Article Summary
Motorola has relaunched its popular razr mobile phone and leapt ahead of the competition by giving Canadians a truly foldable screen smartphone. Considering it’s priced for the premium market (almost $2,000 Canadian), it might be out of reach for many of us. Still, when was the last time your cell phone fit comfortably in your front pocket?
WhistleOut got a close-up look at the first new foldable smartphone that you probably want. Other foldable screen smartphones from Samsung or HUAWEI use a common rectangular display while closed, then open to a more square-like, tablet-sized display.
When open, the Motorola razr features a tried-and-true 6.2” POLED screen with 21:9 display and is perfect for watching the cinematic Star Wars movies on the new Disney+ platform. The razr then folds up to a pocket-sized cell phone when not being used. As the designers of the legendary RAZR V3 flip-phone, there’s no better company than Motorola to launch a smartphone that folds vertically.
However, Motorola is no longer a leader in the premium smartphone market. The hardware inside this miniature device is far from top-of-the-line. So, is the new $1,499 USD razr worth the premium price?
The Original "Must-Have" Mobile Phone
Originally launched in 2004, the Motorola RAZR V3 was a premium phone that perfected the flip-phone format. It was compact (back when “smaller” was important), included a full-colour screen, and t9 predictive typing for fast text messaging. Over the next few years the Motorola RAZR sold more than 130 million units. It added features like expandable microSD storage, a 2.0 megapixel camera, and iTunes compatibility (really!).
By the time the Razr2 was released in 2007, Motorola had started losing market share as touchscreen smartphones running software by Microsoft, RIM (Blackberry), and Apple started to dominate the industry. The RAZR brand was revived in 2011 with a series of Android smartphones. The Droid Razr mobile phones were thin and light compared to the competition, but they didn’t fold up to slide into your pocket.
Welcome to the Fold
In 2019 we’ve seen the launch of new foldable smartphones. Right now, the only one available to the Canadian market is the LG G8X Dual Screen, which uses a second display for multitasking rather than a foldable screen. Canadians have been waiting for true foldables while the US enjoys the powerful Samsung Galaxy Fold, China gets the HUAWEI Mate X, and models showcased by most other companies will never release here.
Enter Motorola; the first* mobile phone company that plans to bring a foldable screen smartphone to Canada. WhistleOut attended the launch event in Los Angeles where Motorola made a big deal out of their little phone.
* Update December 2019: Samsung launched a limited number of Galaxy Flip phones to the Canadian market and sold them exclusively through Samsung storefronts. While few consumers were able to buy the phone, they technically claimed the "first" title for foldable smartphone screen in Canada.
What's Normal About the Motorola razr?
First and foremost, this is a smartphone. How does it compare to that candy-bar device you’re using right now? The Motorola razr features.:
- Snapdragon 710 CPU and 6GB RAM
- 128GB storage (not expandable with microSD)
- 16MP f/1.7 dual-pixel rear camera with dual LED flash
- 5MP f/2.0 front-facing camera
- 6.2” OLED QuadHD+ screen (2142x876)
- Notch at the top and a big chin
- Rear 2.7” 800x600 display
- Notifications, call display, clock
- Basic camera for selfies
- Custom Motorola apps, but no Android app support
- 2510 mAh Battery with 15W TurboPower charging
- USB 3.0 Type-C connector
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, 4G-LTE (no 5G)
The razr’s processing power, RAM and battery are underwhelming, but the phone isn’t meant to compete with the Samsung Galaxy S10 or Apple iPhone 11. Performance is closer to the midrange Google Pixel 3a that was released earlier this year. On the other hand, the display is gorgeous. The razr’s 6.2” OLED screen with Quad HD+ resolution will impress anyone with vibrant colours even before you fold it up.
A Reinvented Icon
The defining feature of the new razr is the foldable screen. So, what can you do with it?
Tuck It In Your Pocket
Front pockets have been getting smaller while premium smartphones have been getting bigger. Maybe you need a six-inch display or maybe you don’t. Every flagship iPhone and Android starts at 5.8” so you don’t really have a choice.
But the new Motorola razr is compact. When folded up, the device is 14mm thick which is a little less than two iPhone 11’s stacked on top of each other. It’s the same height and thickness as the original RAZR V3 profile and only about 2cm wider.
Subtle Notifications and Selfies on an External Display
When you tap or lift your phone to check notifications in a meeting, it distracts the speaker and is just bad manners. The Motorola razr has a external low-resolution screen that sips battery power while keeping you up to date. While closed, the 2.7” low resolution display gives you basic notifications like messages, calendar appointments, and call display. It can be used to take a selfie with the phone’s main camera, and even works for video conferencing.
Flip It Open
To take a call with the razr, you just flip it open and start talking—there’s no swiping or unlocking involved. It’s just so satisfying to answer a call this way as opposed to tapping an icon.
Clap It Shut
“Ya bye” is a great aggressive way to end a call, but then it’s followed by five seconds of waiting for your display to turn on so you can tap the Call End button. The razr allows you to end that call with some passion; you just flip it shut, and the “clap” sound puts an exclamation point on your conversation.
First Impressions of the Motorola razr
Smartphones and apps give us a lot, but the close-to-hang-up feature is easily the best reason to get a new Motorola razr. But let’s talk about biggest problem; the price vs. the performance.
There are a lot of reviews of the Motorola razr that point to its relative slowness. That’s true. While not as slow as many mid-range devices, you might expect more from such an expensive phone with a flipping gimmick. But that’s what you’re buying, and it happens to be one of the best gimmicks in the history of cell phones.
The razr has lots of RAM, 128GB of storage, decent cameras, and battery life that is probably going to be average. The screen is a gorgeous POLED display which is excellent for movies and video games, but it’s foldable plastic instead of glass. As a result, the screen feels cheap even though it’s one of the most advanced displays ever made.
One piece of advice to my friend who jumped in a lake on our 2007 camping trip and destroyed the OG RAZR in his pocket. The new Motorola razr is splash proof and water resistant, but not waterproof. Keep it safe in a watertight bag when roughing it.
The Motorola razr in Summary
Canadian pricing and availability are not yet available but should be announced soon. The U.S. price is $1,499 (about $2,000 Canadian), with pre-orders starting on December 26 ahead of a January 9, 2020 release date. It will be sold exclusively through Verizon in the U.S., but Canada requires all cell phones to be sold unlocked so you should be able to use it with any major carrier.
It remains to be seen which carriers will be offering plans to help make that premium price more digestible. A full review is coming soon, so make sure to come back to WhistleOut when you’re ready to buy the Motorola razr.
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