Lenovo seems to have Samsung’s clamshell foldable squarely in its sights
Competition in the clamshell foldable market appears to be heating up. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip series is likely getting a major refresh this year, and the Oppo Find N2 just made quite a bit of noise with a global release earlier this month. But one major player hasn’t been heard from in the North American market for a couple of years, and that could soon change after a leaked announcement date for the Motorola Razr 2023.
A private tweet from reputed leaker Evan Blass spilled the beans on a June 1 launch date for the Motorola Razr 2023 (via 9to5Google). The device, codenamed Juno, would be announced on that day, though an actual release date for the hardware wasn’t mentioned. With Samsung keeping to a regular release schedule in recent years, we expect to see the Galaxy Z Flip 5 in August alongside the larger Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Two renders showing the Razr 2023’s larger cover screen
The two flip phones are expected to share more than summer 2023 announcements — so far, both devices have been tipped to use much larger cover displays that take up almost the entire top half of the phone’s outer shell. Interestingly, leaks suggest both will be using display cutouts on this external screen to house the main cameras. And it’s not just a matter of Motorola playing catch-up with its larger competitor — Samsung is said to be switching to a teardrop-style hinge this year, which is something the Razr has had since its reinvention as a foldable.
Sadly, it’s still unclear whether the Razr 2023 will be released in the US. Last year’s Motorola Razr 2022 was initially only released in China before receiving a European launch months later, and though there was some noise about a potential stateside release, it still isn’t sold in American stores. However, there’s reason for optimism now that Motorola’s parent company, Lenovo, appears to be back on a regular release schedule with the Razr after taking a year off during the pandemic.
