Motorola RAZR to return this year as a foldable phone with a hefty price tag says new report
Launched in 2004, the Motorola RAZR was the most popular clamshell cellphone ever, selling more than 130 million units over its four years on the market. Even after the Apple iPhone swooped in to usher a new era of touchscreen smartphones, there has been speculation that Motorola would bring back the RAZR. Last February, Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing hinted that the device could return, albeit with a foldable screen.
Today, The Wall Street Journal cites those familiar with the situation as saying that the Motorola RAZR is going to return sometime this year as a Verizon exclusive. The new RAZR would be a foldable device and as such, it could carry a price tag of $1,500 according to the report. Last August, illustrations from a Motorola patent revealed a clamshell type phone that when opened, revealed a single display without a crease in the middle.
While the report didn't mention it, we would assume that this would be an Android powered smartphone, which would compete with other foldable smartphones expected to make their debut this year. Among the most notable is the unit expected to be unveiled next month by Samsung, which it briefly displayed in November at its Developer Conference.
Motorola did bring back the RAZR name with 2011's Motorola DROID RAZR. The device was a typical smartphone that was more in line with the company's DROID series than the RAZR.
Motorola, now owned by Chinese manufacturer Lenovo, is desperate for a big hit. Back in 2004, the company was responsible for 27.3% of U.S. mobile phone shipments. By the end of the third quarter of 2018, that figure was down to 5.9%.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: