According to Lenovo’s CEO, Motorola plans to release the next generation of the Razr foldable device “very soon.” In 2020, Motorola relaunched the iconic Razr brand as a device with a bendable screen.
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BARCELONA, Spain – A new version of the foldable Motorola Razr will be released this year, according to the Chinese tech giant’s CEO. Lenovo who now owns the brand.
The Razr is one of the brand’s most iconic mobile phones and was first launched by Motorola in 2004. It became one of the most popular flip phones of the 2000s.
In 2020, Motorola revived the Razr brand in a sophisticated new form, becoming one of the first smartphone manufacturers to release a device with a bendable screen.
The Razr retains the folding feature. But instead of a hinge like the original device, the screen can bend, allowing the phone to fold.
In an interview with CNBC at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Wednesday, Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang said the Razr’s reception has been “good” and that Motorola will release the next version of the foldable phone “very soon.”
“I think it’s a lot better,” Yang said of the yet-to-be-launched device.
He gave very few details, but said the improvements will focus on the hinge and apps on the device. Smartphone manufacturers from Samsung to Honor who have released foldable phones have focused on hinges to make sure they are sturdy and don’t create lines on the device’s screen. Ian said this is where the next generation Razr phone will see improvements.
Over the past few weeks, a number of players have launched sophisticated smartphones for the global market, including Chinese vendors Honor and Oppo.
According to research firm IDC, foldable devices accounted for just 1.1% of total smartphone shipments in 2022, and their share is expected to grow to 2.8% in 2026. But electronics manufacturers see them as a way to push into the higher end of the smartphone market.
Yang said that the prices of sophisticated devices are quite high now, but they will come down in the future, which could increase the market.
“When the technology becomes mature, the price can come down, then you can increase the volumes,” said Lenovo’s CEO.
Motorola is known for experimenting with different forms of smartphones. At MWC, the company demonstrated a so-called “collapsible” smartphone in which the display folds up.
