Motorola Razr 40 review

Having first launched a contemporary foldable telephone again in 2019, Motorola is likely one of the extra skilled producers on this space of the cell market. For 2023, the Razr is again once more with a brand new design and a lovely value. 

The 2023 Razr is a spread of two fashions for the primary time and in most markets, the common version is known as the Razr 40 in an try and tie the telephones in with the Motorola Edge 40 sequence. There’s additionally the Razr 40 Extremely we’ve already reviewed. 

Nevertheless, within the US they’re referred to as the Motorola Razr and Razr+. 

I’ve been testing the Razr 40 (which is what I’ll be calling it) for some time and though it has a smaller outer display screen in comparison with the Extremely together with a number of spec downgrades, it’s nonetheless an excellent flip telephone and, maybe most significantly, the worth makes it the only option for most individuals. 

Design & Construct 

• Vegan leather-based in three colors 
• Small cowl display screen 
• Water-repellent coating 

The Razr 40 shouldn’t be just like the earlier three Razr foldables, with Motorola entering into a unique course with the design of this telephone.  

It appears to be like much less like the long-lasting Razr designs of previous in favour of a squared-off form remarkably much like the Samsung Galaxy Flip sequence. The primary couple of Razr foldables had some design points – particularly the chin getting in the best way. 

I felt the Razr 2022 hit a candy spot despite the fact that my colleague Lewis stated it had “much less of a Razr really feel” in his assessment. The Razr 40, although, has barely a hint of that Razr allure and appears, a minimum of at a look, indistinguishable from the Galaxy Z Flip 4.

Chris Martin / Foundry

There are variations, after all, such because the orientation of the cameras. Nevertheless, look nearer and the vegan leather-based rear cowl on the Razr 40 does give it some persona. I’ve at all times preferred vegan leather-based telephones and this one other on the listing. 

Not solely does it look good – accessible in Sage Inexperienced and Vanilla Cream together with the Summer time Lilac I’ve examined – however it gives good grip and is stain resistant in keeping with Motorola. Foldables are delicate sufficient, so it’s good to not have to fret about rear glass. 

The metallic body is available in an identical color other than silver on the Cream mannequin (as does the onerous plastic case within the field) so total, the Razr 40 appears to be like very fashionable certainly. The style aspect achieved very effectively, in my view, even when extra colors can be welcome. 

Motorola solely gives a water-repellent coating with an IP52 score – the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is IPX8 – and foldables nonetheless really feel fragile in varied methods.  

Positive, Motorola touts a gapless design when the telephone is closed however even getting the telephone out of my pocket after some gardening resulted in some crunchy sounds when unfolding and shutting. This went away with some strategic blowing, however it doesn’t instil a lot confidence.

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If I used to be going to the seaside, I’d really feel just like the Razr 40 would want to remain at house or spend the day in a sealed bag – hardly very best for taking images of the day. 

Those that dwell a extra city life gained’t want to fret a lot and the Razr 40 hinge is a factor of magnificence. The interior display screen neatly disappears right into a teardrop form inside to allow the gapless design and the hinge can maintain the display screen at nearly any angle you need so it’s not merely closed or absolutely open. 

Apparently, I didn’t expertise the identical drawback we discovered with the Razr 40 Extremely, which wouldn’t absolutely open to put flat.  

Haptic suggestions isn’t notably crisp, however I didn’t discover myself noticing it being weedy both. A fingerprint scanner hides within the energy button on the aspect and works very effectively certainly. 

Display screen & Audio system 

• Compact cowl display screen 
• ‘Creaseless’ inside show 
• 144Hz LPTO AMOLED 

The Razr 40 modifications tact in terms of the setup of the 2 screens. Sometimes, Motorola has gone for a big outer show however here’s a small 1.5in model very similar to the olders Galaxy Z Flip 3 and 4. 

Motorola instructed me that is partly a approach of serving to homeowners use their telephone much less. You need to use the duvet display screen to get key bits of knowledge and perform varied duties, saving you from opening the telephone up and getting tempted by shiny apps. 

Chris Martin / Foundry

Open the Razr 40 up and also you get virtually the identical 6.9in pOLED display screen because the Razr 40 Extremely. The distinction with the extra premium mannequin is that it has a a lot bigger 3.6in exterior show. 

Internally, the principle distinction is that the Razr 40 has a 144Hz refresh price relatively than 165Hz however this doesn’t actually matter within the grand scheme. 

At 6.9in there’s loads of actual property, though the 22:9 side ratio could be very tall and means reaching the highest one-handed is sort of an effort. The Full HD+ decision of 2640 x 1080 is a pleasant steadiness of crispness with out sacrificing battery life unnecessarily. 

