Moto Razr 40 and Razr 40 Ultra: release date expectations and news

Name

We have known about Motorola’s upcoming foldable duo for quite some time now. We have also been aware of the fact that one of the smartphones would be geared towards more high-end users, while the other would serve as an entry-level option. Previously, most industry insiders expected the devices to come under the names ‘Moto Razr Lite’ and ‘Moto Razr Ultra’ respectively. It seems Motorola has dropped this strategy and has instead opted for a vanilla Moto Razr 40, and a Moto Razr 40 Ultra according to a recent leak brought forward by prominent tipster Evan Blass. Needless to say, the overall approach to the lineup has remained the same. The naming is all that has changed.

Release Date

The Moto Razr foldable lineup follows a rather haphazard release cycle as you can see from the table below. Luckily, we have some concrete leaks from credible sources that can help us give an adequate launch date estimate.

Model	Release Date
Moto Razr 2019 (1st Gen)	February 6h 2020
Moto Razr 2020 (2nd Gen)	September 15th 2020
Moto Razr 2022 (3rd Gen)	August 18th 2022
Moto Razr 40 and Moto Razr 40 Ultra	June 1st 2023*

*current expected release date, based on preliminary information

Evan Blass has gone so far as to pinpoint the exact launch date. According to him, we can expect the Moto Razr 40 and Moto Razr 40 Ultra to both be unveiled on June 1st 2023, with availability beginning shortly afterwards. This looks increasingly likely as Lenovo, Motorola’s parent company, went on record in March 2023 stating that the next Moto Razr is coming ‘very soon’. Hence, a release in Summer 2023 seems probable.

Price

Price is always a tricky subject when it comes to foldables. While the first iteration of the Moto Razr was wildly expensive, subsequent generations have gradually chipped away at its price, with the trend projected to continue.

Model	Price at Launch
Moto Razr (1st Gen)	$1499 (Base Configuration, 6GB+128GB)
Moto Razr (2nd Gen)	$1399 (Base Configuration, 8GB+256GB)
Moto Razr (3rd Gen)	€1199 (Base Configuration, 8GB+128GB)

According to a recent rumor, the 8GB+256GB version of the premium Moto Razr 40 Ultra will cost about €1200. We are currently not entirely certain whether that will be the base configuration. That being said, Motorola buyers will still be getting more bang for their buck in 2023. Additionally, while we have no reliable information on the exact price of the vanilla Moto Razr 40, odds are it will be a fair bit cheeper than its high-end counterpart. Some dubious leaks indicate a starting price as low as $800, but we would take those with a pinch of salt.

Camera

As per the recent spec leak, we expect the Moto Razr 40 to come equipped with a primary 12MP Sony IMX563 shooter, a secondary 13MP SK Hynix Hi1336 camera and a 32MP selfie camera. Historically, the camera has never been the strong suit of the Moto Razr lineup, so it will be interesting to see if Motorola can step up its game in that department. For the time being, we only have details on the Ultra’s camera module, but as soon as we know more about the one found on the vanilla Moto Razr 40, we will update this article accordingly.

Storage

Over the last couple of generations, the Moto Razr lineup has conformed to the industry standards when it comes to RAM and internal storage and we do not expect the company to break the pattern this year. The aforementioned spec leak shed light on the fact that the Moto Razr 40 Ultra will likely cap out at 12GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal storage. As previously established, the base values remain unknown. Additionally, the vanilla Moto Razr 40 remains shrouded in mystery, for now at least, with no information on its storage options currently available.

Design

The design is probably one of the most interesting parts about any smartphone, the Moto Razr being no exception. This year, Motorola will present two foldable designs, both of which with a clamshell form factor. In fact, the main difference between the standard Moto Razr 40 and the Moto Razr 40 Ultra will likely be the design, and more specifically, the size and the layout of the cover screen.

While the vanilla model will be receiving a rather small secondary display, the cover screen on the Moto Razr 40 Ultra is (supposedly) huge.

Moto Razr 40 Ultra, Image Credit – Evan Blass

Evan Blass has already shared official-looking images of the Moto Razr 40 Ultra. For the time being, we only have renders of the vanilla version, which are displayed below. It should be noted that they should be taken with a (healthy) bit of skepticism.

Moto Razr 40, Image Credit – @OnLeaks x @MySmartPrice

Display

The Moto Razr series has consistently flaunted some of the most cutting-edge (pun intended) displays on the market. This is set to continue with the Moto Razr 40 Ultra which will reportedly boast a 6.7-inch P-OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. The secondary screen should also feature the most advanced technology on the market.

The biggest question concerns the displays on the non-Ultra model. The Moto Razr 40 will almost certainly come with inferior panels, but we have yet to learn more about them, beyond the fact one will be significantly smaller.

Battery

Foldables have come a long way in terms of battery life, but there is still much to be desired. This is why Motorola has steadily tried to improve the battery life of the Razr across generations. The Moto Razr 40 Ultra could build upon this by introducing a 3640mAh battery. The capacity of the lower-end model is currently unknown.

Should I wait for the Moto Razr 40 and/or the Moto Razr 40 Ultra?

The Moto Razr 40 and the Moto Razr 40 Ultra look very promising on paper. Naturally, if you are in the market for a clamshell foldable, they might be of interest to you. While it is too early to recommend either of these devices, their launch is right around the corner, so waiting a bit for the official unveiling is not entirely unreasonable.