The Motorola Razr Plus 2024 might look the same, but this new leak gets me excited
What you need to know
A retailer leak of the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra reveals the possible configuration and pricing of the foldable.
The phone may launch globally with a 12GB+512GB configuration, an increase from the 8GB+256GB configuration of the current model in most markets.
The phone is listed at €1200, which closely matches the launch price of the Razr 40 Ultra.
Motorola just announced the new Moto Stylus 5G 2024, which looks like a sweet upgrade with a pretty drastic design change. But if rumors and leaks of the Razr Plus 2024 (aka the Razr 50 Ultra) are to be believed, we may not have to look forward to a new design for Motorola's upcoming foldable flagship. But who needs a new design when the latest leak points to some welcome internal upgrades?
A publication obtained a screenshot of some retail listings of the Razr 50 Ultra, which gives us a good look at the configuration and expected pricing (via 9to5Google). The next Razr will be offered with 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB on the current model, and 512GB of storage, double that of the Razr 40 Ultra.
While the Razr 40 Ultra was largely available in the singular 8GB+256GB configuration in global markets, including the U.S., the phone was offered with a model featuring 12GB of RAM and 512GB in China.
With the improved specs, we might expect the phone to cost more than its predecessor, but that might not be the case if the leak is accurate. The retail listing shows the Razr 50 Ultra priced at €1200, which is around the same launch price as its predecessor. Naturally, one might expect the U.S. price to be directly converted, but if last year's pricing scheme is followed, then the Razr Plus 2024 may stick to the same $999 price tag.
Lastly, the listing reveals available color options, which include Blue, Green, and Peach Puzz.
The presence of a retail listing, along with other leaks we've seen of the phone, all point to an imminent launch of Motorolas next foldable, although the company has yet to announce when that will happen.
It's what's on the inside that counts
There's a lot that can be taken from this leak, especially when you consider previous leaks of the Motorola Razr Plus 2024. We've seen that the device may likely retain the same design as the current model, which suggests that Motorola may focus on refining the experience with internal upgrades rather than spending time and money to drastically alter its looks.
And honestly, I'm perfectly okay with that.
I'm a big fan of the Motorola Razr Plus; in fact, I've been using it as my main driver since it was launched. It has great performance despite the older chipset and "only" having 8GB of RAM, and the design really stands out among other flip phones, particularly the more angular Galaxy Z Flip 5. There's not much I would change about the design other than the fact that I wish it were wider and not as tall, but that's honestly a pretty minor gripe for me.
The biggest changes need to happen internally. We don't know what chipset will power the Razr Plus 2024, but Motorola shouldn't rely on last year's chip and the same configuration if it wants to stay truly competitive. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 will likely launch this year with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and all the generative AI goodies that Samsung and Google have been touting all year long. Motorola should take advantage of the AI capabilities of the latest chip and beat Samsung to the punch with a decked-out flip phone.
Plus, 12GB seems to be the sweet spot for on-device generative AI features on smartphones, which is why it's taking so long to reach the Pixel 8.
Not only would it potentially match or even exceed the Galaxy in terms of power, but Motorola already has the upper hand with a better cover screen experience. I have a feeling things may play out the same this time around, with Samsung inexplicably limiting the Galaxy Z Flip 6 cover screen.
Of course, there are other upgrades I would love to see, like a better camera and a larger battery, so hopefully, shifting the focus away from design will give Motorola ample opportunity to focus on the upgrades we really want.
This is a strategy that Samsung has been holding onto for years. Very little changed between the Z Flip 3 and Z Flip 4, and the only major change with the Z Flip 5 was the enlarged cover screen. Samsung took a winning formula and continued to iterate, refusing to rock the boat with any jarring changes and instead giving consumers features and upgrades they wanted each year, like water resistance, a larger cover screen, and bigger batteries.
Motorola struggled with early iterations of the Razr, but the company has found a winning formula with the Razr Plus 2023. Recent numbers show that the company is gaining in the global foldable market as one of the biggest players, which says a lot for a company that only sells one type of foldable phone. Motorola needs to hold onto that momentum and prove that it can keep up with Samsung, even if that means using a similar playbook.
