New Motorola Razr Patent Shows How It Will Fold

The return of the Motorola Razr has got retro phone fans excited already. Now, the discovery of patents relating to a Motorola folding phone give us additional insight into what might be going on with the new design.

Credit: WIPO

(Image credit: WIPO)

The patent on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) database, found by 91Mobiles (via The Verge), has several different drawings of the phone, showing a full-length folding screen surrounded by a modified but still familiarly Razr shape.

The patent also reveals a camera and smaller display on the back of the device and the clamshell form factor, another key part of the famous design.

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It does feature a notch at the top of the screen, however, bringing the design forward to the present (or at least 2018) instantly.

Also new alongside the folding screen is a fingerprint sensor, found on the back of the phone’s lower shell. After all, there’s no sense ignoring other developments in phone tech in recent years even if you’re aiming for a retro look.

The phone world’s excitement for a new Razr began last week, where a Wall Street Journal report said the name was being revived for a $1,500 folding phone to be sold exclusively by Verizon in the US for a limited run of 200,000 units.

We could see this device in real life as soon as next month, according to the WSJ’s report, and then figure out how close to the real thing is to the forward and backward-looking design we see above.

Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.