The Motorola Razr Plus 2024 could knock Galaxy Z Flip 6. The Fresh Motorola Razr Plus 2024 seems to be really nice
Although the Galaxy Z Flip 6 isn’t yet on sale, Samsung’s new foldable phone already seems to be in difficulty.
Claiming to hold 75% of the flip phone market in the United States, Motorola simply raised the ante once more with the new Motorola Razr Plus 2024 (also known as Motorola Razr 50 Ultra outside of the US).
First of all, up from 3.6 inches on the previous model, the new Motorola Razr Plus (beginning at $ 999 / £ 999 / AU$1,699) boasts an amazing 4-inch external display.
Better still, the entry-level Razr ($699) features a large 3.6-inch cover screen, a significant improvement from the small 1.6-inch panel on the previous edition.
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is rumored to have a smaller 3.9-inch cover display and a smaller 6.7-inch main screen. (6.9 inches is the main OLED display size of The Razr.)
External Screen
Motorola has also loaded a lot of improvements in terms of what this Razr’s external screen lets you do. Whether you’re rapidly looking at a map, adjusting Spotify songs, or simply checking the weather, the new panels maximize the additional real estate.
For simpler navigation, you can also pinch to view all of your panels at once; the cover display is constantly on so you won’t have to wake it to view important data.
The front panel software from Samsung on the Galaxy Z Flip left something to be desired.
To see full-screen apps, you actually must run a third-party app. And we have not heard much about enhancements in the new version, which is probably going to premiere at the next Galaxy Unpacked event set for July 10.
Given the fashion-forward hipster target market, you may customize the Razr Plus cover display using your own screensaver. And with Motorola’s built-in AI tool, you could design your own wallpaper.
Performance
Some were upset by the Motorola Razr Plus 2023’s choice of Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 over the more expensive Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. That wasn’t a horrible chip, by any means, but it did feel weird owning a $999 phone that didn’t have the greatest chip on the market.
Thankfully, Motorola didn’t repeat that error, as the Razr Plus 2024 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – the same technology as all those other flagship Android phones like the Galaxy S24 and OnePlus 12.
The biggest benefit of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is that it’s the most powerful chip Qualcomm has to offer for a non-Samsung phone. But it’s also been constructed with efficiency in mind, meaning it won’t burn up quite as much power to get everything done.
Then there’s the AI processing, which is getting all the more crucial these days even if Motorola hasn’t added anything particularly spectacular to the Razr Plus 2024.
But all in all, the chipset upgrade means a more powerful phone and smoother functioning for everything you want to get done and without killing your battery life in the process.
Camera
While hardware isn’t everything in the camera world, having superior camera lenses is never a bad thing. This year the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 has added a 50MP main camera, which is a considerable advance from the 12MP snapper we saw last year.
Considering how much you had to pay for a 2023 Razr Plus that clearly wasn’t good enough, therefore we are really thrilled about the megapixel upgrade.
Interestingly Motorola has dropped the 12MP ultrawide lens in favor of a 50MP telephoto camera – complete with 2x magnification. Apparently users told Motorola that they preferred a telephoto lens, especially for portrait photographs.
The added perk, in addition to the extra resolution, is that your zoomed-in images are going to appear so much nicer. Digital zoom has improved a lot, but it still can’t compete with optical magnification.
Motorola is Adept in Folding a Flip
To be honest, the Razr’s design simply seems more fun and funky than what Samsung is allegedly working on. And it’s appropriate that the original Motorola Razr marks its 20th anniversary. Motorola is adept at designing a modern flip phone.
Although the Z Flip 6 will probably be all-glass like the Z Flip 5, Motorola is offering both the Razr Plus and ordinary Razr vegan leather backs that feel and look great and offer a decent grip. When I opened it, I did not feel as though this clamshell would fall from my palm.
COLOR
Motorola even seems more on trend when it comes to colors, matching the Pantone color of the year Peach Fuzz to one of the Razr Plus variants. For my part, I find the new Spring Green color to be really vivid. Said to be the Z Flip 6 hues are Yellow, Mint, Silver Shadow and Blue Meh.
