When was the last time your phone’s design made you smile?

Compactness and character overshadow this foldable’s shortcomings – but it’s not for everyone

 

When the iconic Motorola Razr of the early 2000’s was reintroduced in 2019 as a foldable Android smartphone, you likely fell into one of two camps – those who loved it for the nostalgia, or those who could not understand why anyone would buy it. 

For those in the latter category, spending a day with the Razr 5G in your pocket may make you question why you’re still carrying a large slab smartphone. 

To be clear, we’re talking about the latest 5G version of the Motorola Razr, not the 2019 reboot, which was full of nasty compromises and creaky hinges. Motorola thankfully addressed many of those issues in this second generation model. 

Are there more powerful clamshell foldables out there? Yes. The Samsung Z Flip series beats the Motorola Razr 5G in specs and camera, but I think the Motorola Razr’s design is more palatable and its engineering offers practical advantages which make up for its shortcomings. Both of these phones tend to be on sale for around the same price, so let’s see if Razr 5G is compatible with your lifestyle. 

 

Design and Displays

My favorite aspect of the Razr 5G is how the squat device fits in the palm of my hand when folded. Going for an afternoon walk is a breath of fresh air with this phone in tow – you can grip it securely in one hand while controlling your music, or have it disappear into your pocket. The phone is not IP rated for water or dust resistance, but Motorola provided a water repellent coating on the internals, so it’s okay if you get caught in a brief rain shower. Just don’t go swimming with it. 

The phone is 16mm thick when folded, compared to Samsung’s Z Flip 3 at 17mm. While that sounds trivial, the Z Flip’s design has a gap between the display when folded. The gap attracts dust and welcomes other debris while in your pocket, so you will be cleaning the display constantly. The Razr 5G isn’t immune from collecting dust in your pocket, but I found it less frustrating than the Z Flip.  

The Razr’s design folds completely flat thanks to the engineers at Lenovo (Motorola’s mobile division is owned by Lenovo). They designed the 6.2” screen so a portion of it slides into the phone's chin when folded. This implementation results in the usual smartphone experience while touching the display – it’s smooth to the touch and doesn’t have a gutter like the Z Flip. The gutter on Z Flip is a visual eyesore and your finger will briefly dip mid scroll over the hinge when swiping through endless TikToks.

Let’s take a detour and discuss some faults of the Razr’s display. First, the display is challenging to read in direct sunlight. I contacted Motorola for an official statement on how many nits the display is rated to produce, but I have not received a response at the time of writing. Second, the Razr’s plastic OLED screen is unfortunately prone to small indentations if you aggressively dig your fingernail into it (or any sharp object). It doesn’t break the display, but is noticeable when the screen is off. I haven’t had this issue with my phone yet and I’m not overly careful, but users of this phone must exercise some care in daily use. 

Exterior display - It turns out you can get things done on a 2.7” display.

The 2.7” external display, which Motorola calls the Quick View display, allows you to do almost everything from this tiny screen. Read and send text messages, check email, take calls, play music, and read news – all just smaller. You can configure your favorite apps for quick reference on the external display or see them all at once. 

Now, not every app works well on a 2.7” screen, but we Android enthusiasts will certainly push it to the limits. My favorite use for the external display is using a weather radar app as storms approach. It allows me to track the weather without draining the battery as quickly as the main display. 

Bonus feature – For those seeking to use their phone less often, the external display may reduce your addiction to being on the phone. You’ll need to physically open the phone for an immersive content experience. 

Pros and cons aside, this phone is a joy use and I think its design will delight many users. 

 

The Good

Form Factor	One of the most pocketable phones on the market.
Displays	External display with quick actions for accessing favorite apps and replying to text messages on the go.
Call Quality	Excellent earpiece speaker and crisp audio.

 

The Not So Good

Battery	This phone is not for power users who consume content all day. Using the exterior display helps preserve battery life.
Camera	Mediocre at best compared to today’s flagship phones.
Speaker	Non-stereo speaker located under chin of phone lacks clarity.