Update (August 11, 2:30 am ET): Motorola has shared the price of the Razr 2022 during its live event in China.
What you need to know
- The Motorola Razr 2022 is official with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset.
- Motorola’s new clamshell foldable will be available in China, with no word on a global release.
- Apart from the processor, the phone is nearly identical to its predecessor in terms of key specifications.
Motorola revived its classic Razr brand three years ago with a modern look in the form of the Motorola Razr 2019, its first clamshell foldable phone. The Razr lineup took a break last year, but a third-generation Motorola Razr foldable is finally here with flagship specs to take on the newly minted Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Unveiled alongside the Motorola X30 Pro and S30 Pro, the Motorola Razr 2022 includes Qualcomm’s most powerful chipset, a slightly tweaked design, and a few modest upgrades here and there. Its main selling point is a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor that powers this “compact and pocketable” phone, as Motorola puts it. The same processor also powers Samsung’s latest clamshell foldable. It runs Android 12 with Motorola’s MyUI 4.0 atop.
The chipset, in particular, is a significant upgrade over the Snapdragon 765G found on the Motorola Razr 5G, which debuted in 2020. The phone is only available in China for the time being, and Motorola hasn’t confirmed whether a global launch is in the cards.
“Motorola has flipped the smartphone experience once again with the launch of the new razr in China – a foldable device boldly reimagined,” the Chinese phone maker said in a press statement.
We’ve seen a fair number of teasers for the Razr 2022 in recent times, courtesy of Lenovo Mobile GM Chen Jin, who previously showed off the foldable device at an event in China last month. Most recently, Motorola teased the phone’s cover display, which appeared larger than that of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 (1.9-inch).
True to its promise, the new Motorola Razr’s cover screen is 2.7 inches in size. Motorola calls this the Quick View display, offering a variety of capabilities like taking selfies, controlling music playback, and more.
Its main screen is a 6.7-inch OLED display with a refresh rate of 144Hz and a matte finish. With the Flex View feature, you can partially fold the device and open two apps at the same time. You could, for example, launch a social media app on the upper half and a messaging app on the lower portion. It makes Motorola’s foldable phone a lot more useful when half-opened.
Motorola has also thankfully ditched the clunky chin, giving consumers more screen real estate than what the 2020 model offered.
On the back, the phone features a 50MP camera with OIS. It’s a minor step up from the previous model’s 48MP sensor. Motorola hasn’t revealed all of the details about the phone’s dual camera, but the other sensor is likely to be a 13MP shooter that doubles as an ultra-wide and macro camera. Selfies are handled by a 32MP front-facing camera.
Motorola still hasn’t shared details about the device’s release date or pricing. However, if the company is serious about taking on the best foldable phones, it’s a safe bet that the Motorola Razr 2022 will cost in the same ballpark as the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Update
The Motorola Razr 2022 sets you back CNY 5,999, or approximately $890, for the 8GB/128GB configuration.
The 8GB/256GB variant costs CNY 6,499 (roughly $965) while the 12GB/512GB is priced at CNY 7,299, which converts to roughly $1,083. Assuming the phone ever reaches international markets, it could significantly undercut the Galaxy Z Flip 4, which starts at $1,000, although pricing would likely differ.
Hopefully, the phone makes it out of China to give the Galaxy Z Flip 4 some healthy competition.
