I have been using a Galaxy Z Fold 6 for nearly 2 years now, and I am constantly torn about the benefits of a folding phone. It isn’t often that I actually use the phone open, but when I do, there is no replacement for that extra real estate offered. So I was pretty keen to see how the new Motorola Razr Fold might stack up.
An actual case in the box
This is something companies like Oppo and Motorola have done that blows me away. Including a case, so your phone is protected from the first day you are using it makes such an excellent first impression. This is more so the case with a phone like this, where the weird shapes of folding phones need very specific cases to use them optimally. Sure, we are talking about a $100 case with a $3500 phone, but honestly it made a big difference. So other companies, stick a $100 case with your expensive ass phones!
The look and feel!
So the look is something different people have feelings about. For me, everything about the phone looks great, except the cameras. So many phones these days have the slope up to the thicker section with the cameras in it. I can’t stand it, but everyone’s doing it. So maybe I am just old and don’t know what the cool kids like. The matte look and the back with an almost mesh design is a much more aesthetically pleasing design than most phones.
Speaking of that mesh looking design. The feel is something I don’t really note in reviews, and that’s because they are all basically the same smooth backing as phones in the price range. Not the Razr Fold! This beauty has a rubber feel on the back that feels fantastic in the hand, and helps it drip to your finger. Beautiful and functional!
The fold of it all
If you’re buying this phone, it’s because you want it to be unfolding that sweet, sweet phone, so this is a pretty important part. Motorola has worked hard to make their software pretty damn exceptional here. One thing that really stood out, was when I was switching between a couple of apps, it would bring up a message at the top to go to split-screen mode.
Now all of the foldable phones have split screen mode, and they are easy enough to use. But I can’t tell you how many times I would switch between apps, without even thinking about using split screen mode over the years. This little prompt meant I probably used more split screens in 2 weeks with the Razr Fold than I did with over a year with my Samsung Fold. It’s a little thing, but the little things make the real difference.
There was a slight dip in the joint between the phone halves. Samsung has managed to make their newer ones seem even more joinless, but my old Fold has a join, and if I am being honest, this isn’t as big of a deal as you may expect. Sure, less of a dip is better, and so the Razr has a minor drawback here, but personally, I wouldn’t use that to make my buying decision unless the phones are absolutely neck in neck.
The Motorola Razr also comes with stylus support, but the stylus is something you buy separately. This may seem minor, but with the weird shape of the phone they could have slotted a stylus in the case. A minor thing, but this could have really helped set them apart.
Specs as bro
Most of the specs between his phone and its competitors are pretty much for muchness. There are slight differences, but honestly, at this level of power, it makes very little difference as long as the software is optimised to use it. With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, there was never an app I ran that even slightly seemed like it would struggle.
The cameras include 50MP cameras with one being a 50MP ultra wide with Macro Vision and a 122° field of view. The front-facing cameras have a 20MP external camera and a 32MP internal camera. The newest Samsung Fold8 has a beefier external camera, but honestly, the ones in here were more than enough for snapping the dope shots I was using it for.
The Razr Fold offers a much brighter screen than the Samsung, but Samsung has done some great stuff with anti-glare technology. So both kinda have their strengths. Where the Motorola absolutely kicks ass is the battery. The Motorola Razr has a huge 6,000 mAh battery. I thrashed the blimmin thing and regularly had 50% battery at the end of the day. This shrinks over time, but it is good to know that even as it degrades, it should still get you through a full day of heavy use up to when you decide to upgrade the beast.
If somehow you do run out of juice, it has some instance charging, with 80W charging via cable, 50W wireless charging, and even 5W reverse wireless charging, which you can use to give something like your earbuds a boost. I consistently got over 60% charge in an hour, which is bloody fast!
Should you get a Motorola Razr Fold?
Given this is Motorola’s first folding phone, I was expecting it to be a bit bang average, or good enough. But instead, I walked away from this thinking when I next do an upgrade, and if I stick to folding phones, this one will have my eyes. It’s a bit of a banger!
This is a damn exceptional first foldable phone out of the gate for Motorola! I just wish it came with the stylus in the box to take it to the next level!
