Flip or folding phones, popular in the early 2000s, are making a comeback. However, this time, these retro-looking phones come in the superpremium category, with brand new operating systems and compete with the very best of technology and design in the segment.
Earlier this week, Motorola created a splash in the niche segment by launching its iconic Razr flip phone in a new avatar in select markets.
Just days after the launch, reports emerged that Chinese tech giant Xiaomi, known for making budget smartphones, is working on a foldable phone. The first look of the Xiaomi foldable phone, which has Razr’s clamshell design, emerged through the company’s patent filing.
While it is not known when Xiaomi plans to launch its foldable phone, one can ascertain that the momentum this segment has been gathering in recent times is likely draw the attention of more players in the segment who may develop similar products.
Before Motorola, Korean phone maker Samsung had launched its Galaxy Fold at the Mobile World Congress 2019. The phone maker is reportedly planning to showcase one more during the 2020 edition of the same event.
This time, the design is expected to look a lot like a clamshell, unlike the Galaxy Fold, which is more of a smartphone-tablet mix. Samsung recently launched the Fold in some countries including India. The phone comes at a price tag of Rs 1.65 lakh.
The other premium phone in the folding phone segment is Huawei Mate X. The Mate X will go on sale in China this week; however, there is no word on the global availability yet, including in India.
Motorola has confirmed that the new Razr will launch in India, but has not yet revealed its pricing for the Indian market. The new Razr is expected to cost above Rs 1 lakh in the country.
Features
Regarding the specifications, the Galaxy Fold offers a large 7.3-inch AMOLED display. The smartphone houses a superior octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC, coupled with 12GB RAM, 512GB of onboard storage and a 4,380mAh battery. The smartphone, like Galaxy Note X, is stacked with six cameras. There’s an outer selfie 10MP camera and two inner selfie 10MP and 8MP sensors. On the back are the 12MP standard, 16MP ultra wide-angle, and 12MP telephoto sensors.
Razr, on the other hand, is powered by a modest Snapdragon 710 processor instead of a flagship chipset. It comes with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal memory.
Camera-wise, it gets a single 16MP main camera on the cover display, which is take selfies when the device is folded. The phone also sports a 5MP camera above the flexible display when unfolded.