MWC 2023: Motorola likely to launch foldable Razr smartphone this year

The Moto Razr 2022 packs a 3,500 mAh battery and supports 33W fast charging.

Motorola is gearing up to launch a new foldable smartphone in 2023. At Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023, the Lenovo-owned smartphone brand is all set to announce a new version of the Motorola Razr clamshell foldable smartphone later this year.

In an interview with Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang at MWC 2023, CNBC learnt that a new Razr smartphone would be arriving later in 2023. Yang said that the reception to the Moto Razr was good, and that Motorola would unveil the next iteration of the foldable smartphone soon. “I think it’s much better,” Yang said of the yet un-launched device.

Yang did not provide details about the upcoming Moto Razr smartphone. However, he did state that Motorola would focus on its hinge design to reduce the crease on the mobile’s screen. While there is no official release date, reports do suggest that it could debut sometime in the second quarter of 2023, in June.

At MWC 2023 in Barcelona, Motorola unveiled a new rollable smartphone concept called the Motorola Rizr.  The Rizr features a 5-inch P-OLED display with a 15:9 aspect ratio, which expands to a 6.5-inch screen with a 22:9 aspect ratio. The screen of this rollable handset wraps around the back and sides of the phone, allowing it to be used as a secondary display to reveal notifications, similar to the outer displays on regular clamshell folding smartphones.

The Moto Razr 2022 was the latest clamshell folding smartphone by Motorola. It arrived as Motorola’s first clamshell folding smartphone with a Snapdragon 8 series chip and brough several improvements over its predecessor. However, the Razr 2022 didn’t make it to international markets. The jury is still out on the Moto Razr 2023 but we will update you as soon as more details come in.