What's good
- Foldable smartphone
- Compact
- Front screen when closed
What's bad
- Very expensive
- Poor battery life
- Creaking hinges
- Mediocre camera
Motorola Razr hopes to capture the nostalgia of a flip phone with the functionality of a smartphone. Razr has perfected the look with a folding screen, but is it enough that the phone flips open and shut and how well does it work?
Design
The phone design is striking and exciting. When unfolded the screen is virtually seamless and when folded closed it will easily fit into your pocket without worrying about accidentally calling someone or scratching your display. A textured back-plate and power button add stability and grip to the phone. Reviewers had no problems with dropping the phone or having it slide off from surfaces.
Display
The Motorola Razr offers two screens. One is an HD, 6.2-inch, plastic AMOLED screen. The second is a 2.7-inch OLED screen on the outside to show notifications, date, and time when the phone is closed. Unfortunately, reviewers stated there was an obvious bumpy texture when using the screen folded flat, leaving the phone feeling flimsy and cheap.
Performance
The Razr’s performance was lacking for most reviewers. They found the controls and actions delayed and slow to react. They also found the connectivity of the phone to be an issue where it was hit or miss to get a signal.
Tom’s Guide says, “... The Razr will not give you the power you’re paying for.”
Software & Storage
Motorola Razr runs Android 9 with some software tweaks. here are some pre-installed apps out of the box, so prepare to sacrifice some space for apps you might never use. Fortunately, the 128GB of storage is decent, but there is no room for growth as it does not offer a micro SD option.
Cameras
Camera quality underwhelmed reviewers. It’s okay in really good lighting and bad in dark or low light settings. Which just wasn’t acceptable for most reviewers considering the price and advances in mobile cameras in the past year or two. The photos seem to have some dithering and noise especially if the light isn’t optimal.
PC Magazine said, “As the light goes down, the Razr's performance declines further, with photos getting dim and noisy. Ultimately, I felt like I was taking pictures with a [low priced] phone, not a[n expensive] one.”
Battery Life
From dismal to okay, reviewers were split on the phone’s battery performance. Reviews found it lasted between 5 and 7 hours when tested. The 5-hour end being for gameplay and the 7-hour being video and media consumption.
Audio
The audio was considered middling, with a somewhat tinny experience, flat sound and no bass.
Specs at a Glance
- Plastic chassis
- 6.2 AMOLED display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 Octa-core 2.2 GHz processor
- 6GB of RAM
- Android 9 with tweaks
- 128GB of storage
- 16MP rear camera with front-facing 5MP selfie camera
- 2510 mAh battery
- 2.7-inch outward-facing screen when closed
Bottom Line
With the big a price tag the Motorola Razr carries, one would expect a lot from the phone. Sadly, many reviewers found ita disappointment. Between a bumpy, flimsy feeling screen and slow to middling performance, it came off as a good idea not quite fleshed out before release.
Tech Radar states, “While it does offer a foldable form factor that minimizes its footprint and allows it to fit in smaller pockets, and pulls off some awesome selfies, the phone cuts corners to achieve its diminutive size, with less power, onboard storage, and battery capacity.”
Tom’s Guide says, "The Motorola Razr offers a large display in a futuristic foldable design, but its questionable durability, short battery life, and lackluster camera make it a tough sell”
PC Magazine remarks, "Motorola's gorgeous folding Razr doesn't deliver the performance you expect from a [very expensive] phone”
What the Critics Are Saying...
- David Lumb, TechRadarThe Motorola Razr is an inspired effort to liberate the world from the boredom of the dominant glass rectangle phone design. While it does offer a foldable form factor that minimizes its footprint and allows it to fit in smaller pockets, and pulls off some awesome selfies, the phone cuts corners to...
- Florian Schmitt, NotebookcheckThe Motorola Razr 2019 is a foldable smartphone that comes with a hefty price tag for its features. Despite all of its shortcomings, its slim silhouette is fascinating to look at.
- Jordan Carter, Gear HungryThe Motorola Razr is a high-end smartphone crafted from first-rate stainless steel, glass, and plastic materials, with its foldable attribute as the phone’s primary highlight. The phone reverses on its head and closes into a clamshell form to turn into a smaller, more pocket-friendly size, which mak...
- Ron Amadeo, Ars TechnicaThe Razr feels like a fake product. It's back-ordered for a month at a time, the distribution is extremely limited, and even when you get one, it's broken. From the very first leaks, the phone seemed like it was too good to be true. Motorola has proved it was—and that the company just can't pull som...
- Tushar Mehta, XDA DevelopersAs for the performance, the choice of Snapdragon 710 does feel odd, especially since Samsung has been using flagship chipsets on its foldable devices – Snapdragon 855 on the Galaxy Fold and Snapdragon 855+ on the Galaxy Z Flip. But, Motorola is confident that the phone can handle all the challenges...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
Motorola backs up the Razr (2019) with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Razr (2019) has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Motorola support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Motorola's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
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