Foldable phones have been in the market for four years now, and despite Samsung’s aggressive marketing, it is still considered a niche and a very expensive one at that. The “regular” book-style foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold, the OPPO Find N2, and the upcoming Google Pixel Fold definitely spark the imagination and open up new use cases, but they also lack the mass appeal necessary to make the product line a success. In a nutshell, they have a hard time explaining why people would want to cough up a large amount of cash for what seems to be an experimental and unproven device. The new Motorola Razr+, also known as the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra elsewhere, is seemingly saying that you really don’t have to, and its latest design might finally succeed by targeting the market demographic that made the RAZR V3 an icon.
Designer: Motorola
Back when clamshells or flip phones were en vogue, the Motorola RAZR V3 turned heads because of its thin profile and chic design that turned what was normally seen as a business phone into a lifestyle choice. Motorola tried to recreate not only that phone’s magic but also its commercial success, redesigning the now ancient clamshell into a modern foldable phone. After a few tries, Motorola might have finally gotten the formula right, not only with the phone’s design but also with its product positioning.
Right from the start, the new Motorola Razr sported one of the largest external or cover displays for clamshell foldables, but the Motorola Razr+ pushes that envelope even further by having that screen take up almost all of the available space on that half of the phone. It makes it possible to use almost any app in that space, presuming you can stomach the still-small 3.6-inch screen. More than just using it as a camera viewfinder for better selfies, you can also use it to watch Videos, check Instagram, or even type with a full QWERTY keyboard if absolutely necessary. It’s not going to be fun, but the idea is that you won’t have to flip the phone open just to use it like a normal phone, especially when circumstances prevent you from doing that in the first place.
The large screen also opens up more opportunities for styling beyond simple stickers and widgets. Along with the stylish color options that include 2023’s “Viva Magenta,” there is plenty for fun-loving and suave people to like in the Motorola Razr+. In fact, most of the brand’s marketing revolves around a generation who loves to take photos, flaunt their style, and see their smartphones as more than just tools. In other words, the very kind of people that gravitated toward the original RAZR V3.
It also doesn’t hurt that the Motorola Razr+ is expected to cost a lot less than the competition, or at least that’s the expectation when it fully launches in the US. Even if it does cost $1,200, which is pretty much the same price as today’s high-end smartphones, the Motorola Razr+’s stylish design and more flexible functions make the idea of a foldable phone a little bit more normal and definitely more desirable.
