motorola razr+ review: A big step in the right direction

Agree with it or not, foldables are the future of smartphones and tablets. Foldable screens were once seen as impossible, or at least impossible, to implement on a consumer level. Thanks to Samsung and other companies, that impossibility has been overcome. While Samsung has a firm grip on the foldables market here in America, motorola is attempting to pry its fingers away and steal some users to its new motorola razr and motorola razr+.

Estimated reading time: 19 minutes

The new motorola razr+ and motorola razr aren’t the company’s first foldables. They had these razr’s before, but this is the first generation that’s very much worth looking at as a serious competitor to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip series. This review is coming out just days ahead of the announcement of the Galaxy Z Flip5, so what I say here, may change once Samsung; reveals its new hardware. Currently, as it sits, the motorola razr+ has a slight edge in some features over the Z Flip4. Though it doesn’t outright beat the Z Flip4, it’s the razr+’s outer screen that might entice some users to it.

Let’s jump into the full review of the motorola razr+, and thanks to AT&T for sending us a review unit to test and use.

The Quick Take

Is the motorola razr+ worth spending your hard-earned money on? Yes, yes it is.

The outer screen of this foldable is what makes it so appealing and fun to use. The larger outer screen allows you to do more things than the Z Flip4. The cameras are not as strong as the Z Flip4 but also not that far off in terms of performance, so the difference is negligible. Though, the razr+ does a bit worse in low light than the Z Flip4.

The speakers are not super thick, but I’m not convinced buyers of this foldable are that concerned about speaker performance. The motorola razr+ does a few things really well, it folds flat and is easy to store, it provides a bigger outer screen than the competition, and it’s flagship level build and performance.

With the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 coming soon, you might think about waiting to see what Sammy has up its sleeve. But if you can’t wait, the motorola razr+ is a solid foldable phone and it is the first foldable to have this larger outer display. The razr+ is a solid buy.

Specifications

The AT&T motorola razr+ has the following features and specifications:

• Performance:
  • Operating System: Android 13
  • Processor: Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Mobile Platform
  • Internal Storage: 256GB
  • RAM: 8GB LPDDR5
  • Sensors: Fingerprint reader, proximity + light sensor, ambient light sensor, accelerometer, Gyroscope, eCompass, Hall sensor, barometer.
  • Security: Side fingerprint reader, Face unlock
• Battery:
  • Capacity: 3800mAh non-removable
  • Charging: 30W TurboPower charging support5 (charger sold separately)| 5W wireless charging support (charger sold separately)
• Display:
  • Size:
    • Main display: 6.9″ FHD+ pOLED display
    • External display: 3.6″ pOLED display
  • Resolution:
    • Main display: FHD+ 2640 × 1080 | 413ppi
    • External display: 1066 × 1056 | 413ppi
  • Aspect Ratio:
    • Main display: 22:9
    • External display: 1:1
• Display Tech:
  • Main display: LTPO, Foldable AMOLED, HDR10+, 10-bit, 120% DCI-P3 color gamut, Up to 165Hz refresh rate, Touch rate: 240Hz/360Hz (game mode only), Peak Brightness: 1400 nits
  • External display: Flexible AMOLED, HDR10+, 10-bit, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, Up to 144Hz refresh rate, Touch rate: 120Hz/360Hz (game mode only), Peak Brightness: 1100 nits
• Dimensions:
  • Open: 73.95 × 170.83 × 6.99 mm
  • Closed: 73.95 × 88.42 × 15.1 mm
• Weight:
  • 188.5g (Infinite Black, Glacier Blue)
  • 184.5g (Viva Magenta)
• Body:
  • Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on both front and rear (Infinite Black and Glacier Blue)
  • Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on front, Vegan leather on rear (Viva Magenta)
  • 7000 series aluminum (frame)
• Colors: Infinite Black, Glacier Blue, Viva Magenta
• Cameras:
  • Rear Camera: 12MP (f/1.5, 1.4 µm) | OIS 13MP (f/2.2, 1.12 µm) | Ultra-wide + macro | FOV 108° Single LED flash
  • Front Camera:
    • Main display
    • 32MP (f/2.4, 0.7 µm) | 8MP (f/2.4, 1.4um) Quad Pixel
    • External display
    • Main: 12MP (f/1.5, 1.4 µm) | OIS Wide: 13MP (f/2.2, 1.12 µm) | FOV 108°
• Speakers: Dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos and Spatial Sound Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound

What’s In The Box

• motorola razr+
• USB-C cable
• SIM Tool
• Manuals and Documentation

Design

The new motorola razr+ doesn’t look that far off from its older sibling, but there are a few key differences. Those differences are the main points that make this foldable appealing. But before we dive too deep into those, let’s just take a tour around the razr+.

