- The new Motorola Razr is the most desirable smartphone I've seen in years, and yet it's not a phone that people who care about functionality and value should buy.
- It has a high price tag, less-powerful specs, fewer features, and foldable-smartphone technology still has a long way to go before it's as reliable as regular smartphones.
- Instead, the new Razr will appeal to those who value fashion and design. After all, it looks like the iconic Razr from the mid 2000s that's been modernized into an ultra-sleek smartphone with a long, foldable screen.
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Whether you remember the original Motorola Razr from the mid 2000s or not, the new Motorola Razr foldable smartphone is the most desirable smartphone in years.
It taps into nostalgic design without appearing dated in any way. And the way it folds is the best we've seen in any foldable smartphone so far because it makes your phone smaller when you're not using it— perfect for freeing up space in your pocket or bag.
And it's a device you can actually pre-order soon, on December 26. And you'll find it on store shelves at Verizon stores and some Walmart locations in January 2020.
It's also more about looks rather than function and value, and there's certainly a good number of people who won't mind some of the new Razr's shortcomings when it looks so good. With that in mind, there are four good reasons a smartphone user who cares about performance and functionality shouldn't run out and pre-order or buy the new Motorola Razr, at least until these four things are addressed in future models.
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SEE ALSO: The 5 coolest features of Motorola's new $1,500 Razr phone
At $1,500, the new Motorola Razr costs less than other foldable smartphones. But it's still a phone, and it costs hundreds more than even the priciest traditional smartphones.
It has decent specs, but they're still not up to par with other high-end Android flagships.
The new Razr has 6 GB of RAM, which is fine but on the low end compared to other flagship Android smartphones.
The real point of concern with the new Razr is its chip. It runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 from 2018, while most high-end Android phones run on the Snapdragon 855 from 2019.
The new Motorola Razr doesn't have many of the features you'd expect from a $1,500 high-end Android smartphone.
Some of the more notable missing features we've come to expect in expensive, high-end Android phones include:
- A triple-lens, or even dual-lens, camera system.
- Advanced facial recognition.
- A large battery.
- A charger with over 18W of charging power for faster charging.
- Wireless charging.
- Good water and dust resistance.
Foldable smartphones are still in their infancy, which means they're fragile and the tech for foldable screens will improve over time in future models.
Phone engineers and designers have just figured out how to give smartphones foldable screens in a commercially available device. Now, they need time to perfect the tech.
They still need to figure out how to make foldable screens more durable and how to give foldable smartphones the same kind of water and dust resistance that have become standard on most smartphones these days.
Your best bet is to wait a few years for those engineers and designers to nail down foldable smartphone technology until it's as reliable as the smartphone in your hands right now.