New Motorola Event Invite Shows Foldable Razr

Motorola gave a clearer look at its upcoming foldable Razr phone in an event invite going out for the device's presumed debut on Nov. 13.

Motorola's upcoming foldable Razr phone will have an external screen with what looks like a physical button below it, according to the latest GIF invite for the device's launch on Nov. 13.

The GIF, which shows someone flipping the phone open, also shows that the device has the bottom "chin" you would expect from something with the Razr flip heritage. (The original Razr is shown above; screenshots from the invite are below.)

Moto Razr Freeze frame

The second event invite follows up on a previous GIF released two weeks ago, which showed the phone from the side:

The event invite makes sure not to show us the inside of the phone, although if you believe SlashLeaks, it's going to be a big, foldable screen inside. According to CNET, the device will cost $1,500 and run a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor with 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of storage.

Yes, that's expensive, but so was the original Razr. When I reviewed the first Razr back in 2004 I called it "the ultimate see-and-be-seen phone for style mavens who don't care about price," and this new model may be the same.

Folding Phone 3.0?

Motorola's foldable Razr would be the third entry in this year's rogues' gallery of foldable phones. Both of the other models we've seen fold out horizontally, to become tablets. Samsung's Galaxy Fold had a false start this spring before finally hitting the market in September. It's thick and costly, and we only gave it three stars. The Huawei Mate X debuted in Febuary but was also delayed and has gotten stuck in the conflict between Huawei and the US over the company's access to Google software.

Samsung Galaxy Folder

Meanwhile, smart flip phones have existed in the world before, but they aren't a big part of the market. The best example is the Samsung Galaxy Folder (shown above), a series of Android-powered flips I saw on a trip to Korea in 2017. The Folder only has a screen on its top half, though, and its thoroughly midrange specs aren't thrilling.

Here in the US, the recent Alcatel Go Flip 3 uses a low-end processor and the HTML5-based KaiOS operating system to give a basic smartphone-like experience in a flip form factor.

The original Razr was one of history's most iconic phones, and its name endured on various devices between 2004 and 2012. It was followed by the Razr2 flip phone and then by a series of moderately good Android phones in 2011-2012 before the name was retired in favor of Motorola's current single-letter E, G, X, and Z monikers. We'll see in November if this foldable brings the legendary brand back.