Motorola Razr classic flip phone returns: This time it's a pricey foldable

Lenovo reportedly will soon be releasing a foldable $1,500 Razr-branded phone.

Motorola released the original Razr V3 in pre-iPhone 2004 and it became an instant hit.

Fans of the famously skinny Motorola Razr could get to see a modern take on the classic flip phone. The new Razr, which is being made by Motorola's owner, Lenovo, will join the growing stable of foldable phones.

Just like the original, the new Razr will be pricey, costing $1,500, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The device is being made in partnership with Verizon and could be available as early as February so it might get a showing at Mobile World Congress that month.

Samsung is also expected to reveal its Galaxy X foldable, which opens to become a 7.3-inch tablet and folds into a more conventional phone.

More foldable phones are expected this year, including Royale's recently announced Flexpai, and an alleged tri-fold design foldable from Xiaomi. 

LG Display is reportedly working with Lenovo, Huawei, and Xiaomi to develop foldable devices. Lenovo is tipped to be making a 13.3-inch device that folds inwards and would be launched in the fourth quarter of 2019.

As for Lenovo's revival of the Razr brand, Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing teased the idea at MWC 2018, telling TechRadar that foldable screens could spark new innovation in its smartphone design. He also hinted that a new Razr phone could be on the cards.

Motorola released the original Razr V3 in pre-iPhone 2004 and it became an instant hit. Motorola priced it high and initially thought it would sell in low volumes until it saw the public's reaction. It eventually sold 130 million units.

Paul Pierce, who co-designed the Razr V3 and still works for Motorola on future products, told CNET in December that he thought people had a yearning for the sound and feel of a Razr being flipped open. Foldable screens could be the answer to that.

"So we're trying to understand what we can do to revive some of that but it's got to be done in a way that fundamentally delivers an incredible experience. It can't be done just for a gimmick or something of that nature. We've got to figure out how to deliver a breakthrough," said Pierce.

As per The Verge, Lenovo will reportedly make over 200,000 new Razr phones, though there's no detail on its specs or how Motorola plans to approach a foldable design.



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