What you need to know
- A rumor suggests Motorola is eyeing a double release for new Razr smartphones in 2023.
- The phones are rumored to have codenames “Juno” and “Venus.”
- The Razr 2022 (codename “Maven”) was released in China on August 11, priced at ¥5,999 (under $900).
Rumors are circulating about the next Razr models, which could launch sometime in 2023.
Known Twitter leaker Evan Blass’ tweet was kept quite simple as he brought forth some information. According to his tweet, Motorola could be eyeing a double Razr launch in 2023.
There is some context to know first. The two potentially upcoming Razr foldable phones do not include the Razr 2022 that we’re still eagerly awaiting outside of the Chinese market. That phone, which was released in China on August 11, is codename “Maven.” The other two phones that Blass mentions in his tweet are codename “Juno” and “Venus.”
There are gonna be two RAZRs next year: one codenamed Juno, and the other Venus. (The one about to launch, a.k.a. razr 22, is Maven.)October 19, 2022
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard the codename “Juno.” According to previous rumors, Juno is expected to be the follow-up to the Motorola Razr 2022, likely sporting a clamshell design. It’s unclear what type of device “Venus” will be, although perhaps Motorola is venturing into large-screen foldable à la Samsung.
One codename we’ve heard but wasn’t mentioned is “Felix,” which has been rumored as Motorola’s rollable smartphone. The company just teased a concept model at Lenovo Tech World 2022, although there’s no word on if or when we can expect this device to come to market.
Right now, consumers in China can purchase the Razr 2022 for ¥5,999, which converts to just under $900 at its lowest end. If you’re looking for the Razr 2022 with higher-end specs, that’ll cost around ¥7,299, which is just under $1,100. Although, the latest rumors suggest the phone will cost a bit more once it launches globally.
While the Razr 2022 has adopted a more modern look, there are still a few differences when we’ve stacked it up against the popular Galaxy Z Flip 4. The Razr comes with the same Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, although with a few RAM/internal storage configurations such as 8GB/128GB, 8GB/256GB, and 12GB/512GB. There’s also the 50MP primary sensor on its back.
It’s also worth noting that both the Razr (2019) and Razr 5G were released in 2020. Motorola made the decision to skip out on releasing a new Razr in 2021.
It would be interesting to see if Motorola is indeed considering a double release of the Razr line in 2023, considering one was just released this year. And, if it follows through with this double play, would the new devices contain the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that Qualcomm is expected to reveal at its Summit in November?
