The old-school foldable train continues.
While Samsung gets a lot of credit for being at the forefront of folding smartphones, it’s far from the only one working in this niche. Motorola was the first company to unveil a foldable with a flip phone-like design, with the Motorola RAZR and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip popularizing this form factor.
The Motorola RAZR’s mixed execution, rocky launch, and exclusivity to Verizon in the U.S. held it back from being the standout hit that it could have been. Even so, it’s not difficult to see that the RAZR is filled with good ideas and a lot of potential.
That’s what makes us all the more excited for its successor, the Motorola RAZR 2. Motorola has its work cut out for it for the phone, and if handled correctly, it could be one of the best folding phones in the pipeline. From specs, leaked renders, and a ton more, here’s everything we know about the RAZR 2 so far!
What’s old is new
Motorola RAZR
$1500 at Verizon
The rebirth of a classic, but with a twist
The Motorola RAZR shares the name of its iconic sibling and uses its famous flip phone design to showcase a modern foldable. This iteration of the RAZR isn’t without its flaws, but the old-school aesthetic and futuristic technology come together to create a handset that’s a lot of fun to use.
Jump to:
- A 2021 release is likely
- The RAZR 2 will be expensive
- We don’t know what it will look like
- Improved specs are rumored
- The first RAZR is still available
When is the Motorola RAZR 2 being released?
The Motorola RAZR was first unveiled at a press event in November 2019, followed by its release a few months later in February 2020. When it comes to the RAZR 2’s release date, here’s what we know.
In May 2020, Lenovo’s South Africa General Manager, Thibault Dousson, commented on the RAZR 2’s release during the Reframed Tech podcast by saying:
There’s a new version coming up. There’s one in September I think.
While that sounds pretty exciting at first glance, there’s still a lot we don’t know about how that timeframe. If Motorola does announce the RAZR 2 in September, we aren’t sure if it’ll also go on sale then or if Motorola will wait a few months like it did for the first RAZR. Given that this is someone from Lenovo’s South Africa team, it’s also possible that the South African release timeframe will be different from the North American one.
Then, on June 18, Ross Young (the founder of Display Supply Chain) tweeted that the RAZR 2 had been delayed by a quarter — pushing its release back to 2021.
How much will the Motorola RAZR 2 cost?
Like all folding phones, the Motorola RAZR is not cheap. It costs a whopping $1500, making it considerably more expensive than a lot of non-folding phones on the market. What can we expect for round two?
The latest rumors are pointing to improved specs across the board for the RAZR 2 (more on that below), and while that’s great for the final user experience, it means more money is going into its production. That could result in a more expensive phone, or it could stay about the same.
Looking at what’s going on with other upcoming foldables, it’s said that the Galaxy Fold 2 could end up costing less than the original Fold given that Samsung is producing more units than it did the first time around. If Motorola also manufacturers considerably more RAZR 2 units, it’s possible we could see a similar price decrease. This early on, however, it’s hard to say for sure.
What is the Motorola RAZR 2 going to look like?
The biggest mystery surrounding the RAZR 2 right now is its design. We’ve yet to see any concrete renders or hands-on photos of the phone, but there are a few guesses we have as to what it’ll end up looking like.
When Motorola designed the RAZR, it’s very clear that the company wanted to embody that classic RAZR appearance. This is evident with just about every aspect of the folding phone, and we can’t imagine Motorola will stray too far from that aesthetic.
We’d like to see a smaller chin at the bottom and a smaller notch on the inner display, but other than that, it’s hard to see Motorola ushering in a major design revamp for the RAZR 2.
Do we know the specs for the Motorola RAZR 2?
In May 2020, we got our best spec leak yet for the RAZR 2 thanks to the folks over at XDA. The site received a tip regarding the upcoming foldable, revealing that its codename is “smith” and touts a model number of “XT2071-4.”
At the heart of the Motorola RAZR 2 is reportedly the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765, which is the same chip that’s rumored for the Google Pixel 5. Not only should this allow for better performance than the Snapdragon 710 in the current RAZR, but it’ll also enable 5G connectivity.
Other reported specs for the RAZR 2 include 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, a 2845 mAh battery, a 48MP rear camera, and a 20MP selfie camera. It’s also said that Android 10 will be available out-of-the-box, so we hope there’s a speedy update that brings Android 11 to the phone.
Is the first Motorola RAZR still worth buying?
With all of that out of the way, it’s time to ask the big question — is it still worth buying the Motorola RAZR that we currently have?
Ever since its launch back in February, the RAZR hasn’t been without its faults. It has underpowered specs, lackluster cameras, and has a greatly limited appeal thanks to that Verizon exclusivity. Add all of that together with the fact that a RAZR 2 is just on the horizon, and now’s probably not the best time to buy the gen one model.
That’s not to say that the RAZR is a terrible phone, and if you’re a huge Motorola fan that wants to own a piece of history, it may be worth picking up. For most folks, however, we think it’s best to wait a few more months and see what Motorola’s been cooking up.
What’s old is new
Motorola RAZR
$1500 at Verizon
The rebirth of a classic, but with a twist
The Motorola RAZR shares the name of its iconic sibling and uses its famous flip phone design to showcase a modern foldable. This iteration of the RAZR isn’t without its flaws, but the old-school aesthetic and futuristic technology come together to create a handset that’s a lot of fun to use.
