The foldable smartphone seems to be the new attraction for consumers. After Samsung, Huwaei, and Apple, Motorola is also ready to test the waters. Samsung's recent disastrous pre-launch effort has drawn a serious shadow over the future of the foldable smartphone. While there are many people who suggest that foldable display technology is a new one and it is going to have its ups and downs. Regardless of what happened with Samsung foldable, consumers are still hopeful for the future of foldable devices.

Motorola Razr is a foldable smartphone expected to launch around August. We haven't heard about the company for years, but still, we have good memories of its amazing designs and sleek looking smartphones. After Samsung has postponed its foldable device release for unstated time, maybe the Motorola Razr would be the first commercially available smartphone in the market.

Moto has genuinely struggled to get a solid base in the really fast emerging smartphone era, losing its dominance to Apple and Samsung over the years. But as we all may think, this new foldable device could make or Moto reputation. When they released the original Razr back in 2005, it completely wins over the market with its unique design and aggressive marketing campaign to push the device to as many people as possible. The strategy worked, making it one of the most popular smartphones ever produced.

However, the dominance was short lived. Apple released the iPhone in 2007, followed by the HTC G1 - the first smartphone to run Google's Android operating system. Soon after its release, people turned to iPhone as Razr wasn't just smartphone. Motorola tried to shift consumer's attention to its Droid Razr but it wasn't iPhone nor it had the appeal of the original Razr. Moto lost its shares to Samsung and LG and was eventually bought by Google in 2012 for around $12.5 billion. Google sold Motorola to China-based technology firm Lenovo for around $3 billion in 2016.

Samsung is the leading smartphone business right now, but there was a time when Motorola was the undisputed king of smartphones, before being dethroned by Nokia. While that time may have truly come and gone, the Moto RAZR continues to be one of the most iconic smartphones of all time for more reasons than one. If you were lucky enough to have used a Moto RAZR back in the day and you secretly regret not having anything similar available for purchase today, we have good news for you. According to multiple sources, most notably the Wall Street Journal, a new Moto RAZR is all set to be released, but as an Android smartphone this time around! While the report is still shrouded in mystery, go through the following to know everything that has been rumored and reported about the upcoming Moto Razr so far.

·        It will feature a foldable display, instead of the bottom half being a keypad

·        The first batch of 200,000 units might be exclusive to the US and only Verizon at that

·        The price of the smartphone is expected to be around the $1,500 mark

·        It could launch next month, i.e. in February

Personally, I can't wait to experience this device first hand, provided Lenovo doesn't end up ruining it, because that is a highly likely scenario here.

Saikat Kar

According to a report by GSMArena, the Moto Z Droid and Moto Z Force Droid have started to receive the latest Android 7.0 Nougat update on Verizon. It has not yet been officially declared by the carrier, but reports are being received from reliable sources which confirm the authenticity of this news.

If your Moto Z Droid or Moto Z Force Droid is being prompted for the update, connect to your Wi-Fi and prepare for the download as it's a huge one at around 1.5GB. Once you have downloaded and upgraded the package successfully, the firmware version on the Moto Z Droid should change to NCL25.86-11, while on the Moto Z Force Droid, it should show NCL26.86-11.

Although the installation should only take about twenty minutes on its own, the downloading time will of course vary, depending on the speed of the connection. The upgrade will bring multiple improvements, as well as new features to the two Moto devices, namely the App Quick-Switch and the Split-Screen mode. As always, Lenovo Moto becomes one of the first manufacturers to provide the latest version of the Android OS officially.

Head over to http://forum.youmobile.org/downloads/ to find all the latest updates for your smartphone.

Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)

No one can deny that there is an almost irresistible charm to getting upgraded to the latest version of the Android OS and if you happen to own a Motorola phone, we have good news for you in that line. Motorola phones have always been among the fastest in the market to get the latest Android updates and staying true to that tradition, Moto has made it official that multiple of its devices will be getting the big upgrade this year. The first smartphones in line for receiving the update are the Moto Z and the regular Moto G4. Check out the full list of Moto phones that will be upgraded to Android 7.0 Nougat below.

Motorola Nexus 6
Moto X Style
Moto X Pure Edition (3rd gen)
Moto X Play
Moto X Force
Moto Z Force Droid
Moto Z Droid
Moto Z
Moto Z Play
Moto Z Play Droid
Droid Maxx 2
Droid Turbo 2
Moto G (4th gen)
Moto G Plus (4th gen)
Moto G Play (4th gen)

MOTO UPGRADE PAGE

Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)

Lenovo has just unleashed a brand new series, which will replace the Moto X series of smartphones, starting from 2016. Both the phones in the new Z-series will come with top tier specs like a SD 820 CPU, a 5.5-inch QHD panel, 4GB of RAM and even the choice for 32GB/64GB in-built storage (along with expandable SD card slots). The regular Moto Z will sport a 13-megapixel rear sensor with laser autofocus, optical image stabilization and a dual tone LED flash for pitch dark conditions. On the front, there's the 5-megapixel snapper with a dedicated selfie-flash and a wide angle lens for group selfies. All this will be powered by the Quick charging 2,600mAh battery inside the Z.

The Moto Z Force has the bigger 3,500mAh battery and a shatterproof glass on the front. Lenovo calls the glass "ShatterShield" and they are confident that it cannot be broken by even the roughest of falls. The thicker and more premium device also features a higher resolution 21-megapixel sensor with phase detection laser autofocus, optical image stabilization and an aperture of f/1.8 for low-light photography. In spite of the flagship specs, what we did not like is the missing headphone jack that we have grown accustomed to. Although an USB Type-C to headphone adapter is included in the box, it means that you cannot simultaneously use the Type-C port for charging or data syncing, while listening to the headphones.

In addition to the missing 3.5mm jack, the two Moto phones also bring something else that the market is just getting accustomed to. Both phones have 16 magnetic dots at the lower-back area and they are equipped to connect with the "Moto Mods." Similar to what we saw with the LG G5 modular phone that was released earlier this year, the Moto Mods are modular accessories created specifically for the Moto Z smartphones to enhance the device's already impressive capabilities. There's the InstaShare Projector mod and some stylish case mods, but we found the JBL Soundboost mod to be the most impressive with its twin 3W speakers and a 1,000 mAh battery to boost the phone's usage time.

As is evident, the Moto Z and the Moto Z Force has a LOT to offer, but you will have to wait till September to get your hands on one, if you are outside the US. Verizon in the US however, will release their "Droid Editions" sooner.

Author: Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)