(Pocket-lint) – Motorola chose not to refresh its foldable Razr phone in 2021, instead, waiting until 2022 to bring us a drastic update. This means it’s been a long while since we’ve seen an entry into the Razr lineup and, understandably, Moto fans are anxious to see what’s in store with the latest version.
This is everything we have heard about the Motorola Razr 3, including when it might be released, what it might offer and how it might improve on the 2020 model.
Motorola Razr 3 release date and price
- July/August 2022 in China
- European and global release shortly after
- €1,149 / £1,149
The Razr 3 is expected to launch in China first, with other markets following shortly afterwards. We’re expecting a Chinese launch in the July or August months of 2022.
The last Razr phone launched in September 2022, while the first debuted in November 2019. It could be possible that we see a global release date in September for the Razr 3, too.
The Razr 3 is said to have a European MSRP of €1,149 – this is significantly cheaper than the Razr 5G, which launched at €1,399. In the UK, the Razr 5G also carried a £1,399 MSRP, so we might expect a 1:1 exchange rate here, too, putting the UK price at £1,149.
Design
- No chin
- Power button fingerprint sensor
- Only available in Quartz Black initially
The design has changed quite significantly since the last generation. Deviating from the classic retro looks and becoming more akin to the popular Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3.
The distinctive chin has been removed, allowing the inner display to extend to the entire length of the device.
The fingerprint sensor has moved, too, now residing on the power button. On the last phone, it was situated on the rear, whereas the original Razr placed it on the chin. In our experience, neither placement was ideal, so this could prove to be a much more convenient location.
Hello, Maven. pic.twitter.com/xV7SbQYzrx
— Ev (@evleaks) May 24, 2022
The Razr 3 will be available in Quartz Black only at launch, though, we might see other colours later. Some rumours said there would be a blue variant, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see one appearing at a later date.
Display
- 6.7-inch foldable display
- FHD+ resolution
- 3-inch external display
The display sizes have increased on the Razr 3, both for the internal display and the external.
Supply chain analyst, Ross Young, suggests that the Razr 3 will feature a 6.7-inch foldable display, up from 6.2-inches on the Razr 5G.
The external display will be 3-inches, rather than 2.7-inches on its predecessor.
Since the next Motorola Razr image has leaked, I can say it will have a 6.7″ foldable display rather than the 6.2″ on the Razr 5G. It will be made by China Star. The cover display will expand from 2.7″ to ~3″.
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) May 13, 2022
The internal display is thought to have an FHD+ resolution and it will feature a hole-punch camera cutout, rather than the sizable notch found on the Razr 5G.
Hardware and specs
- Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
- 12GB RAM
- 512GB Storage
Rumours point to the Razr 3 running on the latest and greatest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, along with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
We may see multiple variations, perhaps a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 model with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, though there is some uncertainty here.
Either way, it’s nice that we’ll be seeing proper flagship specs on the new Razr as the mid-tier processor was a pain point on previous models.
Cameras
- 50MP f1.8 primary camera
- 13MP wide-angle
- 32MP punch-hole selfie camera
For cameras, we’re expecting a 50MP main shooter with an f1.8 aperture, this should be complemented by a 13MP wide-angle.
The selfie camera is expected to be 32MP, and as we mentioned, it’ll be a hole-punch design, rather than a notch.
The camera on previous models was another weak spot, so we’re hoping that Motorola steps things up with this generation. At the very least, we’ll get an additional lens, as the Razr 5G only had a solitary snapper.
Motorola Razr 3 rumours: What’s happened?
This is everything we have heard so far about the Motorola Razr 3.
17 June 2022: New leak reveals Motorola Razr 3 pricing and colour options
Supposedly, the Razr 3 will retail for €1,149 in Europe – a significant drop compared to its predecessor’s €1,339 MSRP. It will only be available in Quartz BLack at launch.
23 May 2022: Moto Razr 3 to be equipped with flagship Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor?
In its teaser – shared on Weibo by its general manager – the poster has a simple message ‘Hello Moto, hello Snapdragon 8+’, with what looks like the silhouette of a folding smartphone beneath it.
9 May 2022: The Motorola Razr 3 will have bigger screens, inside and out
Notable display industry analyst, Ross Young, says we can expect both screens on the Razr to increase in size, with the internal screen now set to match that found on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3.
9 May 2022: Could this be our first glimpse of the Motorola Razr 3?
A pair of images have surfaced depicting what looks like the next Motorola Razr phone.
28 March 2022: Moto Razr 3 could come with 512GB of storage
In a post to the social media site, Weibo, one of the company’s executives shared that it intends to launch more Moto phones with 512GB storage this year, specifically citing foldable devices.
11 January 2022: Motorola Razr 3 could run on Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
An XDA developers story reveals that the next Razr could feature flagship processing power.
20 December 2021: A Motorola Razr 3 foldable phone is in the works, Lenovo exec confirms
Motorola is working on a Motorola Razr 3, as confirmed by a Lenovo executive Chen Jin on the Chinese social media platform Weibo.
Writing by Luke Baker.
