Motorola Razr 2024: Enhanced Foldables with Google AI Integration

Motorola has turned to its former owner, Google, to build AI-driven experiences for the buyers of its 2024 foldables. This year, even the standard Motorola Razr 50 has a usable cover display. While it’s not as big as the Ultra’s, at 3.6 inches, it is still one of the largest cover displays around. The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra, with its 4-inch outer display that goes edge to edge, has little competition for the title of “biggest cover display.” In the US, these phones are known as the Razr 2024 and Razr+ 2024.

AI Integration with Google

To enhance the user experience, Motorola is bundling three free months of Google One AI Premium with the phones. This gives users access to the Gemini Advanced model, along with 2TB of cloud storage for other Google services like Gmail, Docs, and Google Photos. The Google Photos app gets special treatment with support for the cover display, allowing users to view, delete, share, and favorite photos and videos, whether stored locally or in the cloud. Additionally, usual Google Photos features like Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, and Photo Unblur are included. Google is also working on an “Ask Photos” feature that will turn Gemini into a smart search engine for your photo collection.

New AI Features

Motorola’s AI features don’t stop with photos. The Photomoji tool can turn one of your photos into an emoji or a sticker for use in instant messaging apps. The Moto Magic Canvas allows you to create images from scratch using text prompts, and Style Sync can generate a matching wallpaper based on a photo of your outfit or surroundings. The Magic Compose feature, available only on the Razr 50 Ultra/Razr+ 2024, helps you craft messages in various styles, from casual to formal or excited to concise.

Upgraded Hardware and Pricing

Foldable season is back, and Motorola is leading the way with refreshed versions of its Razr Plus and Razr flip phones. They’re arriving next month in vibrant colors with upgraded screens and IPX8 ratings for full water immersion resistance. The prices remain the same, with the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 starting at $999. It features a Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and a 4-inch LTPO cover display with up to a 165Hz refresh rate. The inner screen remains a 6.9-inch 1080p OLED. The main rear camera now has an updated 50-megapixel sensor, and the ultrawide lens from the previous model has been replaced with a 2x telephoto lens.

Compelling Value with the Standard Razr 2024

The standard 2024 Razr might be the more compelling device this time around. It still costs $699 and retains a 6.9-inch inner screen, but its new 3.6-inch cover screen matches the size of last year’s Razr Plus. The previous generation had a small 1.5-inch screen that limited its functionality. The new Razr offers a bigger cover screen and a beefier water resistance rating, making it a great deal. Available in a striking spritz orange color, the Razr 2024 uses a MediaTek Dimensity 7300X chipset with 8GB of RAM. It supports wired charging at up to 30W and has been upgraded to 15W wireless charging, up from 5W on last year’s models. The Razr also features the new 50-megapixel main camera and carries over the 13-megapixel ultrawide lens from the previous model.

Enhanced Software and AI Tools

Both models come with a new hinge that claims to offer better dust resistance. Motorola has made software tweaks to the cover screen, including a new widget panel and a clever desk display mode for playing photo slideshows in flex mode. There’s now support for an always-on display. Additionally, users can download Google’s Gemini Assistant to run on the cover screen, turning the Razr into a Humane-style AI wearable.

Motorola is also announcing a suite of new AI tools that, although not yet shipping, sound promising. Users will be able to say “Catch me up” for an AI-generated summary of high-priority notifications, “Remember this” to capture something on the screen for future reference, and “Pay attention” to automatically record and transcribe conversations. The company aims to make these features context-aware, tailoring responses based on the user’s location and activities.

Availability and Pricing

The 2024 Motorola Razr and Razr Plus will be available for preorder on July 10th and will go on sale on July 24th. The standard version will retail for $39.99 / £31.50, while the steelbook edition will retail for $49.99 / £39.40.

Conclusion

The Motorola Razr 2024 series, with its enhanced AI capabilities and upgraded hardware, is set to offer significant improvements over previous models. With new features, additional games, and enriched historical content, the Razr 2024 promises a renewed appreciation for Motorola’s innovative contributions to the foldable phone market. Mark your calendars for October 25, 2024, when this expanded journey into the world of Motorola’s Razr begins.