Motorola Razr: A Look At How Far This Pop Culture Phone Has Come Since 2004

Written by Cheryl Tan

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Credit: Domus

Hello (again), Moto. The Razr phones were some of the most popular back in the day, I remember my father owning one and I thought it was so cool that I requested for it as well when I finally was allowed to have my own phone. I loved that phone and I still have it in my drawer now, years after the battery has swelled and given up on life.

For people who were slightly older when it came out, they might have seen the multitude of shows and movies that had the Razr.

Credit: ScoutMag

Jack Shephard used the Razr in Season 3 of Lost. Jeremy Clarkson used one in the outtakes of an episode of Top Gear, back when he was still on the show. TV show 24’s President Charles Logan used one as his personal cell. Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly uses the Motorola Razr in The Devil Wears Prada as well.

It’s more than just television though. Oprah Winfrey and Bono launched the Product RED version of the Razr. A video game character in Counter-Strike: Source even has a Razr on his belt.

There’s no doubt that the Razr was a hit back when it was first launched in 2004. The design and thin profile was a big deal for both fashionistas and businessmen. With more than 130 million units sold for the Razr V3, it’s the world’s best-selling clamshell phone.

Credit: Amazon

The V3i was later announced as a tie-up between Motorola and Apple, with a Dolce & Gabbana limited edition also being released. The V3i is the model that most people would have seen or purchased, between late 2005 and 2006.

The V3x deviated from the Razr’s sleek styling and there were quite a few changes to the look. This was followed up with the Razr maxx, which had pretty much dropped off my own radar by this point, thanks to the design changes.

Credit: Amazon

Motorola followed with the Razr2 series and the Droid Razr, with all its variants. The Droid Razr left the clamshell design behind and adopted the slate form factor. Ever since then, Motorola has been lagging behind due to slow adoption of newer technologies.

With the announcement of the new Motorola Razr Foldable however, it’s clear that Motorola will be able to capitalise on a lot of nostalgia from people who were around when the original Razr clamshells were launched.

Credit: The Verge

If you love the old Razr menu and keypad like me, you’ll be happy to know that there’s a toggle in the Quick Settings to turn on “Retro Razr” mode, a reskin of the launcher that makes it look like the old Razr UI.

The unfolded main screen is touch-sensitive, but once you turn on the mode, you’ll only be able to navigate via the navigation buttons on the keypad. That’s a massive throwback, and I’m seriously considering getting this phone just to be able to flip my phone shut and hear that satisfying snap.

There is no word on availability in Singapore yet, but the Razr Foldable will be available in the US for US$1,499, shipping in January 2020.