We always assumed we'd see a new Motorola Razr this year, but now the company has confirmed it, going as far as to say that the next version of the phone, likely to be called the Motorola Razr 2023, will launch "very soon." ." ."
This comes directly from Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang speaking to CNBC(Opens in a new tab) during MWC 2023, so we're inclined to believe it. That said, the Motorola Razr 2022 only landed in August of last year, so it seems a bit early for a new model.
Will Motorola release the 2023 Razr less than a year after the 2022 Razr, or is it "very soon" further away than it seems? We are not sure.
Yang also said "I think it's a lot better" compared to the 2022 Razr, so it sounds like the 2023 Motorola Razr could get some significant upgrades. Details of these updates have not been revealed, but apparently the improvements will focus on the hinge and apps.
Beyond that, Yang said that the reception of the Razr line "is good" and that "as the technology matures, the price could come down, then more volume can be generated."
In other words, foldable phones are likely to become more affordable over time, which could make them more mainstream, a sentiment shared by Oppo's president of overseas sales and service Billy Zhang when we spoke to him at the MWC on the possibility of making them more affordable. foldable in the future. However, there is no indication that the 2023 Razr will be cheaper than last year's version.
Analysis: How could the Motorola Razr 2023 improve?
Yang's mention of hinge improvement likely means we'll see improvements in durability and a reduction in screen crease. That said, in our review of the Motorola Razr 2022, we noted that it barely had a crease on the screen anyway, so there's not much more work to be done here.
As for the mention of apps, that probably means the focus is on taking advantage of the foldable form factor for apps. Offer custom features and modes that require a foldable screen to use.
However, we would also like to see other improvements. We found that the cameras, and especially the photo post-processing, needed work on the 2022 Razr, and overall performance wasn't quite as smooth as expected given the higher-end specs. Let's hope Motorola pays attention to these areas as well; You'll need it if you want your next fin to become our pick of the best foldables to buy, that's for sure.
If so, it could be a serious competitor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, which is coming in August and is likely to be the most popular foldable phone of the year.