The reinvented Motorola RAZR will launch locally on February 24, and boy is it pricey. Retailing for $2,699, Motorola's next generation nostalgia machine may be $300 cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Fold, but that's not a huge margin. If you can stomach the price. pre-orders are now open directly through Motorola's online and JB Hi-Fi, ahead of the Australian release date late next month.
If you'd prefer to pick up the foldable RAZR on a plan, Telstra will also be ranging it. Telstra has yet to confirm its plans or when it will start taking orders, but given the outright price, we're expecting you'll pay $162.50 per month on a 24-month plan with 15GB or $125 per month on a 36-month plan with 15GB. Paying another $10 per month will take each plan to 60GB.
The RAZR uses similar technology to the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X, but the design is quite different. Instead of opening out to be a tablet size, the RAZR has a standard-sized smartphone screen - measuring in at 6.2-inches - that folds down into a smaller form-factor to better fit in pockets. Essentially, a foldable as a flip-phone.
While the RAZR's display is plastic, it has a scuff resistant coating that should help protect it from scratches. In addition, Motorola says the hinge has been engineered to prevent water and debris from getting inside it. However, the phone isn't water-resistant. Notably, the RAZR's display doesn't have a noticeable crease, unlike the Mate X and Galaxy Fold.
However, a recent video released by Motorola says that "bumps and lumps" are normal. For example, you can feel the steel plate that reinforces the RAZR's hinge, and there's a slight flex to the bottom part of the display. Motorola says this is normal, because the display itself moves when you're folding and unfolding the phone.
On the front, you'll find a smaller 2.7-inch display that shows notifications, the time, and music controls. You can also use this to take selfies using the RAZR's primary 16MP camera. There's a lower resolution 5MP camera on the inside if you still want to take selfies with the RAZR unfolded.
Motorola has made a few compromises in building the RAZR; while the design is bleeding edge, the internals are distinctly more pedestrian. The processor is mid-range, the battery is modest, and the display is comparatively low in resolution. The RAZR felt zippy enough in a brief hands-on, but its internals aren't the same grade as what you'd find in a Pixel 4 or Note 10.
Key specifications for the RAZR include a 6.2-inch foldable display (2,242 x 876), a 2.7-inch front-facing display (800 x 600), Snapdragon 710 processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of non-expandable storage, a 16MP rear-facing camera, and a 2,510mAh battery. While the battery capacity is a tad low, the RAZR supports fast charging; a 15-minute top up should get you between four and five hours of extra standby time.
It's worth noting the RAZR doesn't have a physical SIM slot, making it the first eSIM-only smartphone to launch in Australia. Instead of physically inserting a SIM card, you'll use the RAZR to scan a QR code to add your plan. At present, Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone all support eSIM phone plans. While Telstra is the only telco ranging the RAZR, Motorola has confirmed that it will work with both Optus and Vodafone eSIM plans.
It is however worth noting that Australian MVNOs currently don’t support eSIM, which limits the number of phone plans you can pick from if you're keen on getting a RAZR outright. You can read more about eSIM here.
Want to know more about the Motorola RAZR? Check out our hands-on preview here.
Alex Choros
Related Articles
