Motorola wants in on the year of the foldable phone, introducing two new flip phones of its own in the form of the simply named Motorola Razr and the higher-specced Motorola Razr+. They look just like the Motorola Razrs of the past, but with better specs and a much lower asking price.
Update: We’ve published our Motorola Razr+ 2023 review and our Motorola Razr 2023 hands-on review if you want to know how we feel about these two devices.
Competition among the best foldable phones is fierce this year, with a bunch of companies like Google and OnePlus muscling into the fold. Combined with competition from the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5, it’s going to be an uphill battle for Motorola and its new devices.
Fortunately the Motorola Razr and Razr+ have a number of attributes that should work in their favor. But what exactly does Motorola have in store for us? Here’s everything you need to know about the Motorola Razr and Motorola Razr+ 2023.
Motorola Razr+ & Motorola Razr 2023 specs
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Motorola Razr+ | Motorola Razr |
| Price | $999 | N/A |
| Colors | Infinite Black, Glacier Blue, Viva Magenta | Sage Green, Vanilla Cream, Summer Lilac |
| Inner display | 6.9-inch OLED, FHD+, 165 Hz | 6.9-inch OLED, FHD+, 144Hz |
| Outer display | 3.6-inch OLED, 144Hz | 1.5-inch OLED, 120Hz |
| Rear camera | 12MP main (f/1.5), 13MP ultrawide (f/2,2) | 64MP main (f/1.7), 13MP ultrawide (f/2,2) |
| Front camera | 32MP (f/2.4) | 32MP (f/2.4) |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 | Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 256GB | 128GB |
| Battery | 3,800 mAh | 4,200 mAh |
| Wired charging | 30W | 30W |
| Wireless charging | 5W | 5W |
| Dimensions | 6.7 x 2.9 x 0.27 inches (open), 3.48 x 2.9 x 0.59 inches (closed) | 6.7 x 2.9 x 0.27 inches (open), 3.48 x 2.9 x 0.59 inches (closed) |
| Weight | 6.63 ounces | 6.65 ounces |
Motorola Razr & Razr+ 2023 price and availability
The main thing going for the Motorola Razr 2023 series is its price tag. The standard Razr 2023 foldable will cost you £799 in the U.K.; U.S. pricing hasn’t been revealed. In contrast, the Razr+ costs $999/£1,049, which happens to be the same price as the Galaxy Z Flip 4. Barring a surprise price cut for the Galaxy Z Flip 5 when it comes out in a few month, the entry-level Motorola Razr 2023 figures to be the cheapest foldable we’ve seen so far.
Pre-orders for the Razr+ have beenavailable in United States since June 16, and will go on sale starting June 23. Overseas, it's been on sale in the U.K. since June 1. The only model on sale has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage
The standard Razr doesn’t have a release date in the U.S. or U.K. yet, but will be available to British buyers in the ”coming weeks.“ The only model available has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage,
Motorola Razr & Razr+ 2023 design and display
The display is one of the standout features of the 2023 Razr family, especially the Razr+. Both phones have a 6.9-inch pOLED interior screen with FHD+ resolution, while refresh rate caps out at 144Hz on the Razr and a whopping 165Hz on the Razr+.
The Razr+ has a newly-increased 3.6-inch cover display, the biggest on any foldable phone so far. In fact it’s bigger than the 3.5-inch screen used on the original iPhone. This screen is capable of supporting full-size apps and has space for a keyboard, meaning you may not need to open the Razr+ a lot of the time.
The standard Razr isn’t so lucky, with the same 1.5-inch cover display found on previous models. So that only lets you do minor things like checking the time or seeing notifications.
The phones have a new redesigned teardrop hinge, which features what Motorola calls the ”first dual-axis tracking.“ That's meant to minimize the amount of space needed to close the phone shut. However, it hasn’t been enough to eliminate the crease, which is still very noticeable by sight and touch.