AI for a specific goal
Regarding artificial intelligence then? You know Samsung is going to highlight Galaxy AI with the Z Flip 6, providing all or most of the Galaxy S24 series’ capability. On board with the 2024 Razr Plus and Razr, Motorola has some quite amazing artificial intelligence capabilities.
Using Google Gemini as the external display allows you to easily access information and do tasks including designing a customized exercise program. And the Photo Enhancement Engine included into these Razr phones adds finger details and increases photo dynamic range.
Though I wish it was a standalone app, I particularly enjoy the Magic Canvas tool for making your own photos and themes and there are specific Moto AI capabilities coming like stating “Pay attention,” before you enter into a meeting to record the activity and explain it.
Ram and Storage
With Motorola’s addition of 4GB of RAM this year, the Razr Plus now comes with 12GB of RAM out of the box rather than 8GB. That means you’ll be able to accomplish more on your phone without everything slowing down, or forcing apps to close on you.
On top of that, while storage is still set at 256GB with no more options available, Motorola has upgraded to the UFS 4.0. This delivers much higher read and write speeds while also consuming up less power in the process.
That’s simply another way you’ll be able to get tasks done more quickly and without killing your battery in the process.
Big Battery
Motorola upgraded the Razr Plus 2024’s battery to 4,000 mAh this year. Although larger batteries are available, this one works fairly well for a phone this size. How much more battery life we’re likely to get out of it is the question.
In our unique battery test, the Motorola Razr Plus 2023 ran for 10 hours and 9 minutes. While it’s not bad, it’s insufficient to rank among the phones with the longest battery lives on our list. therefore there’s a lot of space for development.
Until the Razr Plus 2024 is in the lab, we won’t be able to determine how much more battery life it will provide, if any. Whether the increased battery capacity and power efficiency especially with the increased screen brightness will have a significant impact is the question.
A Few Concessions
What then is not to like? On the Razr Plus, Motorola switched the ultrawide lens for a 2x telephoto zoom. While the larger zoom option is great, I believe the manufacturer should have retained the ultrawide camera and used pixel binning to reach a 2x optical zoom-like telephoto.
The promised stingy software updates irritate me most. While Samsung is guaranteeing seven years of both software and security support with its most recent phones, you receive merely three years of Android updates and four years of security patches.
Overall, though, when people start comparing it with the Razr Plus and Razr, I believe Samsung could look like it is phoning in with the Z Flip 6.
The company just lacks a low-cost strategy to compete in the $699 area (yet). Though for now Samsung’s flip foldable is not looking great, I hope Samsung Unpacked has some surprises in store that would change my opinion.
Conclusion
Display Superiority
- Razr Plus offers a larger 4-inch external display compared to rumored smaller sizes on the Z Flip 6. Main OLED display size of 6.9 inches on Razr Plus versus expected 6.7 inches on Z Flip 6.
Functionality and User Experience
- Motorola enhances external screen functionality with features like always-on display and customizable options. Designed with practicality in mind, offering vegan leather backs and trendy color choices like Peach Fuzz and Spring Green.
AI Integration
- Razr Plus incorporates advanced AI capabilities for intuitive interactions and useful tools, such as Google Gemini and Photo Enhancement Engine.
Design and Aesthetics
- Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the original Razr, Motorola showcases a modern, fun design appealing to fashion-conscious consumers. Offers practical features like a good grip and durable build with the choice of vegan leather backs.
Software Support
- Concerns raised about Motorola’s software updates compared to Samsung’s extended support promises for the Z Flip 6, highlighting potential longevity issues.
- In summary, while both phones promise innovation, the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 positions itself as a compelling choice with its larger displays, enhanced functionality, and appealing design, potentially challenging Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6 in the foldable phone market.
- The Motorola Razr Plus 2024 features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, delivering top-tier performance and improved efficiency.
Camera
- Upgraded camera system with a 50MP main sensor and a new 50MP telephoto lens enhances photo quality and zoom capabilities.
Ram
- Increased RAM to 12GB and UFS 4.0 storage improve multitasking speed and data handling.
Battery
- Battery upgraded to 4,000 mAh, aiming to provide extended usage time, although specific improvements in battery life are still to be tested.
