Motorola enters the folding phone arena with a stylus-forward Razr Fold
The CES 2026 spotlight finally shifts to Motorola as the company tees up its entry into the crowded foldable phone market. While Motorola has a long history of offering flip-style devices, the brand’s latest tease centers on a book-style smartphone named the Razr Fold. The device is positioned as a direct challenger to established foldables, combining a clamshell-like folding display with the productivity promise of a stylus-aware experience.
A design that signals intent
From the first glimpses at the Las Vegas show floor, Motorola emphasizes a form factor that blends the best of both worlds: the compact appeal of a flip phone when closed, and a spacious tablet-like canvas when opened. The Razr Fold reportedly features a robust internal hinge, a vertically oriented fold, and a secondary outward-facing display designed to keep essential information visible even when the device isn’t fully unfolded. The branding hints at Motorola’s intent to appeal to power users who want a productivity-centric phone that can double as a mini laptop substitute on the go.
Stylus as a core feature
One of the standout elements Motorola leans into is the stylus integration. In a market where stylus support has become table stakes on high-end devices, Motorola pitches its solution as a seamless part of the folding experience. The Razr Fold is expected to ship with a precision stylus tucked into or alongside the device, designed to unlock note-taking, sketching, and on-device document annotation without forcing users to reach for a separate accessory. This positioning could set the Razr Fold apart from rival foldables that treat the stylus as an optional add-on rather than a central feature.
What this means for users
For everyday users, the Razr Fold promises a familiar smartphone footprint in folded mode, with the larger, immersive display ready for multitasking, media consumption, and crisp note capture when opened. In a world where productivity apps, cloud-based workflows, and cross-device syncing dominate, Motorola’s approach aims to minimize friction between a phone’s compact form and its extended capabilities when you unfold it. The stylus adds another layer of productivity—think quick annotation of documents, future-ready note-taking apps, and the potential for better precision in creative tasks without resorting to a separate tablet or laptop.
Competition and market timing
Motorola enters a space currently peppered by established foldables from brands that have spent years refining hinge technology, display durability, and software optimization. The Razr Fold could give users an alternative that blends classic Motorola design cues with a modern, stylus-enabled foldable experience. CES 2026 is a pivotal moment for the company to showcase that it’s not simply following the foldable trend but actively shaping it with a device that prioritizes stylus-powered productivity and a book-like form factor that signals serious intent in the category.
What to watch as the Razr Fold approaches
Key questions remain: What is the Razr Fold’s battery life and charging speed, how durable is the hinge after repeated folds, and how does the software handle multi-window productivity on a foldable display? Compared with rivals, consumers will also be keen to see pricing strategy, availability windows, and how Motorola’s software suite—ranging from note-taking to app continuity—takes advantage of the stylus input. As the foldable market matures, Motorola’s Razr Fold could become a compelling option for users who want a premium, stylus-friendly device that folds into a pocketable phone without sacrificing productivity on the go.
Bottom line
With the Razr Fold, Motorola signals that it’s not content with merely offering a nostalgic flip-phone experience. By embracing a book-like foldable design and centering a stylus in its tech stack, Motorola positions itself as a credible, productivity-focused alternative in the foldable arena. The coming months will reveal how well the Razr Fold balances durability, software optimization, and value as it heads toward a wider release.
