Here’s what you need to know about the foldable Motorola RAZR

The 2020 RAZR is a fascinating mix of old and new.

motorola-razr-hands-on-10.jpg?itok=H3GbV

The Motorola RAZR from the early 2000s will go down as one of the most popular phones in history. It may not look like much in the year 2020, but in its heyday, the RAZR was darn special.

Feeding off people’s constant want for nostalgia and with foldable phones spiking in popularity, Motorola is bringing the RAZR back. However, instead of being an old-fashioned flip phone, the new RAZR is a fully-fledged Android smartphone with a striking folding design.

Whether you’re interested in the RAZR’s specs, how it compares with other foldables, or how much it’ll cost you, here’s everything you need to know about it!

  • We’ve gone hands-on with the RAZR
  • W’re digging the retro design
  • Here are the specs
  • Comparing the RAZR to other foldables
  • It’s an exclusive to Verizon
  • You can pre-order it right now

2004 is calling

Motorola RAZR

motorola-razr-cropped.jpg?itok=1VNmuFzH

$1500 at Verizon

RAZR has returned

The Motorola RAZR has gone down as one of the most popular phones in history, and for 2020, Motorola is bringing it back with a high-end foldable. The new RAZR has a powerful hinge mechanism that converts a traditional phone form factor into an ultra-portable package, and it looks insanely cool. Just be prepared to pay a pretty penny for it.

Read and watch our hands-on coverage

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmj0uhYCHW4?modestbranding=0&html5=1&rel=0&autoplay=0&wmode=opaque&loop=0&controls=1&autohide=0&showinfo=0&theme=dark&color=red&enablejsapi=1]

The Motorola RAZR doesn’t officially launch until February 14, but we’ve already been able to put the phone through some initial testing to see whether or not it’s worth the $1500 asking price.

Rather than go the route of the Galaxy Fold and offer a smartphone and tablet in one device, the Motorola RAZR is essentially a flip-phone. It looks like a normal smartphone when it’s open, but you can close it up and make it super portable.

The concept of the RAZR is fantastic, but the execution of the whole thing has left us with some concerns. The fragile design has already left us worried about how the phone will hold up after months/years of use, the mid-range specs are an odd choice considering the RAZR’s cost, and camera performance leaves a lot to the imagination.

To learn more about our thoughts on the RAZR, watch our initial review above, along with our 48-hour impressions and review of the camera package.

Motorola RAZR initial review after 48 hours: A creaking disappointment
Motorola RAZR camera review: Don’t buy this phone for its photos

The retro design is stunning ?

Motorola RAZR opening and closing

In regards the design, let’s take a closer look at what exactly Motorola is offering.

On the inside of the RAZR, you get a 6.2-inch pOLED display with a resolution of 2142 x 876. It’s not the highest-resolution panel out there, but the plastic covering Motorola’s using is impressive. As mentioned in our hands-on above, we didn’t notice any creases in the RAZR’s display where the screen folds up — something we regularly see on the Galaxy Fold. It remains to be seen how the display holds up after months of regular use, but it is shaping up to be impressive on this front.

When the RAZR is closed, you get a secondary 2.7-inch OLED display that’s used for showing the time, notifications, talking to the Google Assistant, and even accepting phone calls.

The entire design is a copycat of the original RAZR, including the chin on the bottom when the screen is open. Plus, if you want to go super retro, there’s an Easter egg that makes the inside display look like it’s straight out of 2004. It’s gorgeous.

Motorola RAZR has a secret ‘Retro RAZR’ mode that takes you back to 2004

Let’s take a look at the specs

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As for the specs, the RAZR is…interesting. This is a very expensive phone, but some of the specs its touting are reminiscent of what you’d find in a mid-ranger. Here’s a brief rundown of the highlights.

Operating System Android 9 Pie
Display (internal) 6.2-inch pOLED 2142×876 21:9 aspect ratio
Display (external) 2.7-inch gOLED 800×600 4:3 aspect ratio
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 710
Storage 128GB
RAM 6GB
Main Camera 16MP, 1.22µm pixels, ƒ/1.7 EIS IMX519
Battery 2510mAh 15W TurboPower

Using the Snapdragon 710 instead of something like the 855 or 855+ in an odd choice, but what has us even more concerned is the battery life. A 2,510 mAh battery is tiny compared to the 3,500 and 4,000 mAh units that are becoming more and more commonplace, so getting through a full day could be a challenge.

For the complete spec sheet, check the link below. ?

Motorola RAZR (2020) Specifications: Snapdragon 710, 2510mAh battery, folding screen

Here’s how the RAZR compares to the Galaxy Fold

samsung-galaxy-fold-vs-motorola-razr-and

With the first foldables having launched last year, the market for them is still quite young. That means there aren’t a lot of devices we can properly pit the Motorola RAZR against, but perhaps its biggest competitor is the Samsung Galaxy Fold.

The RAZR and Galaxy Fold are both technically folding smartphones, but each one takes a radically different approach to the form factor. With the RAZR, you have a smartphone that can fold up to be more portable than the average bear. With the Fold, you get a phone that basically transforms into a tablet.

One design isn’t necessarily better than the other, but instead, each one comes with its own unique set of strengths and weaknesses. There’s also the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip that should be announced soon, which looks like a direct competitor to the RAZR.

Samsung Galaxy Fold vs. Motorola RAZR: Which should you buy?

You’ll need to be a Verizon customer to buy it

verizon-sign-storefront.jpg?itok=XsYSx2G

As cool as the RAZR is, getting your hands on one could prove to be a hassle. It’s being sold as an exclusive to Verizon Wireless, and as of right now, there’s no option to buy it unlocked.

Carrier exclusives are already a pain as is, but the RAZR makes things even more complicated by ditching a physical SIM card and relying solely on eSIM technology for its service (essentially a SIM card that’s built right into the phone).

What does this mean? Instead of paying Verizon for the Motorola RAZR and then popping a new SIM card in it from another carrier, you’ll need to activate the RAZR on Verizon, keep it active for 60 days, de-activate it, and then try to get AT&T, Sprint, or T-Mobile to activate the eSIM on their end. In other words, if you want the Motorola RAZR, your best bet is to just use it on Verizon.

Pre-orders are open now for $1,500

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If you want to pick up a RAZR for yourself, pre-orders are open right now with shipments expected to begin on February 14.

The RAZR will set you back a hefty $1,500 if you buy it outright, or you can finance it for 24 months with 0% interest payments of $62.49/month. To help offset the cost a bit, the RAZR also comes with a 15W TurboPower charger and a headset adapter.

Is the RAZR worth that much money? That’s up to you to decide, but if you do buy one, you can rest assured it’ll help you stand out from pretty much all of your friends and family.

2004 is calling

Motorola RAZR

motorola-razr-cropped.jpg?itok=1VNmuFzH

$1500 at Verizon

RAZR has returned

The Motorola RAZR has gone down as one of the most popular phones in history, and for 2020, Motorola is bringing it back with a high-end foldable. The new RAZR has a powerful hinge mechanism that converts a traditional phone form factor into an ultra-portable package, and it looks insanely cool. Just be prepared to pay a pretty penny for it.

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