Motorola Razr 2020: what we want to see

One of the few foldable phones to launch in 2019 was the Motorola Razr 2019, modeled after the Razr flip phones of old, and it seems a successor is in the works: the Motorola Razr 2020 (or the Motorola Razr 2 as it might be called) could be out in the coming year.

The Motorola Razr 2019 was a novel device, bringing the nostalgia-inducing flip phone form factor to the modern day. But it had its issues for sure, with some problems we'd like to see fixed in a newer device.

That's why we've compiled this list of things we'd like to see in the Motorola Razr 2020, as well as having collected everything we've heard about the upcoming foldable phone so far.

Motorola Razr 2020 price and availability

If we were to speculate, we'd suggest the Motorola Razr 2020 launch date will be around mid-November 2020, followed by a release date by the end of the year. There's no concrete reason for that timeline save for the fact it would mirror the Motorola Razr 2019's schedule.

We could see the Motorola Razr 2020 earlier in 2020, possibly at MWC 2020 in February, but that would be a little early given it would result in the device being purchasable just a few months after the original. Since many phone companies work in year-long cycles, we'd expect late-2020 to be a good estimate.

There's no word on the Motorola Razr 2 pricing yet, but the original cost $1,500 / €1599 (around £1,350, AU$2,000) upon release. Depending on the changes Motorola makes, the newer device could be cheaper, pricier, or cost exactly the same.

For the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 though, it seems Samsung is gearing up to release a supremely affordable device compared to the original Fold, and it's certainly possible that Motorola will follow those footsteps.

Leaks, rumors and news

So far, there are two rumors we've heard surrounding the Motorola Razr 2020, or Motorola Razr 2, as we've heard it referred to.

The first is that the upcoming foldable phone could have eight sensors along the side of the device, allowing you to use gestures and access shortcuts whether the phone is open or closed.

This comes from a patent, which also seems to suggest the device will have an in-screen fingerprint scanner, as opposed to the physical one present in the Razr 2019.

The second rumor, also from a patent, suggests the Motorola Razr 2020 will be moddable, much like the Moto Z series. The patent shows a camera mod clipped onto the top of the Motorola Razr 2, as well as another mod attached at the fold, although we don't know what the latter does.

It's worth noting that patents don't always get developed into released products, so there's no guarantee these features will make it into the Razr 2020, but Motorola is clearly at least toying with them.

As we get more pieces of information about the Motorola Razr 2020 we'll update this section.

What we want to see

This is what we want to see in the Motorola Razr 2020, including new features and fixes to problems in the original device.

1. A more affordable price tag

You'll encounter arguably the biggest issue with the Motorola Razr 2019 before you've even switched it on – the price tag is prohibitively high. At $1,500 (about £1,350, AU$2,000), you're paying a lot more for it than most other smartphones, save other foldables. 

Sure, the Razr 2019 is among the most affordable foldable phones, but it's still not within the budgets of most people. We'd like to see the Motorola Razr 2020 price go below $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$1,500, and perhaps even lower, so more people get a chance to try out foldable technology.

2. An improved processor

The Motorola Razr 2020 needs a decent processor if it's going to be considered an impressive top-end smartphone – or even deserving of a high price tag.

The Razr 2019 had a Snapdragon 710, which is a fine mid-range chipset, but in top-end phones (for high prices) you'd expect something a little better.

With the Snapdragon 865 out, and previous iterations of Qualcomm's advanced 8-series chipset also available, there's no reason Motorola couldn't go for a processor that's a little snappier to power its future foldable phone.

3. A higher-quality screen

The Motorola Razr 2019 had a 2,142 x 876 pOLED screen, which was fine, but it wasn't particularly sharp, and you could notice its low quality when streaming video or playing games. Like with the chipset, we'd expect a pricey device to have top-end screen specs.

We'd like something higher-quality in the Motorola Razr 2: if not an AMOLED screen, at least something with a higher resolution.

In addition, we found the screen size of the Razr 2019 a little on the small side, which was useful for ease of one-handed use, but a little sub-par for streaming movies and TV. A slightly bigger device, perhaps a Razr 2020 Plus, would be much appreciated if it brought a larger display.

4. A larger camera array

The Motorola Razr 2020, like all top-end modern smartphones, really needs a decent camera array – the Razr 2019 didn't have that, and it suffered for it.

Aside from its 5MP selfie camera, the Razr 2019 had a single 16MP lens, which was on the back when the device was unfolded and front-facing when you shut the phone. This resolution is okay, but there's a lot of functionality you're missing out on, like ultra-wide field of view shots or zoomed-in telephotography.

If the Motorola Razr 2020 had a few more lenses, possibly multiple on the back and an improved front-facing snapper for when the device is open, its photographic potential would really open up.