The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is the first folding smartphone that doesn’t make you want to be unfolded


With the Razr in 2004, Motorola released one of the most iconic phones in history. Almost 20 years later, the brand is betting on folding screens to relaunch the range. Numerama tested the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, which is as great closed as it is unfolded.

Samsung’s new greatest enemy is called Motorola. When the Chinese manufacturer Oppo is preparing to leave France, despite its very good folding smartphones, Motorola has for the first time enough to compete with the Flip of the Korean brand. After the first very average folding smartphones (the Razr of 2019 and 2020 relied too much on nostalgia to be good products), the new “Razr 40” finally adapts to modern codes, even innovating in several aspects.

For a week, Numerama tested the Razr 40 Ultra, Motorola’s new flagship device that aims to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. Its main distinguishing feature is its 3.6-inch cover screen, which makes it makes it perfectly usable when closed. A great first, even if its price of 1,199 euros does not make it accessible to everyone.

Who would have imagined that a square phone would be fun to use?

Since the very first clamshell folding phone (the Z Flip in 2020), the cover screen has been a weak point. Too small and unusable, often for technical reasons, these screens accessible only when the phone is closed are only effective for passive tasks. They allow for example to check the time, quickly read a notification and possibly quickly trigger the flashlight in case of emergency, but that’s about all. For all other operations, the easiest way is to unfold the device and enjoy its large screen.

With the Razr 40 Ultra, Motorola is the first to fix this problem. The display area of ​​the cover screen is so large that it allows everything to be done without having to unfold the device. A gimmick do you think? You might think so at first, but you’re really surprised not to unfold the phone during use sessions that exceed a minute. To quickly respond to a message on Messenger (the keyboard is exactly the right size), quickly consult your Twitter or Insta feed, read your notifications, change the song currently playing or search on Google Maps… The 3.6 inches of the Razr 40 Ultra are more than enough. Even more interesting, they help to reduce his addiction, by reducing the use of the big screen (we are necessarily less comfortable on a square screen).

The keyboard on the closed screen of the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra can // Source: Thomas Ancelle / Numerama
The keyboard on the closed screen of the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra may look ridiculous like that, but it’s perfect for answering a message without having to unfold your phone. // Source: Thomas Ancelle / Numerama

Unlike the Oppo Find N2 Flip, which also offers a large screen (3.26 inches) but limits it to displaying widgets, Motorola allows you to do everything with its cover screen. All apps work on the small screen, without any hacks. A very good thing, which really makes the Razr 40 Ultra the first 2-in-1 folding phone.

If you wish, you can even extend the display of an application to the bottom of the screen, at the risk of not being able to touch a few interface elements hidden by the camera (there is a black band by default). We can only welcome Motorola’s choice to let its user make the choice he wants, without forcing him to use his phone as he thought.

To push the concept to the end, Motorola even had the idea of ​​pre-installing mini-games compatible with its small screen on the phone. Closed, the Razr 40 Ultra is a real smartphone. A mini smartphone, yes, but a smartphone nonetheless.

Nevertheless, impossible to write this test without alerting you to the many bugs present with the small screen. Between the applications not very well adapted, the icons that change location or the screen that forgets to turn off, something tells us that Motorola still has work to do. The good news is that everything should be able to be fixed thanks to a software update (the day before writing this test, we received an update which fixed a first display bug).

All Android apps can be launched on the Razr 40 Ultra. Some are ill-suited, but most work. // Source: Thomas Ancelle / Numerama
All Android apps can be launched on the Razr 40 Ultra. Some are ill-suited, but most work. // Source: Thomas Ancelle / Numerama

A large 6.9-inch screen and high-end features

Once unfolded, does Motorola come up to Samsung, the undisputed master in the field? To our surprise, Motorola is really not far from it. The Razr 40 Ultra’s 6.9-inch screen, covered in an ultra-thin layer of glass, feels the same as the Galaxy Z Flip’s (although it might be a bit too long, which can destabilize at first). The crease appears to be inconspicuous, thanks to a teardrop-shaped hinge (a technology Samsung is said to be adopting in its own products in the summer of 2023).

With its 6.9 inches, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is very large when unfolded. It is longer than a normal smartphone. // Source: Thomas Ancelle / Numerama
With its 6.9 inches, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is very large when unfolded. It is longer than a normal smartphone. // Source: Thomas Ancelle / Numerama

Technically too, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra has nothing to envy the competition. LTPO OLED panel with a refresh rate of 1-165 Hz (does exceeding 120 Hz help?), Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, 30W wired charging, 5W wireless charging, 5G, Wi- Fi 6E… The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra can even fold in half, to be used as a laptop, like Samsung’s phones. One might try to think that the copy is not at the level of the original, but this is really not the case with this product. What a great surprise!

When taking someone's picture with the Razr 40 Ultra, you can use the cover screen to show real-time feedback or a smiling man to get the kids' attention. // Source: Thomas Ancelle / Numerama
When taking someone’s picture with the Razr 40 Ultra, you can use the cover screen to show real-time feedback or a smiling man to get the kids’ attention. // Source: Thomas Ancelle / Numerama

However, there are two negative points:

  • autonomy (the phone’s 3,800 mAh battery is good enough to last a day, but not more)
  • the camera (12 Mpix + 13 Mpix for the ultra wide-angle), of rather good quality but below some high-end competing smartphones

This review is subjective, but Samsung is arguably better here.

When folded, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is flat. Samsung's phone is tilted in
When folded, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is flat. Samsung’s phone is tilted <. // Source: Thomas Ancelle / Numerama

In short, the Razr 40 Ultra is only cool when closed. Motorola has found a rare balance, which makes its device a true high-end smartphone. What’s more, it is able to bend.

The verdict

In the world of smartphones, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is the good surprise of the first half of 2023.

No one expected Motorola to match Samsung with a folding product, especially after its first very messy attempts, but the half-American, half-Chinese manufacturer succeeded (its offices are in the United States, but Motorola was acquired by Lenovo). For the first time, a folding smartphone does not rely entirely on the unfolded experience, but also offers a screen that is really usable when closed, which finally makes it possible to give meaning to the clamshell format. Everything else is also very satisfying, so much so that Motorola has arguably managed to overtake Samsung. Which is already a feat.

Before buying the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, which is moreover at 1,199 euros, perhaps you should wait to see what the Korean brand will announce this summer, when it unveils its new Z Flip and Z Fold. Samsung is unlikely to be left behind for long, although Motorola’s product should remain highly commendable following the announcement of the next Samsung.

Subscribe to Numerama on Google News to not miss any news!



Source link -100