After months of waiting, Motorola is finally launching the Razr 2022, its second clamshell smartphone with a foldable display. Three years after the Razr 2019 and two years after the Razr 5G, this new iteration improves everything: the foldable screen, the processor, the battery, the connectors, the hinge, the external screen, the photo or even the audio. And its price is much more aggressive: 1199 euros. This promises a good duel with the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Faced with Samsung’s Galaxy Z, renewed this summer and widely tested in our columns, the competition is getting organized. If the Galaxy Z Fold 4 (not forgetting its predecessor) has to jostle with Xiaomi, Huawei, Vivo, Honor or even Oppo, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 enjoys relative peace of mind. Two proposals attract attention. That of Huawei with the P50 Pocket. But without Android, the phone may be technically developed, it will not find its audience in Europe. And that of Motorola.
Read also – Google Pixel Fold: technical sheet, price, release date… all about the folding smartphone
Since 2019, Motorola is trying to make its way into the folding smartphone market. With the Razr 2019 for the first time. A trial run not convincing enough because of defects inherent in the eagerness of the American brand to position itself. It was followed in 2020 by the Razr 5G which corrected some flaws, both technical and aesthetic. However, the Razr 5G didn’t have the shoulders to be a flagship… even though it was sold at the price of a flagship!
The Razr 2022 combines modernity and commercial aggressiveness
Two years later, Motorola is back with a third version. And this time, it seems to be the right one. Indeed, after many months of rumors and leaks, the brand formalizes today, Tuesday October 25, the Razr 2022. While the concept remains the same, a folding clamshell smartphone, the smartphone is very different from its predecessor. And, above all, it not only benefits from the work done on the Edges (including the Edge 30 Pro), but it also benefits from Motorola’s aggressive marketing strategy. Because the Razr 2022 is sold 1199 euros. That is to say the price of a good standard flagship.
And unlike the Razr 5G or the Razr 2019, the Razr 2022 benefits from a really high-end technical sheet, in line with its selling price. This clearly sets the record straight. We find, for example, a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 at the heart of the platform, associated here with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. We find a dual balanced stereo speaker Dolby Atmos compatible. We find a 3500mAh battery, much larger than that of the Razr 5G. In addition, it is fast charging compatible 33 watts.
In photo too, the Motorola Razr 2022 is wedged on the Galaxy S Flip 4
Still on the technical sheet side, the Razr 2022 has an updated photo configuration, similar to that of the Z Flip 4. A main photo module with a sensor 50 megapixels (certainly a Sony IMX766) with stabilized lens opening at f/1.9 and omnidirectional phase detection autofocus. A secondary ultra-wide-angle module with 13 megapixel sensor, phase detection autofocus and lens opening at f/2.2. Thanks to its autofocus, it also takes care of macros. And a selfie module with 32 megapixel sensor and lens opening at f / 2.5.
On the design side, the Razr 2022 is also modernizing. IP54 certified, the phone is lighter and more compact. He forgets the lower border under the screen which was supposed to protect the foldable panel. Thanks to this, the screen covers the entire internal surface of the phone and grows considerably to reach the 6.7 inches, like at Samsung. On the other hand, unlike the Korean’s proposal, Motorola opts for a teardrop notch and not a punch for the selfie sensor. The flexible panel is pOLED. It is Full HD+. It is compatible with 144 Hz, HDR10+ and 10-bit colorimetry.
New design, new screens, new hinge…
The screen takes advantage of a new hinge to fold the screen without marking it. When closed, the two parts of the Razr 2022 are perfectly glued together. There is no gap, unlike the Z Flip 4. On the outside of the smartphone, you find a secondary screen of 2.7 inches much larger than that of the Z Flip 4. Called Quick View Display, it offers many uses to avoid opening the phone. As with Samsung, Motorola has integrated many functions using the external screen and the different positions of the internal screen.
The Razr 2022 is obviously compatible Ready For, the Motorola system that connects a smartphone to an external screen or a PC. The smartphone will only be offered in one color: satin black (quite classic). And the 33 watt charger is included in the box. Finally, the brand promises two major Android updates and three years of security updates. But the phone comes out on Android 12. That means the Razr 2022 will be stuck at Android 14 which will be released next year. This is the only real downside. For everything else, the promise is really very beautiful. And we can’t wait to confront it with the Z Flip 4. A test and a comparison are already being prepared for the editorial team. Stay Tuned!
