After watching the Lenovo-owned Motorola’s first teaser for something new to be debuted on June 9, I was overcome by nostalgia. I went ahead and asked the most obvious question for the time: Did you love or hate the original Motorola RAZR? But now that the nostalgia has worn off, there’s actually something to look forward to in less than a month. After all, Motorola’s teaser, despite being steeped in the past, was meant to get us hyped for what’s coming down the line.
And apparently that’s a flip phone?
Nothing’s official just yet, considering it isn’t June 9, but word on the street at this point is that Motorola, or Lenovo maybe, thinks it’d be a great idea to actually bring back the RAZR in all of its thin glory. Which would be completely ridiculous if there weren’t still flip phones out there in the world, but it still might be kind of ridiculous.
Then again, maybe it’s time for the flip phone to make a comeback?
I’ll admit I couldn’t write that without laughing a little bit. Or a lot, really. The thought that we’re going to see a resurgence of flip phones seems strange to me, and not because flip phones are ridiculous or out-of-date or anything like that. It’s actually just for the simple fact that our entire scope of using mobile devices has changed by leaps and bounds since the days where the RAZR was the undisputed king.
Our devices are meant to consume and share. Our smartphone displays have only gotten bigger and sharper, because we watch a lot of content on them. Even if we’re just talking about someone who Snapchats everyone they know, they still want to watch the return messages on something worth watching them on.
That isn’t to say that there isn’t a market for flip phones out there. I’m sure there is. But considering how cheap some of our smartphones are these days, I don’t think a revitalization of the RAZR brand would see a flip phone launch without a small price tag. Would you buy a flip phone that costs the same as, say, a OnePlus 2 or even an iPhone SE?
Yes, flip phones with Android installed already exist, thanks to efforts from Samsung and LG. Samsung’s effort features a 3.8-inch touchscreen and LG’s has a 3.2-inch screen. Neither device made a debut in the United States, and neither made a big splash in general, really. And to be honest, I don’t think I’d want to flip open a lid just so I could watch a YouTube video.
Flip phones were pretty great back in the day, and if Motorola has aspirations to bring back the RAZR brand with a traditional flip phone design with Android on board, that might actually get a few people’s attention. I would imagine it would come down to what the new RAZR flip phone has to offer and how much it costs.
But, it also depends on you and what you’re willing to buy. If Motorola is preparing to launch a flip phone this year, would you ever consider using one as your daily driver? What would it take to get you to switch to a flip phone again? Let me know!