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Motorola Razr review: A fashion statement, not a flagship
The Motorola Razr is many things. It's one of the first foldable phones you can buy right now. It's a feat of engineering from a storied mobile brand. It's a Verizon exclusive. (Sigh.) What the Razr absolutely isn't, though, is practical. For some of you reading this, that's not going to be an issue. The Razr is as style-forward as the classic model that came before it, and maybe that's enough. But Motorola and Verizon are asking people to pay $1,500 for this thing — a certain degree of practicality is a must. At the risk of immediately spoiling the rest of this review, the Razr won't run faster, last longer or take better pictures than literally any other phone in this price range. It's a fashion statement, not a flagship. Like I said, maybe that's enough for some. But for everyone else, for people who are more likely than ever to hold on to their smartphone for years, is a compromised phone like the Razr really worth the splurge? I think we both know the answer to that.
Motorola's foldable Razr is unsurprisingly hard to repair
Motorala's contemporary take on the Razr has been quite publicly panned by testers. CNET, for example, wanted to see if the device could withstand 100,000 folds -- it only made it to the 27,000th fold before it started showing problems (which Motorala has subsequently defended). With foldable smartphones still far from the norm, consumers are understandably wary of making such a sizeable investment in something that's still relatively unpredictable. If it goes wrong, how much of a hassle will it be to repair? And in the case of Motorola's Razr, the answer is "a big one," according to iFixit's recent teardown.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip hands-on: Razr who?
As you might have seen elsewhere, I'm in the middle of writing our Motorola Razr review. I bring that up now because there's simply no way not to compare that thing to the new Galaxy Z Flip we just played with at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco. After all, these are the first two flip-phone-style foldables to hit the market, and they're launching within weeks of each other after prolonged periods of hype.
Samsung fully reveals the foldable Galaxy Z Flip after weeks of leaks
Samsung announced its first folding phone one year ago -- and what followed was tumultuous, to say the least. The Galaxy Fold's fragile design caused major delays, and its high price made many question exactly who this phone was for. The troubles haven't stopped Samsung from trying again, though: the company just announced the Galaxy Z Flip, its latest folding phone that has a design that's extremely similar to Motorola's recently-revived Razr.
Leak shows Samsung's fashionable Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition
At this rate, there will be very little mystery left when Samsung takes the stage at its Unpacked event on February 11th. WalkingCat, normally known for Windows leaks, has posted a leaked promo video for the previously teased Thom Browne Edition of the Galaxy Z Flip. The fashion-oriented foldable is, apparently, all about Thom Browne's signature stripes. The phone, its case, and bundled versions of the Galaxy Buds+ and Galaxy Watch Active 2 all have hard-to-miss red, white and blue bars on top of a silver background.
What do you want to know about the new Motorola Razr?
Back when it was unveiled, Motorola's new Razr seemed like it might be the foldable to beat. (I was in that camp, too.) Now, after a questionable Verizon launch and a concerning test, people are starting to see the Razr for what it is: A phone that costs as much as a flagship but doesn't always act like one.
A gold-colored Motorola Razr is coming this spring
The reborn Motorola Razr has a few quirks, but one of the most obvious is that all-black exterior. How are you supposed to flex with your foldable phone when it's so inconspicuous? Don't worry -- you'll have a better chance to flaunt your handset soon. Motorola has confirmed that a "Blush Gold" version of the Razr will be available in the spring. More specific launch details weren't available as we wrote this, but we wouldn't expect it to carry a significant premium over its less resplendent counterpart.
Galaxy Z Flip video leak shows a model headed to the US
If our earlier photos of the Galaxy Z Flip weren't enough, don't worry -- yet another leak appears to have shed more light on Samsung's next foldable phone. GreatDeals SmartPhones has posted a video exploring the clamshell device while providing more details in the process. To begin with, the Z Flip appears destined for the US with a conspicuous AT&T logo during the startup process. While there was a good chance the phone would come to the US (just as the Fold did), this seems to remove what little doubt was left.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip hands-on clearly shows the tall foldable phone
With just a few days left until Samsung's big Unpacked event, we've received images from a tipster purporting to show off the company's next foldable phone. While renders and a brief video of the Galaxy Z Flip have leaked before, these pictures show the device clearly, sitting both folded and unfolded. When it's closed, you can spot the dual-lens camera and next to it an external display for the time and other small notifications.
What to expect from Samsung's Galaxy S20 event
We're less than a week away from Samsung's Unpacked event on February 11th, and, as in previous years, there's been a deluge of pre-release leaks and reports detailing almost every aspect of the company's upcoming devices. We expect Samsung to announce new Galaxy S-series phones alongside a clamshell foldable as well as several other devices. The company may also provide us with a release date for the Galaxy Home. Here's everything we know so far about the products Samsung will likely announce at the event.
Video leak appears to show Samsung's foldable Galaxy Z Flip in action
There might not be much mystery left to Samsung's clamshell foldable phone. Frequent leak sharer Ben Geskin has posted a video of what looks like a prototype of the Galaxy Z Flip. Much like the rumors have suggested, the device really does appear to be a modernized take on the classic flip phone. It's a compact device with a tiny external display when folded shut, but it expands to reveal a very tall display when you pop it open.
