Motorola’s fantastic 2020 reboot of the clamshell phone from the ’00s is finally available, but you shouldn’t rush to get one at the moment unless you are fully aware of the caveats.
The future of smartphones is hitting production as days pass – The nostalgia-packed Razr brand has been reborn in the form of cutting edge smartphones with foldable displays. However, as of right now, the device is only available in the United States on Verizon. However, before it becomes available in other countries later this year, you must learn about some of the most relevant aspects of purchasing a Razr smartphone.
The durability of the screen
The Moto Razr is a triumph of science and engineering alike that gives us an early glimpse of the future of smartphones.
However, that is a blessing and a curse at the same time – foldable phones are prone to being more fragile than standard ones, and the long list of problems that accompanied the Galaxy Fold is a glaring example of this.
Motorola might indeed have learned from Samsung’s mistakes, but only time can tell for sure. The crinkling sound made by the phone upon unfolding isn’t reassuring at all. Also, the hinge’s sides consist of a tiny air gap, which is likely to be invaded by dust and lint.
The screen might be scratch-proof and durable, but the hinge won’t take the occasional more or less intentional drop test happily, that is for sure!
The lack of high-end features
Even though the screen of the new Motorola Razr is almost as long as the Galaxy Note 10 Plus, it is significantly narrower. Therefore, the on-screen keyboard feels cramped.
Unfortunately, the high-end price of the device ($1,500) makes users expect premium features, both hardware, and software-wise.
The camera is disappointing – a 16-megapixel single camera is a telltale sign of a budget device, not an exquisite smartphone. Also, the battery capacity is disappointing – 2510 mAh is far from decent when compared to the Note 10 Plus’ 4,300 mAh battery. The power of the fast charger is limited to only 15 watts, which is a third of the maximum potential of the Note 10 Plus’ fast charger.
The Razr lacks facial recognition.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 feels outdated in comparison to the chipsets of Apple and Samsung flagships.
The lack of 5G connectivity makes it even worse! Why would someone pay flagship price for a middle-spec model? Perhaps the foldable screen might not ultimately convince everybody.
Competition
Samsung is expected to reveal the rumored Galaxy Z Flip at its following Unpacked event that will take place next week. The foldable phone will share many features with the Moto Razr, especially the clamshell design.
Even though Motorola is intensely backed up by Lenovo, the parent company -which produces amazing hinges for their Yoga laptop lineup- they cannot outperform Samsung’s display manufacturing technology. It seems like all the hard work, research, and development paid off for the South-Korean company.
The Galaxy Z Flip is rumored to cost less than a thousand dollars, which will put Motorola in a lousy spot price-wise.
We advise you to wait until the release of the Galaxy Z Flip if you genuinely want to purchase a foldable smartphone, as it will undoubtedly pack better features than the Moto Razr – a better, bigger screen, bigger battery, better camera, wireless charging and so on!
