Watch this: First Look: The 2024 Motorola Razr and Razr Plus Come With Colorful Upgrades
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That leads to another point I was curious about: How would it feel to use the Razr when unfolded? Would it seem awkward and lanky?
Thankfully, the answer is no. As I've mentioned in a previous review, I don't have the smallest hands, per say, but I found I was able to access all parts of the 6.9-inch internal display pretty easily. (For context, when opened, the Razr is about as tall as the Galaxy S24 Ultra.) The Razr sports an FHD plus pOLED internal display.
Apps like TikTok and Instagram also didn't feel awkward or over exaggerated on the tall screen. They filled the display in a way that felt so natural I'd often forget I wasn't just scrolling on my iPhone. Watching videos in full-screen mode on YouTube does conjure up larger black borders around content, to help fill in the extra space. I didn't mind it, but if you're adamant about a truly full-screen experience on YouTube without having to zoom in to fill the screen, it's worth considering.
And now for perhaps the most pressing question: how bad is the crease in the internal display?
I'm happy to report I hardly noticed the crease when using the phone as usual. I couldn't really see it at all when watching videos or scrolling through photos and apps. The only time you'll really see it is when the screen is off. Otherwise, it mostly fades into the background. The crease on last year's Razr also wasn't super noticeable, but Motorola's new hinge design minimizes it even more on this year's model.
There's also no noticeable hinge gap when the phone is closed, which has been a consistent pro for the Razr over the years. It's inevitable that over time, there will be wear and tear on any phone that you open and close repeatedly. But out of the box, the 2024 Razr feels nice and smooth as it's open and shut, even more so than last year's model.
The phone comes in Spritz Orange (the color I tested), Beach Sand and Koala Grey. It features a vegan leather back that helps with gripping this uniquely-shaped device and flipping it open (which is still pretty hard to do one-handed).
The fingerprint reader built into the side button works without hiccups, as does the face unlock feature -- which isn't as secure when it comes to being able to use Google Pay. There's no headphone jack; it seems the Razr doesn't want to be that retro.
Another impressive feat is the Razr's battery life. It can last over a day and a half on my regular (admittedly heavy) use. I placed calls, sent texts, scrolled through social media and streamed videos, and it held up quite well.
In CNET's 45-minute endurance test, which involves a combination of streaming, scrolling through social media, joining a video call and playing games, the battery only dropped to 97% -- though it's worth noting I've anecdotally observed that while that initial drop from 100% seems to take some time, the battery depletes a bit more quickly (albeit still totally normally) after that.
In a longer, three-hour streaming test over Wi-Fi, in which I watched a YouTube video in full-screen mode on the internal display, the Razr's battery stayed at 100% after one hour, dropped to 96% after two hours and landed at 91% after three hours. For comparison, the 2024 Razr Plus dropped to 84% in the same test, and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 reached 81% (both phones have smaller batteries and more power-hungry processors).
The Razr packs a MediaTek Dimensity 7300X chip, which is power efficient and helps to explain the phone's impressive battery life -- especially over last year's Razr, which dropped to 91% after CNET's 45-minute endurance test (that phone features a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor, which has its own perks when it comes to raw performance, for instance). The Razr runs Android 14 out of the box and has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. No expandable memory here. Motorola pledges three years of major OS updates, which is decent but far less than the seven years Samsung offers on its Galaxy Z Flip 6.
A 30-watt charger (not included) will take the Razr from 0% to 58% battery in 30 minutes. (You'll reach a full charge in just over an hour.) The phone also supports 15-watt wireless charging.
Benchmark tests for the CPU in Geekbench 6 place the phone below the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and the Motorola Razr Plus. In a graphics test using 3D Mark's Wild Life Extreme, the Razr matches the performance of the Razr Plus, though it falls behind the Z Flip 6. Check out the graphs below for more specifics.
I personally didn't notice any major issues with the phone's performance, though there was slight lag when it came to functions like automatically transferring the camera from the cover screen to the internal screen when opening the phone. Otherwise, apps launched quickly, the phone unlocked without lag and YouTube videos transitioned between portrait and landscape modes when the phone was rotated without any glaring delays.
Split screen mode, which lets you run two apps simultaneously, is a handy feature with such a large internal display. I was able to have YouTube playing on one half while texting on the other, for instance, and it didn't feel cramped. I also appreciate being able to adjust how big each screen is, if you want to give one app more real estate, and that this feature works in both portrait and landscape modes. It is worth noting that you won't be able to use all apps in split screen mode. Netflix, for instance, isn't compatible.
The phone has an IPX8 rating, meaning it can handle being submerged in 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. That puts it on par with the Galaxy Z Flip 6's water resistance, though that device is rated IP48 for dust resistance; the 4 refers to being able to withstand ingress for particles 1-millimeter or larger, so things like sand and dust could still be an issue. For reference, last year's Razr sported an IP52 rating.
The biggest selling point of this year's Razr is that larger, 3.6-inch cover screen. I quickly grew accustomed to using it for tasks like snapping a selfie and responding to texts, or glancing at Google Maps in a more compact – albeit still totally useful – format. Motorola will need to find ways to better accommodate apps like Instagram and TikTok, for instance, but it feels like it's headed in the right direction. I do wish the external display covered the full front of the phone when folded, and it's a huge downside that you'll have to pay $300 more to get that experience with the Razr Plus. But, hey, it's progress.
