HOW IT’S DONE
When almost everything is done right.
Motorola Razr
If you’re still rocking that iconic Razr flip-phone from 2004, we have good news: those “podcast” things really took off, The Incredibles finally got a sequel, and there’s a new Razr that’ll blow your mind. Let’s test its teardownability.
MAJOR TECH SPECS
■6.2-inch 2142x876 foldable plastic OLED display (~373 ppi)
■ 2.2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, 2,510mAh of battery power
■ 16MP f/1.7 main camera with dual-pixel autofocus and one 5MP f/2.0 selfie camera
KEY FINDINGS
■ Back in our day, the Motorola Razr was the coolest thing around. We’re happy to see that the new Razr keeps the sleek look. All the modern-day gear adds bulk, though. The new Razr is 35 percent wider and 118 percent heavier than our 2004 V3, so it’s less pocketable than you’d think.
■ Our first target is the lower rear cover. Behind the fancy folding façade, this is still a smartphone like any other, so we’re guessing a hot iOpener is our ticket in. A little heat does the trick! Once all the glue is sliced, the cover can wiggle free. But the fingerprint sensor cable, next to the home button, is waiting to be torn by eager disassemblers. ■ Battery ho! But no other fun goodies, so we opt to pop the Quick View display off the other side. Despite some nasty glue, it eventually comes free, and we catch our first glimpse of the second battery. The first battery’s ready for removal in the bottom half of the phone, but the second is still hiding behind some cables in the top half. Above the batteries, the single 16MP main camera stares back at us. ■ As we hone in on the flexible display, we hope we don’t mess it up, but for now, we’re breezily unscrewing Torx screws with our handy Mako kit. With a bit of alcoholic coercion, the first battery comes free. One brief pit stop on our race to mobo glory: In removing the vibration motor (a boring coin-style one), we spot some curious slime.
■ Flipping this floppy foldable is a lot easier after a few more screws, and gives us access to the cameras and second battery. With the pOLED display removed, we’re dismayed that the battery comes with it. Prying against this flexible sheet for a battery swap doesn’t seem ideal, even if the battery is in a metal caddy. We finally have both batteries; the second packs more punch, at 1,265mAh and 4.8Wh, than the wafer-thin 4.7Wh cell we extracted earlier.
■ Motorola’s nostalgia-stoking Razr wins the award for most complicated phone-based contraption we’ve ever taken apart. We’re impressed with the numerous feats of engineering that Moto pulled off to resurrect its iconic clamshell. It won’t win any awards for serviceability, but just bringing this gizmo into existence was such a tall order that we’re not surprised serviceability didn’t make it into v1.0. It’s fun to see how they made it happen.
■ Repairability Score: 1 out of 10 (10 is easiest to repair). The only driver you need is a standard T3 Torx. The delicate primary display is replaceable, if you’re determined. Every repair starts (and ends) with stubborn, glued-on outer covers. Replacing the batteries requires near-total disassembly. The charging port is soldered directly to the main board. Complex construction and multiple flex cable booby traps make for tricky repair work.