Razr Returns, Only Different

Motorola is bracing for the future by returning to the past. The company is adapting its historical flip-phone design for a smartphone with a foldable screen. Samsung, Huawei, and others have phones that fold like a book and offer a double-size display when unfolded. Motorola’s new Razr phone, on the other hand, will be smaller than a regular smartphone until unfolded to its full 6.2-inch size. The idea is to make the phone more compact for carrying and storing when folded and not in use, the AP reports. People have been upgrading smartphones less often as innovation slows down. The phone industry has been looking to foldable screens as a way to revive sales, though they are still niche products.

The display will be about the same size as the iPhone 11's, per Business Insider. The phone will also have a 2.7-inch screen on the front for notifications. Consumers who want to enjoy 2004 technology again can switch to "Retro Razr" mode, per the Verge. The phone's software re-creates a vintage, fully usable Razr, including the sights and sounds. The new version is all touchscreen, but tapping the keypad is the only way to get the retro one to respond. The phone will launch in the US in January starting at $1,500, with preorders starting Dec. 26 through Verizon. (Samsung had problems with foldable screens earlier this year.)