Only in a year as strange as 2020 would Motorola release a Razr phone with a folding screen in February and then six months later launch a new and improved version. The initial Razr packed nostalgia and a high-tech hinge that allowed the phone to fold its screen in half. But while the phone was certainly highly anticipated and unique, it had some key flaws, including midtier specs, short battery life and a $1,500 price (£1,500, AU$2,699).
The new Motorola Razr, which goes on sale this fall, brings a slew of hardware and software changes and improvements. It also has a lower price at $1,400 (converts to about £1,075 or AU$1,920), which makes it cheaper than Samsung's $1,450 Galaxy Z Flip 5G and slightly more palatable during this pandemic, in which consumers are more cost-conscious. I should note that in 2020 Motorola released or announced a number of affordable phones ranging from $200 to $500, including the Motorola One 5G.
One thing that remains unchanged, however, is the fancy box it comes in. Unlike the coffin-like boxes most phones are packaged in, the Razr comes standing upright with a transparent lid that lets you see the phone before you open it. The lid lifts to reveal the foldable phone nestled in the box's angled base.
Motorola designed the box so that its bottom can be used as a stand for the Razr. The sides of its base are dotted with tiny holes to amplify the audio from the phone's speaker grill, which is really handy when you're listening to music, podcasts or audiobooks. That said, the base is just a box -- it doesn't have power to recharge the phone or electrically amplify music to the level of a standalone Bluetooth speaker. Nonetheless, the box has its uses and it'll surely surprise people the first time they open it.
Aside from the Motorola Razr and its special box, you get:
- An accessory case
- A TurboPower wall charger with USB-A
- A USB-C to USB-A cable
- A headphone jack to USB-C adapter
