Motorola Razr 50 Review: Flipping Into Contention

At a look

Knowledgeable’s Ranking

Execs

• Affordably priced for a foldable
• Cowl show really helpful now
• Vegan leather-based design enticing and sensible

Cons

• Poor efficiency for the cash
• Mediocre cameras
• Less expensive within the US than the UK

Our Verdict

The Motorola Razr 50/Razr (2024) provides a broadly comparable expertise to the high-end mannequin in a less expensive package deal, with a brand new and vastly improved cowl show. Efficiency and digicam high quality aren’t fairly the place we’d like, however the Razr 50 nonetheless makes the Galaxy Z Flip 6 look downright costly.

Worth When Reviewed

699.99

Greatest Costs At present: Motorola Razr (2024)

$899.99

Foldable telephones are prohibitively costly. That’s what all of us thought till the Motorola Razr 40 arrived in 2023, shaving a whole lot off the worth of the equal Samsung Galaxy Z Flip because of some usually well-judged compromises.

As one other yr goes by with neither a worth minimize nor a big improve on the Galaxy Z Flip 6, it falls on the Motorola Edge 50 to characterize the worth for cash choose. The Nubia Flip 5G is even cheaper, however there are important compromises there.

It doesn’t have the innovative options of the flagship Motorola Edge 50 Extremely, which we reckon is the perfect foldable for most individuals proper now, nevertheless it units out to supply a broadly equal expertise for method cheaper. Is that also sufficient in 2024?

It’s value noting for our US readers that the Motorola Razr 40 and the Motorola Razr 2024 are one and the identical. We’ll be referring to the cellphone by the previous, as its internationally adopted identify, however every little thing we are saying in regards to the Razr 50 additionally applies to the Razr 2024. There’s one noteworthy distinction, however we’ll level that out on the acceptable second.

Design & Construct

• Vegan leather-based again is available in three colors
• Expanded cowl display
• Now IPX8 rated

Motorola produced an interesting clamshell foldable design within the Razr 40, and it’s caught with a lot the identical blueprint for the Razr 50. It is a a lot softer, hotter system than the chilly and industrial Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.

The aluminium body is rounder, and it melds into the sides of the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus-coated cowl show. In the meantime, the rear panel and a small strip of the alternative half are coated in vegan leather-based.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

This materials is basically made from plastic, nevertheless it incorporates a grippy texture that approximates that of actual leather-based. Moreover a particular feel and look, it makes the Razr 50 really feel extra strong within the hand, which is a welcome feeling once you’re continuously prying it open through a tightly sprung hinge.

Speaking of which, I discovered the Razr 50 hinge to be simpler to govern than the Galaxy Z Flip 6, although it’ll solely maintain place from across the quarter-open level.

It additionally made me really feel way more snug sitting the Razr 50 down on a flat public floor, comparable to a wall, to utilize the intelligent distant selfie function that we’ll go on to debate. With the Flip 6, I used to be all the time anxious that I might scratch the glass again in such a situation.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

That strip of vegan leather-based on the highest half of the cellphone is method smaller than earlier than (albeit nonetheless greater than the all-screen Razr 50 Extremely), as a result of Motorola has massively elevated the dimensions of the quilt show. We’ll go into the main points extra within the subsequent part, however suffice to say that the Razr 50 now not appears like an clearly compromised foldable like its predecessor.

The Razr 50 isn’t as skinny because the Flip 6, although 7.25mm when open is nothing to be sniffed at. It’s when it’s closed up that it feels a bit extra substantial, though a thickness of 15.9mm is offset by these rounded edges and a small, sq. footprint. It’s not very heavy, both, at 188g.

Motorola has bolstered the water resistance ranking to IPX8, which means I felt far safer dealing with it close to water. The weak level continues to be the non-existent official mud resistance, however then even Samsung has been unable to completely shut up all these hinge gaps. Finish end result: you continue to received’t really feel snug taking the Razr 50 to the seashore, particularly not with the identical comfortable plastic inside show.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Particular shout out to Motorola for my mannequin’s Spritz Orange color, which mixes a shiny terracotta vegan leather-based with a deeper burnt orange for the metallic rim. The opposite choices, Koala Gray and Seashore Sand, provide extra sober tones for those who choose.

