Technologies

Motorola’s Luxurious Touch Could Be the Razr Fold’s Biggest Selling Point

Can making foldable phones more premium help sell more? Motorola sure thinks so.

You really can’t beat having Gwen Stefani perform at a phone launch, and that’s exactly what Motorola did for its Razr Fold announcement at CES earlier this year. The brand behind the iconic Razr V3 and its contemporary relaunch as a folding-screen flip phone is releasing its first book-style foldable later this year. And similar to its flashy Vegas event, it’s hoping to put on quite a show with the upcoming phone.

The modern version of the Motorola Razr launched in early 2020. It had a mix of V3 nostalgia and a contemporary Android phone with a cutting-edge folding screen. Six years later, Motorola sells three models: The $700 Razr (2025), the step-up $1,000 Razr Plus (2025) and the top-of-the-line $1,300 Razr Ultra.

This strategy of offering Razr models at different prices has proved successful for Motorola at a time when foldable phone sales are increasing annually, despite Razr accounting for only a relatively small share of the overall smartphone market. In 2026, foldable phone sales are forecasted to increase 30% compared to 2025, according to a report by the market research firm IDC.

Motorola is one of the few foldable phone brands that hasn’t had a book-style foldable. Its biggest competitor, Samsung, is on its seventh generation of foldables with the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Meanwhile, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the third generation of Google’s foldable book design. So it’s crucial for Motorola to make its new phone stand out, and the Razr Fold seems to offer something we haven’t seen in US foldables: luxury.

Motorola has already embraced unique materials and colors for its devices. The current Razr flip phone line comes in a variety of finishes and fabrics. There’s even one with a wood back. As a result, Motorola’s clamshell phones have a distinct personality that appeals to people who want their handset to be an expression of who they are. With the Razr Fold, Motorola is leaning into that approach even more by giving the phone a premium, luxurious design aimed to appeal to a wider audience.

«We are positioning ourselves more and more now after we introduced the Razrs as a lifestyle tech. So it resonates with this being not purely tech, but also something that you can express,» Rudi Kalil, president of Motorola North America, told CNET.

While Motorola isn’t going as far as Apple did with the original Apple Watch, which had models in silver and 18-karat gold, the Motorola Razr Fold I got to try with a «silk» textured back was closer to a nice wristwatch than the Bauhaus minimalist aesthetic we currently see dominating phone designs.

Kalil noted that Motorola’s approach is design-first. The company wants to include the best specs that it can in its phone, but it always starts with how it should look. The camera array is probably the biggest element on a phone, along with the shape and materials, where a company can influence a phone’s appearance. And the Razr Fold’s camera bumps seamlessly meld into the back.

«The intent is to always blend in the camera so it doesn’t protrude very highly. It is part of the back,» said Mago Martin, Motorola’s marketing director for North America.

With MWC 2026 here, we still don’t know many specs and features about the Motorola Razr Fold. I did learn that it will support a stylus. Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 3, 4, 5 and 6, which limited stylus use to the main screen, both of the Razr Fold’s screens will support stylus input, so you can go back and forth between them and have a consistent experience.

As far as what’s next for Motorola? Kalil hints at an exciting 2026 for the brand’s fans.

«We will continue to double down on the things that we understand that are valuable for consumers. We started in the past with first bringing the technology. Then we incorporated colors. Then colors and materials,» Kalil said.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, April 8

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 8.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Hint: It uses a lot of the letter Z for some reason. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: ___-Carlton (hotel chain)
Answer: RITZ

5A clue: Span of the alphabet
Answer: ATOZ

6A clue: Cable channel with an out-of-this-world name
Answer: STARZ

7A clue: Takes care of, as a squeaky wheel
Answer: OILS

8A clue: Toy on a string
Answer: YOYO

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: When a post receives far more negative comments than likes, in social media slang
Answer: RATIO

2D clue: World’s leading wine producer
Answer: ITALY

3D clue: Middle of the human body
Answer: TORSO

4D clue: Sleeping sound
Answer: ZZZ

6D clue: Tofu base
Answer: SOY

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 8, #562

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for April 8 No. 562.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Working out.

Green group hint: Cover your face.

Blue group hint: NFL players.

Purple group hint: Leap.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Exercises in singular form.

Green group: Sporting jobs that require masks.

Blue group: Hall of Fame defensive ends.

Purple group: ____ jump.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is exercises in singular form. The four answers are crunch, plank, situp and squat.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is sporting jobs that require masks. The four answers are catcher, fencer, football player and goaltender.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Hall of Fame defensive ends. The four answers are Dent, Peppers, Strahan and Youngblood.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ jump. The four answers are broad, high, long and triple.

Technologies

The $135M Google Data Settlement Site Is Live — See If You’re Eligible

Use the settlement website to select your preferred payment method, and you may end up $100 richer.

You can now file a claim in the $135 million Google data settlement. The case centers on claims that Android devices transmitted user data without consent. Specifically, the class action lawsuit Taylor v. Google LLC contends that Google’s Android devices passively transferred cellular data to Google without user permission, even when the devices were idle. While not admitting fault, Google reached a preliminary settlement in January, agreeing to pay $135 million to about 100 million US Android phone users.

The official settlement website for the lawsuit is now live. The final approval hearing won’t occur until June 23, when the court will consider whether Google’s settlement is fair and listen to objections. After that, the court will decide whether to approve the $135 million settlement.

In the meantime, if you qualify and want to be paid as part of the settlement, you can select your preferred payment method on the official website. There, you can find information on speaking at the June 23 court hearing and on how to exclude yourself or write to the court to object by May 29.

As part of the settlement, Google will update its Google Play terms of service to clarify that certain data transfers do occur passively even when you’re not using your Android device, and that cellular data may be relied upon when not connected to Wi-Fi. This can’t always be disabled, but users will be asked to consent to it when setting up their device.

Google will also fully stop collecting data when its «allow background data usage» option is toggled off.

Who can be part of the settlement?

In order to join the Taylor v. Google LLC settlement, you must meet four qualifications:

Be a living, individual human being in the US.
Have used an Android mobile device with a cellular data plan.
Have used the aforementioned device at any time from Nov. 12, 2017, to the date when the settlement receives final approval.
You’re not a class member in the Csupo v. Google LLC lawsuit, which is similar but specifically for California residents.

The final approval hearing is on June 23, so you can add your payment method until then. The hearing’s date and time may change, and any updates will be posted on the settlement website.

If you choose to do nothing, you will still be issued a settlement payment, but you may not receive it if you don’t select a payment method.

How much will I get paid?

It’s not currently known exactly how much each settlement class member will receive, but the cap is $100. Payments will be distributed after final court approval and after any appeals are resolved.

After all administrative, tax and attorney costs are paid, the settlement administrator will attempt to pay each member an equal amount. If any funds remain after payments are sent, and it’s economically feasible, they will be redistributed to members who were previously and successfully paid. If it’s not economically feasible, the funds will go to an organization approved by the court.