After Motorola introduced foldable value tags to a brand new low in 2023, the brand new Razr 2024 takes inexpensive foldable telephones to a different stage. The cellphone is a giant improve from final yr’s Razr, which featured a quite small and nearly ineffective cowl display. This yr, Motorola is borrowing the identical design from the Razr Plus 2023, giving this flip cellphone a flagship design with a sub-flagship value.
It was an surprising transfer, however Motorola has been stuffed with surprises recently, particularly after it upgraded the Razr Plus 2024 with an excellent bigger display, fashionable flagship chipset, and higher cameras. Related upgrades have been made with the lower-cost Razr 2024 to deliver the cameras, efficiency, and canopy display expertise as much as par, giving customers a quite enticing bundle for lots of lower than its flagship predecessor and almost half the price of the brand new Galaxy Z Flip 6.
However what does a $700 flip cellphone get you in 2024, and do you have to spring a couple of hundred extra for the total flagship expertise? It might not be a easy sure, however that is additionally a cellphone you don’t need to overlook if you need one thing new and contemporary.
Motorola Razr 2024: Worth & availability
The Motorola Razr 2024 was introduced in June 2024 alongside the Razr Plus 2024 and went on sale in late July. The cellphone retails for $699 with just one out there configuration in the US. Pricing might differ relying on the service; for instance, the cellphone is out there from Cricket Wi-fi beginning at $199. There additionally could also be numerous offers that can permit you to buy the system at a decrease price.
There are three out there colorways: Seashore Sand, Spritz Orange, and Koala Gray. Availability will depend upon the retailer or service.
You should purchase the cellphone on Motorola.com. Along with retailers equivalent to Amazon and Greatest Purchase, the cellphone is out there on the following service shops: T-Cellular, Client Mobile, Xfinity Cellular, Cricket, Spectrum Cellular, Straight Discuss, Whole by Verizon, Seen, Google Fi Wi-fi, Optimum Cellular, and UScellular.
Motorola Razr 2024: What I like
As talked about earlier than, the Razr 2024 takes its design cues from final yr’s Razr flagship, though with a couple of alterations that give it its personal identification. Essentially the most noticeable is the bar above the quilt display, which is now a strip of vegan leather-based that matches the rear, whereas the Razr Plus 2023 featured an expanded bezel that met the aluminum body. It appears slightly misplaced, however I really feel this does job of minimizing the quantity of glass on the entrance panel, even by just a bit bit, whereas giving the cellphone a splash of extra shade when it head-on.
The colour I’ve is Seashore Sand, which might be the tamest possibility of the lot. You additionally get Koala Gray, which has a pleasant suede really feel, and Spritz Orange, which is vibrant and enjoyable. Identical to final yr’s Razr 2023, all fashions include vegan leather-based as a substitute of glass on the again. This feels nice in tandem with the matte aluminum body and means there’s much less motive so that you can fear about dropping it and cracking one thing.
The cellphone is fairly nicely constructed; I’ve dropped it from some nice heights onto some arduous surfaces, and it is solely managed to get a small ding or two. That mentioned, I might nonetheless recommend grabbing a Razr 2024 case, particularly now that Motorola has new cross-body circumstances out there. You must also get a display protector, notably to maintain that giant cowl display secure, however we’ll speak extra about that later.
The 6.9-inch OLED show hasn’t modified a lot and nonetheless encompasses a very minimal crease that you may barely see or contact. The decision remains to be sharp, the colours are good and vibrant, and the 120Hz refresh price retains issues fairly clean. The height brightness has been upped to three,000 nits, which makes it a lot better to view outside than the earlier cellphone, and whereas the built-in display protector can nonetheless generally distort your view a bit, it isn’t almost as dangerous because it was on the predecessor mannequin.
Then there’s the hinge. Identical to the Razr 2023, the brand new Razr 2024 has a sturdy hinge, and it equally feels a tad sturdier than the flagship Razr Plus 2024. It is also smaller, but it surely nonetheless holds the cellphone fairly nicely in numerous angles.
