Motorola Razr Fold review: A worthy rival to Google and Samsung

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

RATING : 8.8 / 10

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

With a chassis based astir a 6.6-inch exterior show that opens outwards to uncover an 8.1-inch interior screen, nan Razr Fold doesn't deviate overmuch from what we've seen from Samsung and Google. That said, Motorola has added original touches present and there, pinch curvier, much rounded corners and sides on pinch a dedicated fastener for summoning AI apps. The telephone besides comes pinch a alternatively unsocial texture successful back, which connected my blackened bluish exemplary feels for illustration nan benignant of ballistic nylon/polyethylene cloth you often find connected rugged outdoor gear. I'm conscionable not judge wherever nan bluish is expected to beryllium because each I spot is simply a acheronian charcoal gray.

One mini quirk astir nan Razr Fold is that it relies connected a side-mounted fingerprint sensor built into its fastener button.That's not different arsenic this benignant of setup is beautiful communal connected large foldables. The weird point is because nan fastener cardinal is ace narrow, I recovered it was a spot tougher to usage and find by consciousness compared to nan wider components utilized connected some nan Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 7. Thankfully, erstwhile you do deed it properly, it feels conscionable arsenic speedy and reliable arsenic those connected its rivals.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Unfortunately, while nan Razr Fold (8.6 ounces and 4.7mm) is sleeker than nan Pixel 10 Pro Fold (9.1 ounces and 5.2mm), it's still noticeably thicker and heavier than nan Z Fold 7 (7.6 ounces and 4.2mm). And aft carrying nan second astir for nan amended portion of nan year, I decidedly for illustration Samsung's much streamlined design, moreover though nan other heft of Motorola's foldable is tolerable. Furthermore, while nan Razr Fold has bully h2o guidance that tin grip submersions of up to 5 feet for 30 minutes, its IP49 standing falls short of nan much important IP68 particulate guidance connected nan Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

For a people of instrumentality that's each astir packing arsenic overmuch surface abstraction arsenic imaginable into a pocket-friendly device, Motorola surely didn't skimp connected nan Razr Fold's displays. Compared to its rivals, some its interior and exterior panels are 0.1 to 0.2 inches bigger while pumping retired much than 6,000 nits of highest brightness. And while location is still a hint of a crease, it's not distracting astatine each erstwhile you get utilized to it. Simply put, nan Razr delivers a world-class viewing experience.

However, for group who for illustration to sketch and return handwritten notes, what really elevates nan Fold's main show is autochthonal stylus support, conscionable for illustration you utilized to get from immoderate of Samsung's older foldable phones. The main downsides are that Moto's Pen Ultra costs $100 other and there's obscurity wrong nan instrumentality itself to stash a stylus. Instead, you get a dedicated charging lawsuit astir nan size of a Sharpie that requires a wired USB-C cablegram for recharging. So while I for illustration nan functionality, I wish Moto had travel up pinch a somewhat much cohesive package that makes its pen easier to transportation around. Magnets, anyone?

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Even pinch Motorola investing a ton successful its display, nan Razr Fold is nary slouch erstwhile it comes to capacity either. It's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 spot pinch up to 1TB of retention and either 12GB aliases 16GB of RAM depending connected nan circumstantial config. As you'd expect from a high-end chip, nan Razr Fold feels ace responsive while boasting speedy load times and beardown framerates successful games. And while apps for illustration Pokemon TCG Pocket aren't ace demanding, I support that large foldable phones are nan champion measurement to play integer paper games.

As for software, Motorola's splitscreen strategy reminds maine a spot of OnePlus' card-based UI connected nan Open. It makes flipping betwixt 2 apps ace easy and you tin easy prevention often utilized pairs for added convenience. Alternatively, by tapping nan small three-dot anchor astatine nan top, you tin popular retired apps into a free shape window, which tin beryllium rather useful too.

When it comes to AI, nan wide acquisition feels a spot barebones compared to what you get from Samsung and Google phones. Motorola has its ain suite of devices positive pre-installed apps for Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot, truthful you get basal worldly for illustration nan expertise to create images utilizing matter prompts aliases automatically prevention screenshots truthful you tin excavation up info later. However, you don't really get much precocious features for illustration Magic Cue aliases a due Audio Eraser.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

The Razr Fold's 50-megapixel main sensor doesn't seizure rather arsenic galore pixels arsenic nan 200MP superior cam connected nan Z Fold 7, but I'd reason it offers amended image quality. In some agleam and debased ray environments, I recovered that nan Razr's photos were consistently a touch sharper and much elaborate than what I sewage from Samsung. Colors were much saturated too, which is beautiful awesome considering that Galaxy phones often spell a spot overboard erstwhile trying to recreate vivid hues and tones. That said, successful very acheronian conditions, I'd still springiness a flimsy separator to Google's Night Sight mode connected nan Pixel 10 Pro Fold (and different Pixel phones).

Elsewhere, nan Razr Fold isn't hurting for different lenses either, arsenic nan telephone besides comes pinch a 50MP telephoto cam pinch a 3x optical zoom (that goes each nan measurement up to 100x digitally) positive a 50MP ultra-wide cam that tin besides sprout macro pics. Meanwhile, for selfies and video calls, you besides get a 20MP sensor built into nan phone's exterior show on pinch a 32MP shooter successful nan apical correct area of its elastic main screen.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

By switching to a caller silicon-carbon battery, Motorola delivered a awesome leap successful capacity and longevity. Thanks to its 6,000mAh cell, nan Razr Fold lasted much than a afloat time (24 hours and 22 minutes) during our section video rundown test. And that trial was completed utilizing its larger main display. In comparison, nan Z Fold 7 lasted conscionable awkward of 21 hours (20:50) while nan Pixel 10 Pro Fold deed 21:20.

The Razr Fold besides boasts fantabulous charging speeds, astatine up to 80 watts erstwhile utilizing a ligament aliases 50 watts pinch a wireless puck. The 1 rumor is that for illustration a batch of phones these days, you don't get a powerfulness adapter successful nan box. Furthermore, because Motorola uses a proprietary powerfulness transportation standard, you'll request to ammunition retired other for 1 of nan company's TurboPower accessories successful bid to get those speeds alternatively of relying connected much wide disposable Qi2 aliases USB-PD-based peripherals.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Motorola mightiness beryllium a spot precocious erstwhile it comes to large foldables, but its first effort is simply a awesome success. The Razr Fold combines fantabulous screens and awesome cameras pinch class-leading artillery life and top-notch charging speeds, assuming you don't mind paying other for a caller group of powerfulness adapters. And acknowledgment to autochthonal stylus support, Moto is keeping nan torch live for a characteristic that seemed for illustration it was headed for extinction.

I still for illustration nan Galaxy Z Fold 7's design, because connected devices for illustration these, each ounce and millimeter matters. And it's not for illustration Samsung's flagship is lagging overmuch (if astatine all) erstwhile it comes to performance, image value and wide usability. On nan flipside, nan Pixel 10 Pro Fold still has nan champion cameras, nan astir adjuvant AI features and nan champion durability acknowledgment to its superior particulate resistance.

If you're successful nan marketplace for a large caller foldable phone, nan Razr Fold is much than conscionable a 3rd wheel. It's a awesome action successful its ain right, and starting astatine $1,900, it's a touch much affordable than nan Z Fold 7 too. The main point that would extremity maine from getting 1 retired nan gross is that Motorola's 2 biggest rivals are past year's models and are owed for a refresh this summer. But if you don't consciousness for illustration waiting, nan Razr Fold won't disappoint.