After months if not years of rumors and speculation, the Motorola Razr, which was a household name in the mid-00s at the height of the popularity of flip-phones, is back. It’s had a 2019 reboot from Motorola and was launched on Wednesday, 13 November 2019 at an event in Los Angeles.
The specs are now known, as is the price, the countries it will go on sale in, and some of the networks that will be carrying it. Our thoughts on the modern-retro clamshell are below.
Price and availability
Let’s start off with the Motorola 2019 price. Back in January 2019, The Wall Street Journal reported that the revived Razr would cost in the region of $1,500 (£1,170) and that price turned out to be correct.
Motorola’s Razr now as a foldable android smartphone – specs inside
That’s not expensive for a foldable phone but it’s very high when you consider that the hardware specs of the 2019 Motorola Razr are decidedly mid-range.
The new Razr will initially be available exclusively through Verizon for $1,499.99, or $62.49/month on a 24-month payment plan. Pre-orders open on December 26, 2019, and then the phone will get a release date during January 2020.
Should you buy it?
Let’s be clear: if you’re parting with $1,500 for this phone, you’re paying for the looks and the R&D work that has gone into that folding screen and not for cutting-edge components.
For such an expensive phone, the 2019 Motorola Razr specs are decidedly underwhelming, meaning this is a phone aimed squarely at buyers who want the modern retro look and are prepared to sacrifice the latest hardware features.
Design and features
Motorola is expected to keep the same industrial design of the original July 2004 Razr V3, albeit with a very modern twist.
The schematics of the as-then unannounced Motorola-branded smartphone, now widely believed to be the 2019 rebirth of the Motorola Razr, were spotted in a patent filing late last year.
These illustrations have since been transformed into a series of stunning high-resolution renders, as well as a glossy new concept video.
