Last year, Tech&Co was able to test the Motorola Razr (2022), a new version of the domestic folding smartphone that provided power, performance and good photographic quality, highlighting above all a giant outdoor screen. But all penalized by a slightly too retro design, even if it was to stay true to the original concept. A serious competitor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, but definitely less pretty.
Motorola has revised its copy to offer a slimmer version in 2023, with an even larger screen. Enough to compete even more with the South Korean star folding smartphone. With the added bonus of a reduced price to attract the largest number (1199 euros), but with some small concessions to achieve it.
The Motorola Razr (2022) had come close to the perfect copy. Checking off so many boxes, he only had his looks against him. Like Oppo with its Oppo Find N2 Flip, Motorola has looked for inspiration where it is visibly most effective. The Razr 40 Ultra looks like a brotherly twin to the Z Flip 4.
Folded up, it is squarer than before, with rounded edges. It sits perfectly in the hand, in particular thanks to a significant reduction (184 g vs. 200 g) and refinement (74 mm vs. 79.8 mm thick). The fingerprint reader is always on the edge, allowing you to unlock the device, even when folded, with a button that falls perfectly under your fingers. The whole is much slimmer and sleeker, in either black, ice blue, or Viva Magenta (the back is made of vegan leather and not glass).
When unfolded, it sports a large 6.9-inch FHD+ poLED display and a variable 1-165Hz refresh rate for smooth browsing, reading, gaming, etc. However, the screen is very thin and this can sometimes give a strange, truncated display or with black borders added to make it 16:9.
This is its number one asset: a 3.6-inch 144 Hz OLED external screen. It occupies almost the entire surface when the smartphone is closed and includes the device’s two photo sensors (a main sensor and an ultra-wide angle/macro sensor). ) as well as flash. We also appreciate the customizable wallpapers (font and image) which add a fun touch to the whole and make the sensors easily disappear.
But the external screen is, above all, fully usable without having to open the device. You can easily read your notifications, view the weather, search your contacts, and write a message. But above all, you can show your applications there. Spotify is already functional, for example, but it will soon benefit from an update to display its player in the external panel and allow you to play music without opening it. And for photos, it allows you to have a preview screen of the person photographed or in a selfie with the device closed.
Motorola has opted for a teardrop-shaped hinge that is not too stiff and therefore quite easy to open. The two sides fold neatly on top of each other and there are no gaps. The advantage is above all to avoid finding, slipped inside, dust, some element thrown in the bag, etc. at the risk of scratching the screen.
The hinge can take various angles, but it’s really at 90° that it’s most useful for making hands-free calls, putting one app on top of the screen and another on the bottom (or a number pad to type a message). . Once unfolded to 180°, the hinge also does its job. The crease is almost invisible on the screen.
Like last year’s model, the Razr 40 Ultra features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor (with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage). If we want to be picky, we’ll say that Motorola is taking it easy by recycling the engine from the predecessor. But it is true that it is more than enough for an already muscular day-to-day. The 5G smartphone can do everything and without fail, even when used intensively. In addition, it is compatible with Wi-Fi 6e. Please note that the device will benefit from three years of Android updates for home apps.
Its autonomy is quite decent to last more than a day, among the very good students of the folding smartphone market, or perhaps even the best. It is also important because its external screen allows you to limit the impact of use on the battery by avoiding opening it unnecessarily. It charges wirelessly, but its charging is quite slow. But good news: the 30 W adapter is still included. Something rare enough to be reported.
If Motorola has retained a good part of the strengths of the Razr 2022, the brand has nevertheless lowered its photography ambitions and it is a shame. The previous model was more of a good surprise in photo and 4K video. The Razr 40 Ultra’s photo is still decent, but less impressive than before.
There are two 12 Mpx and 13 Mpx sensors (ultra wide angle and macro), a drop in definition. But it is above all their position at the top when the device is closed that makes them interesting to use easily and quickly for selfies without having to resort to the internal camera that is quite flattering in portrait mode with a well softened face. For night photography, it is better not to insist, with a lot of noise in the image… it is a minimal service with an honestly passable quality for a camera of this price.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a foldable smartphone that’s easy to use, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra has a big advantage. Compact, stylish and multi-use with its large external screen, it reduces the need to constantly open it. Many actions can be performed with this simple display and compatible apps. In this, it stands out from its competitor Samsung.
Its price could have been even more aggressive at a time when the Galaxy Z Flip 4, launched a few months earlier, was due for a serious discount until it fell below 1,000 euros. But we must also make room for the “little brother”, the Razr 40, which is below 900 euros, but with a reduced external screen.
Source: BFM TV