Let’s start with the smartphone in the folded open position. We have the Infinite Black color in house, and the bottom half of the back of the razr+is this color. The motorola logo and razr branding are located here as well. The back is made of a matte aluminum, with the branding contrasted with a mirror finish.

The top half of the back is made of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus with the hinge finished off in a shiny aluminum which matches the glass. The top half is where the new 3.6” pOLED display is located, one of the two major changes for this model. The dual camera and flash setup is at the top left of the phone, as the phone lays flat on its screen.

Turning the motorola razr+ over on its back, revealing the foldable display and hinge mechanisms, we find more Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The front facing camera is located at the top in a punch hole configuration along with the earpiece/speaker.

Folding the motorola razr+ in half, you get a distinct and different feel instantly. This folded device feels slimmer than the Z Flip4 and the old motorola razr. This is due to the reengineered hinge, which allows this version to be folded flat with no gap. This is the second most notable feature of this design.

The new hinge looks loads better than previous versions, and the ability to fold it flat helps to keep dust off the inner screen.

Opening the razr+ back up, we find a microphone, volume rocker, and power/fingerprint sensor along the right side. Along the left side is the SIM tray and nothing else. Along the top we find another microphone and along the bottom are the speaker, USB-C port, and another microphone.

The entire phone is made of aluminum and glass, nothing new here, but it is well-built, and it does feel like a flagship device. It is comfortable to hold and the placement of the power/fingerprint sensor is acceptable, I would have liked to see it a bit lower, but I know the hinge may have played a part in why it was not.

Overall, the design and build of the motorola razr+ is excellent. The new outer 3.6” display is a game changer in this segment of the foldable market, and the fact that there is little to no gap when folded is also a significant design upgrade.

Display

There are two displays on the motorola razr+, the main display is a 6.9” FHD+ pOLED display, while the outer display is a 3.6” pOLED.

The outer display is the most interesting part of the motorola razr+. Taking up nearly all the front of the folded front half of the phone, it now gives users more options for use. The 3.6” pOLED display has a resolution of 1066 × 1056 at 413ppi. That resolution and PPI is impressive for such a small display. To put the size into some perspective, the outer display of the motorola razr+ is bigger than the first iPhone’s display by .1″. The iPhone was 3.5” with a resolution of 480×320 and 163ppi. Wild, yeah?

The outer display on the motorola razr+ is far more useful than the Z Flip4’s smaller and limited offering. This more expansive display allows for capturing photos and videos using a large preview and hands-free recording. Spotify’s users will enjoy a dedicated panel for accessing their music from the smaller display. I’m not a Spotify user, so this was something I could not use.

You can play some games (a few preloaded and designed specifically for the front display) and watch videos on the external screen, and enjoy access to your many apps. Plus, you can make quick, convenient payments and enjoy touchless NFC content/contact sharing. Not all apps scale well on this display though, it reminds me of the same situation Android apps have with tablets, they don’t scale well.

The outer display also gives you plenty of customization options with clocks and notifications. Probably one of the best things about this display is the full-size keyboard, which allows you to respond to messages without opening the phone up. Other useful features are the ability to preview and frame your selfies or group photos. The Camera Cartoon feature is slick. This allows you to display a preloaded funny cartoon face on the external display that should help even the grumpiest child crack a smile.

motorola made the design decision to extend the display under the camera modules. I’m not a massive fan of this, but it also doesn’t bother me enough to blast it too much. Some might find it annoying, others may not. They did find ways to incorporate the cameras into their onboard games, clever. Other features of the outer display are HDR10+, 10-bit, 120% DCI-P3 color gamut, 144Hz refresh rate and up to 1,100 nits of brightness.

Moving on to the inner display of the motorola razr+ we find a brilliant 6.9” FHD+ pOLED panel. The inner display has a 22:9 aspect ratio with a resolution of 2640 × 1080, 413ppi and a 165Hz refresh rate. This display is nearly identical to Samsung’s Z Flip4 in terms of specifications. The Z Flip4 is smaller at 6.7” and has 426ppi at 144Hz. The ppi difference is most likely due to the slightly smaller size of the Flip4.

