Iterating in all the right places

• 

  Refined greatness

  Motorola Razr+ (2024)

  The 2024 Razr+ takes everything that Motorola did so well with the 2023 version and improves on it. With a larger cover display and better cameras leading the charge, this new and improved Razr+ is easily one of the best flip phones you can buy today.

  Pros

  • Larger and brighter cover display
  • Cameras are actually good this time
  • Good overall performance
  • All-day battery life

  Cons

  • Motorola’s software policy lags behind the competition
  • Lost its rating against dust

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  Still great

  Motorola Razr+ (2023)

  The Motorola 2023 Razr+ burst on the scene to give Samsung some much-needed competition. Even a year later, this great flip phone does more than enough to hold its own. It may not have the bells and whistles of its newer sibling, but it’s still a great device.

  Pros

  • Decently sized cover display
  • Solid performance
  • Good battery life

  Cons

  • Motorola’s software update policy lags behind the competition
  • Cameras are mediocre

As Android fans, we have the luxury of choice. Look at the best Android phones, and you’ll undoubtedly find a wide selection of devices. Everything from your standard candy bar smartphones to some truly great foldable phones. Flip phones land somewhere in the middle of these two devices; by incorporating a foldable hinge, you get a device that is compact when folded, and a form factor similar to a traditional phone when unfolded.

For years, Samsung had the flip market cornered with its Galaxy Z Flip lineup. Of course, there were competitors, but it wasn’t until Motorola launched the 2023 Razr+ that people began to notice. With its large outer cover, great design, and good battery life, it pushed the expectations of a flip phone. The 2024 Razr+, while largely an iterative update, has some great improvements , but does it do enough compared to its predecessor?

Price, availability, and specs

Starting with the new kid on the block, the Razr+ (2024) launched in July 2024 at a retail price of $1,000, which just happens to be the same price as the Razr+ (2023) when it launched in June 2023. Being a year older does have its benefits when it comes to pricing, as the 2023 variant can routinely be found at deep discounts.

At the time of writing, both devices can be readily found at the major US carriers. T-Mobile and AT&T have both the 2023 and 2024 variants in stock, while Verizon seems to only have the 2023 model. If you prefer buying it unlocked, you can find both at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.

Motorola is no stranger to adding fun colors to their devices, and these two phones don’t disappoint. The Razr+ (2024) comes in Midnight Blue, Hot Pink, Spring Green, and Peach Fuzz colorways; the Razr+ (2023) ships in Infinite Black, Glacier Blue, Viva Magenta, and Peach Fuzz.

• 	Motorola Razr+ (2024)	Motorola Razr+ (2023)
  SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
  Display type	pOLED, 165Hz (internal); OLED, 165Hz (external)	pOLED, 165Hz (internal); OLED, 144Hz (external)
  Display dimensions	6.9″ (internal); 4″ (external)	6.9″ (internal); 3.6″ (external)
  Display resolution	1080 x 2640 (internal); 1272 x 1080 (external)	1080 × 2640 (internal); 1056 x 1066 (external)
  RAM	12GB LPDDR5X	8GB LPDDR5
  Storage	256GB UFS 4.0	256GB UFS 3.1
  Battery	4,000mAh	3,800mAh
  Charge speed	45W wired, 15W wireless charging	30W wired, 5W wireless charging
  Charge options	Wired, Wireless	Wired, Wireless
  Ports	USB-C	USB-C
  SIM support	Dual SIM (Nano SIM and eSIM)	Dual SIM (Nano SIM and eSIM)
  Operating System	Android 14	Android 13
  Front camera	32MP, f/2.4	32MP, f/2.4
  Rear camera	50MP, f/1.7, OIS main; 50MP, f/2.0 2x telephoto	12MP, f/1.5, OIS main camera; 13MP, f/2.2 ultrawide
  Cellular connectivity	5G	Sub-6 5G, LTE
  Wi-Fi connectivity	Wi-Fi 6E/7	Wi-Fi 6E
  Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.3
  Dimensions	73.99 x 171.42 x 7.09mm (Open); 73.99 x 88.09x 15.32mm (Closed)	73.95 x 170.83 x 6.99mm (Open); 73.95 x 88.42 x 15.1mm (Closed)
  Weight	189g	188.5g (Infinite Black, Glacier Blue); 184.5g (Viva Magenta)
  IP Rating	IPX8	IP52
  Colors	Midnight Blue, Spring Green, Peach Fuzz	Infinite Black, Glacier Blue, Viva Magenta
  Price	$1,000	$1,000

Design

Not much has changed

Not a lot has changed in the design department over the past year. Both devices have the same basic feel and overall shape; it doesn’t matter if either device is folded or unfolded, both carry almost identical dimensions and weigh nearly the same; the differences in the two sizes are negligible, at best.

Both the 2023 and 2024 versions have a glass front, a stainless steel hinge, and an aluminum frame. The older Razr+ has a Gorilla Glass Victus covered back, except the T-Mobile exclusive Magenta variant, which ships with a vegan leather back. Motorola went all-in on vegan leather this year, with all colorways sporting a leather back.

That’s not to say there aren’t any design differences between these devices. For one, the newer Razr+ has an improved hinge that feels much sturdier when opening and closing the phone. It also benefits from a slightly larger cover display, which should help it feel less cramped.

The 2024 edition also gets an IPX8 rating, while last year’s model had an IP52 rating. While the newer version has better water resistance, it’s a little disappointing to see it be less protected against dust. Both devices have a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and two camera lenses on the front of the device.

