The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra is the best foldable you can get right now

Since the release of the reimagined Razr in 2019, Motorola has come a long way.

Last year’s Razr 40 Ultra beat its biggest rival, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, to win our crown as the best folding phone.  

There were some hiccups preventing it from perfection, including an older chipset and a slightly underwhelming camera for the price. However, this year Motorola has managed to incorporate hardware upgrades and a competitive price for 2024’s release, the Razr 50 Ultra – also known as the Razr+ (2024) in the US.

There are compromises, but they’re all in the right areas – making this flip phone the cream of the foldable crop, and one of the best smartphones I’ve ever reviewed.  

Design & Build 

• Four colours
• IPX8 rating
• Matching leather case and strap

At first glance, the Razr 50 Ultra looks like last year’s model. It retains the same curved edges that allow it to fit comfortably in your palm when closed. That said, Motorola has outdone itself this year with the cover display, which is the largest we’ve seen on a flip phone at 4-inches.  

The hinge on the phone allows it to open and close smoothly, leaving barely any gap between the two halves. When shut, the phone is just 15.32mm thick, 73.9mm long and weighs just 189g, so it fits perfectly in pockets – even the minuscule ones on women’s jeans (game-changing, folks).  

Due to the camera bump, the phone doesn’t lie fully flush with the display facing up, but that’s a common gripe of many flagship smartphones. Motorola claims that the revamped hinge allows users to close and open the phone one-handed more easily. It’s doable, but it still takes a bit of fiddling around.

There is a minimal crease, especially after just unfolding the device. However, unlike cheaper foldables like the Nubia Flip 5G, it’s barely noticeable and doesn’t ruin my experience watching YouTube or streaming Netflix. 

The phone comes in four colours: Hot Pink, Spring Green, Peach Fuzz and Midnight Blue, which I tested. These tones are present on both the aluminium chassis and the vegan leather rear part of the phone. The blue version has a subtle stripe down the middle, adding a bit of a flair to the most understated colour in the range.  

It fits perfectly in pockets – even the minuscule ones on women’s jeans (game-changing, folks)

The Razr 50 Ultra packs an IPX8 rating, which means it can survive a 1.5-metre dunking for up to 30 minutes. While that’s a higher water resistance than last year’s model, the phone has no dust protection, though Motorola did tell Trusted Reviews that the build and hinge are designed to minimise letting this in.  

There’s also now Gorilla Glass Victus on the cover screen, so it’s more protected against drops. But of course, I’d recommend still using a case due to the nature of its build.

The volume rocker and power button sit on the right-hand side, with the USB-C port at the bottom. The power button has a fingerprint scanner built in, and it works consistently well. Face recognition is also available.

This premium phone comes with a matching vegan leather cast and optional strap, so you can carry the phone on a lanyard or crossbody style. I loved the purple colourway on my model, though it sometimes had trouble gripping the phone when first putting it on.  

Screen & Speakers 

• Huge 4-inch external display
• 6.9-inch internal display
• Stereo speakers

Due to its foldable nature, there are two displays to discuss on the Razr 50 Ultra. Let’s start with that big old 4-inch FHD+ pOLED 120Hz external one.  

This bold, colourful and impressive outer display stretches around the cameras, so you can run any app on it. This is a contrast to many other flip rivals that only include smaller screens predominantly for reading notifications. 

That means you can watch YouTube videos, use Google Maps and reply to chats on Messenger, all without unflipping the phone. There are also dedicated widgets for the external display, such as a Spotify player. 

Apps that are opened on the outer display mostly default to running smaller, leaving a gap at the bottom. Some apps such as Messenger offer the option of a ‘Fullscreen editor’ when typing on the keyboard, which gets rid of the chat above for a cleaner viewing experience. Others, such as the weather, extend to the bottom – though the camera bump does cover over some icons.  

Using the display closed while travelling is extremely handy. I can control my music and answer messages, all while having a more secure grip on my phone. It’s also helped me manage my screen time better, as I’m less likely to scroll through social media once the Razr is closed. That may be a psychological thing, of course.  

…you can watch YouTube videos, use Google Maps and reply to chats on Messenger, all without unflipping the phone

Moving onto the internal display – you get a 6.9-inch pOLED display, with a resolution of 2640 x 1080 and a refresh rate of up to 165Hz. That’s the joint-highest refresh rate of any phone.

There’s only the option to select between ‘high’ and ‘standard’ rather than putting the display permanently on any specific number. However, the LTPO tech means it can drop all the way down to 1Hz to conserve battery life when not required.

