The Motorola Razr (pronounced like "razor"), sometimes stylized motorola razr, is a brand of mobile phones manufactured by Motorola Mobility (previously Motorola, now a division of Lenovo), currently consisting of foldable smartphones.
The Razr name was introduced with the V3 model (then styled RAZR, also MOTORAZR) in 2004, which became extremely popular. The line was succeeded by the Motorola Razr2 flip phones in 2007. The Razr later evolved into a line of non-clamshell devices in 2011, Droid Razr (known simply as the "Motorola RAZR" on non-Verizon networks), bearing design similarities to the originals. Razr was revived again in 2019, this time evolving into a line of all-screen clamshell foldables that continues to this day.
First generation - Razr V3 (2004-2007)
The Razr V3 was introduced in 2004 and became wildly popular. Motorola released several upgraded versions, including the Razr V3x in 2005 (which featured 3G connectivity), the Razr V3i, and the Razr v3xx in 2006, along with various variants. Motorola also released the Motorola RAZR maxx V6.
Second generation - Razr2 (2007-2009)
The Razr2 was the successor to the Razr series. The Razr2 was 2 mm thinner than its predecessor but slightly wider. Some versions featured Motorola's MotoMagx operational platform, based on the MontaVista Linux OS. The Razr2 was available on every US carrier, and EVDO, GSM, and HSDPA versions were released by late 2007. The Razr2 line consisted of 4 models: V8, V9, V9m, and V9x.
The phone improved picture quality, speed, and multimedia capabilities over the original Razr. It also featured an external screen with touch-sensitive buttons, which allowed users to use some of the phone's features without opening it, and Motorola's CrystalTalk technology to improve call quality and help reduce background noise. Different color variants were released, including a Luxury Edition and a Ferrari Edition.
However, Razr2 sales were not as strong as those of the original V3 series, as consumers moved to competing products. Because Motorola relied so long upon the Razr and its derivatives and was slow to develop new products in the growing market for feature-rich touchscreen and 3G phones, the Razr appeal declined, leading Motorola to drop behind Samsung eventually and LG in market share for mobile phones. Motorola's strategy of grabbing market share by selling tens of millions of low-cost Razrs cut into margins and resulted in heavy losses in the cellular division. The cell phone division became part of Motorola Mobility in 2011 as a result of the Motorola split.
Third generation - Droid Razr (2011-2013)
The Razr brand returned in 2011 with the introduction of the Motorola Droid Razr smartphone (the "Droid" name only used by Verizon in the USA). The line shared its trademark thinness and stylized tapered corners with the original. The line included: Droid Razr, flagship successor of the Droid Bionic Droid Razr Maxx, variant with a larger battery Motorola Razr V, a cheaper Droid Razr released in Canada Droid Razr HD, new flagship introduced in 2012 Droid Razr Maxx HD, variant with a larger battery Droid Razr M, same internals as Droid Razr HD but in a smaller body Motorola RAZR i, variant with an Intel Atom-powered chip and no 4G Motorola Razr D1 and D3, entry-level products released in Brazil in 2013
The Droid Razr HD and Droid Razr M were succeeded by the Droid MAXX and Droid Mini, respectively.
Fourth generation - Razr foldable smartphones (2019-present) The Razr was revived again in 2020 with the release of the Razr foldable smartphone (flip phone) with a flexible folding interior display, styled after the clamshell form factor of the original models. Announced in November 2019, the new Razr has a design reminiscent of the classic Razr V3. A full successor did not come out until 2022 and since then Motorola has annually updated this series of new Razr foldables. The line includes:
Clamshell-style foldables +GenerationAnnouncedModel nameModel name in the US and CanadaExterior material/finishExterior displayRazr 2020November 2019Motorola Razr (2020)Glass and aluminium2.7" AMOLEDSeptember 2020Motorola Razr 5GGlass and aluminium2.7" AMOLEDRazr 2022August 2022Motorola Razr (2022)Glass and aluminium2.7" AMOLEDRazr 40June 2023Motorola Razr 40Motorola RazrSynthetic leather and aluminum1.5" AMOLEDMotorola Razr 40 UltraMotorola Razr+Glass or synthetic leather3.6" pOLEDRazr 50June 2024Motorola Razr 50Motorola Razr 2024Synthetic leather and aluminum3.6" pOLEDMotorola Razr 50 UltraMotorola Razr+ 2024Synthetic leather and aluminum4.0" LTPO flexible AMOLEDRazr 60April 2025Motorola Razr 60Motorola Razr 2025Matte plastic and aluminum3.6" pOLEDMotorola Razr 60 PlusMotorola Razr Plus 2025Textured plastic and aluminum3.6" pOLEDMotorola Razr 60 UltraMotorola Razr Ultra 2025Synthetic microfiber and aluminum4.0" LTPO flexible AMOLEDRazr 70April 2026Motorola Razr 70Motorola Razr 2026Ceramic-coated glass and aluminum3.8" pOLEDMotorola Razr 70 PlusMotorola Razr Plus 2026Synthetic leather and aluminum3.8" pOLEDMotorola Razr 70 UltraMotorola Razr Ultra 2026Wood or synthetic microfiber4.0" LTPO flexible AMOLED
Book-style foldables In March 2026, the Motorola Razr Fold was announced which marks Motorola's first book-style foldable rather than clamshell-style foldable as the rest of the Razr line.
See also
Motorola StarTAC Samsung Galaxy Z series Star Trek Communicator (1964) Grillo telephone (1965)
References
External links
Motorola Razr V3 Motorola Razr V3 Blue Motorola Razr V3i Motorola Razr V3i DG Motorola Razr V3im Motorola Razr V3m Motorola Razr V3c Motorola Razr V3x Motorola Razr V3xx
Reviews Motorola Razr Reviews – CNET.com.au