Distinction and color are each stable and I measured the brightness at an honest 515 nits with automated brightness off. Motorola claims the telephone can hit a peak of 1400 nits. 

Chris Martin / Foundry

There aren’t any main downsides to the inner display screen, though the agency calling it ‘creaseless’ is a stretch. You’ll be able to undoubtedly see and really feel the place the show folds however it’s not a distraction in use. The blue tint you get when viewing the display screen at an off angle was extra of an issue in my time with the telephone. 

With the hinge capable of maintain the telephone open at totally different angles, the Razr 40 can do some intelligent cut up display screen tips equivalent to splitting the digicam app in two supplying you with much more scope for angles in addition to taking selfies with out holding the telephone. 

No headphone jack isn’t a shock, and the stereo audio system aren’t something to put in writing house about. They’re nice for the odd YouTube video or taking a name on speakerphone however don’t anticipate to get something immersive or cinematic from them. 

Specs & Efficiency 

• Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 
• 8GB RAM 
• 256GB storage 

It’s within the core specs the place the Razr 40 considerably reveals why it’s a lot cheaper than the Extremely and sometimes different foldable telephones. It’s a return to the previous methods of the Razr foldable the place the processor isn’t flagship tier. 

As an alternative of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 discovered within the Extremely, you get a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. Within the UK, there’s just one model accessible with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage – and there’s no microSD card slot right here. 

Chris Martin / Foundry

Efficiency is a blended bag and fortunately the unhealthy aspect of it’s short-lived as a result of it’s a type of telephones that’s awkwardly laggy whenever you first boot it up. Nevertheless, give it a little bit of time to calm down and issues run completely nice. 

It’s not lightning-fast, however efficiency is nice sufficient that it’s not one thing that stands out. Even the chip contained in the Extremely is a 2022 flagship so if you need high efficiency, look to the Galaxy Z Flip 5 with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. 

Motorola Razr 40 benchmarks

The Razr 40 benchmarks are expectedly decrease than rivals, however don’t allow them to put you off, particularly when it’s comprehensible at this value level. 

There’s no scrimping on connectivity with Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6E, NFC and 5G all onboard.  

Cameras 

• 64Mp major digicam 
• 13Mp ultrawide/macro 
• 32Mp selfie 

The digicam setup on the Razr 40 is just a little totally different from the Extremely mannequin. They’ve the identical 32Mp selfie (inside) digicam and a 13Mp ultrawide/macro on the surface, however the Extremely’s subject of view is oddly narrower at 108 levels vs 120. 

The principle digicam right here is 64Mp so is greater decision than the 12Mp on the Extremely however has a slower aperture of f/1.7 as a substitute of f/1.5. Total, although you’ve basically received the identical three cameras by way of what they do. 

Chris Martin / Foundry

Efficiency is a blended bag with the principle digicam (which pixel bins to 16Mp) doing a fairly good job in respectable lighting with sharp and vibrant outcomes however even earlier than reaching low gentle, begins to battle. For me, this was notably by way of focus – regardless of having OIS (optical picture stabilisation) and laser autofocus. 

Acceptable leads to low gentle are attainable however you’ve received to have the time and endurance to carry the telephone regular whereas it does its factor. I’ll sound like a damaged file already, however portrait mode photographs are hit or miss. 

The ultrawide digicam makes for a helpful addition in sure conditions however in comparison with the principle digicam appears to be like washed out in most photographs. This additionally will get used when you choose the macro mode within the app and takes some poise to get good outcomes.  

To my shock, it’s the inner 32Mp selfie digicam that I discovered to be probably the most constant and dependable. It pixel bins to 8Mp and this offers you a pleasant steadiness of element with out massive recordsdata to add to social media or clogging up cloud storage. 

Impressively, this digicam can shoot video at as much as Extremely HD high quality at 30fps. Nevertheless, you’ll in all probability need to make use of the principle digicam for video as OIS helps to maintain issues easy, despite the fact that it additionally gives the identical high quality settings. 

Battery Life & Charging 

• 4200mAh battery  
• 30W wired charging 
• 5W wi-fi charging 

At 4200mAh, the battery contained in the Razr 40 isn’t breaking any longevity data however it’s not simply the dimensions that counts. In our standard PCMark battery check the telephone managed a stable, however center of the highway, 10 hours and quarter-hour. 

Nevertheless, the true headline right here is that it constantly received me two days of utilization. I’m sometimes not a heavy person however I used to be utilizing the telephone greater than I’d usually be as a result of testing it out. 

Chris Martin / Foundry

Motorola provides a 33W quick charger within the field, however the Razr 40 is rated barely decrease at 30W. Not notably quick by fashionable requirements however nonetheless, this may get you an honest 60% with a 30-minute cost. 

Pleasingly, the Razr 40 has wi-fi charging. I used to be not anticipating this at this value level on a folding telephone. Granted, it’s tremendous gradual at simply 5W however it’s there in case you want it and that pace isn’t a difficulty in case you’re placing it on a charger in a single day. 

Software program & Apps 

• Android 13 
• Clear with useful additions 
• Three Android model updates 

The Razr 40 runs on Android 13 out-of-the-box and Motorola has promised an affordable however not business main three model updates taking you to Android 16. You’ll additionally get 4 years of safety updates so it’s solely a 12 months off Samsung on each fronts. 

As Motorola has been doing for years, the working system could be very near inventory (what you’d get on a Google Pixel telephone) with just a few easy and useful additions. Personalisation is a spotlight, as are the bodily twist and chop gestures which make issues like launching the digicam and switching the flashlight on tremendous straightforward – an actual boon whenever you’re holding a child within the different arm, let me inform you. 

Chris Martin / Foundry

The principle factor you may need to know in regards to the Razr 40’s software program is how the exterior display screen works. 

It’s straightforward to make use of and you may choose which ‘panels’ you need to use on it such because the clock, climate, media playback, calendar and extra (though not many extra). 

I discovered it very helpful with out being intrusive, although it has limitations past the accessible panels. Notifications are a first-rate instance the place you can even see a lot of a message. An electronic mail reminder to place my bin out received lower off simply earlier than it stated which color bin was being collected. 

Chris Martin / Foundry

You can even use the display screen as a dwell preview of the digicam, that means you should use the ‘rear’ cameras for selfies. A neat trick however it’s very troublesome to border the picture correctly with the 2:1 side ratio and tiny dimension. 

The Razr 40 Extremely with its bigger exterior display screen is likely to be tempting as you’ll be able to run any Android app on it, however it’s not with out its quirks. 

Value & Availability 

Among the best issues in regards to the Motorola Razr 40 is the worth. It’s simply £799 within the UK which locations it within the common flagship vary relatively than the customarily £1,000+ mark requested for foldables. 

In truth, it’s cheaper than many common candybar flagships and is the most affordable folding telephone thus far. For comparability, the freshly introduced Galaxy Z Flip 5 begins at £1,049 which matches the Razr 40 Extremely. 

This value will get you the 8/256GB mannequin within the UK with no different choices on the official retailer. You can even purchase it from Amazon, Very and Currys.

Oddly, it’s not wherever to be seen on the US retailer the place the Razr 40+ is $999.

Take a look at our rating of the very best foldable telephones to see how the Razr 40 compares to its friends. 

Chris Martin / Foundry

Verdict 

Motorola could have misplaced a number of the Razr allure by going with a Galaxy Flip-esque design however it doesn’t matter a lot on what’s in any other case a really profitable folding telephone. 

What was a luxurious buy within the smartphone world is now a traditional possibility due to the Razr 40’s £799 asking value. That makes it cheaper than many common flagships. 

And regardless of this value, the Razr 40 has some spectacular specs together with respectable AMOLED shows, lengthy lasting battery life and a stable software program expertise. There’s even wi-fi charging, albeit very gradual. 

There are, after all, downsides to contemplate right here when evaluating to the Razr 40 Extremely and rivals. The Snapdragon 7 chip isn’t the quickest, there’s no correct waterproofing and the cameras aren’t overly spectacular. 

Nevertheless, all of that is acceptable to get a flip telephone at an affordable value, that means the Razr 40 is presently the very best folding telephone for the plenty. 

Specs 

• Android 13
• 1.5in, OLED cowl show 
• 6.9in, 144Hz LTPO pOLED, Full HD+ major show 
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 
• 8GB RAM 
• 256GB storage 
• Cameras:
  • 64Mp, f/1.7, OIS major digicam 
  • 13Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide digicam 
  • 32Mp, f/2.4 selfie digicam 
• 4200mAh 
• 30W wired charging 
• 5W wi-fi charging 
• Stereo audio system
• Facet fingerprint scanner (energy button) 
• IP52 Water-repellent 
• Gorilla Glass Victus (exterior)
• 5G 
• Bluetooth 5.3
• Wi-Fi 6E
• GPS
• Nano-SIM
• USB-C
• 73.95 x 170.83 x 6.99mm (open) 
• 184.5/188.5g 
• Launch colors: Sage Inexperienced, Summer time Liliac, Vanilla Cream