Motorola clamshell is back! The Razr flip returns as a futuristic fold phone

Motorola Razr 2019
(Image credit: Motorola)

15 years ago, the Motorola Razr was one of the most sought after mobile phones around. But back then the clamshell design, that folded open to take calls, was the norm. In the intervening decade or so the flip phone has all but disappeared... but the iconic design is set to make a comeback from company that made the clamshell handset famous.

The Motorola Razr 2019 is more than just a new take on one of the companies most famous phones from the past. The new Razr provides Motorola's take on the fold phone... a new breed of smartphone that has a big screen that folds in half to make it fit more easily in your pocket. The pioneering Samsung Fold Phone has just gone on sale, after some teething issues with its hinge mechanism, which opens up more like a book than a traditional clamshell.

The Razr 2019 is set to go on sale in January in the USA at a cost of $1500, with preorders opening at the end of December. As such this will be one of the most expensive handsets on the market, but will undoubtedly becoming one of the most desirable camera phones, particularly amongst those who remember the Noughties. Avaialability and pricing in other countries has yet to be announced.

Motorola Razr 2019

(Image credit: Motorola)

Motorola Razr 2019

(Image credit: Motorola)

The new Razr does not need to be opened for all uses, as there is a front LCD screen too. The internal fold screen extends to  6.2-inch 2142 x 876 pixels POLED (plastic OLED with a 21:9 aspect ratio. 

The smaller Quick Display external screen is 2.7-inch GOLED (glass OLED), with 800 x 600 pixels and 4:3 aspect ratio. This functions much like a smartwatch, letting you see text messages, say, without unfolding the phone. 

The phone uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor with 6GB RAM, and comes with 128Gb of storage. The batter is a 2510mAh, which still promises a day's worth of use, as the fold design an mid-tier processor means the phone is designed to be energy efficient.

The camera capabilities are rather plain compared to other recent handsets from Motorola and others. There is just one rear camera - a 16MP f/1.7 affair - although thanks to the fold can be flipped to be used as the main camera or as a selfie cam. There is a secondary 5MP internal camera that is used for things as facial recognition to unlock the phone.

Video: Motorola Razr doing its flipping thing!

Read more:

Best camera phone in 2019

The best budget camera phones

Which is the best iPhone for photography?

TOPICS
Chris George

Chris George has worked on Digital Camera World since its launch in 2017. He has been writing about photography, mobile phones, video making and technology for over 30 years – and has edited numerous magazines including PhotoPlus, N-Photo, Digital Camera, Video Camera, and Professional Photography. 

His first serious camera was the iconic Olympus OM10, with which he won the title of Young Photographer of the Year - long before the advent of autofocus and memory cards. Today he uses a Nikon D800, a Fujifilm X-T1, a Sony A7, and his iPhone 15 Pro Max.

He has written about technology for countless publications and websites including The Sunday Times Magazine, The Daily Telegraph, Dorling Kindersley, What Cellphone, T3 and Techradar.

Latest in Android Phones
A photo of the Poco F7 Ultra in yellow
Poco F7 Ultra review: a surprise gaming and camera powerhouse
A photo of the Samsung Galaxy A56 5G
Samsung Galaxy A56 5G review: mighty future-proofing meets middling cameras
A photo of the Poco X7 Pro
Poco X7 Pro review: this phone is a budget gaming champ, but how's the camera?
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
Galaxy S25 Edge: could this be Samsung's thinnest-ever phone?
An image of the Google Pixel 9a
Google Pixel 9a launches with a new camera, upgraded AI, and Tensor G4 power
Google Pixel 9a pre-launch review
Pixel 9a arrival is likely imminent: reviews already surfacing
Latest in News
Potensic Atom SE drone
Drones deals with the power to impress - these Potensic drones are great!
Fujifilm Fujinon LA30x7.8 BRM-XB2
Fujifilm announces development of a new 30x zoom broadcast lens ahead of NAB 2025
Pergear CFexpress 4.0 Type A Master cards
Pergear launches new super-fast AND super-cheap CFexpress Type A cards
Rokinon AF 135mm f/1.8
Huge price drops on low-cost prime lenses for Sony and Fujifilm camera users
A sleek YoloCam S7 camera body with a vertical sensor, paired with a detachable lens against a dark backdrop
The YoloCam S7 gives a novel twist to the 4K streaming camera for those recording vertical video
TikTok "ban notice" from January 19 2025, on top of an American flag
The TikTok ban is rapidly losing support, but if the legislation doesn’t change, senators warn that this is what could happen