June Wan and Jason Hiner/ZDNET
If the foldable telephone market was a faculty cafeteria, Samsung — and solely Samsung — can be sitting on the cool youngsters’ desk. Oh, and there additionally would not be every other college students within the room. As a result of over the previous 4 years, the Korean large has had a agency grasp at what’s marketed yearly as the following huge factor in cellular: handsets that may bend, flip, and fold from one type issue to a different.
Additionally: Motorola Razr hands-on: Step apart Samsung, the brand new Gen-Z flip telephone is right here
That is what makes new entrants like Motorola’s Razr and Razr Plus so intriguing. Like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip sequence, Motorola has gone with the clamshell strategy to foldables, prioritizing portability and ease of use over excessive efficiency and endurance. And whereas the 2 Razr fashions stay to be examined, one factor is definite: Samsung lastly has competitors.
In the event you’re cross-shopping between the brand new Razrs and Samsung’s foldable, you have come to the best place. Under, I’ve damaged down the important thing causes to purchase one mannequin over the opposite. And, belief me, it is not as lopsided as you’d count on.
Specs
Motorola Razr Plus
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
Show
6.9-inch POLED with 165Hz
6.7-inch AMOLED with 120Hz
Weight
184.5g
187g
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
RAM/Storage8GB with 256GB8GB with 128GB/256GB/512GBBattery3,800mAh with 30W charging and 5W wireless3,700mAh with 30W charging and 10W wirelessCamera12MP large, 13MP ultra-wide, 32MP entrance
12MP large, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP entrance
DurabilityIP52IPX8Price$999
Beginning at $999
You should purchase the Motorola Razr Plus if…
June Wan/ZDNET 1. You desire a extra purposeful exterior show
A 3.6-inch show is bigger than a 1.9-inch show; the mathematics checks out! For so long as I may keep in mind, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip mannequin has confronted the problem of getting too small of an exterior display. So, as a substitute of feeling like a smaller telephone show, the duvet display was akin to that of a smartwatch.
Additionally: Flip telephones to digital cameras, Gen Z’s love of retro devices is smarter than you notice
With the Motorola Razr Plus, the corporate has not embedded a bigger panel on the entrance but it surely refreshes at 144Hz, nearing the visible high quality of the unfolded show beneath it. Motorola put some thought into the software program of the exterior show, too, letting customers personalize their very own “panels” of widgets, apps, and video games.
And if you wish to rapidly reply to a textual content message or e mail, you are able to do that comfortably with no need to unfold the Razr.
2. Media consumption is a main use case
In the event you get pleasure from watching motion pictures and exhibits, mindlessly scrolling by way of social media, or each, then the Motorola Razr Plus is the higher medium of the 2. Apart from having a greater exterior show, the inside 6.9-inch panel can also be bigger than Samsung’s 6.7-inch. And for smoother graphics, the show refreshes at 165Hz, versus the Z Flip’s 120Hz.
The Motorola Razr Plus is offered in Viva Magenta (left), Glacier Blue (center), and Infinite Black (proper).
June Wan/ZDNET3. A less-slippery telephone is most well-liked
Nobody ever says they need their telephone to slide out of their arms, proper? Whether or not it is a shiny backing or frosted glass, a case is the very first thing I attain out for after unboxing a brand new telephone. That held true with final yr’s Galaxy Z Flip 4, which felt like a bar of cleaning soap when used uncovered.
Fortuitously, the Motorola Razr Plus is available in what can solely be thought of the corporate’s premier coloration at this level, Viva Magenta. It is the identical hue that received Pantone’s Coloration of the 12 months and has slowly however certainly made its manner throughout Motorola’s different cellular units. Apart from the mix of pink and pink, the Viva Magenta end is available in vegan leather-based materials, making the Razr Plus very comfy to carry.
You should purchase the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 if…
June Wan/ZDNET 1. You are all about offers, financial savings, and reductions
With client electronics, two issues are normally sure with time: software program patches and reductions. Since launch, Samsung has not solely been capable of refine and apply any essential bug fixes to the Galaxy Z Flip 4, however the mannequin has additionally dropped in worth as demand has declined post-launch.
Additionally: The Galaxy Z Flip 4 solves these two huge issues for me
Consequently, you should purchase discover a Galaxy Z Flip 4 in the marketplace for as little as $500 proper now, $500 lower than its retail worth and what Moto is charging for the Razr Plus ($999). To not point out, the Galaxy Z Flip is offered in additional main provider shops, together with Verizon, so reductions by way of installment plans are simpler to come back by.
2. You are involved with the sturdiness of foldables
Foldables have come a great distance since they first hit the market, and the developments in sturdiness are largely credited to Samsung. With the Galaxy Z Flip 4, the versatile glass show may be folded as much as 200,000 occasions, and the gadget is handled with an IPX8 ranking. Meaning you should utilize the telephone within the rain and bathe and actually submerge it in over one meter of water.
By comparability, the Motorola Razr Plus solely has an IP52 ranking, that means it will probably maintain “direct sprays of water as much as 15 levels from the vertical”, based on Rainford Options.
3. The Bespoke line speaks to you
Viva Magenta is difficult to prime, however if you would like to customise your flippable right down to the colour of the hinge, then Samsung offers you that freedom with its Bespoke program for the Galaxy Z Flip 4. You do not have to pay further to personalize the colours of the back and front panels and hinge of the telephone, however like most custom-made orders, an additional week or two of processing time is required.
Alternate options to think about
BEST FOLDABLE ALTERNATIVE
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the most effective foldable telephone you should purchase proper now, although its phone-to-table type issue requires some studying.
BEST MOTOROLA ALTERNATIVE
Motorola Edge Plus
It is not flippable, however the Motorola Edge Plus presents the most effective of the corporate’s software program expertise with a clean 165Hz show.
BEST COMPACT ALTERNATIVE
Samsung Galaxy S23
In order for you a compact Samsung telephone however should not prepared to leap on the foldable bandwagon, the Galaxy S23 is your best choice.