Motorola Razr 2022: Everything you need to know
A new generation of Moto Razr is coming - here's the latest on the new foldable phone including the first leaked photos showing the new design
The Motorola Razr name has been around for years but in 2019 the company relaunched its classic flip phone with a folding display.
A 5G version of the Razr was introduced in 2020 but we haven't heard much about a potential successor since then. Now it looks like it's on the way so what should we expect from the Motorola Razr 2022? Here's all the news and rumors we've found about the Razr 3 so far or Razr 2022.
When will the next Motorola Razr be released?
- Late July or early August
- Starting in China
There are suspicions that Motorola has eliminated the Razr model after a lacklustre response to the previous two generations. But Chen Jin general manager of Lenovo in charge of Motorola smartphones posted on Weibo (translated from Chinese via Google Translate):
"Going back in time on November 14 2019 Motorola introduced the new Razr. As the industry's first vertically foldable smartphone it once again led the industry in innovation.
The Star Orbit hinge technology independently developed by Lenovo Research Institute was the only seamless and crease-free hinge technology that was mass-produced in the world at that time. I think innovation is always the driving force of the industry.
I hope you don't drool and do more actions including silently preparing for the third-generation Razr folding screen phone: more advanced chip computing power better human-machine interface and of course a more atmospheric appearance. Our due diligence this product will be the first to market in the Chinese market! "
While we do know that Motorola is now working on the next-gen Razr there is no official release date at the time of writing. So we need to look back at the previous model and give us some clues. Here's when they debuted:
- Motorola Razr – November 2019
- Motorola Razr 5G – September 2020
Obviously we don't see a new Razr in fall 2021 so either Motorola will use a new release window or it just means the new Razr will be released at the same time as its predecessor but with a two-year gap - hence the time Likely to be on par with the expected Samsung Galaxy Z flip 4.
We now have a solid leak of the Razr 2022 from 91mobiles' Evan Blass who says the upcoming phone codenamed Maven is scheduled for a "summer release."
He added that it will first ship in China in late July or early August with two colors — Quartz Black and Serenity Blue — followed by a global launch. However a price leak from CompareDial suggests that the only emission color will be Quartz Black.
How much does the Motorola Razr 2022 cost?
According to an exclusive report from CompareDial the Razr 3 will cost €1,149 which is €150 cheaper than its predecessor.
- Motorola Razr - £1499 / $1499 / €1599
- Motorola Razr 5G - £1399/$1399/€1499
The Motorola Razr was one of the first devices to feature a foldable display as evidenced by the eye-watering prices of the previous two generations. These are comparable to the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is available for £949/$999/€1049/Rs 84,999.
As such the Razr is still not as priced as its closest competitor although it remains to be seen whether Samsung will keep the same price for the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 4.
How about the specs and design of the 2022 Motorola Razr?
- Updated square design with no chin
- 50Mp main camera
- 6.7in AMOLED 120Hz screen
- 3in front screen
- Snapdragon Gen 1
- Up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage
Before the aforementioned 91mobiles leak little was known about the next-gen Razr other than a Motorola patent (above) filed and discovered by MySmartPrice. The patented design is for a flip phone that folds out so that the screen is on the outside when the phone is closed - just like the Huawei Mate X.
However leaked photos appear to show the Razr 2022 which luckily shows a traditional clamshell design with the same main screen as the previous model.
As you can see in the photos especially when the phone is closed this time it looks more like the Galaxy Z Flip 3 with a more squared-off design and the iconic chin is gone. This means the fingerprint scanner has been relocated in the power button.
Blass also gave the phone some specs including dual cameras. These will be a 50Mp f/1.8 main camera and a "wide-angle and macro sensor combination with 13Mp native resolution".
The selfie camera inside is said to be 32Mp and will sit in the display via a punch hole. Blass says the display will have a Full HD+ resolution and XDA Developers says it will use AMOLED technology with a 120Hz refresh rate and measure 6.7 inches.
The larger screen (starting at 6.5 inches) was backed up by a tweet from Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO Ross Young who said it was indeed 6.7 inches and made by China Star. Young added that the front cover display will increase from 2.7 inches to 3 inches.
Blass now shows off a newly designed side-mounted fingerprint scanner and two screens in the gif below giving us a real look at the next Razr - aka Maven.
Hi Marvin. pic.twitter.com/xV7SbQYzrx — Ev (@evleaks) May 24 2022
As expected - and as Chen Jin's comments suggest - upgraded processors are coming to the Razr 2022. It seems that there will be at least one model with the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
Another SKU with the unannounced Gen 1 Plus is also in development according to Blass but delays in that chip mean it's unclear if this more powerful model will come.
Various memory and storage combinations will be available with 8 or 12 GB or RAM and 256 or 512 GB of storage. However XDA Developers has previously reported on possible 6GB and 128GB options.
Image credit: 91mobiles Eventually you can expect some sort of external display to return though details are unclear and support for NFC and UWB -- aka ultra-wideband positioning tech that powers things like Apple's AirTag trackers but also smart homes application. Another element mentioned in Weibo is a "better human-machine interface," which could mean software experience. The Razr 5G ships with Android 10 using Motorola's usually clean and simple Android skin so it's good to start with. Is Jin It remains to be seen what the potential uses for Android 12 or the new Lenovo/Motorola versions of the OS are. Of course we're at the mercy of translation here so it can also refer to the physical design of the device itself. We will update this article as more news becomes available. so Be sure to check regularly. In the meantime check out our guide to the best phones of 2022 and our guide to the best phones to find out which models deserve your attention.
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