You also get a peak brightness of 2400 nits, resulting in a glossy, bright screen that’s easy to view under sunlight and is a joy to watch videos on. However, because it’s longer than the average candy bar model, you’ll get letterboxing on the edges of content from the likes of Netflix, which uses the 16:9 ratio. It’s responsive to taps and swipes, though, with no sluggishness in sight.  

The Razr 50 Ultra has stereo speakers, with support for Dolby Atmos. The audio isn’t as colourful or punchy as I’ve seen on other flagships, but it’s reasonably loud so decent for podcasts and videos. There’s also no headphone jack, but that’s standard these days on phones of this price.  

Specs & Performance 

• Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
• 12GB RAM/512GB worth of storage

Last year’s Razr 40 Ultra ran on an old Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor – that’s not the case anymore. The Razr 50 Ultra is packed with the latest Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 which launched in 2024. This is paired with 12GB RAM and 512GB worth of storage in the UK. US users only get 256GB, unfortunately.  

This chipset may not be as powerful as the 8 Gen 3, buy you can still expect rapid performance day-to-day. The phone is quick to boot up, and has no problems switching between app and between the two displays. It’s also capable of some work and gaming, should you need it.  

Motorola Razr 50 Ultra benchmarks

As you can see, it’s not quite flagship-level performance. If you want that in a clamshell foldable, we recommend the Galaxy Z Flip 6. That’s also the better device for power users, as it offers a vapour chamber system for cooling. During long video calls, I noticed that the Razr 50 Ultra got quite hot.  

…you can still expect rapid performance day-to-day

Cameras 

• 50Mp main camera
• 50Mp telephoto
• 32Mp selfie

Motorola has opted for a beefed-up camera setup for this generation, but to do that it had to ditch a major component. Motorola has swapped out the ultrawide for a 50Mp telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom so users can get better zoomed-in shots and improved portrait photography. This is paired with a 50Mp main snapper.  

Some may disagree with the decision to remove the ultrawide camera. However, I’d argue that most of these have a drop in quality compared to the main one, and only come in useful a handful of times. I’d much prefer to have a set-up that prioritises zooms for the likes of travel and concerts.

The main camera on this phone is largely impressive. The Razr 50 Ultra captures an exceptional amount of detail, including fine textures such as fur and hair. Shadows also appear dynamic, with cloudy shots looking just as impressive as those taken in bright sunshine.  

Colours pop a lot on the Razr, albeit erring slightly on the over-processed side. However, if you love a good filter and prefer bold and bright images, this won’t be an issue.

Portrait mode is equally solid, with just enough of a blur to look professional. There’s the option to use this in four different focal lengths, though the closer-up shots are more accurate in capturing fine details.

The Razr 50 Ultra captures an exceptional amount of detail, including fine textures such as fur and hair

The 2x optical zoom is excellent, with only a slight shift in colours. As you veer into digital territory, details begin to soften and start to look ropey past 10x zoom. However, that’s a compromise of opting for a phone with a flippy build, rather than something that prioritises the cameras like the Pixel 8 Pro.

Night mode captures a great level of detail, with processing working to minimise light glare compared to the main camera. However, it doesn’t quite lift subjects as clearly as rivals – see the bush below on the Razr (first) compared to the OnePlus 12 (second):

For selfies, I’d recommend just taking them with the phone folded shut. You can see the difference here using the main snapper (first) versus the internal 32Mp one (second) which is the same as last year’s. This loses the flair and blurs skin details.

It’s a shame that the front camera isn’t the best, but when you have such a viable alternative, I don’t see this as a dealbreaker.  

Motorola has also included plenty of unique flip camera features. This includes the external display camera preview, which is particularly useful for recording vlogs as it acts as a preview window.

There’s a setting to enable a cartoon preview, which can help get children’s attention for photos. Finally, there’s the retro camcorder mode, which automatically starts to record video when you fold the phone at a 90-degree axis.  

Speaking of video, the Razr 50 Ultra can record in both 4K and 1080p, in 30fps and 60fps, with support for HDR10 if you film in FHD quality. Adaptive stabilisation also helps to minimise unwanted shakes and worked quite smoothly during my testing.  

Battery Life & Charging 

• 4000mAh battery
• 45W wired charging
• 15W wireless charging

Motorola has increased the battery on the Razr Ultra from 3800mAh to 4000mAh.

