Motorola’s releasing the RAZR (again) as a (R21,000) foldable phone

Are you a massive fan of Motorola’s stylishly compact 2004 handset, the Motorola RAZR? If so, you’re not alone (130 million were sold) and you’re also probably the target for Lenovo’s modern take on the handset. The Wall Street Journal reports that Motorola plans to resurrect the iconic brand and design, but with a far more current spin. Moto’s entry into the (still young) foldable phone market is set to be a revamped RAZR.

The report doesn’t go into detail about what sort of tech the updated Moto RAZR will feature. There’s no information regarding the screen, processor, RAM, cameras… any of that stuff. Just the existence of (some form of) folding-screen tech and a price tag for the States. A large price tag for the States. The updated device will cost buyers $1,500 (around R21,000, before tax and import duties — in case you were wondering what the damage in SA would be). For the moment the device is apparently set to release in the States via Verizon, but there’s no details on whether a more global launch is in the offing.

This wouldn’t be the first time that the RAZR brand has attempted a comeback. There were a collection of RAZR Droid handsets in 2012, and Motorola used the device as part of an announcement for their Moto Z smartphones. This time perhaps there will be a better payoff for fans of the original flip-phone.

We can kinda see Motorola and Lenovo’s thinking here. Nokia’s had some success with nostalgia-based smartphones, notably the Nokia 3310 and the Nokia 8110 reissues. But neither of those positioned themselves at a price point that makes the iPhone seem reasonably priced. Without knowing more, it’s hard to tell if this new RAZR would be worth the price of admission — here in SA it’d probably hover around the R26,000 mark. Apparently you can put a price on nostalgia but this one might be too damn high.

Source: Wall Street Journal