The Motorola Razr 2024: A Flip Phone That Almost Gets It Right
The Motorola Razr is back, and this time it’s aiming for a comeback. Sporting the largest exterior screen ever seen on a flip foldable, the 2024 Razr is attempting to overcome the shortcomings of its predecessor, the critically-panned 2023 Razr.
While the 2023 Razr struggled to gain traction due to its small external display, lack of water resistance, and poor low-light camera performance, the 2024 model has taken major steps forward. Motorola has addressed user concerns by equipping the new Razr with a 3.6-inch external display, a feature previously reserved for the more expensive Razr+. This move alone positions the Razr as a serious contender in the foldable market, offering a premium feature at a more accessible price point ($700).
The improvements don’t stop there. The Razr 2024 also boasts a powerful MediaTek Dimensity 7300X processor, improved water resistance, and new gestures, all complemented by Google’s innovative Gemini AI voice assistant.
While the Razr 2024 offers a compelling package, it’s important to examine its strengths and weaknesses in detail.
The External Display: A Game-Changer
The 2024 Razr’s 3.6-inch external display is a true game-changer. It’s a beautiful pOLED display with a 1056 x 1066 resolution and HDR10+, offering a vibrant and immersive viewing experience. It’s not just a gimmick – it’s a genuinely useful tool that can be used for a wide range of tasks.
"I used the external display way more than I thought I would," says Dua Rashid, reviewer for Gizmodo. "It’s a beautiful pOLED display… I used it for casual nightly watching on YouTube, some light gaming, checking Slack notifications, catching up on emails, taking pictures, and messing around on Gemini AI–which is probably a list of everything I use my phone for."
The Razr wraps apps around the lenses to maximize screen space, but app optimization is still a work in progress. Some apps, like YouTube and Slack, aren’t entirely optimized for the smaller screen, leading to obstructed buttons and icons. However, Motorola has implemented a "Default Mode" that displays apps in a square format, minimizing obstructions.
While the 3.6-inch display is a significant leap forward, it’s important to remember that it’s still a smaller screen. For tasks like playing intensive games or reading long articles, the full 6.9-inch main display will be more comfortable.
Design: A Step in the Right Direction, With a Caveat
The Razr 2024 features an upgraded hinge that opens and closes smoothly and with controlled precision. The hinge is much more comfortable than its predecessor, offering a more satisfying experience. However, its longevity remains to be seen.
"The opening and closing of the phone are also much more controlled and precise," says Rashid, "instead of a sudden, sharp jerk." "However, how well the hinge performs over time is something at least a year-long test can tell. So, even though the hinge works perfectly right now, that could change after the 10,000th time I’ve opened it."
Motorola has also done an excellent job at minimizing the crease on the main display. "You’d hardly see it when using its main 6.9-inch display," states Rashid. "A tiny dip in the center is only noticeable if light hits your phone at a certain angle."
The phone’s design is further enhanced by Corning Gorilla Glass on the front, vegan leather on the back, and high-strength aluminum on the sides. It weighs in at 188g, similar to the previous model, and is available in Beach Sand, Koala Grey, and Spritz Orange.
While the design improvements are substantial, Motorola has made a concerning decision regarding dust resistance. The Razr 2024 receives an IPX8 rating for water resistance, but its dust resistance has been downgraded, making it more vulnerable to dust and particles. It’s crucial for foldable phones to offer robust dust resistance due to their hinges and crevices, and this downgrade raises concerns about the phone’s long-term durability.
Performance: A Solid Choice That Handles Multitasking With Ease
The Razr 2024 utilizes a MediaTek Dimensity 7300X processor, offering a significant upgrade over the 2023 model’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. While the Razr+ 2024 is equipped with a more powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, the MediaTek chip in the 2024 Razr proves to be more than capable of handling everyday tasks and even demanding gaming sessions.
"During my week-long testing, I didn’t encounter a single hiccup or stutter,” says Rashid. "I multitasked between Gmail, Slack, and Chrome on some days. On other days, I played games and alternated that with quick YouTube videos, and I didn’t feel any heating-up issues."
The Razr 2024 also boasts 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of built-in storage, ensuring smooth multitasking and ample storage space.
While the phone’s performance is impressive, it’s important to note that Motorola’s update schedule lags behind Samsung’s. The Razr 2024 ships with Android 14, but the company has only committed to three major Android upgrades and four years of security patches. While this is relatively competitive, it pales in comparison to Samsung’s commitment of four years of major OS updates and five years of security updates.
UI and Gestures: Customization and Usability Improved
The 2024 Razr’s UI on the external display is a significant improvement over its predecessor. Adding apps is now a breeze thanks to a simple pen icon that allows users to directly add any desired app. Additionally, the phone offers a variety of customizable gestures for added convenience.
"It was easy to personalize the phone," says Rashid. "The outer screen features themes, fonts, and color options that are pretty easy to change."
New features include quick launch, which allows users to launch an app by tapping the back of the phone twice, and power key gestures, which enable actions like displaying notifications, revealing quick settings, zooming in and out on camera or maps, and more.
While the new gestures add convenience, their implementation can be finicky. The power key gestures are susceptible to accidental presses, and the zoom feature lacks smoothness. Overall, the UI and gestures offer a personalized and efficient experience, but some refinement is necessary.
Camera: A Major Disappointment
The Razr 2024’s camera is arguably its biggest weakness. While it boasts a 50MP main camera, a 13MP ultra-wide camera, and a 32MP front camera, its performance falls short of expectations, especially in low-light conditions.
"I wouldn’t say I was impressed with even day shots,” says Rashid. “Zooming in made my photos lose a tremendous amount of clarity and made them look visually noisy." "The night shots were a complete mess."
During the night, the images produced are muddled, lacking sharpness, clarity, and detail. The phone attempts to compensate for the lackluster lens with oversharpening, which often results in distorted and unnatural images.
While the camera’s performance is disappointing, the placement of the rear camera lenses is an improvement over the 2023 model. The deeper lens protrusion prevents accidental taps while using the external display, minimizing smudges and scratches.
Battery Life and Speakers: Top Tier Performance
The Razr 2024 is equipped with a 4200mAh battery, offering remarkable longevity. It easily lasts for two days with moderate use and a day and a half with heavy use.
"After using it for productivity, entertainment, and gaming from time to time in a 16-hour day," says Rashid, "I would still have around 40% juice left."
The phone supports 30W wired charging (power brick is sold separately) and 15W wireless charging, a significant upgrade from the 5W wireless charging offered by its predecessor.
The Razr 2024 also delivers excellent audio performance with its stereo speakers featuring Dolby Atmos spatial sound. The speakers are loud and clear, easily filling a room with sound.
Verdict: A Solid Option, But Not Perfect
Overall, the Motorola Razr 2024 offers a compelling package for $700. Its large 3.6-inch external display, improved hinge, fast performance, and excellent battery life make it a strong contender in the foldable market.
However, its subpar camera performance and the lack of dust resistance hold it back from achieving true greatness.
"All in all, except for the underwhelming camera and the absence of dust resistance, the new Moto Razr is a solid deal for just $700," concludes Rashid. "The external display is far from a gimmick and is actually useful. The below-average camera is a big compromise you will have to make."
For those seeking a powerful and well-designed foldable phone with a fantastic external display and long battery life, the Razr 2024 is worth considering. However, if camera quality is a top priority, other models on the market might be a better choice.
