The next Motorola Razr may have a foldable form factor, which buyers seem to like

Motorola has announced a new foldable Razr that’s a far cry from the flip phones traditionally associated with the line. The brief teaser ends with a silhouette of a short and wide book-shaped device, which is closer in shape to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the recently announced Apple iPhone Duo.

Motorola didn’t reveal any details or launch timing in the teaser, but the shape is enough to make it interesting. Samsung, Apple and now Motorola seem to be moving towards a similar type of foldable device.

Short and wide folding models are gaining popularity

Samsung has had a lot of success this year with the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Its shorter, wider body flows into a 4:3 aspect ratio main display that gives apps, games, videos and multitasking more room to breathe compared to the taller internal screens found on many earlier Fold models.

Buyers seem to like the new direction. Samsung recently said that combined purchases of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra in the US are 30% higher than sales of the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The two models also account for approximately 80% of current Galaxy Z-series purchases.

Apple entered the foldable device race with the iPhone Duo. When closed, it also has a compact, passport-like shape. The phone opens up to a 7.6-inch display designed for content, gaming and multitasking.

Motorola already knows foldable devices

Motorola is no stranger to this category. The company has spent generations perfecting its Razr flip phones, and this year introduced the Razr Fold as its first full-size book-style foldable phone. We reviewed this phone in May and found it to be a strong new competitor to the usual foldable devices from Samsung and Google.

If this trend toward short, wide folding devices continues, the tall candy bar shape may no longer be the default for book-style folding devices. The shorter, wider designs make the unfolded screen feel more like a compact tablet, which was one of the original promises of foldable phones in the first place.