Forget The Moto Razr — It’s Time Motorola Brought These Classic 2000s Phones Back
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Motorola might not be a perfect company — its lackluster upgrade policies leave a lot to be desired — but it’s hard to name an Android brand having more fun in the market right now. The last couple of years have seen Moto shift to focusing almost exclusively on Razr for its high-end market in the US, even making a direct appeal to more budget-conscious shoppers with itis $700 midrange model. The 2025 lineup is even more impressive, keeping what worked on last year’s range while expanding to include a brand-new flagship tier in the Razr Ultra.
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Moto’s clamshells combine one of the most iconic gadgets ever released with the cutting-edge foldable tech of today, which is why it’s not surprising to learn just how successful the Razr series has been. Personally, though, I don’t think Motorola needs to stop there. The original Razr inspired an entire series of four-letter phones throughout the 2000s — quite literally the 4LTR series — and while none of them reached the popularity of their namesake, it’s a lineup ripe for a nostalgic rebirth. Here are the six 4LTR phones Motorola should bring back in the smartphone era.
6 Moto Cliq (2009)
A new Cliq could, well, click with a fresh audience
Source: Motorola
Starting off with one that, in my mind, just barely squeaks into the 4LTR series, the Moto Cliq is the only entry on this list that technically qualifies as a smartphone. Released during the first year of Android’s public existence, the Cliq combined Android 1.x with Motoblur and a slider keyboard to create what was essentially a proto-Droid. While Motorola wouldn’t find true smartphone success until months later with that Verizon partnership, the Cliq pointed to what the future could hold for Moto as a modern brand.
Modernizing the Cliq seems pretty simple to me, especially thanks to the popularity of accessories like the coincidentally-named Clicks keyboard. Motorola could either slap a keyboard on a future device, or — more likely — pair something like the Razr with something like Clicks to create an optional add-on accessory. That’s not as exciting as a smartphone with a real keyboard attached to the chassis, but I have a feeling it would sell a whole lot better. I don’t expect to ever see anything like this, but it would undoubtedly help Motorola stand out amongst a tired marketplace.
5 Moto Aura (2008)
Motorola could refresh its Aura into a reborn LG Wing
Source: Motorola
With the Cliq out of the way, we can get into the really interesting concepts. First up is the Motorola Aura, a one-of-a-kind cell phone that combines a perfectly circular display with a swivel design, allowing you to spin the front of the phone open to answer calls and use the dialer. This phone is nuts. It launched at $2,000, came in a wooden box, and eventually arrived in even more expensive editions packed with diamonds or gold. Neil Armstrong was gifted one to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the moon landing. The 2000s were wild.
Recreating this phone for the modern age is pretty tricky, but I think we could make it work by looking to inspiration from one of Moto’s fallen rivals. LG’s Wing might’ve landed with a soft thud when it arrived in 2020, but that’s the exact kind of weird vibes that are missing from today’s smartphone. By utilizing a similar concept, a new Moto Aura could bring back the dual-screen vibes that practically everyone who’s tried the Wing has found themselves loving. Just keep those diamond and gold-plated models in the annals of history where they belong.
4 Moto Fone (2006)
A minimalist phone right as those are truly catching on
Source: Motorola
Judging by the rabid response to gadgets like the Light Phone 3, minimalism is all the rage these days. Motorola already provides a surprisingly solid minimalist experience with the Razr’s cover display, but I think we can go farther. The Motorola Fone arrived on the scene in 2006 and, by some accounts, was the first cell phone to utilize an e-paper screen. And while the company originally targeted developing markets with this product, I think forking it into a luxury minimalist Android device could go a long way.
In my mind, Moto’s new “Fone” is still fairly restricted, utilizing Android to allow for more flexibility and ease of development while simultaneously locking down specific features to keep the experience from feeling overwhelming. Match the Light Phone 3 in terms of features — rideshare and podcast yes, social media no — and I think you could have a solid hit on your hands. And hell, even the Fone branding feels like it would work.
