Motorola Razr 40 name and Razr 40 Ultra pricing leak out ahead of release
Unlike market leader Samsung, which seems to have only one flip-style foldable device in the pipeline for a 2023 release after putting out a single Galaxy Z Flip model in 2022 (and 2021), Motorola is very clearly preparing two distinct Razr variants for an official announcement expected to take place in just a little over a month.
Although we already seem to know exactly how both of these upcoming clamshell smartphones will look, a lot of confusion continues to surround their marketing names (especially pertaining to different countries and regions), as well as key specs beyond screen size and battery capacity.
If the European retail information leaked by the folks over at SamInsider this week proves accurate, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra will essentially retain the starting price of last year's single Razr edition.
But that's where legendary Twitter leaker Evan Blass comes in today, aiming to clear the air on the Razr 40 Ultra and what's previously been referred to as the Razr Lite, while a significantly less reputable source goes one step beyond mere branding revelations to disclose a potential European price tag for the higher-end device.
How low can the Motorola Razr 40 go?
Unfortunately, there's still no way to answer that question with any degree of confidence as it relates to the retail pricing of the "regular" Razr 40, formerly known as Razr Lite in the rumor mill.
How much would you be willing to pay for this Razr Lite, aka Razr 40?
We're also not entirely certain this potentially budget-friendly "cousin" of the presumably ultra-high-end Razr 40 Ultra will be officially released in markets like the US. If that does end up happening, a regional Razr 40 moniker seems unlikely as well given that last year's Motorola Edge 30 and Edge 30 Pro, for instance, arrived stateside under tweaked Edge (2022) and Edge+ (2022) names.
Following that logic, an "international" Razr 40 could well spread its wings to the US as the Razr (2023) and the Razr 40 Ultra is still likely to be known as the Razr+ (2023) too.
Obviously, that's all far less important than the teeny-tiny cover screen rendered on the "Razr Lite" a couple of weeks ago... with few other details on specifications or features. No matter how humble this thing might be on the inside, it's probably wise not to expect an incredibly low price point considering the Razr 40 Ultra is today tipped to cost €1,200 on the old continent.
Too much or just right?
The aptly named Razr (2022) never made it to the US, though, so the Razr+ (2023) could very well cost less than the $1,400 second-gen Razr... that didn't exactly set the market on fire.
With a decent 8GB RAM count and a generous 256 gigs of internal storage space, we reckon Motorola's next Razr flagship may set you back roughly $1,200 stateside, which unfortunately doesn't sound like an ideal way to take on the hugely popular $1,000 and up Galaxy Z Flip 4 for the title of best foldable phone in 2023.
Granted, the Razr 40 Ultra, aka Razr+ (2023), should be able to eclipse its direct rival in at least one important department with an absolutely massive 3.5-inch secondary display, but the Z Flip 5 is also right around the corner and it might sport a similarly large cover screen... with a bit of an unusual shape.
In terms of paint jobs, Motorola is expected to release the Razr 40 Ultra in three very interesting-sounding options, at least in Europe. Specifically, we're talking about Phantom Black, Glacier Blue, and perhaps most notably, Viva Magenta, which was chosen by Pantone as 2023's color of the year, adorning the exterior of the super-stylish Edge 30 Fusion already and expanding soon to the as-yet-unannounced Edge 40.
Things that are NOT allowed: