iFixit tears down the Motorola Razr, gives it the worst possible score for repairability

The Motorola Razr is an expensive phone with midrange specs that relies on its foldable display and throwback design to lure customers. One big concern when it comes to foldable devices is durability and repairability.

And who can tell us more about repairability than the experts at iFixit. As usual, they got their hands on the Motorola Razr as soon as possible and promptly took it apart.

Besides the pile of parts, the result of the teardown is mixed feelings. The device was given a repairability score of 1 out of 10 (10 being easiest to repair) which in itself says a lot. While that score doesn’t mean the Motorola Razr is unrepairable, the effort one has to go through to change a basic component as the battery makes the whole ordeal a technical feat.

But it’s not all bad news for the Razr. The iFixit was happy to discover that besides the usual prying tools and tricks to deal with glued elements, all you need is a standard T3 Torx screwdriver. And although the team gave the Motorola Razr the award for “most complicated phone-based contraption we’ve ever taken apart” that’s not only a critique for its repairability.

The experts were impressed with the engineering challenges Motorola had to overcome to make the phone in the first place. They also acknowledge that first-generation devices like the Razr and Samsung’s Galaxy Fold are bound to come with some sacrifices in terms of repairability.

We’re not saying that having a $1,500 phone that’s basically disposable is a good thing, but occasionally we have to go through that stage in order to make progress. Plus, people that decided to buy the Razr are hardly the cash-strapped type that would bring it to a repair shop.