I Tested Motorola’s New $699 Flip Phone, and It’s Full of Nostalgic Goodness

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• THE Motorola Razr (2024) is available now for $699.
• It’s an updated version of the entry-level Moto foldable that came out last year, with an even larger Cover Display, better performance, and all-day battery life.
• The camera remains the weakest point of the device, and you’ll only get three major Android upgrades.

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So, you’re in the market for a foldable phone. Whether it’s your first, second, or third, if you refuse to go back to “normal” non-foldable phones and are looking to save some money, there’s no better foldable on the market today than the Motorola Razr.

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The latest version of Motorola’s flip phone gets all sorts of upgrades over last year’s model: a larger external display, faster performance, better water resistance, and higher brightness, all for the same $699 price. Are there any downsides? Sure, but anyone looking for a mid-range foldable phone should look no further.

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It all starts with the Cover Display, which has been significantly improved over the previous generation. The screen has grown from 1.5 inches to 3.6 inches, the same size as the outer display on the Razr Plus 2023. That means you can run apps, play games, and use nicely detailed widgets to quickly glance at important information.

To put things in context, none of these features were available on the old Razr. Sure, you had a few widgets and panels to look at on its tiny 1.5-inch display, but there’s no denying that it got cramped pretty quickly. The new Razr gracefully avoids that problem with a much larger display, and that’s the upgrade I appreciated the most.

Speaking of which, the main display is also superb. It shares many features with the old Razr’s display, such as the size, P-OLED panel, and Full HD+ resolution. The refresh rate is slightly lower at 120Hz versus 144Hz, but the difference is negligible. What matters most is the increased brightness; the new Razr can go up to 3,000 nits, which makes the display much easier to see in bright sunlight, especially with sunglasses.

Sure, the crease is still there, but Motorola has reduced it compared to the previous Razr. It doesn’t look as pronounced in person, but you can still see it. The hinge itself has also been improved with increased strength, which is important for long-term use.

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Motorola has also certified the Razr and Razr Plus as IPX8, which means you can submerge them in three feet of water for up to 30 minutes. You might be wondering why there’s an “X” where you’d usually find a “5” or “6” in this rating, and that’s because Moto hasn’t tested for protection against dirt and dust. The company did tell me there is a level of protection against small debris, though, so there’s definitely one.

The design also features premium materials on the exterior. The Koala Gray version I have features a vegan suede material, while the Beach Sand and Spritz Orange (aka the best color) models have vegan leather. The gray model’s suede is both smooth and grippy, and I haven’t noticed any excessive dirt buildup. Of course, there’s no telling how well the material will hold up over time, but it seems to be holding up well in my initial tests.

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Motorola’s Hello UX experience features a few AI improvements, including an all-new Moto Assistant that can reference images, remember what someone said, and manage your notifications. Unfortunately, it’s not here yet. Instead, the only “new” AI feature I was able to test was Google Gemini, which is built into both the foldable and cover displays. You can replace Google Assistant entirely with Gemini and use the same “Hey Google” command to ask questions or prompts.

I also really liked the Razr’s battery life. Motorola equipped it with a 4,200mAh cell, which can provide a full day of battery life with 20-25% remaining after a full 16-hour day. The battery charges at 30W, which is admittedly slow by today’s standards, but it’s enough for an overnight charge. You also get 15W wireless charging, which is very convenient, but there’s no reverse wireless charging.

The biggest drawback of the new Razr, however, is the camera. The 50MP f/1.7 main camera is very disappointing. Photos are decent in daylight, but they quickly fall apart in most other situations.

The 13MP ultra-wide camera is simply unreliable as is. Quality varies wildly between the two sensors, with the ultra-wide failing to capture the same amount of light and detail as the main sensor. Video quality on both looks choppy and overprocessed, and portrait mode is passable. I appreciate that you can use the outer screen as a viewfinder for your subject, but with cameras this underwhelming, it’s little more than a nice-to-have the few times you take photos.

Video quality is also disappointing, as are selfies taken with the 32MP front-facing camera. Overall, unless you tend to apply a ton of filters to your photos, you’ll be disappointed.

I’m also not a fan of Motorola’s promised software support. It only guarantees three years of major Android updates and four years of security patches, while other manufacturers offer five to seven years of updates. Maybe you use your phone for more than three years, maybe not, but it would be nice if Motorola gave you the option to use the phone for more than three years with updates.

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Another note: The Razr tends to heat up pretty quickly in normal use. Maybe it’s the extra summer heat or the fact that I was taking more photos than usual outside of a review period, but I noticed that it gets hot quite often and doesn’t cool down as quickly as other phones. My take? It’s a physics issue involving the specs, the battery, and the fact that this device is rather thin.

ZDNET Buying Advice

THE Motorola Razr (2024) is a great entry-level phone for those curious about the flip form factor. While the camera isn’t the best, the rest of the Razr is incredibly solid, especially for the $699 asking price. Sure, there are other premium foldable phones out there, but if you want to save some money (or maybe buy it as a secondary phone), this is the one to get.