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The Motorola Razr 2020
(Image credit: Future)
We may have a better idea of what’s in store with the Motorola Razr 2022, the third version of the clamshell foldable that first launched in 2019 – and this latest leak comes straight from one of the executives at Motorola.
Qualcomm just unveiled the Snapdragon Gen 8+ Gen 1 mobile processor, and Motorola general manager Shen Jin has posted an image promoting the new chip on Weibo (opens in new tab) (via Notebookcheck (opens in new tab)). According to the post text, there’s a hidden Easter egg in the image.
Look a little bit closer, and you can make out the shape of a foldable phone down at the bottom of the picture – is this the Easter egg that’s being referred to? The implication is that the latest CPU could make its way into the Razr 2022.
Chips with everythingWe wouldn’t exactly take this as confirmation right now, even given the quality and standing of the source. The Motorola Razr 2020, the most recent one we’ve seen, arrived with a mid-range Snapdragon 765G processor, so it would be a significant jump up if Motorola was to include the best chipset around in this new version.
Other upgrades have been rumored as well however: there’s talk that the 2022 version of the foldable is going to come with more storage and with a better camera – so perhaps a processor upgrade could also be in the pipeline.
We shouldn’t have too long to wait to find out. While there haven’t been any specific leaks around a release date, we are expecting the next Razr to make an appearance at some point during the rest of 2022 – Motorola didn’t update this phone last year, so a refresh is now long overdue.
Analysis: Motorola could be ready to challenge SamsungThere are two more significant foldable phones launching in 2022 besides the Motorola Razr: namely, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. Like the Razr, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 will be using the clamshell form factor.
If the rumors that we’ve heard so far are true, then the Motorola Razr 2022 is ready to go head-to-head against the Galaxy Z Flip 4 in just about every metric that matters. With improved performance and better cameras, plus other upgrades that we assume are coming, the new Razr will be very much a premium phone.
When it comes to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor specifically, it is reportedly bringing with it up to 10% faster CPU performance, 10% faster GPU clock speeds and 20% better power efficiency for AI-related tasks. That’s compared to the flagship chip found in handsets such as the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
All these premium upgrades come with a cost though, of course: pricing is going to be a crucial part of how successful the Motorola Razr 2022 is in terms of sales. For comparison, the 2020 version of the handset cost a hefty $1,399 / £1,399 when it launched.
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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.
