Motorola’s fourth swing in foldable Razr launched June 1 – Ars Technica

Motorola still isn’t giving up on the whole idea of ​​a flexible-screen Razr phone, and the company already has a fourth generation of the device coming. The launch date is already official, it’s been determined on June 1. The new Razr line includes all new-school phones that are about the size of a regular smartphone when opened, but when you’re done using them, the entire device, including the screen, folds in half, giving you a smaller square to fit in your pocket.

There are two models of the upcoming device, either the “Razr 40 Ultra” or the “Razr+”, and a cheaper model that may end up being called the Razr 40. Legendary leaker Evan Blass has been all over the release of this phone, and shared it Click on the pictures And other details, while MySmartPrice has leaks about the cheaper model. We don’t necessarily know every little difference between the two models, but the big difference would be in the cover display.

These foldables close often, so the external screen is very useful for the 100+ times a day you check your phone – it’s nice to look at it quickly without having to open the phone. The Ultra model sports as much front-facing display as possible, including wrapping around the two primary cameras that live in the lower-right corner of the front of the phone. Working around all that dead space will lead to some interesting software design decisions. At the same time, the cheaper model has a much smaller screen, similar to the first generation Galaxy Flip. It’s a tiny little thing to the left of the camera stack and can only display smartwatch-style widgets.

These smaller external screens are tough because they can’t run the normal Android interface, so apps that aren’t specifically designed for them won’t work. A video shared by Blass shows the front screen on the Ultra model showing the full Google keyboard with a single line of text entry, along with WhatsApp, Google Maps, a media player and a few other functions. I hesitate to call these “normal apps” because they’ve definitely been stripped down with a custom business interface. Google Maps, for example, strips out real estate widgets like the top and bottom bars and just shows a simplified interface. Motorola has presumably signed some deals with a few companies, and front screen compatibility will be limited.

XDA Developers has posted some specs for the Ultra model, which are a little weird. The spec sheet is led by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. That’s Qualcomm’s mid-2022 chip, and a generation behind the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, though Qualcomm didn’t deliver much improvement year-over-year. XDA has an internal screen listed at 120Hz, 2640 x 1080 pixels. The latest leak, from an Egyptian retailer, is on display 6.9 inches. The cover screen is roughly square 1066 x 1056 and about 3.5 inches wide. The Ultra model has 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a small bag for camera parts, listed as “Primary: 12MP Sony IMX563, Secondary: 13MP SK Hynix Hi1336, Selfie: 32 Megapixels OmniVision OV32B40.”

There is a fingerprint sensor somewhere, most likely in the power button, and NFC support. MySmartPrice hunted down FCC certification and found a 3,640mAh battery and 33W fast charging. These specs are all for the Ultra model only; The cheaper model doesn’t have a clear spec sheet yet.

The price will be a major concern, with some rumors pointing to $1,000. We’ll know more on June 1.

Listing image by Evan Blass