Last year\u2019s Motorola Razr reboot should have been a slam-dunk. An iconic name attached to a cutting-edge form factor \u2014 what could possible go wrong? A lot, turns out, especially in the world of foldables, where nothing seems to go according to plan. Some questionable design choices gave rise to a poorly reviewed device that continued the trend of foldable stumbles.<\/p>\n
Motorola throws back to the future with a foldable Razr reboot<\/p>\n
This week, however, the reboot is back. And this time, it\u2019s, well, refined. In a blog post announcing the launch of the \u201cNew Razr With 5G,\u201d the Lenovo-owned brand is quick to note that, \u201cWe\u2019ve heard from consumers that they feel tethered to their devices and want a way to stay connected while still living in the moment.\u201d To put a finer point on it, here\u2019s a quote offered to TechCrunch from a spokesperson:<\/p>\n
We\u2019re confident in our foldable system, which is why we retained much of the same technology from the first iteration of Razr. While evolving Razr\u2019s design to include 5G, we focused on areas to make mechanical refinements, based on direct consumer feedback.<\/p>\n
In other words, the new Razr is the device that consumer feedback built. Now with 5G. It\u2019s in keeping with the new version of the Galaxy Fold that Samsung recently launched. As many in the industry anticipated, the initial round of foldable devices would bump up against many of the issues commonly attributed to first-generation devices. Here that means an update to things like the hinge, which drew some heat from reviews the first time around.<\/p>\n
Attempt to fold Motorola\u2019s Razr 100,000 times doesn\u2019t go great<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also an improved camera \u2014 another issue with the original. This time out, it\u2019s a quad pixel 48-megapixel sensor with improved low-light shots and faster autofocus. There\u2019s also a 20-megapixel one inside the device. The battery \u2014 another pain point on the original \u2014 has been upgraded slightly, from 2,510mAh to 2,800mAh. The company says it\u2019s an \u201call day\u201d battery, though the demands of 5G might have something to say about that. I suspect the demands of thinness really presented a brick wall when it comes to maxing out battery capacity.
\nThe 5G comes courtesy of the Snapdragon 765G processor. That maintains the original\u2019s inclusion of a mid-range processor (710 last time out), but this time Qualcomm has included next-gen wireless in an attempt to speed up adoption. At $1,400, it\u2019s $100 less expensive than the original, but it\u2019s certainly still pricey enough to make a middling processor a definite headscratcher. It\u2019s true you\u2019re paying for the foldable screen here, of course, but at that price, everything really ought to be the latest and greatest.
\nThe new New Razr will be available in the fall.<\/p>\n