Lenovo Tech World 2019: Our First Impression Of The Motorola Razr

Written by Soon Kai Hong

Razr.

I think that’s a pretty familiar name if you’re a Gen X or Gen Y kid. It’s probably the one phone that you really wanted to own back when it first launched, and it was definitely popular. It really was unlike any other phones back then.

With the new Razr, you will instinctively recognize the same iconic clamshell design, but what’s changed is when you flip it open. You get a full 6.2-inch flexible OLED display at a 21:9 aspect ratio with a slight notch on the top, and it looks great. But the most distinctive feature about it is hidden in plain sight.

There’s no crease. The display looks just like a normal flat OLED display.

The way Motorola has achieved this is due to some unique hinge mechanisms, which they claim only snaps into place when the Razr is fully unfolded and separates away when it’s close. This allows the display to rest at a comfortable angle, even when closed, which prevents the crease.

In layman terms, take a piece of paper and if you fold it in half, you get the crease and this is similar to what Samsung and Huawei have employed in their foldable devices.

The Razr on the other hand, you take that same piece of paper and pinch it shut by holding the two ends, you don’t seal the middle and get the crease.

So that’s the main display in a nutshell. But the Razr also has a second display, which you can use when the phone is closed. This display also allows you to use the phone as per normal, just a lot smaller with all the usual stuff, like notifications, music, so on and so forth.

There’s also App Continuity, so whatever app you have open on either display, will translate smoothly to the other, depending on whether the phone is opened or closed at the start.

Powering the Razr is a Snapdragon 710, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Cameras-wise, just two in total, a 16MP main camera and a 5MP internal camera. As for the battery, it comes in at 2,510mAh, and of course, it’s USB-C.

So the specs aren’t the greatest, definitely not. It’s mid-tier at best. It’s still snappy enough for everyday use though, no doubts about that.

But the Razr comes in at a whopping $1,499 US dollars. That’s premium pricing right there. And for such a price, the specs become something you can’t turn a blind eye to.

Honestly speaking, I’m not sure if this is a good phone as a daily driver, especially given the price, the specs, and especially when there are other brands out there that offer a lot more, for a lot less.

However, that does not mean I’m not excited by the Razr. It’s honestly one-of-a-kind, in a day and age where almost all smartphones have the same slate design.

And, flipping it open and closing the phone does feel pretty satisfying, I have to say.

If you’re looking at the Razr, it’ll be available in the US, and select markets in Europe and Asia come January 2020. If we do get one in Singapore, well, either Tim or Bobby will definitely be taking it through its paces.

Now, there’s one other thing which Lenovo showed off at Tech World this year, and it’s what they claim to be the first foldable PC.

The foldable ThinkPad X1 was something they showed off earlier this year, but this time, it’s back and pretty much confirmed to be launching.

It’s currently an Intel-based SKU, and as expected, features pretty unique use cases, such as a standard laptop, a full-screen display, or fold it up slightly and read it like you would a book.

Currently, there’s no confirmation on final specs, price, or even release date. But if you’re looking forward to it, you can expect it next year in 2020.