Motorola Razr 2022 - everything we know so far Tom's Guide Skip to main content Tom's Guide is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. Motorola Razr 2022 - everything we know so far By Jordan Palmer published 16 August 2022 Motorola's next foldable takes some good, small steps forward (Image credit: Moto) After a minor delay, the Motorola Razr 2022 has finally debuted in China. We do not have all the details yet, but it looks like a full-fledged flagship and compares favorably against the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. It might even earn a spot on the best foldable phones list - if it ever gets a global launch. Rumors suggested top-tier specs, and we did get some. The phone is available with up to 12GB of RAM and features an impressive camera and CPU. Plus, Motorola removed the signature chin from the phone, slimming it down. While it was not a massive step forward, Motorola corrected some of the underwhelming aspects of the first Razr and Razr 5G. Here's what we know about the Motorola Razr 2022. Motorola Razr 2022 key points updated August 16 The Motorola Razr 2022 launched in China on August 11The phone is currently limited to China, but we are getting hints that a global release is comingThis new generation features a sleeker design and a brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip, but otherwise is only a slight upgrade over the previous generationMotorola Razr 2022's specs and price point put it in direct competition with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Motorola Razr 2022 launch date Motorola had revealed what looked like the Motorola 2022's launch date, with an event scheduled in China for August 2. That would have been a full week ahead of the August 10 launch date for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, the two Samsung foldables expected to appear at the next Galaxy Unpacked event. From our perspective, it looked like Motorola was trying to get the jump on Samsung and steal some of the company's thunder. As it turns out, though, Motorola had to postpone the August 2 debut of the Motorola Razr 2022, with the cancellation coming just hours before the event. It's widely suspected that tensions in Asia - Chinese officials are angry that U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is visiting Taiwan - may have pushed back the phone's launch. The good news is, that the phone has finally launched - at least in China. Motorola held its launch event today on its website and on Weibo and confirmed that for now the phone will be limited to China. While there is no officially announced plan for a global launch, there are some hints that a global launch is coming. Smartphone analyst Abhishek Yadav (opens in new tab) discovered that the Razr 2022 was issued a TDRA certification by the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). Lenovo (Motorola's parent company) would only need to apply for this if it was planning on releasing the phone in the U.A.E., so this indicates that at least a partial global launch is coming. Motorola Razr 2022 design (Image credit: 91mobiles / Evan Blass) Motorola made a significant improvement with the Razer 2022 by removing the "chin" at the bottom of the phone. A leak from Evan Blass over at 91Mobiles had suggested that Motorola would do exactly that, so we were not taken aback when the Razr 2022 debuted with a sleeker look than its predecessors. (Image credit: Evan Blass) In fact, a subsequent video posted by Blass that appeared to show the Motorola Razr 2022 in action seems to have been spot on. The video showed the prominent chin of past models removed and replaced with a full-screen effect when the phone is opened. Motorola also got rid of the notch that housed the front camera and replaced it with a punch hole cutout. On the outside of the phone, a 2.7-inch exterior display takes up most of the front cover space. The Razr 2022 was rumored to be available in two color options: Tranquil Blue and Quartz Black. So far only the Quartz Black is available. Motorola Razr 2022 displays (Image credit: Moto) The previous Razr phones were clamshell foldables, and the Razr 2022 did not deviate from that design. The Razr 2022 features a 6.7-inch FHD+ internal display with a 144Hz refresh rate. The exterior display is 2.7-inches, which is significantly bigger that the outer display on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. Motorola Razr 2022 specs and price (Image credit: Motorola) Initial reports suggested that the Razr 2022 would offer true flagship specs by running on a top-of-the-line chip, and that is exactly what happened. The Motorola Razr 2022 does feature a state-of-the-art Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, which a teaser ad posted to Weibo by a Motorola executive strongly hinted that it would. This is a significant step up over the Snapdragon 710 in the Razr (2019) and the Snapdragon 765G in the Razr 5G. It finally puts Motorola's foldable in contention with other flagship phones, at least in terms of processing power. (Image credit: Weibo) There are three RAM and storage configurations. The 128GB and 256GB models come with 8GB of RAM, and the 512GB model comes with 12GB of RAM. The 128GB version will cost CNY 5,999, which is roughly $890 and the 256GB will cost just CNY 500 more (approximately $965). For the 12GB RAM/512GB storage option you'll have to drop CNY 7,299 which translates to about $1,083. This is a lot more choice than the previous Razr, which only came in 8GB/256GB. One other feature that XDA (opens in new tab) reported on was that the Razr 2022 would come with ultra-wideband support. This feature allows for tracking things or unlocking supported cars. UWB is a feature that more and more flagship phones will have in the coming years. It remains to be seen if this feature was included in the launched phone. We also know that the Motorola Razr 2022 will not run on Android 12L. 12L was a version of Android meant for foldables, but it has since been folded into Android 12.1. Expect the Razr 2022 to ship with Android 12. Motorola Razr 2022 cameras Another Motorola Razr 2022 leak from Evan Blass said to expect a 50MP f/1.8 main sensor, backed up by a 13MP ultra-wide camera and macro sensor. The specs that Motorola unveiled for its cameras match this for the most part, though some details have yet to be revealed. There is also a 32MP under-display selfie camera. These cameras could make the Razr 2022 a better camera phone than the Galaxy Z Flip 4, though megapixels aren't everything. Without hands-on testing, it's