Motorola Razr 50/razr (2024) review

Competition

Truly global clamshell foldables are more or less limited to the Motorola Razr and Galaxy Z Flip lineups, with occasional flashes from this or that other maker in one or two specific markets.

Pricing varies from region to region too, in both makers' strategies. The Razr 50 goes for a little over €800, while the razr 2024 is listed at $700 and these are in two relatively different contexts.

Motorola Razr 50 • Motorola razr 2024

In the US, the Z Flip5 is not all that cheaper than the Z Flip6 and at $1000 and $1100, the two Galaxies are notably pricier than the razr 2024, making the Moto look like solid value. In Europe, the Z Flip5 can be had for, say, €100 less than the Razr 50 and that's sounding like the better deal out of the two.

When it comes to the merits, the Razr/razr will get you better battery life and faster charging. A more useful cover display is also in the Moto's favor and its foldable display is just smoother than on the Galaxy. Neither is the best cameraphone, but the Razr's ultrawide can do closeups, though the Flip just might be slightly better in most other things. The Galaxy also has a beefier chipset and should be the preferred option if you dabble in gaming more often.

Again though - prices and market context will have a major say in this. The latest Z Flip6 is a lot more expensive than the razr 2024 in the US, but more or less the same price as the Razr 50, and the new Galaxy will serve you better for taking pictures and video (minus the lack of AF on the ultrawide) and be better for gaming.

Motorola apparently doesn't want you to buy the old razr+ models in the US, with both the new razr+ 2024 and last year's razr+ 2023 being listed at $1000. But in Europe, you can snatch a Razr 40 Ultra for 10-15% less than a Razr 50, and that may be a better option - while supplies last, of course. That said, last year's Ultra isn't strictly better - it does have a considerable advantage in performance and can record 4K60 video, though we wouldn't necessarily call it a better cameraphone than the Razr 50. Plus, the old Ultra doesn't have a proper IPX8 rating and it doesn't charge as fast as the new model.

Of course, if you want to splurge, then splurge you will - and getting a Razr 50 Ultra or a razr+ 2024 for an extra €400/$300 is always an option. The extra spending will get you a higher-performance chipset for a better gaming experience (plus significantly better longevity in gaming, mind you), still nicer displays, faster charging (and an adapter in the box), and generally better camera results (with an obvious trade-off being the lack of an ultrawide camera). The premium might just be worth it.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 • Motorola Razr 40 Ultra • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 • Motorola Razr 50 Ultra

Verdict

Foldable goodness is trickling down into lower market tiers, with the Razr 50 now getting last year's Ultra perks, plus some improvements of its own. With a large and very useful cover display and submersion-grade water resistance, the 'plain' Razr makes a solid case against competing Samsungs. It's not the greatest cameraphone among its peers, but it does alright in general, and can be a winner in some situations (closeups). The excellent battery life doesn't hurt either.

What's less than ideal, and likely the biggest blemish in the Razr 50's showing is its chipset, which is more of a midrange unit and not too well suited for gaming. Other, possibly less important missteps include the suboptimal display HDR handling, and the lack of a charger in the box - we'd take one of those over the bundled case.

All things considered, the Razr 50 is an appealing alternative to a Galaxy Z Flip (whether 6 or 5), though you'd still need to weigh the pros and cons for yourself. The razr 2024, on the other hand, in light of its own market context, is shaping up like a great value proposition and more of an obvious recommendation.

Pros

• Large, bright, high-RR cover display.
• Nearly creaseless internal display, great in most metrics too.
• IPX8 is a most welcome addition.
• Excellent battery life.
• Clean and full-featured Hello UI, wide-ranging cover screen functionality.

Cons

• No charger in the box, yet a questionable case made it in.
• Somewhat iffy display HDR behavior, no Dolby Vision.
• Chipset isn't competitive.