The motorola razr+ inner display is an excellent panel, there’s not as much to talk about as there is about the outer display. Colors are vibrant as with any OLED display and blacks are deep and inky with whites clocking in pure and clean. The motorola uses a POLED, which is not really that much different from Samsung’s Active AMOLED. Without investigating, I’d say this panel was made by LG. Correct me if I am wrong.

Other notable specs include HDR10+, 10-bit, 120% DCI-P3 color gamut, up to 165Hz refresh rate, touch rate 240Hz/360Hz (game mode only), and a peak brightness of 1400 nits. The brightness is impressive on this display and beats the Z Flip4 by nearly double. I had no issues using this display outside in the sun, it is superb in bright conditions.

Scrolling and touch inputs were excellent on both displays. Everything moved nicely on the display, and I had the refresh rate set to 165Hz. The motorola razr+ automatically adjusts the refresh rate between 1hz and 165Hz, there is no auto-setting, only 60hz and 165hz. But it will adjust automatically depending on the highest setting chosen.

One last thing to address is the crease. All of these foldables have some sort of crease. The early ones were very noticeable, but these new models have improved. The crease is not noticeable at all when using the motorola razr+. It can be seen slightly at different angles when powered off or if there is very dark content on display. It’s a non-issue for me.

Overall, the inner display is fantastic and is better than the Z Flip4 in every way. The outer display is the star of the show here. Samsung is going to have to up their display game on the inside and outside with its new Z Flip5 and remain under $1,000 if they want to stack up against moto.

Software/UI

motorola smartphones used to come with a heavily modified skin that I did not particularly like. There were also a lot of software features that many users enjoyed, but I always found them more of a gimmick than anything. New generations of motorola phones seem to have shed the heavily skinned UI, but still retain many of the software features.

The motorola razr+ UI, for the most part, looks like the basic Android interface, which is great. The software features are still here and there is an entire app dedicated to them, here’s a list of what you can do with what motorola calls “Gestures.”

• Quick Launch: Double tap the back to trigger custom actions
• Sidebar: Turn sidebar on and off
• Quick Capture: Twist your wrist to launch the camera
• Fast Flashlight: Turn the flashlight on/off with two chopping motions
• Three Finger Screenshot: Capture a screenshot by holding 3 fingers on the display
• Lift To Unlock: Unlock the motorola razr+ by picking it up and looking at it
• Flip For DND: Flip the motorola razr+ on its face to activate Do Not Disturb
• Pick Up To Silence: Silence the ringer just by picking up the phone
• Swipe To Split: Swipe Fingers Back & Forth to activate split screen
• Peek Display: See interactive notifications and quick info when the screen is off
• Attentive Display: Prevent the screen from dimming when looking at it

Many of these features used to be called Moto Actions, now they are all stuffed into the Moto app, which not only has these features but others for personalization, security, and tips on how to use your new razr+.

The design of the visual elements has changed, since the last time I used a moto phone, and for the better. Digging into the settings will not show off the Android look Pixel users are used to, but it is pleasing to look at and easy to use. Again, it seems moto has learned a little from its past and is dialing the heavy overlay customization down a few notches.

As with all Android devices, there are a ton of software features, too numerous to dive into. One last Easter egg is Retro Razor. This is a fun little feature that turns your motorola razr+ into an old school razr. The video below explains the feature.

Overall, the software and UI are great on the motorola razr+. Android 13 is onboard, nothing much to talk about there. The moto customization is still here but toned down significantly to a point that it’s not bad. No complaints about the software here.

Performance and AT&T

Let me touch on AT&T performance first, since they were kind enough to send this unit. I’ve found that AT&T speeds in the Branson, Missouri, area are double and triple those of Verizon. I will be considering a switch once our Verizon devices are paid off. One area that both AT&T and Verizon have failed at in my area is 5G. There really isn’t much 5G coverage, even when the coverage maps say there is. I’m confident if you live in a large city that your network performance will be much different than mine. I live well outside of Branson, so 5G isn’t even a thing anywhere near my home.

As for the motorola razr+ performance, it is rocking the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Mobile Platform with 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256 GB of solid-state storage. Certainly, flagship level hardware, and it’s good hardware.

