Whether you know the Motorola Razr from the early 2000s as the “it” phone or from the re-release that turned it into a folding smartphone akin to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip, get ready for it to return, again.
Motorola just announced the Razr+, which might be the most compelling foldable flip phone yet, teasing a new standard Razr. Both offer a compact design that opens up, like a classic flip phone, to a full-sized smartphone, but this steps things up with a 3.6-inch screen on the front that is actually usable. It far surpasses that of the Z Flip 4 and even the forthcoming standard Razr.
Best of all, we’ve spent some time with both of them and are sharing our first impressions and everything you need to know about them. And if you’re already sold, Razr+ lands on June 23, 2023, with an MSRP of $999.99.
The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website.
Motorola Razr+: What You Need To Know
Like the classic Razr, Motorola is not shy about this latest smartphone is all about design and lifestyle. Yes, it carries flagship specs, which most of us want to see but looks nice.
Like any other folding phone, the Razr+, when closed, is a thin square that is just 15.11 millimeters thick. It's also a gap less close that ditches the dodgy hinge and weird design of the original folding Razr. Razr+ comes in three shades: Infinity Black, Glacier, Blue, or Viva Magenta. The latter is unique as it ditches a frosted glass design for vegan leather. Tesla fans will know of that material well, and as the name suggests, it'll be exclusive to T-Mobile.
Related: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Review
While other foldables, including the Z Flip 4, offer a cover screen, they have yet to be the most functional. Typically just an inch or an inch and a half big, they don't provide room for proper functionality aside from widgets or miniature versions of apps. Of course, you could use it to take a selfie or to show someone a preview of what the camera sees.
Motorola is changing that with the Razr+ and tossing in a 3.6-inch pOLED display on the front, which takes up basically the entirety of the phone. The two primary lenses—a 13-megapixel wide and 12-megapixel main—are cutouts along with the flash. The screen gets pretty bright at up to 1,100 nits and boasts a dynamic 144Hz refresh rate.
The significant change is that you can open apps on the front, be it Uber, Spotify, Google Maps, or any other. Yes, it shrinks it down, and you'll need to scroll, but you can even open up a keyboard on the front. There is a panel system that you can customize, including a neat Spotify experience that Motorola worked with the streaming service on. You can even game on the front with a collection of titles that Motorola develops.
Like the Z Flip 4, which offers a range of fun clock designs, Motorola is doing the same. So while you can still use the cover screen for a glance, there is also some real functionality here. It just remains to be seen how useful it is in practice.
Powering the entirety of the Razr+ is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor that is paired with 8GB of RAM. It also comes out of the box with 256GB of storage and (GOOGL) Android 13 with a customized Motorola interface. The handy features like twist to open the camera and chop-chop to enable the flashlight are here. Motorola also promises three OS upgrades and four years of security updates here.
Opening up the Razr+ feels good—and you can't hear the hinge—and unveils the 6.9-inch Full HD+ pOLED display set in a 22:9 aspect ratio with 2640 x 1080 resolution. It gets quite bright at up to 1,400 nits and supports up to a wild 165Hz refresh rate. That means any content be it a racing game, streaming Ted Lasso, or just scrolling an app, will look buttery smooth. However, like any foldable, there is a crease in the middle though Motorola has done some worth a new hinge to help reduce it.
Related: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 Review
You might also be asking where the chin is from the original Razr and the previous folding one. Motorola decided to ditch it for a more balanced look, better ergonomics, and to let the inside be all screen. Up top, you'll also find a 32-megapixel selfie camera in a centered pinhole notch.
In terms of battery life, in classic Motorola fashion, they're promising all-day from a 3800mAh battery that can be charged at up to 5 watts wirelessly or up to 30-watts via a wired connection. All colors of the Razr+ boast an IP52 water resistance and feature Dolby Atmos stereo sound. Of course, as a 2023 smartphone should, the Razr supports the main standards of 5G.
Here's the other kicker—even with a much larger display and all the design enhancements, the Motorola Razr+ will start at $999 unlocked, and carriers and Motorola will offer some enticing promotions.
You can sign up to get in line now and be ready to preorder on June 16 from Amazon, Motorola directly, AT&T, or T-Mobile. Glacier Blue and Infinite Black will be available everywhere, but Viva Magenta is exclusive to Motorola.com and T-Mobile. We'll be back with a full review of the Razr+ closer to the June 23 availability.
As a reminder, Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 4 starts at $999 as well but is typically discounted, and the technology giant still offers an impressive trade-in credit that brings the price quite a bit lower.
Motorola Razr: What You Need To Know
Motorola isn’t retiring the standard Razr, but instead introducing the new Razr. It’s built on a similar platform to the Razr+ with a square, rounded design when closed and features the same 6.9-inch FHD+ OLED display on the side.
The most significant changes here are a smaller external 1.5-inches display and an all-vegan leather design. This cover screen is more in line with other folding flip phones like the Galaxy Z Flip 4, as it can show the time, notifications, and other compact widgets.
Since a display isn’t taking up a considerable space on the front, Motorola is packing in a larger 4,200mAh battery that supports fast wired charging or standard 5-watt wireless charging. It also lets them add a larger main camera: a 64-megapixel lens that will bin pixels down for a 16-megapixel image that is sharper and brighter. It sits next to a 13-megapixel wide lens; internally, there is still a 32-megapixel selfie camera.
The finish here is all Vegan Leather and felt nice in the hand. It comes in three fun shades: Summer Lilac, Vanilla Cream, or Sage Green. It’s slightly thicker when closed at 15.8 millimeters but is still ultra-portable and pocketable in this design. When opened, it’s quite thin at just 7.35 millimeters as well. Even though it’s not glass, it’s still durable with an IP52 water-repellent design.
It is powered by a slightly slower Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor with 8GB of RAM. It will come with 128GB of storage and feature the same software as the Razr+. Motorola also promises four years of security updates and three OS generations on the standard Razr.
Related: This Charger Is the Ultimate Travel Companion, and It's Over $20 Off
This should make for a cheaper starting price, but Motorola is tight-lipped, noting that the Razr will arrive later this year in the United States. The technology brand owned by Lenovo (LNVGF) promised that it would be a lower meaningful price point. We’re hoping that falls in around $499 or $599 and thus making this the most affordable folding phone on the market.
Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing.