There’s a responsive fingerprint sensor beneath the flat energy button on the appropriate edge, the usage of which exhibits off the cellphone’s first rate – if not high class – haptic suggestions. It’s not very simple to make use of when the cellphone is out of hand, although, comparable to once you’re making an attempt to place the digicam for a surroundings or group shot.

Display & Audio system

• Creaseless 6.9-inch inner show
• 3.4in cowl show now really helpful
• Inside display refresh price now 120Hz

The primary story with the Razr 50 isn’t its 6.9-inch inner AMOLED show, however moderately its new cowl display. Final yr’s Razr 40 provided a weedy 1.5in instance that felt considerably dated. This yr’s model is drastically expanded to three.6in, with a 1056 x 1066 decision and a 90Hz refresh price.

This makes it bigger, sharper, and extra fluid than the Galaxy Z Flip 6 equal. It additionally envelops the dual digicam modules, moderately than chopping them off at an ungainly angle just like the Flip. It’s value declaring that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a considerably costlier cellphone, too.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

All of which means that the Razr 50 cowl show can boast the identical performance because the Razr 50 Extremely, regardless of being a bit smaller. You may run sure full apps on this display, although it’s nonetheless higher suited to heads-up widgets like these of the Galaxy Z Flip collection.

Even so, the additional display area and backbone means the Razr 50’s cowl display is far more nice to work together with than the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s. I discovered the Climate and Calendar widgets to be probably the most helpful right here, each providing an interactive rundown of the day’s forecast. The YouTube Music widget is one other useful one, letting you skip and pause with out having to open the cellphone.

The inside display continues to be the place most of your interplay will probably be accomplished, although. It’s a big 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED with a 120Hz refresh price. The latter really represents a drop from the Razr 40’s 144Hz, nevertheless it’s a wise compromise. This all the time felt like overkill, particularly when battery life financial savings are so essential.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

This most important display can reportedly hit a peak brightness of 3000 nits, although it is a localised determine with HDR content material. With auto brightness switched off, I recorded a full-screen brightness of 492 nits, which is first rate, if not up there with the perfect non-foldable flagships.

It’s nonetheless a really tall display, which requires a second hand to be introduced into play for nearly any interplay. However with the expanded cowl show now capable of deal with single-handed interactions, that’s much less of a problem than earlier than.

Additionally, credit score to Motorola’s designers for getting very near the creaseless best for a flip cellphone. You may nonetheless see and really feel that kink half method up the display when it’s open, nevertheless it’s not massively obvious.

That show is flanked by a pair of stereo audio system, however they actually aren’t all that good. The sound output is skinny and reedy, actually in comparison with flagship non-foldables obtainable for round this type of cash.

Specs & Efficiency

• Mediatek Dimensity 7300X not an incredible performer
• 8GB RAM
• 256GB storage

Motorola has evidently made some financial savings by switching away from the mid-range Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip of the Razr 40 and adopting the Mediatek Dimensity 7300X.

It’s a roughly equal mid-range processor, which means it ends in very comparable CPU and GPU efficiency. The shortage of progress here’s a little bit of a disgrace, particularly because the Razr 40 was hardly thought of a high performer on the time of its launch.

My time with the Razr 50 wasn’t with out its situations of lag and stutter in common and pretty low-intensity conditions. It doesn’t unlock with the snap for a real flagship, for instance, whereas I skilled the odd micro-pause throughout navigation, or when leaping between open apps.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

It doesn’t really feel gradual, precisely. It simply felt like I used to be catching it on the hop once in a while. The supply of 8GB of RAM is a bit on the low facet, however must be greater than sufficient to run day after day duties fluidly. There’s a 12GB variant of the Razr 50 on the market, however not within the UK or the US.

In gaming phrases, Genshin Influence defaults to the bottom graphical settings, and stays playable – if removed from silky-smooth – on Medium settings. For those who’re anticipating a gaming powerhouse at this worth, search for one thing with out a hinge.

No less than this solitary mannequin gives a good 256GB of storage. There’s no Micro-SD slot to increase that capability, nevertheless it shouldn’t be an issue for the overwhelming majority of individuals.

