Razr-sharp: Motorola's flip phone with folding screen coming in 2020

The UAE's mobile phone aficionados may have to wait a little longer than their US and European counterparts to get their hands on the all-new foldable Razr phone launched by Motorola at the Lenovo headquarters in Beijing on Thursday.
The smartphone maker, acquired by Lenovo Group in 2015, rolled back the years as it launched its flippable cellphone in a whole new avatar at an unveiling ceremony in the Chinese capital, held alongside a similar event in Los Angeles the same day.
Expected to be available at a starting price of $1,499 (Dh5,500) in the US and select European markets from early January next year, customers can pre-order the high-end smartphone from the middle of next month, Allison Yi, director of business development at Motorola, told Khaleej Times.
However, the phone's UAE and Middle East debut may still be a while away, according to Yi, who said the phone will be available in select countries in Asia, Latin America and Australia from early next year after its initial launch in US and Europe.
When asked of expected sale volumes, Yi said that her team was hoping to create a "wave first" with a phone her team described as "revolutionary piece of art".
The Razr, a fashion icon that defined a part of pop culture in the early 2000s, is the first-ever clamshell-style flexible display smartphone that folds completely, bringing an instantly familiar yet totally unique, mobile consumer experience.
"We set out to understand how flexible screens could improve the way people use their smartphones. So, Motorola developed and tested over 20 different prototypes during initial consumer research phases," Yi said, talking about its new "zero-gap hinge" phone that also lets users stay connected even without opening the phone and make calls, reply to messages, pay with a tap and take selfies, amongst other things.
THE LOWDOWN: Motorola Razr
. Display: Main - Foldable 6.2" P-OLED, 2142 x 876; external - 2.7" G-OLED, 800 x 600
. Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 710, octa-core; Adreno 616
. Platform: Android 9 Pie
. RAM: 6GB
. Storage: 128GB, non-expandable
. Main camera: 16MP (f/1.7), HDR, panorama
. Front camera: 5MP (f/2.0)
. Biometrics: Fingerprint (no face unlock)
. Battery: 2510mAh, up to 36h
. I/O: USB-C (no 3.5mm audio)
. Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS
. Price: $1,499 (Dh5,500)
- abhishek@khaleejtimes.com

The new Motorola Razr during its launch event in Beijing on Thursday.