The iconic Motorola Razr flip phone is back, and how! The phone that rocked the 90s has been provided a modern makeover so that it now sports a display that folds along the middle, thereby opening into a 6.2-inch 21:9 panel when flipped open.
The phone also comes with a 2.7-inch OLED display on the front. This serves to present the user with notifications and music controls so that there is no need to flip open the phone each time. No wonder Motorola is calling it the Quick View display, which also includes a selfie mode as well to make the most of the more capable primary cam.
Motorola also said it is working with Google to allow for apps to transition from the Quick View display to the main display seamlessly. Guess this is something that Google will have to deal with more often considering the current craze for foldable devices. The Samsung Galaxy Fold already showcases the same where the content on the front smaller display gets morphed onto the bigger display when opened.
The rest of the specs is quite a par for the course. That includes a Snapdragon 710 processor backed by a 6 GB memory along with 128 GB of storage. There is a 16 mp front-facing camera along with another 5 mp internal camera included in the notch that sits on the top of the display, which meanwhile also hosts the speaker as well.
The basic form factor also remains much the same, which is a throwback to the 90s shape of the phone. That includes the quite significant chin at the bottom that now includes a fingerprint sensor. Much like its yesteryear counterpart, the new Razr folds down into a palm-sized device that is quite comfortable to fold and carry.
The phone runs Android 9 Pie and offers a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer roles. Battery size is, however, a rather smallish 2510mAh only, which could be an issue given that there are two displays to support and hence can drain the battery faster than say, on a conventional smartphone with the same sized battery.
Motorola also exuded confidence with the phone and its Flex View display, which it said can last the lifetime of a standard smartphone. Needless to mention, the obvious reference here is to the Galaxy Fold phone which ran into some serious durability issues post its launch.
Motorola said the new Razr also features a state-of-the-art hinge which is so designed to prevent the ingress of foreign objects. Plus, the edges of the display have been enclosed within the stainless steel frame which rules out any possibility of debris making its way into the phone. There is no discernible bend or fold in the display as well which is one seamless stretch when the phone is unfolded.
To top these off, the Flex View panel has also been provided with a special coating to make it scuff resistant. Similarly, there is an internal nano-coating as well to make it splash resistant. That said, Motorola has warned the phone isn’t rated for dust or water resistance to any degree and hence the user would do good to prevent the phone from getting into contact with either.
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As for its price, Motorola is asking for $1500 for the new Razr phone which can be a bit on the higher side considering the rather midrange specs that it sports. Guess that’s the premium to pay for a phone with a bendable display and a rich past. Availability starts January 2020.
