Motorola's 2025 Razr phone had a heck of a year, and I think the walking this foldable phone did could help the rumored 2026 Razr run. Where Samsung and Apple tend to reserve headline-grabbing features for phones that cost upwards of $1,100 -- like the new Privacy Display on the S26 Ultra or the cosmic orange color on the iPhone 17 Pro that we're seeing other phones copy -- Motorola's instead given the $699 Razr its own runway filled with fashionable exclusives.

Over the past year, that included a collaboration with Swarovski for a crystal-studded Razr and another for the FIFA World Cup, which has a two-tone green design with customized software. 

While Motorola's continued to focus on making the Razr fashionable, the company also frequently marks down the Razr to $600 -- easily making it the lowest-cost foldable phone you can buy right in new condition. And these efforts are paying off: According to a recent report by the Counterpoint Research analytics firm, Motorola's had the highest growth in the foldable phone market and now makes up 44% of that niche's sales.

These design successes, combined with maintaining a price that's competitive with Apple's iPhone 17E and Google's Pixel 10A, put the Razr in a great position to have a particularly strong moment in 2026. I think Motorola just needs to continue doing a few things that have already been working out in its favor.

The Razr's biggest target audience: iPhone fans looking for something new

Motorola has not been shy about how much of its audience are ex-iPhone converts who were looking for something different. Nearly every year that the Razr line gets updated, Motorola claims from its own analytics that roughly 25% of new Razr activations are from customers who are new to Android and transferring their data over from an iPhone.

Thanks to a number of new features that make it particularly simple for iPhone users to switch to Android, Motorola should prioritize making it as easy as possible for its customers to leave iOS. Currently, iOS 26 and Android 16 phones are starting to support direct eSIM transfers from an iPhone to Android, and Android's Quick Share feature is starting to support Apple's AirDrop in select Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S26 phones. 

If Motorola can include features that iPhone owners are accustomed to, and maybe tailor them to fit the Razr by making them easy to use on its cover screen, this might help inspire more iPhone users who want an Android flip phone but are concerned about the cost of switching.

It's also clear this is an area that Motorola needs to do a little extra work. My colleague Carly Marsh attempted to switch from an iPhone to a Razr last year, and for her the process was a total mess.

Motorola should hold to its price for dear life

Due to the rising cost of electronics, we're watching the phone industry grapple with it in different ways. Motorola could follow Google's example with the Pixel 10A which kept its price but received minimal updates that are almost indiscernible. 

The other option phone-makers have pursued in 2026 has been to provide a more substantial update to a phone's design, starting storage capacity or its processor. But those updates typically come with a $100 price hike. That's what we've seen Samsung do with its Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus which now start at $900. And Motorola's done the same with its own Moto G Stylus, which now starts at $499.

My take: The 2026 Razr doesn't need to be that much different from the 2025 one. As long as the processor can handle most everyday tasks, I'd rather see Motorola commit to a longer software and security support timeline that's closer to what Apple and Google provide instead of trying to incorporate higher-end hardware that could push up the price. Currently, the Razr gets three years of software updates and four years of security updates, and I'd like to see Motorola get somewhere closer to the seven years provided for Google's Pixel phones. 

Double down on colors and materials

The Razr's biggest feature is its most obvious one: It has a unique look and feel in your hand, while still being a functional phone. I was thrilled to see Motorola bring a wood texture to its $1,300 Razr Ultra last year, and try out the Swarovski crystals for a special edition of the base Razr. This playfulness and willingness to be a little more artistic with its phone lineup is a real selling point for Motorola's devices. 

Let's see more. Maybe even specialized cases that let you add some of these materials. The Razr's fashion potential is high, so adding the ability to mix and match could even better set it apart from other clamshell-style foldables.

While Motorola has not yet announced when it will be updating its Razr flip lineup, we do know the company will be making one change: It's adding the book-style Razr Fold to its portfolio sometime this summer. While that phone will likely target the higher-end phone market, I hope to see Motorola give its next lower-cost Razr the focus it needs.