tough to make a final determination. But the initial thoughts are that these cameras are much more on par with the Fold 4 than the Flip 4. As for video, TechnikNews (opens in new tab) says the Razr 2022 will be able to record up to 4K at 60 fps on the rear and front cameras. The rear camera will also record slo-mo video at 1080p 120 fps, supposedly. This was not confirmed at launch, but it would not be a surprise for the Razr to meet those expectations Motorola Razr 2022 What we d like to see (Image credit: Motorola) Better battery life: The original Motorola Razr has pathetically bad battery life with its measly 2,510 mAh battery. Even the Galaxy Z Flip 3 struggles with battery life with its 3,300 mAh power pack. If the Razr 2022 adds a 120Hz display, it'll need a bigger battery to compensate. It remains to be seen how the Razr 2022 battery stacks up against the competition Better value proposition: When the first Razr launched, it was very expensive for mid-tier specs. While the phone is unfortunately limited to China, for now, the roughly $890 starting price puts it over $100 below the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. Better build quality: For its price, we thought the first Razr felt cheap. For the next one, we hope Motorola fixes this. The Flip 2022, for example, feels very nice. Foldables have come a long way, and we hope Motorola is able to keep pace. Without getting our hands on the device, it is tough to say if Motorola really improved the build quality. Stronger cameras: The first Razr had a single 16MP rear camera and it wasn't good. We hope the Razr 2022's cameras are more competitive. The Motorola Razr 2022 comes with three cameras, including a 50-megapixel main camera and a 13MP ultra-wide camera. The under-display selfie camera is 32MP, which is significantly better than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, and on par with the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Better durability: The previous Motorola Razrs struggled with durability. To be fair, this is a general issue with foldables that has only recently gotten better. Still, we hope that the Razr 2022 is at least as sturdy as the Galaxy Z Flip 34. But again, without getting our hands on the device, it is tough to say if Motorola really improved the durability.Today's best Samsung galaxy z flip 4 dealsPlansUnlockedGet $50 off this p... (opens in new tab)No contractSamsung Galaxy Z Flip4 (Installments (opens in new tab)Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 (Installments (opens in new tab)Free (opens in new tab) upfront$60.79/mth (opens in new tab)Unlimited minsUnlimitedtexts4GBdataCalls: Calls to MX & CA includedTexts: Messaging to MX & CA includedData: (slowed to 128kbps speeds) (opens in new tab)No contractUnlimited minsUnlimitedtexts4GBdataCalls: Calls to MX & CA includedTexts: Messaging to MX & CA includedData: (slowed to 128kbps speeds)View (opens in new tab)at Mint Mobile (opens in new tab)Free (opens in new tab) upfront$60.79/mth (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)at Mint Mobile (opens in new tab)Get $50 off this p... (opens in new tab)No contractSamsung Galaxy Z Flip4 (Installments (opens in new tab)Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 (Installments (opens in new tab)Free (opens in new tab) upfront$65.79/mth (opens in new tab)Unlimited minsUnlimitedtexts10GBdataCalls: Calls to MX & CA includedTexts: Messaging to MX & CA includedData: (slowed to 128kbps speeds) (opens in new tab)No contractUnlimited minsUnlimitedtexts10GBdataCalls: Calls to MX & CA includedTexts: Messaging to MX & CA includedData: (slowed to 128kbps speeds)View (opens in new tab)at Mint Mobile (opens in new tab)Free (opens in new tab) upfront$65.79/mth (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)at Mint Mobile (opens in new tab)Get $50 off this p... (opens in new tab)No contractSamsung Galaxy Z Flip4 (Installments (opens in new tab)Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 (Installments (opens in new tab)Free (opens in new tab) upfront$70.79/mth (opens in new tab)Unlimited minsUnlimitedtexts15GBdataCalls: Calls to MX & CA includedTexts: Messaging to MX & CA includedData: (slowed to 128kbps speeds) (opens in new tab)No contractUnlimited minsUnlimitedtexts15GBdataCalls: Calls to MX & CA includedTexts: Messaging to MX & CA includedData: (slowed to 128kbps speeds)View (opens in new tab)at Mint Mobile (opens in new tab)Free (opens in new tab) upfront$70.79/mth (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)at Mint Mobile (opens in new tab)We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Be In the Know Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Jordan PalmerPhones EditorJordan is the Phones Editor for Tom's Guide, covering all things phone-related. He's written about phones for over six years and plans to continue for a long while to come. He loves nothing more than relaxing in his home with a book, game, or his latest personal writing project. Jordan likes finding new things to dive into, from books and games to new mechanical keyboard switches and fun keycap sets. Outside of work, you can find him poring over open-source software and his studies. Topics Motorola Smartphones See all comments (1) 1 Comment Comment from the forums brian.m85 Using the RAZR 5g for a few days the battery isn't atrocious. I moved to this phone from the Pixel 5 and the OnePlus 7 before then. They all get through the day fine. Spec wise the RAZR 5g has nearly identical specs to the Pixel 5 with a smaller battery and different screens. Historically Motorola Android builds have seemed lighter than the Samsung builds. And it doesn't have all the passive AI tasks running that my Pixel 5 runs. Reply View All 1 Comment MOST READMOST SHARED1House of the Dragon episode 8 release date and time - how to watch online right now2Amazon AU's Big Smile Sale sale is live: these are the best deals3Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5 specs leak right before Microsoft Surface event4Bengals vs Ravens live stream is tonight: How to watch Sunday Night Football online tonight5Apple October product launches - iPad Pro 2022, MacBook Pro M2 Pro and more1Amazon AU's Big Smile Sale sale is live: these are the best deals2Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5 specs leak right before Microsoft Surface event3Bengals vs Ravens live stream is tonight: How to watch Sunday Night Football online tonight4Apple October product launches - iPad Pro 2022, MacBook Pro M2 Pro and more5Amazon Prime Early Access Sale - best deals right now