Motorola’s iconic Razr flip phone is rumoured to be making a comeback, and now we have more idea of what the rebooted Razr will look like.
That’s thanks to a batch of fresh images and a video speculating what the Razr 2019 could entail.
Assuming the images are on the right track the new take on the Razr would retain the original's flip phone shape, which would be highly unusual in today’s landscape of lookalike black glass slabs.
But unlike the original, the 2019 Razr wouldn’t have a physical keypad for tapping out texts (using T9 predictive text, no less).
Instead, it would have a foldable screen, the likes of which have been touted by Samsung and Xiaomi of late.
This would enable the phone to fold in half like a traditional clamshell handset while still offering the full touchscreen capability of a modern smartphone.
There’s also an a second screen on the outside of the phone, to be used when the handset itself is folded in half. This could be used for caller ID and controlling music, as well as showing notifications like text messages and emails.
That way, you could decide whether it’s worth opening the phone to reply.
While it might seem pie in the sky, this render is based on real evidence. It takes as its inspiration Motorola’s patent for a folding phone, which emerged recently.
Motorola is expected to launch the phone at Mobile World Congress next week. However, this video is a little optimistic – we would be surprised if Motorola managed to cram in this many innovations.
Rumour has it the phone will cost over £1,000 and be exclusive to the Verizon network in the US. It’s also thought to be limited to 200,000 units.
The original Razr launched in 2004. It became a style icon, thanks to its impossibly slim proportions, and went on to help make mobile phones mainstream.
In four years, it sold over 130 million units, making it the bestselling clamshell handset ever made.
Rebooted handsets are nothing new, but they certainly capture the public’s imagination.
In recent years, Nokia’s refreshed 3310 and 8110 received widespread media coverage, though both handsets were intended more as budget second phones or novelties than serious smartphone contenders.
Hopefully, we won’t have to wait long to see which Motorola intends for its new Razr.
