The phone looks pretty much identical to the leaks we’ve so far, though those have typically been marketing renders and the like. That said, we do at least get to see the bottom of the phone, which reveals the expected USB-C port (and no headphone jack). Things get a bit interesting after that. A poorly concealed user manual reveals that the button on the bottom of the phone is a fingerprint reader and power button combo. It also tells us that that the phone has “volume sensors” as opposed to volume buttons.
The labeling also implies that the external screen is only meant to be used for notifications (as opposed to the full-fledged usability on the Galaxy Fold’s external display. That makes sense though, given how tiny it is.
We also see the notch above the internal display contains a flash, speaker, and a single front-facing camera.
Going back to the outside of the phone, we see the hinges stick out a bit when the phone is folded, which is weird. But they also kind of look like buttons. Perhaps squeezing them makes the phone pop open? I see no mention of this elsewhere, but it would be a cool mechanic.
Looking through some other documents, we can point out a few other details:
One document suggests there are two batteries, and a photo of the inside of the phone suggests a 1,185 mAh capacity for one of them. Assuming the second battery is the same size, that adds up to 2,370 mAh. That’s pretty small but might just get you through a day with good power optimization. Specs from earlier in the year pointed to a 2,730 battery. A typo, perhaps? A photo of the phone’s PCB confirms the phone comes with a Snapdragon 710; this is more of a midrange device than a full-on flagship. There’s only one camera on both the outside and inside of the phone. The phone’s manual (more of a quick start guide) confirms the presence of both a fingerprint reader and face unlock. The latter is presumably the less-safe camera-only type, as we don’t see the hardware necessary for 3D face scanning used by Apple, Google, and Huawei. A safety manual also says the phone is IP68 water-resistant, which is actually quite surprising as we’ve yet to see a folding phone with any kind of weather resistance. That said, there’s a chance this is a mistake in the pre-production document. The phone comes with an eSIM. An accessory list suggests the phone comes with both a headphone jack adapter and USB-C headphones The manual mentions Verizon Wireless. Carrier exclusivity?
The photos reaffirm the idea that the RAZR will be an unusual type of folding phone: one that folds smaller than a typical smartphone, not one that expands to a larger size. While I somewhat question the utility of this, some will appreciate the more compact form factor. It’s also unusual for a folding phone to use midrange components, but it also makes it likely the new RAZR will be the cheapest folding phone yet. Either way, we’ll find out more tonight. Motorola’s event is set to start at 7PM Pacific, so tune back in to TNW tonight for more. Via MySmartPrice