That’s still smaller than many other flagship rivals, but for a flip phone, I was impressed with the battery on the Razr 50 Ultra. On average I’d get about a day and a half’s worth of usage, watching videos, listening to Spotify, messaging and taking calls. 

Compared to the day-long battery life of the Razr 40 Ultra, this is quite game-changing.   

Wired charging has also been improved from 30W to 45W. This juices the phone from zero to 59% in 30 minutes. Plus, there’s also 15W wireless charging support, should you need it.  

…for a flip phone, I was impressed with the battery on the Razr 50 Ultra

Software & Apps 

• Android 14
• Three years of software updates
• Plenty of exclusive foldable features

One of the benefits of getting a Motorola phone is that you get a clean software experience – with this phone shipping with the latest OS at the time of writing, Android 14. That means there’s minimal bloat and app duplications, which brands such as Oppo and Samsung have.  

There are all the usual Google apps and settings, plus plenty more features exclusive to this phone. This includes gesture controls such as twisting your wrist twice to open the camera when the phone is closed, and the ability to keep apps open when you transition between displays. 

And as this is a flip phone, you can open the device to answer a call when it rings – a feature that will appeal to my fellow millennials. For videos and visual calls, the phone can be used in laptop, stand or tent modes, with apps such as YouTube adjusting to the orientation.

Any app can be used on the outer display (Maps, Instagram, YouTube etc), but they aren’t all completely properly optimised – some just work better on the full screen, as otherwise information can be cramped. Google and other developers will probably not work on dedicated versions of these apps until there are more devices with this unique flip-style build.  

Motorola has made a big shout about including Gemini AI on the external display, and support for Moto AI, with Magic Canvas that can create custom wallpapers. I’m not that enthused by gen-AI features, but the Razr has plenty of other customisation options for fonts, wallpapers and themes, so you can make this phone your own.

One of the benefits of getting a Motorola phone is that you get a clean software experience

The Razr 50 Ultra comes with three years of software updates and four years of security updates. While this is standard compared to most of the market, it’s well behind the promises of Google and Samsung, which offer seven years of each.  

Price & Availability 

The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra/Razr+ starts from £999/$999. That price remains flat in the US, but it’s a £50 drop in the UK compared to the previous generation.

You can buy it outright from Motorola, Amazon and Currys in the UK, and pre-order it from Motorola and Best Buy in America – if you do that, you’ll get $100 off the RRP, making it a real steal.  

The phone goes on sale in the States on 24 July. UK readers can also register their interest for the Hot Pink colourway, which hasn’t hit shelves yet in this country.

If you’d prefer to buy the phone on contract, then it’s available from the likes of O2, Carphone Warehouse and Vodafone in Britain, and T-Mobile in the US. We’ve got the best monthly UK deals available below.

And if you’re in the US, the options below have at least 5GB of data:

The latest Samsung Z Flip 6 clocks in £50/$100 more expensive than that. While it offers cooling, a better processor and longer software support, it doesn’t have a telephoto lens and features a smaller external display.

Therefore, unless your priority is running the most powerful apps and games, the Razr 50 Ultra offers more for your money – especially if you’re in the UK. You can check our round-up of the best foldable phones for more options.

Should you buy the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra? 

The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra has made solid improvements on the 2023 foldable while managing to undercut its biggest rival, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Its improved battery life means it can be used for a day and a half on a single charge, while the more powerful main camera means the phone is not far behind candy bar flagships. Motorola’s decision to cut the ultrawide lens is a fair trade-off.

The large external display is a joy to use, as are all the quirky features of this unique build. All these elements make this flip phone a truly unique piece of tech – one that has even tempted some of my Apple loyalist friends.

Sure, not all the apps are optimised for this screen, the internal selfie camera isn’t the best and the phone gets a bit hot here and there. However, this is the strongest Razr yet, and the best clamshell foldable on the market right now considering the price you pay.

Specs

• 4-inch, 165Hz pOLED cover display 
• 6.9-inch, 1-165Hz LTPO pOLED main display 
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 
• 12GB RAM 
• 256/512GB storage 
• Cameras:
  • 50Mp, f/1.7, OIS main camera 
  • 50Mp, f/2.0 telephoto camera 
  • 32Mp, f/2.4 selfie camera 
• 4000mAh 
• 45W wired charging 
• 15W wireless charging 
• Stereo speakers 
• IPX8 
• Gorilla Glass Victus 
• 5G 
• 73.99 x 171.42 x 7.09 mm (open) 
• 189g 
• Android 14