The phone's battery life continued to impress me throughout the time I used it, in spite of my daily rituals of endlessly scrolling through TikTok, Instagram and YouTube – plus how often I dramatically flipped the device open and closed throughout the day, which I can confirm is quite fun to do.
When it comes to the internal display, I'm pleased with how the crease, which is fairly noticeable when the screen is blank, essentially disappears once you launch just about any app. In time, it's sure to become more undetectable, but it's not much of a deterrent as it currently stands, either.
And finally, perhaps one of the biggest selling points: that $700 price tag. Making a foldable phone that costs well under $1,000, without compromising much in the way of quality or user experience, is a breath of fresh air. The Razr's camera may not be as impressive as that on the Galaxy Z Flip 6, for instance, but it certainly does the trick, especially for posting to social media. And despite the Razr ranking lower in performance benchmarks than its competitors, I didn't notice any gaping holes in the overall experience. It's clear Motorola prioritized battery life over pure raw horsepower.
In short, the 2024 Razr proves you don't have to break the bank to flip for a foldable. That sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.
Every phone tested by CNET's reviews team was actually used in the real world. We test a phone's features, play games and take photos. We examine the display to see if it's bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP-rating for water resistance. We push the processor's performance to the extremes using standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.
All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using it daily as well as running a series of battery drain tests.
We take into account additional features like support for 5G, satellite connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus support, fast charging speeds and foldable displays, among others that can be useful. We balance all of this against the price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever price it is, actually represents good value. While these tests may not always be reflected in CNET's initial review, we conduct follow-up and long-term testing in most circumstances.
Motorola Razr (2024) | Motorola Razr (2023) | Motorola Razr Plus (2024) | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 | |
Cover display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 3.6-inch, pOLED; 1056 x 1066 pixels; up to 90Hz variable refresh rate | 1.5-inch, OLED; 194 x 368 pixels; up to 60Hz variable refresh rate | 4-inch pOLED; 1,272 x 1,080 pixels; 1-165Hz variable refresh rate | 3.4-inch AMOLED; 720 x 748 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate |
Internal display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 6.9-inch pOLED; 2640 x 1080 pixels; up to 120Hz variable refresh rate | 6.9-inch pOLED; 2,640 x 1,080 pixels; up to 144Hz variable refresh rate | 6.9-inch pOLED; 2,640 x 1,080 pixels, 1-165Hz variable refresh rate | 6.7-inch AMOLED; 2,640 x 1,080 pixels; 1-120Hz refresh rate |
Pixel density | Cover: 413ppi; Internal: 413ppi | Cover: 282 ppi, internal: 413 ppi | Cover: 417 ppi; Internal: 413 ppi | Cover: 306 ppi; Internal: 425 ppi |
Dimensions (inches) | Open: 2.91 x 6.74 x 0.29 in Closed: 2.91 x 3.47 x 0.62 in | Open: 2.91 x 6.73 x 0.29 in; closed: 2.91 x 3.47 x 0.62 in | Open: 6.75 x 2.91 x 0.28 in Closed: 3.47 x 2.91 x 0.6 in | Open: 6.5 x 2.83 x 0.27 in Closed: 3.35 x 2.83 x 0.59 in |
Dimensions (millimeters) | Open: 73.99 x 171.30 x 7.25mm Closed: 73.99 x 88.08 x 15.85mm | Open: 73.95 x 170.82 x 7.35 mm; closed: 73.95 x 88.24 x 15.8 mm | Open: 171.42 x 74 x 7.09mm Closed: 88.09 x 74 x 15.32mm | Open: 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9mm Closed: 85.1 x 71.9 x 14.9mm |
Weight (grams, ounces) | 188g (6.63 oz) | 189 g (6.65 oz) | 189g (6.67 oz) | 187g (6.6 oz) |
Mobile software | Android 14 | Android 13 | Android 14 | Android 14 |
Cameras | 50-megapixel (wide), 13-megapixel (ultrawide) | 64-megapixel (wide), 13-megapixel (ultrawide) | 50-megapixel (wide) 50-mexapixel (2x telephoto) | 50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) |
Internal screen camera | 32-megapixel | 32-megapixel | 32-megapixel | 10-megapixel |
Video capture | 4K | 4K | 4K | 4K |
Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 7300X | Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 | Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
RAM/storage | 8GB + 128GB | 8GB + 128GB | 12GB + 256GB | 12GB + 256GB, 512GB |
Expandable storage | None | None | None | None |
Battery | 4,200 mAh | 4,200 mAh | 4,000 mAh | 4,000 mAh |
Fingerprint sensor | Side | Side | Side | Side |
Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
Headphone jack | None | None | None | None |
Special features | IPX8, 5G-enabled, foldable display, 30W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, 2x optical zoom, Moto gestures, Moto AI | IP52, 5G-enabled, foldable display, 30W wired charging, 5W wireless charging | IPX8 rating, 45W wired charging (charging brick sold separately), 15W wireless charging, 5W reverse charging, 2x optical zoom, Moto gestures, Moto AI | IP48 rating, 25W wired charging, wireless charging + powershare, 3x optical zoom (up to 10x digital and 30x Space Zoom with AI Super Resolution tech) |
US price starts at | $699 | $699 | $1,000 | $1,100 (256GB) |
Source: cnet.com