A new rumor suggests Motorola is working on a wide foldable that could be the most interesting passport-style phone yet. Wide foldables are taking off, thanks to the iPhone Fold and the Galaxy Z Fold 8, but the most intriguing takes on the format may still be ahead.
Just months after launching its first book-style foldable, the Razr Fold, Motorola may already have another model in the works. The phone is rumored to arrive as either the Motorola Razr Wide Fold or the Razr Flex, and it could bring back something we lost when Apple discontinued the iPhone 13 mini.
It has the right shape
Like them or not, passport-style foldables are all the rage right now. Samsung has already run into production issues because the Galaxy Z Fold 8 turned out far more popular than expected. Both the Z Fold 8 and the iPhone Fold have received extremely warm reactions from almost everyone.
I can’t see myself spending around $2,000 on a foldable anytime soon, but I understand why the idea is taking off. Wider displays are arriving just when many people need a break from constant scrolling and smartphone addiction.
A new form factor could offer an intriguing fix. Many people, myself included, don’t want to ditch their smartphones, but they want a more meaningful experience from them. Instead of doomscrolling reels and TikToks, I’d rather read books and comics or watch long-form video on my phone. If a wider display makes vertical video a little worse and everything else a little better, it could help people break their bad smartphone habits.
It’s the right size
Where Motorola stands out from the competition is the rumored size of the Razr Flex. With a 4.97-inch outer display and a 6.92-inch inner screen, the phone could be the mini phone we’ve been dreaming of for years.
Modern phones are unwieldy, and I’m sick of it. Still, the iPhone 18 Pro Max offers undeniable utility that goes well beyond its excellent battery life. The big display lets me do more, so I’ll keep choosing it over smaller phones. That’s also why the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini failed: we want small phones, but with big displays.
That’s the problem the Motorola Razr Flex may solve. Closed, it should be a pocketable phone comparable to the mini iPhones. Unfolded, it opens up to a display as large as the one on the iPhone 18 Pro Max. In other words, it’s the best of both worlds.
Inside, the Razr Flex is said to pack the base Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. It may also get a 5,000 mAh battery with 25W Qi2 wireless charging and a dual 50MP camera setup. These specs are modest for a foldable, but they could let the phone come in much cheaper than Samsung’s and Apple’s offerings.
Only one little thing to worry about
The Razr Flex is expected to launch with Android 17 out of the box, but I hope Motorola takes some inspiration from the design decisions in iOS 27. Everyone seems enamored with the iPhone Duo’s opening animation, but I think the interface that makes use of the unique form factor matters just as much. I’d love to see something similar on this mini wide foldable.
Motorola phones already have some neat custom software features, so the company has a real chance to come up with something great. Pair that with a relatively affordable price tag, and we may have our next foldable hit. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on it.
