In 2019, even with the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X already in the market, the tech industry was abuzz with praises for the Motorola Razr. It was the Lenovo-owned brand's most innovative smartphone in a long time, that brought back the clamshell form factor. Aside from the nostalgic novelty it offers, it was reportedly the first foldable handset that presented a solution to the durability of foldable display panels. Now, sources claim that a follow-up model is due to arrive later this year.

Shortly after the Verizon-exclusive device made its debut, Samsung quickly stole its thunder when it presented its own clamshell foldable – the Galaxy Z Flip. Armed with superior specifications and an even more premium presentation, it was evidently a better alternative compared to the Razr's mid-range capabilities. It seems Motorola plans to reclaim its spot with a flagship-grade version in 2020.

According to The Verge, this was apparently teased in a podcast with Thibault Dousson, Lenovo's general manager for South Africa. He hinted that Motorola might be releasing a new Razr by September, which puts it squarely within Apple's launch window for the iPhone 12 series. Moreover, the following month will also see Google shipping the Pixel 5 and Pixel 5 XL.

The exact details about the new second-generation Razr are yet to be revealed. However, purported insiders might have already uncovered information about Motorola's upcoming foldable handset. in order to maintain its slim profile, the engineers are rumoured to make some tradeoffs. Given that most high-end offerings from its rivals are now 5G-ready, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 is most likely the chipset of choice.

Battery capacity is supposed to be a little higher than the first model at 2,845 mAh, but is still remarkably lower than most mid-range smartphones. Nevertheless, this could be intentional in order to maximise usage time.

Motorola Razr hinge design prevents display crease
Motorola reveals the secret behind its hinge mechanism that keeps the flexible display crease-free. Photo: Motorola

As for its imaging capabilities, Motorola is purportedly upgrading the 16-megapixel shooter of its predecessor to a 48-megapixel sensor. Meanwhile, the front-facing 5-megapixel camera is likewise swapped out in favour of a 20-megapixel unit instead. Finally, RAM will also get an upgrade from 6 GB to 8 GB, while the internal storage moves up from 128 GB to 256 GB.