One main improve to the Razr 2024 is the IPX8 score, which now means that you can submerge the system underwater absolutely. We nonetheless would not recommend it, however now you may fear much less about getting the cellphone moist. And whereas there is no official mud resistance score, Motorola has advised us {that a} water resistance score at this stage has some pure mud resistance, so there’s that.
The Razr 2024 is powered by the brand new MediaTek Dimensity 7300X with 8GB of RAM. I used to be bummed to be taught that it did not get the bump to 12GB, but it surely’s a good compromise at this value level. Regardless, the change from a Snapdragon chip does not appear to have affected the efficiency of the cellphone. The Razr handles apps and video games fairly nicely, with video games like Honkai Star: Rail defaulting to excessive graphics settings and dealing with the best settings with out challenge. Remaining Fantasy VII Ever Disaster even defaults to Extremely settings, which stunned me a bit.
With Android 14 on board, Motorola’s new Hey UX provides a refreshing tackle the corporate’s taste of the OS. Whereas it defaults to the identical fast settings fashion because the Pixel, you may change it to a “Fashionable” Management Middle fashion with entry to extra toggles with a separate pane for notifications. I a lot choose this UI, as I at all times discovered the Pixel fast settings menu too limiting with its larger-than-life buttons.
UI adjustments principally prolong to the Settings menu, however not a lot has been modified past that apart from the quilt display. You really get entry to some Moto AI options that allow you to use generative AI to alter your wallpaper. This contains Type Sync and Magic Canvas, which may create a brand new wallpaper from a photograph or from a textual content immediate, though I discover these encompasses a bit sub-par in comparison with the AI wallpapers on different units.
Nonetheless, it is sufficient to get extra enthusiastic about utilizing Motorola’s software program regardless of its most blatant drawbacks, which I am going to additionally contact on later. Motorola has additionally teased extra Moto AI options which have but to reach, so we’ll should see what involves the Razr 2024 and the way nicely it might deal with sure options.
Within the meantime, you continue to have entry to Google options like Gemini, Magic Compose, Magic Eraser, and extra. Sadly, not all options can be found on the Razr 2024, equivalent to Circle to Search, which remains to be restricted to Google and Samsung telephones.
In contrast to the Razr Plus 2023, which this cellphone borrows its design from, the Razr 2024 has fairly nice battery life. the 4,200mAh battery is unchanged from the Razr 2023, and it might get you thru the day fairly simply, even for those who push the cellphone a bit. I discover if I get up at 7 a.m., the cellphone will likely be on its final leg round 7 p.m., which is not dangerous for a cellphone that is getting put by way of its paces. It is arduous to offer a precise quantity for screen-on time, but it surely feels substantial sufficient that this is not a cellphone that ought to provide you with battery nervousness.
On the plus facet, you might have 30W charging, which is not as quick because the 45W you get with the Razr Plus 2024, however when lifeless, it can hit 50% in half an hour and 100% in simply over an hour. And sure, you get 15W wi-fi charging.
Motorola Razr 2024: Cowl display
With the bigger exterior show, you are now free to do rather more on the Razr cowl display. The expertise is basically just like the way it works on the Razr Plus 2023, however Android 14 brings some good UI upgrades. The house display contains app shortcuts and a greater UI for personalisation, panels look lots nicer, now you can add a number of widgets onto a single panel, and there is a new pinch gesture that reveals you all of your out there panels for simpler navigation.
With the Razr 2024, you may add as much as 12 panels to the quilt display, and it might take a while to arrange selecting apps, including contacts, signing into Spotify, and extra.
General, the whole lot could be very clear, and the animations are very fluid on the 90Hz show. Utilizing apps additionally works as you’d anticipate, though I admit it feels barely cramped after coming from the Razr Plus 2024, which has a bigger 4-inch cowl display. Nonetheless, if that is your first flip cellphone, utilizing apps on the Razr cowl display is a superb expertise, though navigating the smaller show will take some getting used to.
