Motorola Razr debuts with familiar design and $1,499 price tag

Earlier this month promotional images of the new Motorola Razr reboot were leaked online. As speculated, the device shown boasts of a traditional clamshell design, but uses a flexible display instead. With Samsung leading the way with the Galaxy Fold, industry analysts can confirm that there is a market for these expensive models. Even after the company was acquired by Google, then subsequently bought by Lenovo, the Razr name endured. Now, the updated Razr is finally back in its original form with cutting-edge technology on board.

It is apparent that Motorola wants to attract former owners of the original Razr flip phone. As such its design tries to preserve elements from the past as much as possible. Going into specifics. The new handset comes with a 6.2-inch flexible OLED touchscreen. With a 21:9 display aspect ratio, it might appear odd to users who were expecting something similar to the Galaxy Fold.

When it is in a closed position, consumers can spot a 2.7-inch OLED display on the outer shell of the top half. Although it was not indicated, sources speculate it is covered by a scratch-resistant glass panel. It is mainly used to show notifications, control music and as a viewfinder for selfies using the main camera, as illustrated by The Verge. This is probably for the best, given the front-facing shooter on top of the main screen is only a 5-megapixel unit.

After the fiasco with the Galaxy Fold's flexible display, buyers might be cautious about purchasing a foldable smartphone. However, Motorola claims the Razr is durable with the edges safely tucked underneath the stainless-steel frame. Furthermore, the screen is layered with a proprietary coating to withstand abrasions from regular use. Meanwhile, the internal components are nano-coated for added splash resistance.

Powering the smartphone is a 2,510 mAh battery, which seems low for a flagship handset. Nevertheless, it is probably a compromise to keep its form factor as slim as possible. It runs on Android 9 Pie with help of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 SoC with 6 GB of RAM and a 128 GB internal storage. The latest Motorola Razr is slated to launch sometime in January 2020, and will cost a whopping $1,499.