As we mentioned before, the refresh rate of the display goes up to 165Hz, making scrolling and switching between apps very fluid. Pinch to zoom, and basic app functions were all smooth with no stutter or lag to be seen.

Light gaming was smooth with no noticeable dropped frames. I do not do much in the way of heavy gaming on smartphones, most of my games are quick time wasters with the occasional racing game. But I have no doubt that folks looking to play Call of Duty or Fortnite would be fine with the performance of the razr+.

The Snapdragon processor is also supposed to perform better on 5G networks, something I could not test since 5G is unavailable around me. For day to day normal and moderate use, the processor and RAM on the motorola razr+ are just fine.

As with any smartphone, including Galaxy’s and iPhones, rounds of heavy gaming will cause the phone to become warm. This is expected since you are stressing the processor, making it work harder. I never experienced this with the razr+ with moderate to light gaming. But I suspect that anything heavier will cause some heat.

Overall, the motorola razr+, with its Snapdragon processor and 8 GB of RAM, performed very well. The 165Hz display also makes things move smooth, which is pleasing to the eye.

Speakers/Sound

Like most smartphones these days, the razr+ does have stereo speakers. The motorola razr+ specifically has dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos and Spatial Sound Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound.

As with every other brand, motorola is using a lot of branding here to amp up its sound offering. While the processing and software are most likely there, the physical speakers and drivers matter.

That being said, the speakers on the razr+ are better than average, but they aren’t spectacular. They don’t sound nearly as thin as other less expensive smartphones, but they aren’t on par with the iPhone or S23 Ultra either. But neither is the Z Flip4, so that’s something to consider.

Good speakers are something everyone needs in a smartphone. Excellent to outstanding speakers are a perk. These speakers are good, I think most average users will be fine with them. They work perfectly well for calls, podcasts, YouTube, and even some light music listening.

Camera

Cameras are one area I feel motorola has struggled with. They have improved over the years, but they tend to fall a bit behind Samsung and Apple in this department. If there’s one area that the Z Flip4 does better in, it’s cameras.

That doesn’t mean that the motorola razr+ is horrible. It’s not. It is acceptable, and it does excellent in optimal lighting conditions. Low light is a bit of an issue, as are moderately lit areas.

But not all is bad. If you go into this phone knowing that your low light photos are probably going to be not good, then you’ll feel better about it and switch to taking photos in good lighting conditions. Those well lit photos are actually very nice, with good color and detail.

Like the Z Flip4, the motorola razr+ is great to use with that outer screen as a framing tool. There are a quite a few nice tricks and features within the camera app. Most users will be fine with these cameras, but motorola does need to work in this area more, as they are very behind Samsung.

motorola razr+ Camera Samples

Reception/Call Quality

AT&T’s reception and call quality were fine. No complaints, considering the coverage area I am in. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi reception are excellent, no issues whatsoever with those.

Battery Life

The motorola razr+ has a 3,800mAh battery, which is pretty impressive for a foldable that is this slim. The battery is slightly bigger than the Z Flip4 and with moderate use, I was able to get through the day with about 25% left. This is with light gaming, YouTube, email, web, social media, text messaging, calendar, and basic tasks.

I always keep my displays on full brightness with adaptive brightness off. I’m certain that if you employed some battery saving features that are built-in, you could get better battery than my testing.

motorola also touts its TurboPower capability, which allows you to charge the motorola razr+ in just “minutes.” But this ONLY works with the Motorola TurboPower charger. This is not included in the box, but you can buy it separately. To be fair, they do add a footnote (albeit a small footnote) stating that TurboPower only works with the TurboPower charger.

Still, even with a third-party charger, it seemed the razr+ charged up quickly, though I did not time it. Overall, I think the battery life is average for this segment.

Price/Value

The $999.99 price is on point and competitive with the razr+’s only competition in the United States, the Z Flip4. As of right now, I’d say the razr+ is the better value between the two.

Wrap Up

As it sits and at the time of this publishing, the motorola razr+ is the new king of the small foldables. It’s not an outright smashing victory, but it is impressive, and the razr+ offers things over the Z Flip4 that users will want. We shall see how Samsung answers with its upcoming Z Flip5. For now, I recommend this over the Flip4 if you need to buy a flip phone right now.

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Last Updated on March 13, 2024.