Motorola is back with two new Razr flip phones for the UK, the Razr 50 and Razr 50 Ultra. Harking back to the iconic flip phone from 2004, the brand is hoping to challenge the might of Samsung with these foldable Android devices. I’ve been at the launch of the new Razr phones in New York City and have been trying out the Razr 50 Ultra to see how it stacks up against the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and other high-end smartphones given Motorola has priced the fashion-forward flip at a cool £999.
I’ve only had it in hand for a day or so, but I reckon there’s three clear ways the Razr 50 Ultra beats the Z Flip 5 right out of the gate.
Compared to the Z Flip 5, which is an all-metal and glass design, the Razr 50 Ultra comes in four brighter and more eye-catching colours including a Hot Pink hue that’s a direct callback to the pink Razr from the 2000s that was seen in the hands of many a celeb including Paris Hilton.
I’ve been loaned an attractive spring green model, and along with the pink, Midnight Blue and 2024 Pantone colour of the year Peach Fuzz options, the rear of the phone is covered in coloured vegan leather. This might not be to everyone’s taste but the soft touch finish feels great to hold, and it also adds grip where glass phones such as the Z Flip are slippier.
The matt texture also completely hides fingerprints so you won’t have to keep wiping down the Razr – though of course you will for the cover screen as that’s all glass.
It’s that 4-inch external cover screen that’s the second way Moto has beaten Samsung here. The Z Flip 5 has a 3.4-inch outer display but it’s quite poky when using it and angles itself around the two cameras. Moto has opted for full coverage with a screen that envelopes the camera and the flash to give you much more usable space.
There’s barely any bezel around the outside of it and when closed I found it was easy to rattle off a quick text, find my way around with Google Maps or load up a Spotify playlist. Unlike Samsung, Motorola lets you run full Android apps by default on the Razr 50 Ultra, so you don’t have to always unfold the phone to get stuff done. On the Z Flip 5 you can also do this but you have to change several settings, and there’s less room to see things as the screen is smaller.
As well as full apps you can also choose which widgets to use on the outside display including Spotify, weather, calendar and tons more besides. Granted, when I’m trying to type a long message I prefer to open up the phone, but a great side effect of a screen like this is i can glance at notifications and send a text if needed and tend to not get sucked into a doomscroll session on social media or mindlessly open several apps after I’ve done what I wanted.
The Razr’s dinky but dead useful screen also has an always-on display to match Samsung’s, showing key information even when the phone is locked.
The cameras on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 are decent for a folding flip phone – often cameras are where foldables fall down a little as the sensors have to necessarily be smaller to fit in a slimmed down device. The other downside to the Z Flip’s shooters is the lack of a telephoto zoom lens, with Samsung opting for a main camera and an ultra-wide that can take in more of a scene. I really miss not having a zoom lens on that phone as all zoom is done digitally, so snaps are worse quality than if you have an optical zoom lens.
Thankfully, Motorola has decided to give the Razr 50 Ultra a main lens and a telephoto zoom, betting on the fact people will prefer better quality zoom shots rather than ultra-wides, as there’s no ultra-wide lens here.
I think that’s the right choice. Unless you’re right up close to something you probably pinch and zoom all the time, ending up with grainier snaps if your phone doesn’t have a dedicated telephoto lens. I’ve been enjoying the 2x zoom on the Razr 50 Ultra, which admittedly can’t match the 5x zoom on phones like the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but for shots of friends across a bar or getting a bit closer to street art and animals, it’s already proven handy.
I need a good few more days before I can decide if the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra is a better buy than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, but first impressions are great. The design is excellent, and there are many ways to personalise the phone other than the colour, with tons of software customisation and a range of new cases including ones with straps to wear the Razr as a summer accessory.
You can buy the Razr 50 Ultra from Wednesday 26 June in the UK for £999.