Foldable touch screen, healthy dose of nostalgia. 5G?

We’re decidedly on the fence about folding phones. It seems like the solution to a problem no one needs solved.

Unless, of course, you’re talking about the Motorola Razr V3. We’ll forgive anything for the Razr.

Lenovo, which owns Motorola, teased its return a year ago. Now, the uber-popular cult classic folding phone will possibly debut as early as February during the World Mobile Congress.

That timing makes sense. Rivals Samsung, Xaomi, and Huawei will all likely unveil folding devices at the trade show.

But Motorola has two things that those rivals don’t: an iconic design to play with, and certifiable nostalgia.

What would a Razr look like in 2019? So far we’ve only seen glimpses of a few spec patent drawings.

Photo: World International Property Organization

It’s a distinctive Razr design that clearly harkens back to the original with its clamshell housing. Extremely cool, but hard to fully visualize as a smart phone.

Luckily, our friends at Yanko Design whipped up a concept based on these drawings. Check out their renders.

Photo: Yanko Design
A rendering of Motorola's new Razr
Photo: Yanko Design

Look, I’m not at all sold on the potential for folding touch screen phones, but there’s no denying that’s one sexy device.

Here’s another design concept by Tech Configurations. This one seemingly has less in common with Motorola’s patent drawings, but it’s gorgeous nonetheless.

Tech Configuration's Razr V4 Concept
Credit: Tech Configurations

Agonizingly little is known about the new Razr’s technical specs. The screen looks to have an atypical aspect ratio, and it looks like there’s an additional, smaller front display. I can’t wait to get a look at the hinge portion.

The patent drawings show a selfie camera notch, a single rear camera, but there’s no information yet about their capabilities.

With several screens to power, expect a top-end processor and a flagship portion of RAM. 5G is unlikely at this point, but it’s not off the table.

So what will it cost? Rumours indicate they may charge as much as $1,500, with a limited 200,000 unit production run. That puts it firmly in the realm of niche device for the obscenely loaded, but in line with the anticipated price of other folders (Samsung’s Galaxy X, for example, may cost $1,800.)

That said, I’d caution everyone to wait and see. Considering how the revamped Nokia 3310 took off, Motorola might do pretty well if they keep the price point accessible.

Remember, in 2005 absolutely everyone had a Razr V3.