Motorola could hit Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 launch with a one-two punch
Two foldables to take on Samsung’s best and brightest
Motorola is reported to be releasing two Razr-branded foldables this year, and a new rumor suggests that both phones could be coming to the US.
The Moto Razr Pro and Moto Razr Lite had previously been spotted in certification bodies over the year, but if this latest rumor is accurate Motorola could be launching them both in the US after a two-year hiatus from the region.
Mark your calendars: #MotorolaRazrPro and #MotorolaRazrLite will launch June 1st 📆 in Madrid📍April 18, 2023
This claim comes via a tweet from tipster Max Jambor and a follow-up from Android tech blog, Android Authority. Jambor claims that Motorola will be announce the Moto Razr Pro and Moto Razr Lite (though the names may vary depending on market) – on June 1, and that the launch will happen in Spain for European markets, and in New York for the US.
The Razr Pro, the more premium of the duo, is expected to follow the Oppo Find N2 Flip in having a larger cover display than the current crop of foldables – including the Motorola Razr 2022 and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 – and be designed to compete with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip series.
While the Flip 5 is also rumored to have a larger cover display, with the Razr Pro’s launch expected to take place first, Motorola has the potential to gobble up market share that might have otherwise gone to Samsung.
Bringing some high-tech goodness to an underserved table
Though Motorola is regarded a US phone brand rather than a Chinese one, it's a subsidiary of Lenovo, which is an American-Chinese company. This means that while the US market may miss out on innovation from bigger, more recognizably Chinese brands like Oppo, Xiaomi, and Huawei, the influence of Chinese smartphone makers can still trickle down in Motorola devices.
Consider our recent Motorola Edge 40 Pro review. Though the camera was not as good as the Google Pixel 7 Pro’s, it offered a long-lasting battery, incredibly fast charging, a bright display with a high refresh rate, and other features that are par for the course on many devices from Chinese phone makers, like the Xiaomi 13 or Oppo Find X6; even if they’re far from the norm on the best phones you can buy from Apple or Google.
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If Motorola can deliver a worthwhile experience with its upcoming Razr phones (as well as further lowering the price of entry), the brand may find itself poised for a stronger resurgence in the mainstream than any number of Moto G phones could create.
A UK-based tech journalist for TechRadar, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a primary focus on mobile phones, tablets, and wearables.
When not writing on TechRadar, I can often be found reading fiction, writing for fun, or working out.