The first rotating smartphone, introduced by Motorola, and the first foldable laptop, introduced by Lenovo, both caused a stir at this year’s Mobile World Congress. Behind the scenes, however, things are getting a little more exciting as Lenovo’s CEO confirmed in an interview that a new Razr 2023 is coming to customers.
CEO Yuanqing Yang said the phone would be available “very soon,” but provided few other details. While the rest of the world has been trying out a new Razr phone nearly every year since the first reboot in 2019, the United States has been lukewarm when it comes to the 2022 model.
Yang told CNBC that the device would be released soon and that the next-generation Razr would be “much better” and feature an enhanced elevator design. An improved coupling not only improves durability and reliability but can also completely change the appearance of the folding screen, which can make a wrinkle less visible.
The availability of foldable phones was a major focus for Asian smartphone manufacturers. A foldable smartphone from Samsung or any other major brand has not yet been released, so Americans can’t get that look just yet. This year has the potential to be a watershed year for foldable phones; OnePlus has already announced that it will release the world’s first such device. How much money the United States will make is still a mystery, but there are a growing number of fantastic foldable smartphone options.
Again, there’s not much to go on with the upcoming Motorola Razr, but we got lucky and may have seen the design thanks to a leak that occurred last week. The new Razr, if the leaked photos are to be believed, will feature a redesigned body and a massive display up front. The Oppo Find N2 Flip and the Samsung Z Flip 4 will both fit comfortably in this design. Interesting as it may be, we’ll have to keep wondering.