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Hands On: The Motorola Razr Flip Phone Returns New Motorola Razr
Hands On: The Motorola Razr Flip Phone Returns
I'm jaded, but Motorola's amazing new flip smartphone wowed me. That said, this thing is $1,499 and a Verizon exclusive.
Sascha Segan
New Motorola Razr
I was wowed by the new Motorola Razr, a flip smartphone with a long, 6.2-inch folding screen inside. At first glance it may look a little awkward, but I found it to be brilliantly designed.
Motorola Razr Closed
Closed, the phone slips easily into a pocket.
Motorola Razr Answering Call
You can answer calls or messages entirely on the front screen; I called myself, hit OK on the front screen, and went right into speakerphone mode like on any good flip phone.
Hinge Edge
When you close the phone, the screen slides slightly down into the base, and it doesn't seem to open up an air gap around the hinge.
Razor-Thin Side
The new Razr is in fact razor-thin—as thin as the original Razr V3, Motorola told me.
Super Widescreen
Watching a YouTube video in super-widescreen was fun. There isn't a huge amount of 21:9 content out there, so if you don't want to crop and zoom you'll see most things with some side bars; when you do encounter 21:9 content, it's very immersive.
Tight Edges
The folding plastic OLED screen feels stronger, safer, and more secure than the folding screens on either the Samsung Galaxy Fold or the Huawei Mate X. It's sealed into the case around the sides; it feels like a traditional phone screen, not some fragile new technology that's about to tear into scraps. Motorola says the phone is "splashproof" and that the screen is at least somewhat scratch-resistant, although I didn't test that.
When it's opening and closing, you can't see the screen bulge. It's very tightly designed.
Roomy Keyboard
The 2.8-inch width means that it isn't too narrow for proper touch typing. The touch keyboard felt comfortable, and the device is so brilliantly well balanced that it doesn't feel overbalanced when you're typing.
Long Web Page
You see a lot of a web page on the long screen, that's for sure.
Making a Call
I made some calls, because the original Razr was famous for excellent call quality. The phone has some side-tone, a reflection of your own voice in your ear, which I like because it makes you speak more quietly. Call quality sounded fine; I'm happy to see the phone supports EVS, the latest codec for the best possible call quality.
Motorola Razr Camera
The phone's main 16-megapixel camera supposedly has a good night mode. We'll have to check that out.
Motorola Razr Front Camera
You can operate the front camera without opening the phone, by twisting your wrist to launch it and then tapping on the screen to take a shot.
Plenty of Apps
You can certainly see a lot of apps on the long screen. The new Razr runs Android 9 right now, but it's getting an Android 10 upgrade. The device has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and uses a midrange Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor.
Moto Razr External Screen Uses
You can answer calls right on the front screen; when you do, it drops right into speakerphone mode.
New Moto Razr vs. Razr V3
The new Razr is wider than the original classic V3, but it's just as slim. There's a lot more electronics in this one, of course, and it needs to be wide enough to support a touch keyboard.
New Moto Razr vs. Razr V3 Open
Opened, the new Razr isn't longer than the classic device, though. Really, this is one of the smartest designs I've seen in ages.
Motorola Razr Amplifier Box
The phone is expensive at $1,499, and comes in a fancy box. The box includes Denon-branded, USB-C headphones, a dongle, and a 15W fast charger. Once you take all of that out of the box, the box functions as a stand and audio amplifier.
Motorola's Proud Legacy
Motorola was the original US mobile phone company. Now, with the new Razr, it looks like they're finally moving back into the lead on innovation. I'm excited to review this phone when it comes out in January.
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Sascha Segan Lead Analyst, Mobile
PCMag.com's lead mobile analyst, Sascha Segan, has reviewed hundreds of smartphones, tablets and other gadgets in more than 9 years with PCMag. He's the head of our Fastest Mobile Networks project, one of the hosts of the daily PCMag Live Web show and speaks frequently in mass media on cell-phone-related issues. His commentary has appeared on ABC, the BBC, the CBC, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, and in newspapers from San Antonio, Texas to Edmonton, Alberta.
Segan is also a multiple award-winning travel writer, having contributed to the Frommer's series of travel guides and Web sites for more than a decade. Other than his home town of New York, his favorite ... See Full Bio
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