Return of the Razr

Motorola blends nostalgic design with cutting-edge flexible display tech

After months of rumours and leaks, the new Motorola Razr has been unveiled and it does not disappoint. We know from HMD Global’s successful reboots of iconic designs such as the Nokia 3310 and the Nokia 8110 “banana” phone that there’s huge appetite for retro-inspired products. I have little doubt that Motorola will struggle to keep up with demand for its new phone when it releases the first wave of units.

Lenovo will also be hoping that the new Razr gives a boost to the Motorola brand, acting as a “halo” flagship device for its entire product portfolio. This is particularly important in markets like the US that are dominated by two phone brands, so it’s little surprise that Verizon has made a strong commitment to the product, locking it out as an exclusive device to its network.

Some commentators have rightly pointed out that, with a $1,500 price tag, the Razr is an ultrapremium phone, and the fact that it only supports 4G and lacks the top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon processor means it could be a questionable purchase. However, I think this completely misses the point. The updated handset harks back to the DNA of the original Razr, which was ultimately a fashion-first device. The truth is that beyond the beautifully styled aircraft-grade aluminium and laser-cut keypad, the original Razr was a pretty difficult phone to use, with awful software. But people didn’t care about this weakness — they bought into the beauty of the product, which saw it eventually selling over 100 million units.

And when it comes to technology, it’s worth remembering that the new Razr features a state-of-the-art flexible display combined with an incredibly innovative hinge mechanism that allows the device to be closed completely rather than needing a gap to protect the screen. I see the new Razr as arguably the first true folding phone, sporting the long-established rectangular touch-screen design but allowing you to fold it in half. At a time when phones are constantly getting bigger and content consumption on mobile devices is growing, this design approach makes a lot of sense.

It’s an interesting contrast to Samsung’s first effort in this area with its Galaxy Fold. I’ve been using the Galaxy Fold for over a month and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s more of a traditional smartphone that opens up to become a pseudo iPad Mini rather than a folding device. But Samsung should still be applauded for being a trailblazer in this new era of so-called “foldables”, and there are numerous rumours that it’s also working on a clamshell design in a similar fashion to the relaunched Razr.

Motorola isn’t alone in seeking innovation in this area. We’ve already seen numerous other foldable phone concepts from companies such as TCL, Xiaomi, Oppo and Huawei, which has finally launched its Mate X foldable in its home market.

TCL foldable device concept

As many people know, my interest in device design goes way beyond my day job, and over the years I’ve amassed a huge collection of mobile phones. It’s refreshing to see some device diversity coming back into the market thanks to flexible display technology.

The new Motorola Razr is a landmark product in this age of handset innovation and, I hope, the first of many other devices appearing in this vein over the next 18 months. It’s a welcome shot in the arm to address the smartphone sea of sameness we’ve lived through over the past decade.