The hinge also features new covers at the side, to prevent the ingress of dust. However both phones are rated IP52, which means they don’t offer much protection from dust or water — especially water, so don't submerge your new Razr.
Both phones come in a variety of color schemes, including Viva Magenta, Infinite Black and Glacier Blue.
Motorola Razr & Razr+ 2023 cameras
Cameras are another area where both phones start to deviate. They each have two rear facing external cameras, and a hole-punch selfie camera on the interior, but the hardware is very different.
The Razr+ comes with a 12MP main camera with f/1.5 aperture and optical image stabilisation, alongside a 13MP ultrawide camera (f/2.2) that can take macro shots. We were quite impressed by its macro mode in our review, which allowed us to get very close to see details that were otherwise hidden. Motorola claims this camera has Instant Dual Pixel PDAF for faster shooting ability and better performance. While it did perform well under bright conditions, the Razr+ did continue to struggle under low light. The selfie camera is a 32MP lens with f/2.4 aperture.
The entry-level Razr has a 64MP camera, which sounds better on paper, but Motorola claims this isn’t really the case since it lacks all the advancements of the Razr+. We’ll have to wait to compare the cameras to see just how much better or worse the Razr+’s quality really is. Like the Razr+, the Razr has a 13MP ultra wide lens (f/2.2) and 32MP selfie camera (f/2.4).
Both cameras can be used in a variety of different phone orientations, with Motorola offering a “Flex View Mode” that lets you use the hinge to securely place your phone and get a great shot.
Motorola Razr & Razr+ 2023 performance
Sadly, the Motorola Razr+ seems to be falling down in the performance department, certainly compared to current flagship Android phones. The phone runs on the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, which is not the latest and best silicon from Qualcomm. It’s also the same chipset that came with the 2022 Razr.
It’s not that the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 is bad, far from it, just that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has proven itself to be far superior in every way. That includes both raw performance and power efficiency, with the chip getting some of the credit for Samsung Galaxy S23’s astronomical leap in battery life compared to the Galaxy S22.
Since the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is likely to use the Gen 2, or potentially even the custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, opting for a Gen 1 chipset is going to put the Razr+ as a serious disadvantage.
The entry-level Razr is even worse off, using a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset, which means it certainly won’t be winning any benchmark tests anytime soon.
Both phones have 8GB of RAM, which is about standard nowadays, with 128GB of storage in the Razr and 256GB in the Razr+.
Motorola Razr & Razr+ 2023 battery life and charging
The entry-level Motorola Razr 2023 comes with a 4,200 mAh battery, though Motorola hasn’t divulged how long it is supposed to last. We will be putting it, and the Razr+ through our rigorous battery life test to see just how well they perform.
The Razr+ comes with a smaller 3,800 mAh battery, in part because the larger cover display needed more internal space. Don't let the size fool you because it outlasted its closest rival in the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 by an hour with our custom battery benchmark test. We were also delighted to see it lasting a solid one-day with our real world usage, given how incredibly thin it is.
Both phones support 30W TurboPower wired fast charging and 5W wireless charging. While 30W is pretty good compared to some other flagships, the 5W wireless charging is a major disappointment. But we suppose it’s better than not having it at all.
Motorola Razr & Razr+ 2023 outlook
Now that both Motorola Razr 2023 models have been announced, we have a far better understand of what they can offer compared to the competition. Sadly it doesn’t paint a wholly positive picture, since there are specs that are disappointingly low, such as the camera resolution and the chipsets powering both models.
Then again the price is certainly on Motorola's side, especially with the entry-level Razr, which should undercut every other foldable phone on the market. That low price does come with pretty big caveats, but if you want a foldable that's relatively inexpensive, it might be your best bet.
As for the Razr+, it’s unclear how it might be able to compete with the likes of the Galaxy Z Flip 5, especially since Samsung's upcoming model is likely to come in at a similar price. One thing's for sure, the Razr+ is without a doubt the best designed clamshell foldable around.
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