We saw the first rebooted, foldable Razr in November last year, and now Motorola is back with a successor to that smartphone. Still simply called the Razr, the 2020 version adds 5G, more power, better cameras, and some other welcome refinements.
There's still a foldable, clamshell design as before, but now the aesthetic is more subtle and rounded, and the chin at the bottom of the screen is smaller (with the fingerprint sensor moved around the back). The hinge has been tightened up a little, and is apparently good for at least 200,000 folds.
5G is now on board, the processor gets a bump to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, and that's paired with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. The screen size is the same as before, at 6.2 inches, but the battery is a little larger at 2,800 mAh.
One of the key upgrades is with the device's rear camera: the 2020 Razr brings with it an improved 48 MP sensor with optical image stabilization, which should mean better shots in all kinds of conditions. There's also a 20 MP selfie camera available when the phone is open and unfolded.
Perhaps even more importantly, the secondary Quick View screen now runs new software that lets you do more when the phone is closed – you can get at Google Maps, messages, your contacts and more without opening the phone. In fact, you can run any app on this secondary screen, though some will reformat themselves better than others (it measures just 2.7 inches).
This essentially gives you a usable phone that's half the size and much easier to cram into a pocket – and perhaps one that will help you spend less of your day staring at a screen. The phone is also ranked as water-resistant, so it should be able to repel splashes and rain, but it won't last long if it gets fully dunked in water.
Your color choices for the new edition of the Motorola Razr are Blush Gold, Liquid Mercury, and Polished Graphite, and the phone will be available unlocked from various retailers (and Motorola directly) for US$1,399.99 – a full $100 less than the original. No specific on-sale date has been mentioned, but it will arrive in the fall in the US.
That's still an expensive price, but the updated Razr might have enough in the way of improvements to tempt in more buyers this time around. Foldable phones are certainly becoming more robust and reliable as time goes on, and with Microsoft also putting the Surface Duo on sale this month, two screens (or at least one screen with a hinge) could be the future of mobile.
Product page: Motorola Razr