Display

All about the cover display

Flip phones benefit from having two displays, a smaller outside display and a larger inner display. Starting with the outer panels, the 2024 version has a whopping 4-inch LTPO AMOLED cover display. With a 1272 x 1080 resolution, a 165Hz refresh rate, and 2400 nits of peak brightness, this cover display is sharp, fluid, and plenty bright. It’s a real beauty, and it’s nice to see Motorola stretch it to cover the entire front of the device.

The 2023 Razr+ is both as capable and slightly less fun. It has a smaller 3.6-inch, 1056 x 1066 cover display, which looks just as sharp, but will feel a bit more cramped compared to the newer variant. It also has a 144Hz refresh rate and 1100 nits of peak brightness. The refresh rate is more than adequate, but the brightness may be a tad too dark in very bright environments.

Unfolding either device reveals a large 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 2640 x 1080 resolution that is a pure joy to use. With a 165Hz refresh rate, you can expect a smooth experience. The only real difference here is that the 2024 version has a peak brightness of 3000 nits, while the 2023 one tops out at 1400 nits. The crease on the plastic display is barely noticeable on either device.

The 2024 Razr+ is the clear winner due to its larger and more performant cover display. The internal displays are largely identical and will serve you perfectly well.

Software

Both ahead and behind the competition

For better or worse, the software on these Razr+ phones is largely the same. Anyone used to the Pixel experience will feel right at home thanks to Motorola sticking pretty close to stock Android. With the screen unfolded, the Android experience isn’t too different compared to any other Motorola phone, though the 2024 Razr+ comes with Google Gemini as its default digital assistant, while its older sibling still uses Google Assistant.

Both devices are also well-equipped to take advantage of the cover display; you have full control of which apps you can use, which is a lot less restrictive than what Samsung does with its flip phones. The 4-inch display of the 2024 version will feel less cramped, but both are capable of letting you control music, respond to texts, check email, or get the weather.

Motorola does take advantage of the extra cover display on the 2024 Razr+ by enhancing some widgets, but it’s not enough to base your buying decision on.

Naturally, when talking about Motorola and software, we can’t ignore its lackluster track record. Motorola is both slow to update its devices and lags behind the competition with promised upgrades. The 2023 Razr+ is still rocking Android 13, nine months after Android 14 was released. The newer Razr+ ships with Android 14 out of the box, but who knows how long it’ll take before it sees Android 15.

Both devices are promised to get three years of Android updates and four years of security updates.

Performance

Satisfying daily use

The Motorola Razr+ (2024) comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor, coupled with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage. The Razr+ (2023) comes with a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.

Performance from either device will be more than adequate, though the newer Razr+ has a slight edge thanks to its extra RAM and a slightly stronger processor. To be fair, you likely won’t notice much of a difference when using either phone, since both are quite capable of letting you use your favorite apps, browse the web, or even play the latest games.

Some people still get hung up on what type of storage their devices get, but in reality, it doesn’t matter much. Neither will slow you down and both will deliver smooth daily performance.

Battery life

Decent is good enough

The 2024 Razr+ has the 2023 Razr+ beat when it comes to battery life. With a 4000mAh battery, you can expect the 2024 Razr+ to get you through an entire day of use. It can be charged via USB-C at up to 45W or wirelessly up to 15W. It also supports 5W reverse wired charging.

The 2023 Razr+ has a smaller 3800mAh battery that is acceptable, but it may struggle to get you through an entire day. Still, five hours of screen time isn’t too shabby, it’s just not as good as what you can get from its newer sibling. It can be charged via USB-C at up to 30W or wirelessly at up to 5W. It doesn’t support any type of reverse charging.

Camera

Telephoto or ultrawide

The camera is arguably the biggest difference between these devices. The 2024 Razr+ comes with a 50MP f/1.7 primary lens and a 50MP f/2.0 telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom. The primary camera and the 32MP f2.4 selfie camera can both record up to 4K at 60fps.

The 2023 Razr+ has a 12MP f/1.5 primary camera and a 13MP f/2.2 ultrawide camera, and can record video up to 4K at 60FPS. The 2023 version has the same 32MP selfie camera as the 2024 edition.

The first thing you may have noticed is that the 2024 version drops the ultrawide and replaces it with a telephoto lens. Depending on what you like to take photos of, that’s either a great change or a terrible one. Regardless, the 50MP cameras on the 2024 version take better photos; expect sharper and brighter images, as well as better detail from both the primary and telephoto cameras.

Which is better?

The answer here depends on whether you’re picking between the two handsets, or deciding whether to upgrade from last year’s model to the 2024.

With an improved cover display, better-performing cameras, and a slightly larger battery, there’s a lot to like about the Motorola Razr+ (2024). If you’re looking to buy a brand-new phone, then the 2024 version does enough to justify its price tag. At full price the 2024 model is clearly the better buy, but if you spot the 2023 edition at a deep discount during a sale, it’ll likely be hard to resist.

On the other hand, if you’re already rocking a Razr+ (2023), then the answer is a bit more nuanced. In reality, most people should hang on to their 2023 Razr+ and skip the shinier 2024 version. It’s still a phenomenal device that shouldn’t struggle to keep up with you thanks to its Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. The cover display is still adequate, and battery life is roughly on par with its newer sibling.

The only reason to justify jumping ship to the 2024 variant is if it has some killer feature that you just can’t live without, but that just isn’t the case with these two phones. The 2024 Razr+ offers plenty of incremental improvements over its predecessor that add up to a better device, but none of them on their own justify the price of entry. The only exception that comes to mind is if you’re a camera buff and need the camera improvements that come with the newer Razr+. Even then, you’re unlikely to go for a flip phone if photography is your primary concern.

If it’s been a while since you bought a new phone, then go for the 2024 Razr+. For those who already own the 2023 version, save your money and enjoy your phone for another year.