We haven't seen a new Moto folding phone since the 2020 Motorola Razr, and while we're hoping for a new Razr for 2022, we don't know for sure it's coming. In the meantime though, a new patent from the company shows us a foldable that we really hope won't be the next Razr.
Motorola has been granted a patent for a new type of clamshell foldable, as spotted by MySmartPrice, which shows a large main display that's on the outside of the phone, not the inside, when it's folded.
The rest of the patent details the folding hinge, and it also shows a large bump that presumably houses the rear cameras.
It's a futuristic-looking device, even compared to other foldable phones we've seen on the market, but that's probably because it's a patent sketch.
Patents don't show that a phone is coming to market, only that a company is considering a certain design or feature, so let's wait to see if this device ever does see the light of day. Saying that, we hope it doesn't...
Analysis: a dangerous design
Foldable phones are fragile at the best of times - with their flexing display and moving components, they're usually one or two drops away from a dangerous smash.
That's doubly the case when the screen - the one thing you really don't want to get scratched or marked - is on the outside. The whole model is wrapped in its most fragile part.
We've seen this in phones before, with the Huawei Mate Xs, and that too was scary to use - you're always worried that simply slipping the thing into your pocket, or putting it down on a surface, could leave the screen with scratches and marks.
So we hope Motorola doesn't decide to go with the design shown in this patent, as we're happy with the way the Razrs have looked so far.
- The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is expected this year
