Update: Motorola Razr 2022 is here — and it takes aim at Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra sees Samsung reviving the Galaxy Note line in all but name, once again providing a dedicated slot for the much-loved S Pen. But it looks like it may have a rival on its hands, as new leaked images of the Motorola Edge 30 Pro show a handset with a chunky stylus of its own.
Posted by prolific and reliable leaker Evan Blass on his private Twitter account, the phone itself doesn’t look too far removed from recent entries in the Edge series, with a pin-hole camera on the front, and a triple-camera array in a traffic-light formation on the curved back of the handset.
But the interesting thing is the stylus. While Motorola has released handsets with stylus support before, these have tended to be budget devices, and this looks considerably more premium — albeit likely too large to dock in the handset itself.
That suggests that it may be an optional accessory alongside the folio case, pictured at the top of this article. As you can see, it seems to work both as a kickstand when unfolded, and provides a window to view notifications when closed.
A familiar mistake?
That’s unsurprising based on what we’ve heard previously, as a leak last month pointed to a folio case that looks a lot like this. In that report, the phone was called the Edge 30 Ultra rather than Pro, but there’s no denying the similarity in the design:
Those designs showed a space for the ‘Smart Stylus’ to sit in a pouch on the back where it can charge wirelessly from its host phone.
The report also mentioned that the Smart Stylus would be a step up from previous Motorola stylii, with support for air gestures, media controls and the ability to be used as an air mouse on external displays.
But advanced or not, the suggestion that it won’t dock inside the phone itself, and will instead be an optional accessory is still disappointing. Samsung tried this with both the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 3, and it proved a less than elegant solution, with users forced to either add a bulky case to their phone, or live in constant fear of misplacing their S Pen.
Of course, the requirement to buy the S Pen separately also rankled for phones that cost $1,199 and $1,799 respectively, and here Motorola is likely to have a very clear advantage. While we don’t know the price of the Edge 30 Pro, the Edge 20 Pro sold for £649, which is around $700 without tax. If the new model can hit a similar price point, most people could forgive a little less convenience with the stylus.
While Blass didn’t mention a release date for the phone, promo shots like these aren’t produced until it’s nearly show time, so hopefully a formal reveal is just around the corner.
