After a minor delay, the Motorola Razr 2022 has finally debuted in China. We do not have all the details yet, but it looks like a full-fledged flagship and compares favorably against the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. It might even earn a spot on the best foldable phones list — if it ever gets a global launch.
Rumors suggested top-tier specs, and we did get some. The phone is available with up to 12GB of RAM and features an impressive camera and CPU. Plus, Motorola removed the signature chin from the phone, slimming it down. While it was not a massive step forward, Motorola corrected some of the underwhelming aspects of the first Razr and Razr 5G.
Here’s what we know about the Motorola Razr 2022.
Motorola Razr 2022 key points (updated August 11)
Motorola Razr 2022 launch date
Motorola had revealed what looked like the Motorola 2022’s launch date, with an event scheduled in China for August 2. That would have been a full week ahead of the August 10 launch date for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, the two Samsung foldables expected to appear at the next Galaxy Unpacked event. From our perspective, it looked like Motorola was trying to get the jump on Samsung and steal some of the company’s thunder.
As it turns out, though, Motorola had to postpone the August 2 debut of the Motorola Razr 2022, with the cancellation coming just hours before the event. It’s widely suspected that tensions in Asia — Chinese officials are angry that U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is visiting Taiwan — may have pushed back the phone’s launch.
The good news is, that the phone has finally launched — at least in China. Motorola held its launch event today on its website and on Weibo and confirmed that for now the phone will be limited to China. There is currently no plan for a global launch that we are aware of.
Motorola Razr 2022 design
Motorola made a significant improvement with the Razer 2022 by removing the “chin” at the bottom of the phone. A leak from Evan Blass over at 91Mobiles had suggested that Motorola would do exactly that, so we were not taken aback when the Razr 2022 debuted with a sleeker look than its predecessors.
In fact, a subsequent video posted by Blass that appeared to show the Motorola Razr 2022 in action seems to have been spot on. The video showed the prominent chin of past models removed and replaced with a full-screen effect when the phone is opened. Motorola also got rid of the notch that housed the front camera and replaced it with a punch hole cutout.
On the outside of the phone, a 2.7-inch exterior display takes up most of the front cover space.
The Razr 2022 was rumored to be available in two color options: Tranquil Blue and Quartz Black. So far only the Quartz Black is available.
Motorola Razr 2022 displays
The previous Razr phones were clamshell foldables, and the Razr 2022 did not deviate from that design. The Razr 2022 features a 6.7-inch FHD+ internal display with a 144Hz refresh rate. The exterior display is 2.7-inches, which is significantly bigger that the outer display on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Motorola Razr 2022 specs and price
Initial reports suggested that the Razr 2022 would offer true flagship specs by running on a top-of-the-line chip, and that is exactly what happened. The Motorola Razr 2022 does feature a state-of-the-art Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, which a teaser ad posted to Weibo by a Motorola executive strongly hinted that it would.
This is a significant step up over the Snapdragon 710 in the Razr (2019) and the Snapdragon 765G in the Razr 5G. It finally puts Motorola’s foldable in contention with other flagship phones, at least in terms of processing power.
There are three RAM and storage configurations. The 128GB and 256GB models come with 8GB of RAM, and the 512GB model comes with 12GB of RAM. The 128GB version will cost CNY 5,999, which is roughly $890 and the 256GB will cost just CNY 500 more (approximately $965). For the 12GB RAM/512GB storage option you’ll have to drop CNY 7,299 which translates to about $1,083.
This is a lot more choice than the previous Razr, which only came in 8GB/256GB.
One other feature that XDA (opens in new tab) reported on was that the Razr 2022 would come with ultra-wideband support. This feature allows for tracking things or unlocking supported cars. UWB is a feature that more and more flagship phones will have in the coming years. It remains to be seen if this feature was included in the launched phone.
We also know that the Motorola Razr 2022 will not run on Android 12L. 12L was a version of Android meant for foldables, but it has since been folded into Android 12.1. Expect the Razr 2022 to ship with Android 12.
Motorola Razr 2022 cameras
Another Motorola Razr 2022 leak from Evan Blass said to expect a 50MP f/1.8 main sensor, backed up by a 13MP ultra-wide camera and macro sensor. The specs that Motorola unveiled for its cameras match this for the most part, though some details have yet to be revealed. There is also a 32MP under-display selfie camera.
These cameras could make the Razr 2022 a better camera phone than the Galaxy Z Flip 4, though megapixels aren’t everything. Without hands-on testing, it’s tough to make a final determination. But the initial thoughts are that these cameras are much more on par with the Fold 4 than the Flip 4.
As for video, TechnikNews (opens in new tab) says the Razr 2022 will be able to record up to 4K at 60 fps on the rear and front cameras. The rear camera will also record slo-mo video at 1080p 120 fps, supposedly. This was not confirmed at launch, but it would not be a surprise for the Razr to meet those expectations
Motorola Razr 2022: What we’d like to see
Better battery life: The original Motorola Razr has pathetically bad battery life with its measly 2,510 mAh battery. Even the Galaxy Z Flip 3 struggles with battery life with its 3,300 mAh power pack. If the Razr 2022 adds a 120Hz display, it’ll need a bigger battery to compensate. It remains to be seen how the Razr 2022 battery stacks up against the competition
Better value proposition: When the first Razr launched, it was very expensive for mid-tier specs. While the phone is unfortunately limited to China, for now, the roughly $890 starting price puts it over $100 below the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Better build quality: For its price, we thought the first Razr felt cheap. For the next one, we hope Motorola fixes this. The Flip 2022, for example, feels very nice. Foldables have come a long way, and we hope Motorola is able to keep pace. Without getting our hands on the device, it is tough to say if Motorola really improved the build quality.
Stronger cameras: The first Razr had a single 16MP rear camera and it wasn’t good. We hope the Razr 2022’s cameras are more competitive. The Motorola Razr 2022 comes with three cameras, including a 50-megapixel main camera and a 13MP ultra-wide camera. The under-display selfie camera is 32MP, which is significantly better than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, and on par with the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Better durability: The previous Motorola Razrs struggled with durability. To be fair, this is a general issue with foldables that has only recently gotten better. Still, we hope that the Razr 2022 is at least as sturdy as the Galaxy Z Flip 34. But again, without getting our hands on the device, it is tough to say if Motorola really improved the durability.