Motorola Razr 50 benchmarks

Cameras

• 50Mp most important digicam
• 13Mp ultrawide
• 32Mp entrance, however most important digicam is method higher at selfies

Slightly impressively, the Razr 50 shares its most important digicam with the pricier Razr 50 Extremely. It’s the identical 1/1.95″ 50Mp f/1.7 sensor with PDAF and OIS.

With an inferior processor onboard and the shortage of Motorola’s Picture Enhancement Engine, nonetheless, this doesn’t end in pictures of equal high quality. Certainly, the Razr 50 has an excellent worse behavior of pumping up colors to an unnatural diploma.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Whether or not taking photos of individuals, sushi, or flowers, I discovered snaps to be over-processed. At occasions, they had been positively luminous. In shiny circumstances, there was loads of element, and affordable HDR implementation, however I additionally observed some blown out highlights. In sure different indoors photographs, the place the lighting was average, I used to be capable of get some well-balanced outcomes.

Night time photographs aren’t something to write down residence about although, with a barely flat look and a great deal of glare from synthetic mild sources. Once more, it could do a job, however you may anticipate higher.

Motorola has caught with a extra conventional 13Mp ultra-wide right here, moderately than following the Extremely and switching to a 2x telephoto. I’m not significantly for or towards both method, so long as the ensuing photographs are first rate. All I’d say is that 2x cropped photographs utilizing the principle digicam have come a good distance, and there’s no strategy to satisfyingly take ultra-wide photographs in a similar way.

Both method, the ultra-wide photographs right here lack the readability and sharpness of the principle sensor. They’re satisfactory, however you may hope for higher. One thing just like the Pixel 9 or the Galaxy S24 will surely get you higher ultra-wide outcomes.

Nearly the one photos that really impress listed below are selfies, and that’s acquired nothing to do with the devoted 32Mp entrance digicam. It’s completely satisfactory, however largely relegated to video name obligation because of the Razr 50’s foldable nature.

The quilt show defaults to displaying a digicam preview, which signifies that you should utilize the principle digicam for selfies. The standard of those in comparison with these from the entrance digicam is miles higher. Try these two photographs, the left-hand of which makes use of the selfie cam whereas the opposite makes use of the main-camera-and-cover-display combo.

Motorola contains some nifty little UI options for such selfies too. You may have an animated smiley face seem to make your topics smile (which proved very profitable, at the least the primary few occasions I deployed it). You can too prop the cellphone up on a flat floor, half opened, and maintain your palm to the digicam to start out a countdown timer earlier than the photograph is taken. It really works like a attraction.

Maintain the cellphone half-folded and on its facet with the digicam app open, and it’ll enter camcorder mode, counting down from three to start out robotically recording. Mentioned video footage can hit as much as 4K at 30fps, or 1080p at 60fps.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Battery Life & Charging

• 4200mAh battery
• 30W wired charging assist
• 15W wi-fi charging

Motorola has gone with the identical 4200mAh battery within the Razr 50 because it did with the Razr 40. Because of this it’s really bigger than the 4000mAh Razr 50 Extremely.

Not that this resulted in superior battery life, sadly. In our commonplace PCMark battery check, the Razr 50 managed 10 hours and 41 minutes. That’s about 25 minutes longer than the Razr 40, however greater than 2 hours in need of the Razr 50 Extremely.

On condition that the Extremely has an even bigger, extra fluid exterior show to energy, I can solely conclude that the Extremely’s extra spectacular and energy environment friendly processor beneficial properties it these further hours.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

This check displays extra intensive circumstances. Throughout my very own sensible use, which I’d describe as pretty average, I used to be routinely capable of get via a full day with round 50% battery left. It’s acquired real two-day potential for those who’re a lighter consumer, which is simply the viewers these compact foldables are supposed for.

The wired charging provision is identical unimpressive 30W as earlier than, however you don’t even get a charging brick within the field this time. Utilizing an Asus 30W charger, I used to be capable of get the cellphone from empty to 63% in half an hour, and to a full cost in a bit beneath an hour.

Wi-fi charging has taken a small enhance from the Razr 40, transferring up from 5W to 15W when utilizing an acceptable Qi charger.

Software program & Apps

• Android 14
• Clear and fairly near inventory
• Three Android variations, 4 years of safety updates

The Razr 50 runs on Android 14, with Motorola’s mild elaborations sprinkled excessive.

