- [Michael] The year is 2004, Facebook is launched
at Harvard University. Across town, the Boston Red
Sox win the World Series for the first time since 1918. Meanwhile I'm down in
Virginia driving what Cake? ♪ A white Chrysler La Baron ♪ (record scratching) - [Michael] Also in 2004,
Motorola releases a cell phone, it's harder to use, less
comfortable to hold, and more expensive than almost
any that came before it. Yet the Razr V3 becomes the best selling clamshell of all time. Because no one has ever
seen anything quite like it. Flash forward 16 years and it's surprising just how much the new
Motorola Razr has in common with it's progenitor. The aggressive lines, the pronounced chin, the single carrier exclusivity, there's even a retro mode
that emulates the original. - [Phone Voice] Hello moto. - [Michael] The trouble is it's still not a very good phone. But the question is
whether that will matter to the target audience. (driven tech music) Like it's forerunner, the Razr of 2020 is all about the look. Instead of a metallic keyboard and tiny plastic screen though, the chassis now supports
a full sized display that deploys to 6.2 inches. And, well, it's still made of plastic, we'll come back to that. But this means that when it's open it's a little narrower, a little taller than what you're probably used to, otherwise the Razr feels
like most Android phones. That includes performance, for years I've been pushing people to
look beyond the spec sheet and judge a device on its whole package. But I guarantee you right now there are comments down below
from people talking about how two-year-old processor
is a deal breaker 'cause you shouldn't pay
that much for old Silicon. Well, I've been using
the Razr for eight days and I've never felt like
I was waiting on it. I've never wished it was
even a little bit faster, and look, I'm a nerd. For the type of customer
the Razr is aimed at, the opposite of a nerd, the processors matters about as much as the bubble wrap the box comes in. As for design, this
chin down at the bottom may be divisive, but it
makes talking on the phone feel somehow more natural. And it offers a convenient
platform for the single speaker, antenna array, and the
finger print sensor. The finger print sensor is very good, it's quick and reliable. That single speaker,
eh, it could be louder. Where the Razr stands
out besides nostalgia is in how small it can become. Fold the flip down and the display curls into the hinge until it's fully enclosed
within the steel frame. And just like that, the phone
is literally half the size. It fits in chest pockets, sleeve pockets, even those little backpack compartments I use for business cards. And what's nice about
the Razr in particular is you can still make a lot of use out of it when it's closed. Moto display, just as handy today as when it was released in 2013. It lets you read and respond to messages, control your music, talk
to Google Assistant. While the Moto gestures
jump you into the flashlight with a chop, or the camera with a twist. And the Razr's problems begin there, rather, where it follows the formula of its forebear too closely. The 2004 model had a terrible camera, even for its time, and
um, so does this one. Slow to focus, drab color science, just a single focal length. Folks I'd take you through
a whole roll of samples like usual but the simple fact is the camera is so lack luster that I preferred not to
used it for the past week. There are special features like spot color and cinemagraph that are genuinely cool but with fundamentals this
poor, they just don't matter. And speaking of fundamentals, in 2020 shipping the
old Android 9 on a phone is not a great look for any manufacturer. Especially one with a spotty
history of software updates. The compromises continue, the battery is small by modern standards and while I didn't have as much trouble making it to the end of the day as some of my fellow reviewers, I was still always scrapping
single digits by bedtime. Motorola also wasn't able to find space for things like wireless charging and it even replicated the
old Razr's terrible side keys. Which are too small to feel
out and will frustrate you pretty much everyday. Lastly, there's that
big durability question. Now look, some of this worry is overblown, yes, you could stick a
fingernail beneath the display while you're closing the phone and rip it off if you wanted to. Or some dust could fly in there if you're opening it in a sandstorm. But I don't think those
are credible concerns. You only spend a second
opening or closing the thing and when it's shut, that display
is pretty well protected. That's part of what made
clamshells so popular the first time around in the early ons. What worries me are the issues Android Central's Nirave Gondhia and Engadget's Chris Valezco raised about the screen lifting
or flexing in spots. Or Mashable's Brenda Stolyar
calling out this truly awful squeaky screen door
sound from her Razr's hinge. - [Brenda] Oh! - [Camera Man] Let's do that again. Just prove it. - [Brenda] Oh my God, that's the display! - [Camera Man] Oh, that's bad. - [Michael] And of course,
now failure is so dramatic as Input's Raymond Wong's review devise display delaminating. Now my review devise has
none of these problems with the exception of
a slightly noisy hinge but there's no denying that Motorola has some quality control issues here. To say nothing of
actually shipping devices to customers on time. Ultimately, the Razr's greatest challenge is that it's no longer alone. When it was announced it was the only clamshell folding phone, an entirely different take on the category than the Samsung Galaxy Fold and that gave it real power. Just like back in 2005, Samsung
is right on Motorola's heals with a Razr competitor. I filmed a video comparing the two, please subscribe to the
Mr. Mobil on YouTube if you missed it. But the upshot is that
the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is more fully featured, more future proof, better in almost every respect
than the Motorola Razr. And as if that weren't
enough, it's cheaper and available on more carriers, too. So, should you spend $1500 and possible switch to
exclusive carrier Verizon for your chance to bata test a Razr. I'm obligated to say probably not. As I've told everyone who's
ogled my Galaxy Fold in public, foldables are a great idea and personally, I love them. I'm in it with both feet because I love being on the bleed edge and it's part of my job. But you should probably
wait for the next version before you spend your own money on it. The problem for Motorola is that, and I think most people will
feel like that next version is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. And unless you were
old enough to be around for the first Razr and you really crave that icon in your pocket once again, it's just a tough sell given all you have to
put up with in exchange. This review was made possible
by a Razr review sample provided by Motorola. But Mr. Mobile does not
produce paid reviews, Motorola didn't receive an
early preview of this video, nor was it granted copy approval. The company is seeing
it for the first time right along side you. Please subscribe to the
Mr. Mobile on YouTube so you don't miss my forthcoming review on the Galaxy Z Flip and of course, every foldable
phone coming in 2020. Until next time, thanks for watching and stay mobile my friends.
