit tighter. This should result in a total of 200,000 flips, which will apparently get power-users through five years of regular use.
The displays on the RAZR 2 are virtually unchanged, with Motorola once again offering a 6.2-inch main display and 2.7-inch cover display. That said, there is some new software that's actually really interesting. RAZR 2 will allow you to run any app that you want on the cover display, whether it be Spotify, Twitter, Gmail, or anything else. Motorola pre-selects eight apps by default that it's deemed to work well with the screen, but you're free to use anything installed on the phone. There's bound to be some scaling issues with certain apps given the size and shape of the outer screen, but it's great to see Motorola open up its functionality like this.
Taking a look at the specs of the new RAZR, there are a few big improvements that we're happy to see. The processor is now Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765G, RAM is boosted from 6 to 8GB, and you get 256GB of internal storage. The battery is still rather small at 2,800 mAh, and while that is an improvement over the 2,510 mAh capacity from the first RAZR, we have our reservations about how it'll perform. As for the camera, the RAZR's disappointing 16MP sensor has been boosted up to a 48MP one with optical image stabilization — something that wasn't present last time around. Combine that with 4x better light sensitivity, and the camera on the new RAZR should be a lot more enjoyable to use.
When it comes to price and availability, Motorola learned a lot from its previous release. You'll be able to get the RAZR this Fall at AT&T or T-Mobile if you prefer buying from a carrier, but the phone will also be sold universally unlocked at Amazon, B&H, Best Buy, and Motorola's own website for $1,399.99 — $100 less than the first RAZR. What's interesting is that the new RAZR is not coming to Verizon and the old model will still be sold at the carrier.
Given how disappointing Motorola's first attempt with the RAZR was, we're excited to see what it's able to do with this new model. The refreshed design and better specs should translate to an overall better experience, and a lower price is always great to see, too.
There's still a conversation to be had as to whether anyone should spend $1,400 on a folding phone this early on in the form factor's life, but if it's a product niche you're interested in, the new RAZR looks to be a really solid option.
Unboxing the Galaxy Z Fold 2: Hands-on with the year's most luxurious foldable
