Motorola RAZR 3 foldable smartphone

Lenovo was one of the first manufacturers to release a foldable smartphone. It was November 2019 when the Motorola RAZR was introduced, as the very first clamshell phone with a flexible screen. So far, only tablet-sized foldables have been presented – the Royole Flexpai, from Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X. From Samsung Galaxy Z Flip would not appear until several months later. In 2020, Lenovo released a new variant, called the RAZR 5G.

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Although no new RAZR smartphone has appeared this year, the company’s CEO has Chinese social media that a successor is indeed on the way. For the sake of convenience, we call this flip phone the Motorola RAZR 3, but the name has not yet been determined. The device will be more powerful, will have a new design and an improved user interface, according to Chen Jin, CEO at Lenovo.

Motorola RAZR flip phone with larger display

It seems likely that the form factor will remain unchanged. Finally, the RAZR series has been around since 2004. At the time, it was the best-selling clamshell phone series in the world. There is therefore a very good chance that the new RAZR will once again become a clamshell model.

Moreover, these types of models are more popular, so is the Galaxy Z Flip 3 sold significantly more often than the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The price also plays an important role in this, because the Flip is sold for €1,050, while the Fold variant has been put on the market for €1,800. So a significant difference.

Details about the design of the RAZR 3 are still scarce. In any case, it seems certain that both displays will be larger than before. To get an idea, the RAZR 5G features a 2.7” OLED cover display and a 6.2” display on the inside.

New hinge reduce fold seam of the foldable display

The hinge is also being revised. The Lenovo Research Institute has developed a “Star Orbit Hinge” that has virtually no fold line, the company said. With the first two generation RAZR devices, the fold was indeed visible and palpable. Just like with the Galaxy Z devices.

In the most recently introduced folding phones, the Oppo Find N in Huawei P50 Pocket, the fold seam is significantly less visible. That offers hope for the future. It is remarkable that Oppo seems to use a similar hinge as Lenovo.

In 2018, LetsGoDigital already reported on a particularly innovative Motorola hinge. By adding a heating element in the hinge, the fold line is straightened. It is not known whether Lenovo actually intends to implement this technology.

Motorola has also filed a patent in the past for a foldable smartphone with gesture ministry and one for side touch functionality, where the virtual buttons replace the physical buttons. This gives the phone an extra futuristic look. It is also unknown whether we will see this technology in the RAZR 3.

Motorola RAZR 3 5G offers improved performance

The new folding device will outperform previous Moto RAZR phones, the official statement reads. Not surprisingly, after all, the processors are getting faster and more powerful time and time again. It is therefore likely that a 2022 model is more powerful than a 2020 model.

In addition, the RAZR 5G was not immediately known for its sublime processor. The clamshell was equipped with a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G with 8GB RAM and 256GB ROM. It is as yet unknown which chip will power the new model. You can in any case assume that the device will also offer 5G support.

It is also plausible that the flip phone runs on the Android 12 operating system. Motorola smartphones offer a pure Android experience, which is experienced as very pleasant by many users.

Price & Availability

Both the first and second generation RAZR were put on the market for €1,500. Given the mediocre processor, that was quite expensive. The RAZR 5G is still offered via the website from the manufacturer, for a shocking €1,300.

When that device came out, however, there was very little competition. The foldable market has now become much larger. For example, both the Huawei P50 Pocket and the Oppo Find N were introduced this month. In addition, of course, we have the Z Flip 3 that has been put on the market for a competitive price and is also a lot more advanced than the current RAZR.

It therefore remains to be seen whether Lenovo can make sufficient improvements and at the same time maintain a lower price – in order to make the Motorola RAZR 3 extra attractive.

The previous Motorola flip phones were also released in the Netherlands. We are therefore positive about the availability of the 3^from generation. That would also do the competition good, because phones such as the P50 Pocket and the Find N are only available in China. That also applies to the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold and the Huawei Mate X2.

In other words; the RAZR 5G, the Z Fold 3 and the Z Flip 3 are currently the only models available worldwide. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 are also expected next year – the Flip 4 will undoubtedly become a formidable competitor to the RAZR 3.

It is not yet clear when the new Motorola foldable smartphone will be presented. We may hear more about this in the first quarter of 2022. Next month will also be the Honor Magic V are announced, the Vivo Fold will not be long in coming. In addition, the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 and the Huawei Mate X3 are expected next year. Enough new folding models to look forward to!

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