The fourth generation of the Motorola Razr with a foldable screen does not fix some of the failures of previous generations; it becomes the clamshell-type foldable mobile to beat.
We are in the summer of the foldable mobile. Until now, we have never seen so many mobiles of this type available around the world, and Motorola, already in its fourth generation, has nailed its Motorola Razr 50 Ultra as one of the best foldables of the moment and, without a doubt, one of the best that have passed through my hands.
There are many foldable mobiles, but in a clamshell format that opens in half and the internal screen is taller than wide, contact Motorola has managed to play with a list of good features, an excellent design, and, in addition, functions that make it useful on a day-to-day basis.
It is not the one with the most customization or extra functions in its Android version, but Motorola, which has been doing especially well lately in Europe, knows that it is going through a good moment. The Razr 50 Ultra has excelled.
A beautiful, lightweight foldable with good screens and easy-to-use
I must admit that, in terms of foldables, I am one of those who prefer the book format to the shell format. At least that’s what I thought until I thoroughly tested the Razr 50 Ultra. I still believe that book format is more useful, but I’m starting to understand the benefits of flips.
The design of the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra is quite simple for a foldable phone of this type. But this mobile shines for one thing: its huge 4-inch front screen, which is larger in this generation and almost touches the edges.
The right side has the volume buttons and the power button, which is also a fingerprint reader. It has a button panel that I think is too high when you have the phone open. The left side has a bay for the SIM card, the bottom has the USB-C connector and speaker, and at the top, when closed, you have the hinge, which Motorola has redesigned in this generation to make it smaller and can be positioned at any angle.
2024 | Unlocked | Made for US 8/256GB | 50MP Camera | Spritz Orange
A New Benchmark for Clamshell Foldables
It is a very nice mobile with a vegan leather back, which also maintains something unique about Motorola: a pleasant smell when opening the box, so that it does not smell like plastic. Is it relevant? Not at all. But there you have that detail.
I said that by design, it stands out for its front screen, which is larger and occupies the entire front, and that, now more than ever, you are going to see yourself using it much more on the front screen because, in essence, you can open all the apps on this screen. It’s not the best because the apps aren’t adapted, but they’re usable.
The two main cameras are integrated into the screen as in the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, and, finally, we have a big improvement compared to last year: IPX8 resistance for a foldable mobile, something not easy. Therefore, it can withstand water to a certain extent, but not dust or sand, the hinge’s number one enemy.
The external screen is the best thing about this phone, but the interior is not far behind
It’s funny, but in the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra, the highlight is the external screen, not so much the internal one. Good for Motorola for giving more love to this screen, which in the previous generation we already liked, but now it is larger and has more compact edges.
This external display, with a 4-inch LTPO OLED panel, has a higher brightness level, plus dynamic refresh and, for some reason, support for Dolby Vision. You can do more with this external display.
You can open all the apps you have installed, although, of course, they are much more compact, so some will not be very useful, but others, such as Google Maps, the camera, Calendar, or even Gmail, work very well. Motorola even has a special version of Spotify with a special design for this screen. Of course, when you need the keyboard, practically everything in that app will be covered.
Superior External Display
The internal screen, 6.9 inches, repeats the screen format higher than normal, as is typical in these mobiles, with an aspect ratio of 22:9. It has an OLED panel with a dynamic refresh rate of 165 Hz (which you can change in Settings to 60 Hz), support for HDR10+/Dolby Vision, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, although a maximum of 1,300 nits of brightness is normal.
One of the details of foldable phones is the fold, and in this Motorola Razr 50 Ultra, yes, you can see where it bends. Other brands, such as Oppo and OnePlus, have already solved this with devices such as the OnePlus Open.
This mobile device does not fail in terms of connectivity, either. In mobile networks, it has 5G in addition to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, therefore the latest versions of connectivity, and that is “a very good signal”.
Stable performance without reaching the high end and with an almost “clean” Android 14
Although the choice of the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor is obviously to give the phone the possibility of using artificial intelligence, the improvement in the overall performance of the mobile cannot be much different from the previous version with its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1.
Indeed, it has perfect fluidity in terms of opening applications, moving menus and elements, as well as opening applications that have been in the background for a long time.
The performance experience is very good, and a lot has to do with the fact that it now has twice as much RAM. This new processor also helps to use less energy, but without a doubt, although it is not the fastest or graphically most efficient processor, I don’t think anyone will have any problems when it comes to using it in their day-to-day lives.
Even graphically, it performs well in those more demanding games, such as Arena Breakout, Call of Duty: Mobile, PUBG Mobile, or even Genshin Impact.
As for Motorola’s Android, I admit that the simpler versions of Android are better. Although, of course, with some customization or own software to give it more value.
Motorola uses a layer called Hello UI, and honestly, the most remarkable thing is that it uses a rounder typography than the standard Android 14. Otherwise, the elements contribute more or less to the experience of Android that comes out of Google (AOSP).