It’s not completely free from bloat – did we actually want the Opera net browser preinstalled alongside Chrome? Spotify, TikTok, and even Fb are in all probability justifiable attributable to their ubiquity, however I might nonetheless moderately have been given the selection at set-up. There’s by no means any excuse for LinkedIn, although, particularly on this most un-businesslike of telephones.

Motorola’s elaborations are normally properly obtained, and nowhere is that extra obvious than inside the Moto app. This fashionable, streamlined app serves as an introduction to every little thing further Motorola has to supply.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

You may entry the entire obtainable gestures via this app. By default you are able to do issues like double-chop to activate the torch or double twist to leap into the digicam app. However you can too activate carry to unlock, flip for don’t disturb, and different useful bodily actions.

A lot of what’s right here is widespread to any common Motorola smartphone from the previous few years, so let’s flip to the corporate’s foldable options. We’ve mentioned a number of the digicam advantages within the earlier part, which leaves that exterior show.

The interface is sort of a shrink-wrapped tackle the principle UI, along with drop-down management centre and swipe-up-and-hold app switcher menu.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

You may run various apps in diminished style from the Razr 50’s 3.6-inch cowl show, together with Google apps like Photographs, Gmail, Maps, and Messages. You can too run Google’s Gemini AI assistant right here, which is one thing you may’t do on the Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Even so, the confined nature of the quilt show makes it higher suited to widgets and easy notifications than full apps. On the widget entrance, you may add full-screen applets for the likes of Climate, Calendar, and your chosen music participant.

The Motorola Razr 50 comes with the promise of three most important Android OS updates and 4 years of safety updates. That’s positive for most individuals, however not all that scorching by trendy foldable requirements, the place the Galaxy Z Flip 6 affords seven years of each.

Worth & Availability

Within the UK, Motorola Razr 50 is out there direct from the Motorola web site, in addition to through third-party retailers together with Amazon, for £799.99.

Within the US, the identical mannequin (often known as the Motorola Razr 2024) can be obtainable from the Motorola web site and through Amazon, nevertheless it solely prices $699.99.

On contract, see the perfect choices beneath.

That outright worth is £200/$300 cheaper than the Razr 50 Extremely, and £250/$400 cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.

It’s nonetheless in the direction of the costly finish of issues in smartphone phrases, nevertheless it feels downright low-cost for a foldable cellphone. The one cellphone that undercuts it’s the Nubia Flip 5G, however that cellphone makes far more compromises to hit its £499/$499 price ticket.

See extra options in our information to the perfect folding telephones.

Do you have to purchase the Motorola Razr 50?

With the Razr 50, Motorola has introduced its entry-level foldable extra according to the premium Razr 50 Extremely. The straightforward addition of a bigger, extra useful cowl show has made the Razr 50 right into a viable different.

It might really feel downright low-cost if it weren’t for the US mannequin, often known as the Razr 2024, which is priced considerably decrease.

It’s good to see the principle digicam getting some love, with a superior most important 50Mp sensor that matches the Razr 50 Extremely. Nevertheless, an absence of superior processing smarts signifies that the photographs aren’t as superior, which is likely to be a bit powerful to just accept once you’re paying this a lot. The shortage of progress when it come sto efficiency is disappointing, too.

With all that stated, the Razr 50 stays probably the most compelling foldable entry level in the marketplace, undercutting Samsung’s broadly comparable Flip 6 whereas offering a cellphone that’s arguably extra satisfying to make use of.

Specs

• Android 14
• 6.9-inch FHD+, OLED, 120Hz, foldable show
• Facet-mounted fingerprint sensor
• Mediatek Dimensity 7300X
• 8GB RAM
• 256GB storage
• 50Mp, f/1.7 most important digicam
• 13Mp f/2.2 ultra-wide digicam
• As much as 4K @ 30fps rear video
• 32Mp front-facing digicam
• Stereo audio system
• Twin-SIM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e
• Bluetooth 5.4
• 4200mAh battery
• 30W charging
• 73.99 x 171.30 x 7.25 mm (open), 73.99 x 88.08 x 15.85 mm (folded)
• 188g
• Launch colors: Meteorite Grey, Moonlight White, Celestial Blue