(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)

Motorola is planning to launch its own wider folding phone to rival the likes of the iPhone Duo and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8. The new device has just appeared online, although the specs might not worry the incumbents.

According to a Geekbench listing dug up by Gizmochina, the Razr Flex, as the Moto phone is expected to be called, appears to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, with 12GB RAM. While this is flagship-grade hardware, it's a year old and it's not the top tier Snapdragon 8 chip either.

While that might come as a surprise to those watching the folding phone market, it would fit neatly into Motorola's current strategy, while also keeping costs down.

Motorola updated its flip phones in 2026 but didn't change the core hardware. That left the Razr 70 Ultra with last year's chip, for example, but arguably that isn't a problem.

While techy customers will always want the latest hardware, Motorola has a stronger lifestyle positioning for its devices. It's selling with a fashion-first message, which is why it has Paris Hilton as a brand ambassador.

Sure, the older hardware benchmarks differently, but in the day-to-day use of phones, it doesn't make a huge difference. Or to put another way, it's not enough of a difference to justify the increased price, especially when we're going through a component cost crisis.

Gamers will disagree – and I think gaming is the exception rather than the rule – but folding phones aren't great for gaming anyway. They're difficult to hold, the cooling is poor and the display surfaces can't stand up to the pressure that on-screen controls exert.

So, that Motorola is using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 for the Razr Flex isn't a huge negative. If it ends up cheaper than Samsung's £1,699 for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 or Apple's minimum of £1,999, then I'd say it was a savvy bit of product planning.

What else is expected from the Razr Flex?

This latest leak lists Razr Flex 27 and Razr Flex 2027. Motorola typically adds the year to the US model, while in other regions it has been using numbered releases, although that could be set to change. When the new Signature was announced, it was called Motorola Signature 27 globally, so we could be looking at a new naming policy here.

Elsewhere, the phone is said to feature a 6.92-inch internal folding display with 2364 x 1728 pixels and 165Hz refresh rate. The cover display is said to be 4.97-inch, with 1736 x 1140 pixels.

The cameras are comprised of two 50-megapixel snappers on the rear with a pair of 32-megapixel cameras in the two screens.

A 5,000mAh battery has been rumoured, but it's not clear what the wired charging rate would be. Elsewhere, the phone is said to weigh 215g and measure 5.8mm thick when unfolded.

While it won't rival Samsung or Apple for sheer power, we're keeping our fingers crossed that Motorola will make this a more affordable addition to the wide folding trend.