motorola
Latest
Engadget Podcast: iPhone SE, OnePlus 8 Pro and a ton of new phones
Cherlynn and Devindra are joined by Chris Velazco to discuss the iPhone SE, OnePlus 8, LG Velvet and a slew of other new phones. Also be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!
Even a pandemic can’t slow down new phone season
Apple just dropped a new iPhone SE, LG and Motorola are both prepping flagship launches, while a slew of midrange phones have been unveiled in the past two weeks. OnePlus also showed off the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro this week. MWC may have gotten canceled in February, but it seems mobile device makers are pushing forward with their products, in the middle of this pandemic.
Motorola will reveal its first high-end phone in years on April 22nd
Motorola is holding a virtual launch for its new flagship phone on April 22nd, with many expecting the curvy Edge+ to appear.
Motorola's Razr is still $1,500 but now you can get it in 'blush gold'
The Motorola Razr is now available in blush gold.
Motorola's rumored Edge+ flagship phone shown off in more leaked images
We first heard rumblings of Motorola's newest flagship phone, the Motorola Edge+, earlier this month. Leaked renders showed a 6.7-inch phone with a bezel-free, curved-edge design and tiny hole-punch camera. Without Motorola's say so there's no way to tell if these specs are legit or not, but newly leaked images, courtesy of renowned phone leaker Evan Blass, do suggest this is what Motorola is working on.
Motorola's zero-bezel Edge phones may include a more affordable model
Just because Motorola might return to flagship phones with its high-end Edge+ model doesn't mean it's forgetting its more cost-conscious fans. XDA-Developers has shared leaked photos and details that appear to confirm that a non-plus Edge model not only exists, but that it should be considerably more affordable. It'll still have the 6.7-inch "waterfall" display with zero horizontal bezels, a speedy 90Hz refresh rate and a physically tiny 25-megapixel hole-punch camera, but it should use a mid-range Snapdragon 765 processor and 'just' 6GB of RAM instead of the Snapdragon 865 and 8GB of the Edge+ variant. You wouldn't be hurting for rear camera tech between a 64MP main sensor (versus 108MP on the Edge+), a 16MP wide-angle shooter and an 8MP telephoto sensor, not to mention laser autofocusing.
Motorola's first high-end phone in years may have a 'bezel-free' display
Motorola hasn't really produced a flagship-quality phone since the Moto Z3, but it might make up for lost time with a device that ticks the latest checkboxes. Onleaks and Pricebaba have shared renders of what they say is the Motorola Edge+, a 6.7-inch phone with high-end if familiar specs. Most notably, it'd revolve around a "bezel-free" (on the sides, at least) curved screen reminiscent of the Huawei Mate 30's waterfall display, albeit with a smoother 90Hz refresh rate. If the imagery is accurate, the Edge+ would also have an incredible small hole-punch camera. We can't imagine such a small sensor taking great photos, but it would be less disruptive than the camera cutouts on other devices.
Motorola's Moto G8 is equipped with a familiar triple-camera setup
After announcing the G8 Play and G8 Plus late last year, Motorola has finally introduced the standard Moto G8. The highlight of the new phone is its triple camera system. It features a 16-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera with a 119-degree field of view lens and a 2-megapixel macro camera. While still unusual to see on phones, we've seen more and more phone manufacturers add macro cameras to their devices as a way to differentiate them. On the front of the phone, you have an 8-megapixel that's cut out from the phone's 6.4-inch HD+ display.
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.
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.
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.
Moto Razr test gauges the phone's ability to survive 'pocket sand'
Whether or not you believe the new Moto Razr's hinge is up to the job, there's another lingering question: how well does the phone's foldable screen survive in your pocket? You might have an early answer. JerryRigEverything (aka Zack Nelson) has conducted a durability test that hints at how the phone is likely to fare in a number of brutal conditions. Some are clearly edge cases (few phones will survive a lighter unscathed), but there's also a "pocket sand" test to see how it might survive years of the debris that always seems to find its way into your pants. The result is better than you'd think, but not perfect. While the screen is fully functional, one piece of debris formed a bump under the screen while others got into the hinge and made less-than-reassuring crunching sounds.
Motorola defends the Razr's reliability with footage of its test rig
When CNET put the new Motorola Razr through a folding test, the phone's hinge starting making noises and showing issues by the 27,000th fold. That's just a fraction of the 100,000 folds the publication was planning for the device. Now, Motorola has fired back at CNET with a video of it own, showing how it tested the durability of the device's hinge. In a statement sent to Engadget, the Lenovo-owned company said SquareTrade's FoldBot "put undue stress on the hinge," since it didn't allow the "phone to open and close as intended." As such, it made CNET's test inaccurate.
Motorola's new Moto G range includes a $300 Galaxy Note alternative
Motorola's Razr might be getting all the attention, but mid-range phones like the Moto G are what have vaulted the brand back into profitability. In other words, those $250-ish phones are serious business, and the company's latest models -- the Moto G Power and Moto G Stylus -- take the line in some interesting new directions.
Motorola Razr's hinge 'broke' after 27,000 folds in durability test
Since foldable phones are still far from common, a lot of potential buyers want to know how durable they are before shelling out money for one -- especially because the available models are far from cheap. CNET has put the new Motorola Razr to the test by folding it repeatedly for thousands of times using a machine called Foldbot made by SquareTrade. The result? Its hinge started acting wonky by around 27,000 folds. To note, a 2017 study found that Americans check their phones 80 times a day. That means the Razr could start showing problems within a year.
Motorola Razr teardown looks inside the flexible phone
YouTube channel PBKreviews has given Motorola's modern Razr the teardown treatment a day before it becomes available. And based on how many screws and cables the host had to go through to get to the flexible display, you'll probably want to go straight to a repair center instead of trying to fix the device yourself in case anything happens to it.
Motorola may be working on a pen-equipped Galaxy Note rival
Motorola has tried numerous tricks over the years to stand out from the smartphone crowd, but its latest may sound familiar: offer a pen-toting phone to compete with Samsung's Galaxy Note family. Well-established leaker Evan Blass has shared a peek at what appears to be an upcoming Motorola Android phone with a stylus -- as he pointed out, the first Moto phone with pen input since the Windows Mobile days over a decade ago. He didn't provide details, but the hole-punch camera and interface show a clear connection to recent devices like the One Action. The gesture bar at the bottom hints at Android 10.
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.
Motorola will begin taking foldable Razr pre-orders on January 26th
Motorola's revived Razr phone was supposed to be available for pre-order back in December, but the company chose to push it back due to (seemingly unexpected) significant consumer demand. Now, the phonemaker is finally ready to take your reservations. Presales for the foldable phone will be available starting on January 26th in the US.