Motorola Razr 2019 launch event live blog

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All the news from Motorola's press event

(Image credit: Evan Blass)

Motorola is jumping into the foldable phone market. As had been rumored since earlier this year, Motorola just showed off an updated version of its classic Razr phone that reveals a bendable display when you lift up the cover.

Motorola took the wraps off the rebooted Motorola Razr during press event tonight (Nov. 13) in Los Angeles, showing off a design that had been talked about for months thanks to leaked images and even Motorola's invitation.  

Verizon joined Motorola at the event to announce it will be the exclusive partner for the Motorola Razr, which will cost $1,499.99 and be available for pre-order on Dec. 26. While pricey, that's less expensive than the $1,980 Samsung Galaxy Fold, a foldable device that debuted earlier this year.

The new Razr is a fairly compact phone that when folded up fits neatly into your pocket. Unfold it, and you've got a 6.2-inch OLED screen. On the outside of a the phone, a 2.7-inch Quick View screen gives you an at-a-glance view of notifications and other info, saving you from having to flip open the phone. (When you do — say, to answer an email — the relevant app will be open and waiting for you, thanks to a hand-off feature, at least on apps that are update to take advantage of that capability.)

Don't expect overwhelming performance from the new Motorola Razr. It's got a Snapdragon 710, a midrange processor that's not as powerful as the Snapdragon 855 inside the Galaxy Fold.

Here's what we've seen so far during Motorola's event.

11:26 p.m. ET: That's about all from the Motorola event, where the only formal remarks were about the Verizon-Motorola partnership. (We've rounded up the details on how to buy the Motorola Razr.) Mostly, this is an opportunity for people to go hands-on with the foldable phone, something we've definitely taken advantage of.

11:17 p.m. ET: We've detailed some of the Razr's specs already, but here's some initial first impressions from our hands-on with the Motorola Razr.

11:09 p.m. ET: Let's get some pictures with the new Motorola Razr

11:06 p.m. ET: Just from that hype video, it looks like the rumors of the Motorola Razr were pretty accurate. You have a phone that looks an awful lot like the flip phones of 15 years ago, only when you open it up, there's a full screen inside. That's a rather prominent chin from what we can see.

11:05 p.m. ET: And we have a smartphone sighting. Behold Motorola's foldable phone.

10:47 p.m. ET: Is the life of a tech reporter glamorous? You tell us.

10:34 p.m. ET: We interrupt this dance party with actual news! A Verizon rep just joined a Motorola executive on stage to announce that Verizon's the exclusive carrier of... well, whatever it is Motorola plans to announce tonight.

10:32 p.m. ET: No, the event hasn't started yet. No, we don't think it's being live-streamed (though we'll be happy to throw in a link if someone tells us different). Yes, you're stuck with us.

10:20 p.m. ET: We went to a product launch and a nightclub broke out.

10:17 p.m. ET: We're inside now, and a good thing too — these ice sculpture aren't going to stay unmelted all night.

10:02 p.m. ET: Did we say the event gets underway at 10 ET? Well, you know how Hollywood values the fashionably late. We're in line waiting to get in, not unlike we would be at a nearby Sunset Strip watering hole.

9:49 p.m. ET: We're on the ground in Los Angeles and at Motorola's event, which will be starting shortly.

Philip Michaels
Philip Michaels

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.