Folding Motorola Razr smartphone revival delayed due to ’unparalleled excitement’

Fans have waited years for the revival of this iconic mobile phone, but an overwhelming response means they’ll now have to wait a bit longer.

Motorola’s hotly anticipated revival of its iconic Razr line of phones has been delayed because the devices are proving too popular with consumers.

After several leaks and rumours, the revived Razr was officially introduced last month.

When it arrives next year it will boast a 6.2-inch plastic OLED display that can be folded in half for easier storage as well as bring back by far the most satisfying way of ending a phone call.

There’s also a second screen on the front of the phone to provide easier access to notifications and help frame selfies.

The Motorola Razr revival folded down.

According to Motorola, the revival “has received unparalleled excitement and interest from consumers”, and demand for the new phone is so high the company doesn’t think it will have enough available when the phone goes on sale.

Pre-orders for the phone were set to open in the US on Boxing Day, before the phones went on sale January 9, but Motorola has announced it will push that date back.

It said there shouldn’t be a “significant shift” from the original availability timeline.

The excessive demand claimed by Motorola proves the strength of the Razr’s design and nostalgia value, given there are several issues with what we know about the device already.

Firstly, it’s not going to be cheap.

The foldable phone segment the Razr is attempting to enter isn’t hugely crowded at this stage, and some doubts remain that it ever will be or if history will consign it to a passing fad.

A lack of competition as well as the complexities of the new technology means folding phones are even more expensive than their less flexible counterparts, which are hardly cheap themselves.

The Motorola Razr will sell in the US for $US1500 ($A2174), making it almost $US500 cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Fold, which sells for $US1980 ($A2870) in America and $A2999 in Australia.

No local price information is available at this stage.

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Musician Diplo helped launch the Razr at an event in LA last month. Picture: Rich Polk/Getty Images for Motorola

While the Razr is set to be significantly cheaper than it’s main rival, it might not be able to match it for performance.

The phone will use a processor commonly found in mid-range devices that cost half as much. It will also be nearly two years old by the time it comes out.

Razr users might also find they need to cart their charger around more than they’d like, with only a 2510mAh charger included.

The phone will also ship with an outdated version of the Android operating system, and there’s no way to expand the memory like you can on many other Android phones.

We don’t yet know where you’ll be able to buy the phone in Australia, but in the US it will be exclusive to cell carrier Verizon, and you can’t just pop a different SIM card in there because there’s no place to put one.

The Razr uses eSIM, which embeds the phone number on a chip in the phone itself.

Currently, eSIMs are often used as a secondary SIM, enabling you to have two phone numbers linked to one phone (such as having one for work and one for personal).

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Motorola's V3 Razr was massively popular and highly sought after, primarily due to its striking design. Picture: Simon Dean

It’s likely we will see eSIM become more dominant in the future as manufacturers seek to eliminate things like SIM card slots. This makes it easier to waterproof devices and gives them more freedom in design, supporting new form factors such as folding phones. In the future it will also make it easier to switch carriers as you won’t need to get a new SIM, but for the moment it also limits your choices, as not all telcos offer the new technology yet.

The big three carriers: Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone, currently support eSIM, but it’s harder to find on mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) who typically offer better value.

MVNOs purchase access to one of the three mobile networks at wholesale then sell on to their customers, similar to how the national broadband network is operated.

Whether the Razr will be a network exclusive device in Australia remains to be seen.

The new Razr will be markedly different from Motorola’s current Australian product line-up, which is primarily comprised of cheaper handsets under the $500 range sold outright through retailers like JB Hi-Fi. One device is available through Telstra but not exclusively.

Limitations aside, it’s pretty easy to believe Motorola’s claim that there’s been considerable demand for the new Razr. The devices whose name it shares were some of the most popular phones of all time and doubled as a fashion statement as well as a phone.

You’re just going to have to wait a little while longer before you actually get the chance to buy one.