When I think of foldables, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 are the first names that come to mind. Yes, we do have foldables from HONOR, HUAWEI, OPPO, and even Motorola, but none of them feel as refined as Samsung's foldables. Nonetheless, it seems that 2022 will finally be the year in which other OEMs will be playing the catch-up game. Google is said to be preparing its own foldable device, and now, it looks like Motorola is set to join the party as hands-on photos of the 3rd Gen Moto Razr (2022) have leaked online.

Motorola was one of the first OEMs to embrace folding display technology. The company launched the first-gen Razr in 2019 with the same form factor as the original flip RAZR phones. However, the original Moto Razr failed to impress the market due to its slower internals, overall lack of flagship feel, and a very high price tag. The company followed it up with the second-gen Motorola Razr 5G in 2020, but it offered nothing more than just a spec bump.

It seems that Motorola wants to set everything right in 2022. The company has been rumored to be working on the third-generation Razr smartphone, reportedly called "maven" behind the scenes, for well over three months now. Popular leaker Evan Blass (via 91Mobiles) has now shared some live images of what is believed to be the upcoming Motorola Razr (2022).

The tipster hasn't showcased the smartphone in full but has shared a couple of pictures and specs, which make us believe that this year's Moto Razr could be a huge upgrade over the last-gen. The leaked specs and images make us believe that the 3rd Gen Moto Razr could even go against the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip series.

For starters, the Motorola is getting rid of the hideous notch. Instead, the Moto Razr (2022) will feature a 32MP front-facing camera housed inside the punch-hole cutout. Talking about the camera, the upcoming Moto Razr is also said to feature a much-improved rear-camera system. Leaked images show that the smartphone will come with a dual-rear camera module that will include a 50MP sensor with an f/1.8 aperture coupled with a 13MP ultra-wide sensor.

The previous generation Moto Razr 5G came with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 700-series chip (the Snapdragon 765G), and not the latest flagship SoC available. But, unlike the last-gen, it appears that Motorola is (finally) going all in this time. Blass claims that the Moto Razr (2022) is expected to be powered by the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus chipset.

Qualcomm is yet to unveil the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus chip officially. Previous rumors suggest that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus will be manufactured by TSMC and will fix the overheating issues present on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Moto Razr (2022) could be the company's first foldable smartphone to come with a flagship chipset.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen1 official teaser

Source: Qualcomm Video

Finally, talking about the design, the leaker says that the Razr (2022) features a boxier design that rembles more to the Galaxy Z Flip3 than it does the Razr or Razr 5G. The chin is a lot smaller than the previous generation, and the fingerprint scanner has been shifted to the power button, as per Blass. The leaker expects Motorola to debut the 3rd Gen Razr smartphone in summer 2022. He adds that the phone will launch in China in late July or August, followed later by a global rollout.

If the leaks turn out to be true, Motorola could have a solid Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 contender on the cards. The only deal-breaker, which proved to be one of the deal-breakers for the previous generation as well, could be the price tag. In comparison to the current Moto Razr 5G foldable, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 offers a much better package with flagship specs, a more sturdy build, a pro-grade camera, and excellent software support.

However, Motorola is learning from its mistakes and improving the Razr in almost all aspects (screen, build, camera, and even processors). If the Moto Razr (2022) is priced aggressively, we believe that it could really challenge Samsung in the foldable department. And honestly, Samsung could do with more competition in the foldable department. What are your thoughts on the Moto Razr (2022) leaks? Would you be interested in buying it? Let us know in the comments section below!

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 in Black folded and unfolded
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3

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