Motorola Razr+ (2023)
The successor to 2022’s high-end Moto Razr, the Razr+ sports the largest outer display we’ve seen yet, in addition to an overall premium experience that rivals and, in some ways, beats out other popular, horizontally folding phones like the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
It brought flip phones back into the mainstream (with some significant modernization, of course), and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 remains one of the most convenient and well-engineered phones today, foldable or otherwise. Its premium display is nearly unbeatable, and Samsung’s gone to lengths to increase its folding utility.
The fourth generation of Samsung’s groundbreaking Galaxy Z Flip series delivered a top-notch experience that brought a lot of us over to the “dark side” of loving foldable phones.
After eyeing Samsung’s North American flagship success for years, though, Motorola appears to have finally gotten its act together, offering a competent and outright excellent competitor in theMoto Razr+. It has a similar form factor as theZ Flip 4but adds some remarkably helpful features, making it even more appealing to some than Samsung’s innovative Z Flip lineup.
Price, availability, and specs
The Razr+ is available now, having launched in summer 2023. As predicted, its $1,000 price tag no small investment, and just a touch less than the original sticker on the Z Flip 4. For that matter, major carriers are already offering some big discounts, like AT&T’s mind-boggling$5/month Razr+ dealwith no trade-in, or Best Buy’s $100 off with activation.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 has been around for over a year at a similar starting price, although you’ll periodically find deals since theGalaxy Z Flip 5’s release. In other words, you’ll probably have to pay a bit more for the Z Flip 4 to get nearly the same exact hardware, including storage space. The Razr+ comes with 256GB of storage, no more and no less, while you can choose from 128, 256, and 512GB inside the Flip 4.
A refined design meets OG folding style
Well, would you look at that! Do you see a gradually increasing gap between the two sides of the folded Razr+? We don’t, and that’s one of a few indicators that Motorola’s had its eye on what foldable lovers appreciate. Gone are the madness-inducing asymmetrical measurements of the Z Flip series (even the new Flip 5 isn’t perfect), and the more neurotic among us couldn’t be happier. We’re also big fans of the hinge itself, which looks and feels more supportive and reliable than Samsung’s. It’s also easier to open with one hand.
A big win for the Razr+ display
One of the initial criticisms of previous Z Flip models was the tiny, barely useful exterior display. After all, we shouldn’t have to unfold our phones just to perform the most basic functions. In response, Samsung made the external display on the Flip 4a little bigger. That’s not exactly what we were looking for, but Samsungdidfinally deliver with the Flip 5 - though even that phone’s screen is smaller than the latest Razr’s.
Recognizing the opportunity to get out ahead of Samsung, Motorola outfitted the Razr+ with a 3.6-inch 1:1 outer display with a whopping 413 PPI pixel density. Now that’s what we call an external screen. you may do a ton of useful stuff on this thing. It’s clearly one of the show-stealing aspects of the Razr+. In fact, we were even able to get it to run full-on Android apps after being warned, specifically, that they probably wouldn’t work right. Kudos to Moto for truly taking advantage of the form factor.
Inside, it’s not easy to tell the visual difference between the two displays, though. The Razr+ is slightly bigger with a marginally faster refresh rate, but it’s hardly noticeable. Both use vibrant OLED panels with rich color palettes, and we don’t have any complaints about either.
Samsung’s OneUI is still OneUI
Unless you’re new to the smartphone game, you know that not all Android software is created equal. And if you’ve been around flagship devices in the last few years, you know that Samsung’s OneUI interpretation of the Android interface is essentially second to none. Its rock-solid reliability, diverse feature set, and impressively streamlined experience are almost impossible to beat. And then there’s Samsung’s diligent coverage when it comes to updates, which means it will continue to receive faster software support for a longer time than most new phones today.
