Skip to main content

The Motorola Razr is making a comeback, Lenovo exec confirms

Even though it was among the first smartphone brands to launch a phone with a clamshell-style foldable display, Motorola has fallen behind its peers in the race to foldable glory. The company chose not to launch a successor to the Motorola Razr 5G, which was the last foldable phone it released, in September 2020. Reports, however, indicate that a rejuvenated Motorola may finally make a comeback to the world of foldable phones with its third-generation Razr.

Folks at Android Authority managed to dig out a Weibo post by senior Lenovo executive Chen Jin where he confirms that work is underway on the Moto Razr 3 (let’s just call it that for now). Chen confirms that the Razr 3 will be a significant upgrade over the existing Motorola Razr 5G and that it will be more powerful than its predecessors. So far, it’s been a pretty low bar.

Riley Young / Digital Trends

This, perhaps, is an indication that unlike the previous-gen Razr foldables — which featured a midrange Snapdragon 7 series system on a chip (SoC) — the Moto Razr 3 may finally get a top-end Snapdragon 8 series chip from Qualcomm.

Recommended Videos

Jin, general manager of the Lenovo Mobile Business Group in China, did not say when to expect this new phone. However, given that Motorola is already lagging behind the competition, there is a good chance that we won’t need to wait till 2023 for the Motorola Razr 3 to arrive. Like the recently announced Moto Edge X 30, the Razr 3 will first go on sale in China, Jin confirmed.

Motorola is likely to be extra cautious with the Razr 3 because its previous two foldable devices — while innovative — suffered from major drawbacks, including a subpar camera, multiple software issues, and terrible battery life. Given that Samsung has done a great job with its Galaxy Z Flip 3 and that it may release an even better Galaxy Z Flip 4 by the time the Motorola Razr 3 arrives, Motorola really needs to get this one right.

Rahul Srinivas
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Rahul is a smartphone buff turned tech journalist who has been tinkering with all things mobile since the early 2000s. He has…
4 phones you can buy instead of the Motorola Razr 2025
Spring Bud Razr 2025 half open on a desk with the Display turned on

If you’re looking for one of the best folding phones, the new Motorola Razr 2025 is likely high on your list. It offers the iconic Motorola experience at a more affordable price than its siblings, and as I discovered in our Razr 2025 review, it still feels just as premium, especially thanks to its larger battery.

However, folding phones won’t be for everyone, and while the Razr 2025 features cutbacks in well-done ways, it’s still not as premium as its more illustrious siblings. There’s the Razr Plus 2025, essentially the same as the Razr 2024, and the new Razr Ultra 2025, the best flip phone you can buy right now.

Read more
The foldable iPhone could become a yearly staple for Apple
Semi-open state of a foldable iPhone concept

South Korean tech site ET News has released a report suggesting the foldable iPhone will get an annual refresh starting in 2026. It would replace the Pro Max as the top-of-the-line iPhone model and get updated every year just like the rest of the core lineup.

The launch date for the "iPhone Fold" is still up in the air -- so while ET News is betting on 2026, we don't know if that will turn out to be accurate or not. Either way, the hype around this rumored new model is continuing to build with every new leak we get.

Read more
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 tipped for long-awaited design overhaul
Close up of the difference in the thickness between the Oppo Find N5 and Galaxy Z Fold 6

Known tipster ICE CAT has posted some "exclusive information" on X today, claiming that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 will launch as the thinnest foldable in the world. At 3.9mm when open and just 8.9mm when folded, the Z Fold 7 would beat both the Honor Magic V3 and the Oppo Find N5 (just about).

https://twitter.com/UniverseIce/status/1919997501807198212?t=_6HdXb-jxJHz4v6Fn5K2VA&s=19

Read more