Holy Crap The New Razr Phone Is Foldable

Holy Crap The New Razr Phone Is Foldable

We’ve been anticipating the return of the iconic Motorola Razr flip phone since earlier this year.

Since other classic phones like the revamped Nokia 3310 and Banana Phones had made a come back, we expected the RAZR to get a similar treatment. We were wrong.

The beautiful creature is foldable.

[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2019/10/not-samsung-galaxy-fold-review-australia/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/fold-header-1-410×231.jpg” title=”Samsung Galaxy Fold: The Australian Non-Review” excerpt=”Last week the $2,999 Samsung Galaxy Fold was announced for Australia. It went on sale today, which is also when the local review embargo lifted. Some Australian reviewers who received the Fold only had a couple of days with the product to accompany the short embargo period. This has been due to a lack of supply. With such a short lived experience with a new form factor and thus an inability to adequately test it, I can’t in good conscience call this a review. But I do have some thoughts.”]

That’s right, the Razr is taking its beloved old school clam shell design and upgrading it for 2019. Rather than having a hinge, the screen will be foldable. Foldable flip phones will be a thing.

Unlike similar phones such as the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei’s Mate X, which fold like a book, the new RAZR will fold downwards.

It’s able to do this due to a mechanism that combines hinges and sliding plates, allowing the phone to fold and unfold. Initial reports indicate that you can’t feel or see the crease.

In terms of durability, Motorola has stated that it has “full confidence in the durability of the Flex View display”. While the company hasn’t given specifics regarding the amount of times the Razr can be folded until it breaks, it has said “it will last for the average lifespan of a smartphone.”

The Razr is said to be scuff resistant due to a special panel coating, as well as an internal coating that makes it splash resistant.

Another major difference is that the Razr is the size of an ordinary phone when unfolded, as opposed to the larger tablet-to-phone foldable designs that are currently on the market.

The 6.2-inch display is made from a single-cut plastic OLED panel, with a notch above it to house the speaker and camera.

The outside of the device also has a 2.7-inch glass OLED display that Motorola is calling a ‘Quick View’ display. Much like the Galaxy Fold, the second mini display will show notifications and allow you to control your music. It even allows you to take a selfie with the more powerful primary lens while in this mode.

When it comes to the specs you’re looking at a Snapdragon 710 processor, 6GB RAM, 128GB internal storage, 2,500 mAh battery, 16MP front facing camera and 5MP internal camera.

It will run Android Pie, has eSIM functionality and uses USB-C.

It’s going on sale in the U.S. on December 26 for $US1,499 and will most likely arrive in Australia in early 2020. Considering that currency conversion works out to be able $2,200, and Samsung’s Galaxy Fold costs $2999, expect the Razr to be the cheapest foldable available in Australia. Not that is has much competition yet.

“I am delighted to confirm that the device you’ve all been waiting for will be coming to Australia,” said Danny Adamopoulos, GM Sales APAC for Mature Markets.

“This is a transformative time for both Motorola as a company, but also the broader telecommunications industry here in Australia. And much like the Razr flip-phone redefined what a smartphone could be in the noughties, we’re now ready to flip your world all over again with the world’s first vertical folding display in a mobile device. The Razr is coming. Stay tuned.”

It’s really exciting to see such a beloved and iconic phone be upgraded for a modern audience in such a cool, thoughtful and seemingly functional way. It’s a great move by Motorola and we can’t wait to try it.

We’ll let you know once we have local pricing and availability.


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