In that light, it’s nice that the Razr+ can even come close in terms of software experience and update support. It’s not in line with OneUI’s usability, but it’s nearly on par with the Google Pixel interface and notably better than thestock Androidexperience. On top of that, you’ll receive Android updates through version 16, in addition to bimonthly patches for at least four years. So while it’s a definite win here for Samsung, there’s not a massive gulf between the two regarding software.
Nearly identical hardware
When I review and compare smartphones, I keep all the relevant spec sheets and notes in front of me at all times. When glancing back and forth between the Z Flip 4 and Razr+ hardware specifications, I legitimately forgot which was which a couple of times. Nearly everything about the chipset, RAM, connectivity, and other important hardware is almost indistinguishable.
And that’s not exactly a bad thing, for the most part. The Z Flip 4 performs fantastically, with not-quite-top-of-the-line components packed into a tiny space. Motorola saw the success of the Flip 4’s hardware and decided there was no reason to push the envelope there. So no matter which phone you choose, it’ll be fast and dependable for its entire lifespan (as long as you don’t drop it too much without one of thebest cases).
Similar, unfortunate battery life
One of our biggest complaints about the Z Flip 4 is that it barely lasts through an entire day of heavy use. To fit enough juice into a folding phone, manufacturers split the battery into two cells, which reduces effective capacity. It’s not the end of the world, thanks in part to 25W fast charging and convenient wireless charging, but it’s worth noting that you’ll need to top it off if you plan to stay out all night.
Sadly, Motorola hasn’t yet figured out how to defy physics, and the Razr+ is in a similar situation in terms of battery life. A measly extra 100mAh can’t stave off what is ultimately the biggest drawback to all the horizontally folding phones we’ve yet to see. And on another sad note, while it does support wireless charging, this Motorola phone is limited to a meager 5W. At any rate, we can’t declare a winner here because they’re both comparably disappointing when it comes to battery life, as expected.
A sharp edge to the Razr+ camera
The camera arrays are where the hardware setups do diverge, at least a little. Samsung’s 12MP setup delivers good, but not great, picture quality, especially in challenging lighting conditions. During everyday use, it seemed almost like the Z Flip 4 knew the sun was about to go down and decided it would go into slow shutter mode for the rest of the night. Expert Android Police reviewer Taylor Kerns also noted thatnearly every good picture took some kind of manual input, with “point and shoot” picture-taking failing to ever really work out.
By contrast, the Razr+ sports a 32MP sensor that resorts to 8MPpixel binningwhen it needs more light. This results in vibrant, saturated images with consistent exposure and reliable low-light performance. It’s nowhere near the GooglePixel 7 and 7 Pro’s cameraconfiguration, but it is noticeably better than the Z Flip 4’s.
Moto Razr+ vs. Galaxy Z Flip 4: Which is right for you?
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 paved the way for streamlined, easy-to-use, truly useful folding smartphones. It’s a good phone and especially worthwhile if you can get a great deal. But the Moto Razr+ is simply better in some ways while matching nearly all the rest of the Flip 4’s abilities. Its outer display’s usefulness is night and day different, the design is a big plus, and the camera is a minor win. And given the fact that the Razr+ has a lower MSRP than the comparable Flip 4, it’s an easy choice: get the Moto Razr+ instead of the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Our favorite hamburger-foldable yet
Wrapping nearly identical hardware into a better-designed package with a superhero of an external screen, it’s hard not to recommend the Moto Razr+ if you want a high-end device that fits comfortably in your pocket.
Since the Z Flip 5’s release, though, you’ll find increasingly common discounts on the still-great Galaxy Z Flip 4. And while it lacks the full-size outer display that both the Z Flip 5 and 2023 Razr+ offer, its smaller one is still quite useful, and its form factor is as compact as ever. If you want a foldable for a less-than-eye-watering price, keep an eye out for Z Flip 4 sales and you might just find yourself a bargain.
Wait for the sales
It’s a great phone with great performance, held back only by predictably poor battery life and a less-than-stellar camera. There’s nothing really wrong with it and it’s especially worthwhile if you may find it on sale, but the Razr+ does edge it out just a bit.
