Motorola’s RAZR is here to stay, with an updated 5G version on the way

First we hadn’t seen it in ages, now it seems like we won’t ever be rid of it — Motorola’s following up its RAZR re-release with a new and improved 5G version of the brand’s very own folding smartphone. But, before you get excited, odds are very good that you won’t ever buy one at retail here in SA. Motorola handsets are available, if you know where to look, but they’re not official.

The RAZR’s edge

Motorola’s take on a folding smartphone is a good one, on paper. It uses the iconic RAZR form factor, sticks a flexible screen inside and reaps the benefit of being highly recognisable but in practise… the phone didn’t do all that well. The second-generation RAZR foldable, the RAZR 5G, hopes to change that by improving things across the board — starting with the addition of 5G. Obviously.

It’s also packing a 6.2in display with its weird 21:9:9 aspect ratio — that’s the fragile screen that’ll spend most of its time inside the handset, Galaxy Z Flip-style. There’s also a 2.7in OLED display built into the outside of the phone, an updated version of the mini-display the 2004 original RAZR had.

Don’t expect a flagship chip, though. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G adds that 5G support, there’s 8GB of RAM (up from 6GB) and default storage is now 256GB. Do expect a 2,800mAh battery, which might help with reported battery woes from the first phone.

The cameras have upgraded considerably. The first RAZR foldable smartphone had a 5MP selfie shooter and a 16MP rear camera. These have been replaced with a 20MP front-facer (which still shoots at 5MP but used quad-pixels for better images) and a 48MP rear camera. Laser autofocus, time-of-flight and OIS (optical image stabilisation) have been added to the back-end as well.

The updated RAZR is priced at $1,400 (R23,500) in the States, which is cheaper than the original launch price of about R25,000. But pricing doesn’t really matter to South Africans. While the original RAZR is available here, expect to pay in the region of about R31,000 for one. Hopefully, the better-specced 5G version will turn up a little cheaper for locals.