The 2020 RAZR is a fascinating mix of old and new.
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 brought 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 costs, here’s everything you need to know about it!
- We’ve reviewed 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 buy the phone right now
2004 is calling
Motorola RAZR
$1,500 at Motorola
$1,500 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 review
[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]
Rather than go the route of the Galaxy Fold and offer a smartphone and tablet in one device, the Motorola RAZR is essentially a modern take on the 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 leaves a lot to be desired. The fragile design means this is a phone that likely won’t hold up well after months of regular use, the mid-range specs are an odd choice considering the RAZR’s cost, and camera performance is very disappointing.
Motorola deserves credit for trying something new with the RAZR and dipping its toes into the foldable niche, but most folks probably shouldn’t spend $1,500 of their own money on the phone.
Motorola RAZR review: As useful as a dull razor blade
Motorola RAZR camera review: Don’t buy this phone for its photos
Motorola RAZR battery life review: Fast to charge, faster to die
The retro design is stunning 😍
In regards to 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. 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 old-school, 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
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 865 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 will likely 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 other folding phones
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 it isn’t completely alone in this market.
For starters, there’s the Galaxy Z Flip. The Z Flip was announced shortly after the RAZR hit the market, and it also offers the flip-phone folidng design. It may not be as nostolgic as what Motorola crafted, but in day-to-day use, it’s the better overall phone.
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.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip vs. Motorola RAZR: Which foldable should you buy?
Samsung Galaxy Fold vs. Motorola RAZR: Which should you buy?
You’ll need to be a Verizon customer to buy it
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.
The RAZR is available now for $1,500
If you want to pick up a RAZR for yourself, you can buy the phone right now through Verizon or Motorola’s website.
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
$1,500 at Motorola
$1,500 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.