Since apps aren’t made with this show dimension and form in thoughts, they will seem a bit cramped. Nonetheless, you may at all times push issues out of the way in which if the cameras are protecting them or just flip the cellphone round and flip the UI with the display rotate button.
You should utilize the Gemini app from the quilt display and Google Photographs can also be out there, though you might be restricted to only viewing your cloud photographs and might’t see some other tabs like Library, Recollections, or Search. In fact, you may take selfies and use the quilt display to let others preview themselves whilst you take pictures of them, which comes extremely useful whereas additionally leading to some stunned and impressed reactions.
There are additionally some helpful lock display options you should use with the quilt display, equivalent to Sleep Show and Desk Show, which allow you to view and/or work together with notifications and media controls while you strategy the cellphone. The latter additionally acts as a type of screensaver mode that cycles by way of photographs while you’re not utilizing the cellphone.
Truthfully, you are able to do almost something on the quilt display, to the purpose the place chances are you’ll not must open the cellphone fairly often. In fact, there are occasions when opening the cellphone simply works higher, however with the ability to do the whole lot from the smaller show simply feels good.
Earlier than I get into the issues I do not like in regards to the Razr 2024, I’ll say the largest draw back of utilizing the quilt display seems to be buggy software program. When switching from the primary show to the quilt display, I discover that the quilt display will go clean for a while earlier than lastly turning on. I generally should fiddle with the ability button or with opening and shutting the cellphone once more earlier than I can get the quilt display to behave, which may bitter the expertise slightly.
That is one thing I encountered on the Razr Plus 2024, but it surely appears to be extra prevalent on the Razr 2024, so I actually hope this may be addressed with a future replace.
Motorola Razr 2024: What I do not like
It is arduous to fault what’s technically a mid-range cellphone for its compromises, particularly one like this. In spite of everything, one thing gotta give for those who’re paying $700 for a foldable cellphone. Sadly, that was the digicam expertise.
Motorola upgraded the Razr 2024 digicam with a 50MP main sensor, whereas retaining a 13MP ultrawide digicam. I used to be enthusiastic about this as a result of I used to be pretty impressed with the brand new 50MP sensor on the Razr Plus 2024 and was anticipating an identical picture output and a extra versatile expertise with the ultrawide. A minimum of I received a kind of.
Pictures from the Razr 2024 are… high quality. That’s, when the cellphone is not being temperamental. Utilizing the digicam can generally be a sluggish expertise, slowing the cellphone to a crawl that actually takes the enjoyable out of taking a photograph. It is nearly stunning, given how nicely the remainder of the cellphone performs, however the viewfinder body price will change into so uneven that I ultimately quit taking a photograph out of sheer embarrassment or annoyance.
Even when the digicam is working high quality, photographs generally really feel a bit overprocessed. Do not get me incorrect; the Razr is able to taking picture with good distinction, loads of mild, and balanced colours, however as a rule, the digicam will punch the saturation to offensive ranges that make me and my mates cringe. There additionally appears to be plenty of oversharpening, and the cellphone feels prefer it’s overcompensating. General, it is a bit inconsistent.
You’ll be able to see this on this picture comparability between the Razr Plus 2024 and Razr 2024, the place the latter cellphone actually pushes the saturation to the subsequent stage.
On this comparability between the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Razr 2024, photographs from Samsung are additionally a lot softer, whereas the Razr tends to attempt to get as a lot element as attainable, which may make the pictures look a bit synthetic.
Ultrawide pictures additionally endure from the identical processing woes, however that is compounded by the narrower area of view, a minimum of in comparison with the Galaxy Z Flip 6. On the plus facet, you get much less distortion this manner, however I at all times discover having a wider area of view offers you a bit extra incentive to make use of the digicam.
However as I mentioned, the digicam is not at all times dangerous, however I actually hope Motorola can iron issues out with some software program updates. You do get the Auto Camcorder mode, which is a neat function, however you do miss out on the Moto AI-powered Motion Shot function, which is available in fairly useful with fast-moving topics.
