Motorola’s first foldable smartphone could rely on the Snapdragon 710 chipset from Qualcomm, according to a recent XDA-Developers report which reveals additional hardware details surrounding the device along with a Razr logo (seen above) which might be used for the smartphone’s branding in the future.
The source notes that even if the “Razr” branding will be involved in the smartphone’s marketing, the handset’s final name remains unknown. The device is in development and Lenovo’s subsidiary might still ponder on how it should present the smartphone to the public. Internally the device is said to be referred to as the “Voyager.”
Pioneering The Mid-Range Foldable Segment
According to preliminary hardware specifications listed in the recent report, Motorola’s first foldable phone will be powered by mid-range specifications. This includes the Snapdragon 710 chipset introduced by Qualcomm late last year, which comprises two Kryo 360 Gold CPU cores clocked at up to 2.2GHz, along with Four Kryo 360 Silver cores operating at a frequency of up to 1.7GHz.
The processor will reportedly be paired with 4GB or 6GB of RAM and the device will be offered in two storage configurations including 64GB and 128GB options. It’s unclear if storage can be expanded through a microSD card. Expandable storage is offered by the Huawei Mate X but it’s not available for the Samsung Galaxy Fold.
The foldable Motorola device should employ a 6.2-inch display with a resolution of 2,142 by 876, leading to a pixel density of roughly 373ppi and an unprecedented tall aspect ratio of 2.45:1. Unlike the other two main foldable phones unveiled this year by Samsung and Huawei, Motorola’s solution will be based on the clam-shell form factor, much like the original Razr feature phones of the last decade were.
Other hardware details include a 2,730mAh battery but the source notes this information may be outdated and the OEM could make use of a unit with a larger capacity. There’s also a secondary display with an unknown diagonal and a pixel count of 800 by 600. The panel is said to be limited in terms of Android OS functionality but should provide enough information (notifications) without having to flip the phone open. The secondary screen has also been reported to double as a trackpad for Google Chrome and offer additional controls for various basic apps and the Google Assistant.
Motorola’s Potential Impact On The Emerging Foldable Phone Scene
As yet the two main players in the foldable smartphone scene are Samsung and Huawei, but both OEMs have ventured into the “luxury” market segment with their high-cost foldable solutions powered by top-tier hardware including the Snapdragon 855 and HiSilicon 980 chipsets, respectively. Each of these foldable devices has a price tag hovering around the $2,000 mark.
In contrast, Motorola’s foldable Razr phone appears to be more subdued in terms of internal hardware as well as exterior design, and previous reports suggest that its foldable device could launch for around $1,500. This might allow the OEM to kickstart and capitalize on a foldable market area that doesn’t yet seem to exist, i.e., the mid-range foldable segment.
A recent study from Trend Force suggests that foldable devices will cover a very small market share for the next couple of years. But given Motorola’s apparent plans, devices like the upcoming Razr could increase the adoption rate of smartphones equipped with foldable screens, as long as they will offer access to the emerging display technology at a lower price point. This might convince more display manufacturers to equip their factories for foldable display manufacturing and the snowball effect could lead to lower production costs and more foldable phones being launched in the future.