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Motorola will let anyone buy a ThinkPhone, but for a steep price

By Stanislav Serbezov

Updated: Mar 10, 2023, 3:31 AM

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Motorola

It was only recently that the Motorola ThinkPhone got announced. Such a collaboration only makes sense, given that Motorola is owned by Lenovo, right? Lenovo’s ThinkPad laptops have become a staple of unique design and reliable PC hardware. As such, a business-oriented Moto phone was an opportunity begging to be explored.

While all of this sounds well and good, rumor had it that the phone may be limited to corporate clients only. But that didn't make much sense, because there are tons of ThinkPad laptops for consumers. If they already invested in ThinkPads, then why wouldn’t they be able to get a ThinkPhone too?

Well, as it turns out, Motorola intends to make the upcoming smartphone available for purchase to non-business customers too, albeit only in select countries. Or at least, that’s what reliable tipster Roland Quandt tweeted out.

The tweet states that the ThinkPhone’s 256GB version, which is also equipped with 8GB RAM may become available to purchase by the end of the month. It will only retail in select electronics stores and will cost you €999 (about $1,080 when manually converted, with tax).

So, why would you buy a Motorola ThinkPhone?

That's heat-resistant aramid fiber on the back panel and Gorilla Glass Victurs out front.

While the price tag may seem hefty, there's a lot of utility to be had with a ThinkPhone. Sure, it doesn’t come with cutting-edge hardware, but it still has a powerful configuration. It’s equipped with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 — the slightly beefed up version of the regular 8 Gen 1, which isn’t all that outdated itself.

Here’s a quick rundown of the rest of the Motorola ThinkPhone specs:

6.6” screen with a 144Hz refresh rate
8-12GB of RAM
128 to 512GB in terms of storage options
5,000mAh battery capacity with 68W Turbo Power charging
Double camera setup: 50MP main sensor and 13MP Ultra-Wide lens
32MP front-facing camera
Android 13 out of the box

Some of the specs seem pretty standard, while others catch the eye as exceptional, but the real value of the ThinkPhone comes from software. The ThinkPad branding allows users access to advanced multitasking tricks and incredible levels of security.

What are the extra features of the Motorola ThinkPhone?

The ThinkPhone elevates the ways in which users interact with their PCs in numerous ways, which are also supposedly not limited to ThinkPad branded laptops. Here’s a quick overview:

Unified Clipboard: Seamless copy-paste functionality between ThinkPhone and PC
Unified Notifications: ThinkPhone and PC notifications are interlinked
App Streaming: Access to Android apps on PC
File Drop: Drag and drop files between the ThinkPhone and the desktop
Advanced Webcam: utilize the ThinkPhone as a webcam in video calls
Instant Connect: The ThinkPhone will discover and connect to your PC instantly over known Wi-Fi networks, to enable the features described above

Let’s be honest: even though the Motorola ThinkPhone is a business-oriented device, many of these features are likely to come in handy to most types of users. Having this much interconnected goodness going on between your smartphone and PC is just the dream for productivity geeks.

The ThinkPhone is also IP68 resistant, MIL-STD-810G certified and overall really tough.

Okay, sure, most of these you can achieve on any Android phone, if you download and set up enough apps. But those are unlikely to be as easy to set up as the ones built-in the ThinkPhone. Not to mention that many of them would be developed by third-parties, and as such can turn out to be security hazards, waiting to pounce on your personal data.

Speaking of which, this is the perfect segue into an overview of the extra security features that the ThinkPhone will provide you with:

Lenovo ThinkShield, which ensures secure network connections and enables access to your smartphone via biometric authentication
Moto Threat Defence, which is a collaboration with Zimperium and protects your phone from malware, network attacks and helps detect phishing attempts
Moto Keysafe, which is a brand new solution that will help keep your most sacred files safe at all times

Now, there are other extras here, but they won’t exactly be useful to non-corporate users. Among them are the Zero Touch products like Moto Device Manager and Moto Secure, which allow your phone to manage other ThinkPhones, presumably those of your workers.

Is all of this enough to convince you that you need a Motorola ThinkPhone in your life, or did the staple design do most of the heavy lifting? Regardless of the case, the ThinkPhone is certainly a unique opportunity, and as such, it’s great to hear that Motorola won’t reserve it for business clients only.

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Stan, also known as Stako, is a smartphone enthusiast who loves exploring the limits of Android customization. His journey with mobile tech began with the Nokia 5110 and evolved with devices like the BlackBerry 9350 Curve and Samsung Galaxy A4. Despite his love for Android, he holds equal respect for Apple, considering the iPhone 4s as a significant milestone in mobile tech. Stan started his writing career early, contributing to MetalWorld, and harbors a passion for creative writing. Beyond smartphones, he's interested in photography, design, composition, and gaming, often preferring solo projects to hone his objective thinking. He's also an avid student of open-source technology and consoles, with a special fondness for the Pebble Watch, Arduboy, and Playdate.