Relating to audio, the Razr 2024 helps twin stereo audio system, however I discover the sound fairly unbalanced, and the highest speaker sounds noticeably quieter than the underside speaker. Sadly, this bothers me rather more than it ought to, and I decide to take heed to music on my headphones after I can.
Lastly, Motorola has the identical software program promise for the Razr 2024, with three OS upgrades and 4 years of software program updates, however the firm has not confirmed that it is getting a lot better with its updates. For instance, the Razr Plus 2023 acquired Android 14 in July 2024, lengthy after nearly each different Android OEM pushed the replace to their flagship and even midrange telephones. Bear in mind Android 15 is correct across the nook.
I am hoping Motorola can do higher than simply offering common bi-monthly updates and truly push substantial updates in a extra well timed method, however we’ll should see when Android 15 drops.
Motorola Razr 2024: Competitors
There aren’t many sub-$1000 foldables stateside, so competitors for the Razr 2024 is slim with choices such because the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Nubia Flip 5G. That mentioned, you could possibly discover extra choices from corporations like TECNO with the Phantom V Flip for those who reside in a area the place it is bought.
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a flagship-level foldable, so you’ll have to be able to spend almost twice as a lot to purchase one. The cellphone comes with the most recent Snapdragon processor, tons of recent AI options, and a reasonably respectable 50MP digicam, though the battery is barely smaller, and the quilt display expertise is not as strong, making you undergo hoops to arrange apps.
In the meantime, the Nubia Flip 5G prices rather less than the Razr 2024 and has a quite good design with a round cowl display. Nonetheless, that $499 value comes at a value, and also you’re sacrificing options like wi-fi charging, an IP score, and polished software program. You additionally get a really restricted cowl display expertise courtesy of the small, rounded exterior show.
But when neither of those tickles your fancy, you possibly can additionally spring for the admittedly older Galaxy Z Flip 5, which remains to be cellphone. Nonetheless, chances are you’ll want to hunt out offers as Samsung seems to have retained its $999 retail value.
Motorola Razr 2024: Must you purchase it?
You should purchase this if…
You desire a foldable that will not break the financial institution.You need good gaming efficiency.You need to have the ability to use apps on the quilt display.
You should not purchase this if…
You desire a top-notch digicam.You need quick and constant software program updates.You need entry to the most recent options from Google.
Although the Razr 2024 is a mid-range model of final yr’s Razr Plus 2023, it does not really feel like a downgrade. If something, it feels extra like a sidestep, preserving the whole lot that was nice in regards to the 2023 flagship whereas addressing a few of the ache factors like battery life. Sadly, a few of the upgrades, just like the digicam, do not essentially translate to precise enhancements, though the Razr Plus 2023 digicam was fairly dangerous in its personal means. Once more, you may get some good pictures from the digicam, however be ready to perform a little enhancing in Google Photographs.
Are there higher cameras out there at this value? Completely. You’ll be able to at all times choose up a Google Pixel 8a if you need digicam for affordable. However within the foldable area, digicam high quality could be fairly hit and miss and never at all times nearly as good because the extra conventional sweet bar counterparts (with some exceptions).
The Razr 2024 nonetheless has lots going for it, and I am a giant fan of how Motorola handles the quilt display, supplying you with a greater expertise than different flip telephones in the marketplace. You additionally get spectacular shows, nice total efficiency, and respectable battery life. There’s little extra you may ask for in a cellphone.
Sure, the Razr 2024 is much from excellent, however this can be a good flip cellphone at an awesome value that can get the job carried out for many individuals who would quite not spend an arm and a leg on Samsung’s newest iterative Z Flip 6.
The inexpensive foldable
The Motorola Razr 2024 is without doubt one of the most cost-effective methods to get a foldable cellphone whereas providing efficiency you may anticipate from a flagship system. It comes with an awesome set of shows, a 50MP twin digicam sensor, and all-day battery life, whereas letting you employ almost any app from the quilt display. All this for almost half of what you’d pay for a brand new Galaxy Z Flip 6.