This may be Samsung's foldable Galaxy Z Flip
You might not have to wonder what Samsung's clamshell foldable phone looks like -- if leaks are accurate, you're staring at it right now. WinFuture has obtained images and specs for what's believed to be the Galaxy Z Flip, and it looks like what you might have expected, with a few catches. The device reportedly centers on a 6.7-inch, 2,636 x 1,080 folding display with more protective "Ultra Thin Glass" instead of plastic and a hole for the 10-megapixel front camera. On the back, you'd have a 1-inch always-on secondary display that shows the time and notifications when your phone is shut.
Motorola wants you to be careful using the new Razr
Now that Motorola's resurrected Razr is available to pre-order, the brand has released a string of videos to pitch and explain the device -- and it's clear the caveats of other foldable phones still apply. A support video, "Caring for Razr," warns users to keep the screen dry, avoid screen protectors, beware of sharp objects and close the phone before tossing it in your pocket. Also, don't assume that efforts to eliminate the usual folding phone crease have resulted in a perfectly flat display. As The Verge noted, Moto tells users that "bumps and lumps are normal" in the plastic screen.
Samsung's clamshell foldable phone may be called the Galaxy Z Flip
Samsung may not be particularly attached to the Galaxy Fold name. Historically reliable leaker Ice Universe has claimed that Samsung's reported clamshell foldable phone will be called the Galaxy Z Flip, not Fold 2, Bloom or other rumored names. We'd take the claims with a small grain of salt when there isn't much corroborating evidence (Ice acknowledged that the logo is a mockup), it would make sense given the nature of the device -- it's a flip phone that folds in the Z axis, after all.
Intel's Horseshoe Bend prototype is the biggest foldable tablet yet
Foldables were big in 2019, and it looks like they're only going to get bigger in 2020. We've seen folding phones and even tablets, with Dell and Lenovo showing off their slates with bendy screens here at CES 2020. But the trend is about to get literally larger, with Intel showing off a new 17-inch foldable tablet prototype called Horseshoe Bend. It builds on the company's former prototypes like Tiger Rapids and Twin Rivers, but is meant to help Intel and its partners figure out how to make a large foldable work.
2019 wasn't the year of foldables we were promised
We weren't far into this year when the trend pieces arrived. "2019 is going to be the year of the bendy phone," one read. Another declared that "2019 is shaping up to be the year of the foldable smartphone," or, at least it did before someone quietly edited it within a few hours. Hell, I'm probably guilty of this too. In our defense, that was because for a while there, it really did seem like this was the year foldable phones would become devices worth splurging on.
Samsung's next foldable phone could be this RAZR-like clamshell
Shortly before Motorola revived the RAZR, Samsung made it loud and clear that it was also working on a clamshell foldable phone, so it's no surprise that a prototype would eventually show up in China. Earlier today, Weibo user Wang Ben Hong shared five photos of what he claims to be Samsung's latest foldable prototype -- one that appears to be half the size of the Galaxy Fold. There's no word on internal specs, but we can see the punch-hole camera right below the earpiece, and the lack of chin allows the unfolded screen to extend all the way to the bottom. Both characteristics match the clamshell concept art at this year's Samsung Developer Conference.
Huawei's foldable Mate X smartphone goes on sale in China
There's finally a major foldable smartphone on the market beyond the Galaxy Fold... if you live in China. As promised, Huawei has started selling the Mate X through its Vmall online store. It'll cost a steep 16,999 yuan (about $2,400 US), but you'll also have a unique, 5G-capable device that can unfold to offer a sizeable 8-inch display. There's still no mention of rollouts in other countries, though. Huawei said in October that Mate X access was contingent on 5G deployments in other countries and that expansion was "under review."
Motorola's revived RAZR is a fashion-forward foldable
Few phones were as iconic and as ubiquitous as the original Motorola RAZR. Celebs used them constantly, fashion houses cooked up designer mashups, and it wasn't long before friends, family members and co-workers all started carrying them, too. The RAZR was, in other words, an absolute phenomenon, and now it's back. As countless reports and leaks have confirmed, though, it isn't the RAZR you grew up with. This new version, which will sell for $1,500 when it launches on Verizon next month, is Motorola's first foldable smartphone, and unlike any other foldable we've played with this year. It doesn't unfold into a small tablet. It doesn't pack loads of cameras or flagship components. It is, by Motorola's admission, a "design-first" kind of phone. That might sound concerning to some, and after a bit of hands-on time in sunny Los Angeles, people who demand peak smartphone performance or superior battery life might be a little disappointed. That's OK, though. Motorola's priority here was to build the kind of foldable device that regular people would want to use, and despite some compromises, I think the company might be onto something.
Motorola's foldable RAZR may have been spotted in the wild
Yesterday a flurry of leaked photos showed Motorola's upcoming RAZR posed for press pics, but now a picture has surfaced on China's Weibo network claiming to show one in the wild. Sunniton posted this picture saying it was the real thing, showing the device fully unfolded, in someone's hands. The chunky bottom chin is on full display, and what appears to be a notch at the top. At this point we've heard all about its purported $1,500 price, midrange-ish specs and of course, the flexible screen inside that might bring back the classic feeling of snapping a phone closed to end a call. Yesterday's pictures also showed that the device could be used by touch with it folded closed thanks to controls and a small screen on the outside that's also useful for taking selfies. With less than two weeks to go before Motorola's planned press event on November 13th, we can only wait and see what else leaks out before the device is officially revealed.