3 Moto Slvr (2005)
Thin and light phones? Motorola was there 20 years ago
Samsung has already promised the Galaxy S25 Edge for an undisclosed date this year. Apple is heavily, heavily rumored to be developing an iPhone 17 “Air” for launch this fall. Why not squeeze Motorola into the race? After all, the company already has a nostalgic lineup to play off of. The Moto Slvr — that’s sliver, not silver — arrived hot on the heels of the Razr in 2005, and focused on being lightweight and thin. Considering that’s now a trend in the smartphone industry, it seems as good a time as ever to revive this lineup.
I don’t have an interesting pitch for this one, sadly; it sort of writes itself. Motorola should take one of its Edge phones and simply make it thin. Considering the experience it has in squeezing large batteries into small flip phone chassis — I’m still surprised the Razr Ultra has a 4,700mAh cell — I actually think Moto could pull this one off pretty easily. It doesn’t need to be the thinnest or lightest smartphone around, either, as the nostalgia pull alone might be enough to carry this one.
2 Moto Krzr (2006)
The Razr, but make it smaller
Source: Motorola
Although my first cell phone was the Razr v3, I remember being pretty jealous of the Krzr at the time. The thought process was simple: Take what worked about the flagship Razr and make it smaller and lighter. The design isn’t nearly as iconic, of course, and I don’t think most people remember Krzr the way I do, but a smaller, lighter Razr — that’s the smartphone I’m talking about, not the basic cell phone — seems like an easy enough challenge.
I think Motorola could bring back the Krzr branding without breaking much of a sweat; in fact, it might’ve missed its chance. This year’s Plus and Ultra branding is pretty difficult to parse, even for someone dialed into this sort of thing like myself. The idea of making the regular Razr the “Krzr” could absolutely make things easier to follow. Then again, you’d be sacrificing the nostalgic pull of that original Razr name, so maybe spinning up an all-new product would be your best bet. Either way, you’re leaving money on the table here, Motorola. Make a new Krzr happen.
1 Moto Rizr (2006)
Turn a slider into the rollable it was born to be
There was no chance that the Rizr couldn’t be number one, considering Motorola already brought it back two years ago. Yes, back in 2023, the company showed a number of journalists — myself included — a prototype Rizr behind closed doors. The company stressed it existed as a proof of concept, and considering we haven’t seen hide nor hair of it in the past couple of years, I’m inclined to believe it. Still, a next-gen Rizr for the smartphone age does exist in some state. It’s just a question of whether Moto could ever bring it to market.
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I’d love to see them try. For as (allegedly) close as LG was to bringing its rollable to market in 2021, we haven’t seen any sight of a real rollable outside of concept phones, and I can’t imagine that changing any time soon. Foldables seemed unrealistic until Samsung stepped up to bring them to market — I’d love to see Moto follow suit in its own way with the Rizr in 2026.
Don’t expect any of these Moto rebirths any time soon
The realist in me knows that nostalgia only extends so far, and out of all of these devices, really only the Razr holds any sort of familiarity with most of the general public. Still, for as stagnant as modern smartphones — even modern foldables — can feel, I’d love to see Motorola take a brave step forward with a new idea pulled from its past. With such a wild legacy behind it, just imagine what crazy concepts we could see with just a little more courage.
Moto Razr (2025)
Motorola’s most affordable Razr gets a glow-up for 2025. With new colors, a more powerful processor, and all sorts of AI tools, this might be the most exciting $700 folding phone you’ve ever seen.
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Moto Razr+ (2025)
Motorola’s 2025 Razr+ isn’t all too different from what came before. With nearly identical specs as last year, the big improvements come from a more rigid, durable design and plenty of AI goodies.
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Moto Razr Ultra (2025)
The Moto Razr Ultra is the foldable you’ve been waiting for. With a new camera system, top-tier specs, and a larger, brighter display, this is a Razr designed to go head-to-head with Samsung — for a price, of course.