Motorola promises 3 versions of Android and up to 4 years of security updates for this Motorola Razr 50 Ultra
Something that is not usually seen much nowadays is the little bloatware that Motorola has, although there is, for example, the Opera browser. Also, curiously, it is the first mobile that I tested that already has the Gemini application installed.
In terms of personalization, I wouldn’t say it’s the most capable phone. It includes the creation of wallpapers with generative AI, but it is a Google software trick integrated into Android that we have seen in other mobiles. The most remarkable are the gestures, such as shaking to turn on the flashlight or moving it from side to side to open the camera.
Camera upgrades are needed, but they need to improve speed
Motorola has wanted to give the cameras of the Razr 50 Ultra a makeover. It now features a 50-megapixel f/1.8 main camera from Samsung, ditching the ultra-wide angle for a 2x telephoto with a 50-megapixel f/2.0 sensor. The front camera is 32 megapixels (f/2.0).
- 50 Mpx wide-angle main camera (Samsung ISOCELL GN8), f/1.8, 25mm, 4K video recording at 60 FPS
- 50 MP telephoto camera (Samsung ISOCELL JN1) with 2x zoom, 47mm, f/2.0, 4K video recording at 60 FPS
- 32-pixel selfie camera (Omnivision OV32B): 25mm, f/2.0, 4K video recording at 60 FPS
- The good thing about this phone is that the external screen is perfect for taking selfies with the 50-megapixel main camera, so it will be rare for you to use the lower-resolution internal one for those group selfies.
Being a foldable Flip type, you have the typical camera tricks, such as putting it in tripod mode to take a photo or the “video camera” mode holding half of the mobile while the screen is at a 90º angle.
Everyday photography with the main camera is quite good. The new 50-megapixel camera is a nice upgrade, and the exposure, as well as the color details, are quite similar to what I see in real life. No extreme saturation, and no burned areas. Good photos with good light conditions, although for some reason Motorola mobiles have a greenish touch in the image processing.
Keep in mind that the camera takes photos by default at 12.5 megapixels; you can take them at full size, but it’s not necessary unless you’re going to do something special with those photos.
Enhanced Camera System
But it is in the second camera, the telephoto with 2x magnification and 50 megapixels, where I see more people. The image quality is good, essentially the same sensor, but the 2x magnification, at this point in mid-2024, is really poor and almost unnecessary.
The telephoto can also take photos at 4x, but it’s a trick because it’s a digital crop and it’s used, above all, for portraits.
The lower resolution front camera gives good results for being internal, but remember that with a main camera with a screen, you can take selfies with that 50-megapixel camera.
When it comes to video recording, the Motorola Razr 50 ultra accessories can record video in 4K at 60 FPS with the two sensors, in addition to HDR10+. It has video stabilization, which, although it does its part, is not the best system we have seen, although it is quite good for this category of smartphones.
The final quality is good in favorable light conditions, although it does not have the best resolution and may tend to add noise in certain circumstances.
Better performance and almost the same battery, but more than a day of use
With the 4,000 mAh battery and a processor like the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, I had my doubts about whether this Razr 50 Ultra would manage to achieve that desired “more than a day of use.” Taking into account my daily use as a personal mobile and for work where notifications are, unfortunately, constant and the use of the camera, GPS, or streaming applications is non-stop, I can confirm that with extreme use the battery reaches the end of the day without a problem.
The battery increase is minimal compared to the previous generation, but the change of processor is important. Therefore, that this mobile device reaches a stressful working day with two screens is excellent news.
Reliable Battery Life and Fast Charging
In terms of charging times, the battery is 4,000 mAh, and the maximum charging speed is 45 W. But it also has 15W wireless charging and 5W reversible wired charging.
You can have 100% of the battery charged with a compatible charger in about 50 minutes. Yes, as usually happens with this type of Motorola razr 50 ultra wireless charging, most of the battery will be charged in less time, but to ensure battery longevity, that last part charges quite slowly.
Verdict: Is the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra worth buying?
Without a doubt, the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra seems to me to be the best clamshell foldable phone I’ve tried so far. And with this, you have to take into account that I have already tried the latest ones from Samsung and other brands.
They are simply superior value for money to all their current competitors, making them the foldable phone to beat.
Its external screen, as well as the internal one, the battery, or performance, in addition to the cameras, are an excellent combination, and is Motorola Razr good can be very proud of having launched a mobile phone that shows what they can do. It has its problems, but the pros outweigh the cons.
We must understand that the price of a foldable mobile is, first and foremost, because of the screen and hinge technology. A lot of money goes into these two details, while in other traditional phones, that “extra” goes into better memories or processors. That’s why this Motorola Razr 50 Ultra costs 1,308.18 United States Dollar because screen technology continues to be a novelty that improves year after year.
The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra is a high-end mobile for those who are looking for something different and striking, fashionable, and with a high component of exclusivity and differentiation that, in certain circles, is more than necessary.
