Discover Yahoo! With Your Friends

Explore news, videos, and much more based on what your friends are reading and watching. Publish your own activity and retain full control.

To get started, first

YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Today in Tech

    The Motorola RAZR is back, reinvented with Android

    Motorola's Droid RAZR is the thinnest smartphone on the planet

    Mobile phones have come a long way in the last decade, moving from a mix of modest clamshell and candy-bar designs to widescreen smartphone powerhouses. And while huge lists of advanced features are all the rage these days, many still look back on the phones of yore with fond eyes. One of the most popular handsets of yesteryear was the Motorola RAZR, and now, 5 years since the company ceased production of the iconic flip phone, they are reviving the name. The new Android-powered device is called the Droid RAZR, and while it's nearly unrecognizable compared to its older brother, it just may be what smartphone fans are looking for.

    The svelte new smartphone sports a dual-core processor, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera capable of 1080p video recording, and 4G LTE support. The RAZR's massive 4.3" Super AMOLED touchscreen looks dazzling, and is encased in Gorilla Glass for added protection.  The device is splash resistant, with Motorola promising that even the phone's internals are meant to survive a bit of water.

    One of the biggest selling points of the original RAZR was its thin form factor. The Droid RAZR continues that trend, measuring a laughably-narrow 7.1mm — making it the world's thinnest smartphone. By comparison, the recently-released Droid Bionic measures 10.9mm, and the iPhone 4S checks in at 9.3mm. The back of the new phone is made of woven Kevlar, in case it ever gets caught in a Hollywood-style shootout. It will run Android version 2.3 Gingerbread out of the box.

    The original Motorola RAZRThe original Motorola RAZR debuted in 2003 and in just three short years it racked up over 50 million units sold, largely due to its super-thin profile and flashy appearance. But as smartphones began to grow in popularity, the modest features of the RAZR sent it straight to the bargain bin. But with that kind of name recognition, the new RAZR — which boasts a much more powerful OS and huge list of features — may be able to capture some of the old phone's magic, which is something many Android devices seem to be lacking as of late.

    The Droid RAZR will be release in November as a Verizon exclusive and will cost $299 with a new 2-year contract. A suite of accessories will also be poised for a launch-day release, including keyboard and laptop docks that will expand the phone's capabilities to a larger screen. If you want to experience the rebirth of the RAZR line, you can pre-order the device starting on October 27.

    This article originally appeared on Tecca

    More from Tecca:

    We apologize. An error has occurred. Please try again.
     
    • Yanet  •  Mt Pleasant, Texas  •  4 mths ago
      Well....3 days and counting without being able to activate the phone. We keep getting told different stories by Verizon as to why we can't activate it. One of the best stories is that our area does not have 4G coverage and we can use the 3G part of it but it has to be activated under the 4G. So, my closes 4G coverage area is about ohhh 3 hours. Good luck to all you and hope you don't get suckered into it with all their marketing.
    • B  •  7 mths ago
      I wish they would do a retro re-release of the original Razr for those of us who don't want a smart phone. Rerelease the original, but with a better battery and I'd get one!
      • tompi 7 mths ago
        me too
      • papelet 7 mths ago
        I'd return my droid 2 for one of those... the original silver one!
      • T 7 mths ago
        go to Big Lots!
    • Jinx  •  7 mths ago
      There is nothing cooler and stylish than flipping a phone when finished talking.
      • A Yahoo! User 7 mths ago
        They really do need to figure out how to make a smart flip phone
      • Not a fan. 7 mths ago
        blackberry style is a clam shell flip phone.
      • an 7 mths ago
        yeah i miss those days.... and when you are #$%$ you could slam it closed, instead of trying to find the end button and tapping it lightly with your finger
    • Jonathan  •  7 mths ago
      Razr was my favorite phone. Oh the good times of being 17 again.
      • Saginaw 7 mths ago
        back in my day when i was 17 it was the new Motorola StarTac, LOVED that phone, hands down my favorite ever, better than a V60i
      • Mreman 7 mths ago
        when was that...???? two years ago there old-timer....
      • Jonathan 7 mths ago
        It was over 5 years ago amigo. I guess getting old Mreman, means you lose track of time.
    • Jinx Malloy  •  7 mths ago
      Razors were the best phones motorola came out with. Mine still works fine
      • Stoney McStonerson 7 mths ago
        the v.60 was better but the razor was cool.
      • A Yahoo! User 7 mths ago
        Startac was better. The battery lasted for 3 days. Some of you may be too young to remember it...
      • carrie 7 mths ago
        My Razr holds a place of honor on my bookshelf, right next to my "Thriller" album. =D
    • orangejuice2222  •  7 mths ago
      what made the razor cool was it was still a flip phone and it actually had buttons, they should design a new awesome flip phone style phone

      not just make a thin smart phone
      • SixPack 7 mths ago
        I like buttons,the touch screens on these smartphones are awful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      • ρѕу¢нσ ρяιи¢єѕѕ 7 mths ago
        And it had great quality camera/video!! Mine was pink! My dad still uses his... I would love to switch mine back! it was my first phone!!
    • Hello  •  7 mths ago
      I didn't know it was gone, I still use mine.
    • bky  •  7 mths ago
      It may sound crazy, but I am still using my original RAZR today!
    • Jason  •  7 mths ago
      The Razr in the past had to be one of the best phones. Probably still be using it if someone wouldn't have thought what mine is theirs...
    • NickV  •  7 mths ago
      I've had my Razr for 6 years. Never saw the need to upgrade. My Razr still works just fine.
    • callmedaddy  •  7 mths ago
      Nice, I remember the old razors back in 03 can't beat motorola they started the game.
    • Use ur noodle  •  7 mths ago
      I still have my RAZR...I wouldn't trade it for the crap they're making now!
    • SarahF  •  7 mths ago
      The old RAZR still looks ridiculously cool.
    • RandyW  •  7 mths ago
      the RAZR was the very first phone i ever had and i must say it was a good sturdy phone that lasted for about 6 years.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  7 mths ago
      im going to bring my startac back!
    • gafaw  •  7 mths ago
      What ever happened to using a phone to make calls?
    • Randy  •  7 mths ago
      I loved the razr!!!! It was the best phone that I ever owned. its better than most smart phones are today
    • Vander  •  7 mths ago
      I'm the proud owner of a classic RAZR, 4 years strong. And I ain't going back to touch screens until this thing dies.
    • Doom Tints  •  7 mths ago
      The razr isn't back. The brand name is.
    • ToxicP125  •  Washington, United States  •  6 mths ago
      Like some I still have my Motorola Razr from 6 years ago. I had to replace the battery once but it still works like a champ. I just need a "phone", I don't txt and it seems silly to bother with the web, e-mail, games on a "cell phone" . This is especially true with the way cell phone companies have capped data usage.

    Blogs