Folding devices might not have made the mainstream, but they represent the cutting-edge of smartphone design. We check out Samsung and Motorola’s latest offerings as well as the newest photography-focused phone from Honor
Motorola razr 50 and Motorola razr 50 ultra
Motorola’s new razr 50 is, unsurprisingly, a successor to the Motorola razr 4, a firm folding favourite in a world still dominated by conventional rectangular smartphones. Motorola’s flip approach is all about ensuring the external screen is big enough to be usable when the device is shut. With the new 50 ultra, that external 4in display now covers the whole surface of the closed phone, and apps that can use this space include Google’s Gemini AI-powered search and Google Photos.
Dull colours are also out: motorola razr 50 ultra comes in Midnight Blue, Spring Green, Hot Pink and Peach Fuzz (the Pantone Colour of the Year 2024, so we’re told), while the smaller-screened razr 50 comes in Spritz Orange, Koala Grey and Beach Sand. The main display is a sizeable 6.9in pOLED screen, and the phones can be angled in a number of different ways for video calling, photography, etc.
The razr family both ship with a 50MP main camera, with added AI-powered computational photography elements in the ultra model. Finally, the company is also getting into the GPS gag market, with the announcement of a new ‘moto tag’, similar in function to Apple’s AirTag system.
Motorola’s AI-powered push includes a free three-month subscription to Gemini Advanced, as well as 2TB of cloud storage, effectively tying the razr family ever closer into the wider Google ecosystem. Both devices, the razr 50 and razr 50 ultra come with a pair of wireless moto buds earbuds.
Motorola razr 50, £799 (includes Motobuds+), Motorola.co.uk
Motorola razr 50 ultra, £999 (includes Motobuds+), Motorola.co.uk
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6
Samsung also gets aboard the AI train with its new Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6, the latest evolution of a long-running series of folding screen devices. Samsung was very early into this market and suffered teething troubles as a result, but it’s now ironed out the issues that plagued early folding devices to come up with two of the sleekest smartphones on the market.
First up is the full size Galaxy Z Fold6, which somehow manages to cram two screens and a high-end camera into a device that’s just 5.6mm wide. Samsung has its own AI system to shill, Galaxy AI, and it makes much of the ‘circle to search’ functionality on the Z Fold6’s main 7.6in screen – you can also use the S Pen to highlight a word or image you want to search. All the functionality is also available on the 6.3in external screen.
Other innovations include Note Assist, which is an AI-driven transcription and summary service, and the rather more dubious Chat Assist (‘Need to write something in a hurry? Just type a few keywords to achieve full productivity.’). The time-crunched and productivity-poor can also indulge in Browsing Assists’ ability to summarise websites ‘in a flash’.
Skip over the questionable benefits of AI-driven chats, summaries and synopses and you’ll find some serviceable tools in the photography section, as well as a useful Interpreter function that can translate a number of languages on the spot. A new Snapdragon processor ramps up the CPU and GPU performance whilst extending the battery life to up 23 hours of video on a single charge.
If that pocket behemoth is too much, then the Z Flip6 might be a more suitable scale. Samsung’s pocketable flip phone is the only real competitor to the razr series, with the added benefit of Samsung’s AI-focus and easy pairing with the Galaxy Watch7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra.
In addition to the above, the company has also just unveiled Olympic editions of the Z Flip6, a special edition that’s been ‘exclusively designed and customised for all athletes competing at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024’. Collectors and completists who haven’t made it to Paris might want to track down an example of these elegantly gold-etched phones with their bespoke graphics and presentation cases.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6, £1,799, Samsung.com
Samsung Z Flip6, £1,049, Samsung.com
Honor 200 Pro
Portraiture is the new hotness according to Honor, which has gone all out with the camera features of the flagship Honor 200 Pro. This has involved a tie-in with Sony, which supplies the sensor for the 50MP main camera, the results of which are displayed on a large 6.7in AMOLED ‘quad-curved’ display. The latter refers to the gently curved edges of the screen, which evoke the form of the early Samsung Galaxy phones.
In addition to the main portrait camera there’s also a 50MP Telephoto camera with 2.5x optical zoom and up to 50x digital zoom, and a 12MP Ultra Wide and Macro camera. The front-mounted selfie camera is also 50MP and the company has teamed up with Parisian photography house Studio Harcourt to conjure up some special lighting algorithms that evoke the golden age of portraiture.
Honor 200 Pro, £699.99, Honor.com
