Motorola Razr+ (2023)
The Moto Razr+ may be the worthiest Razr to carry the name since the original version. With a capable Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and two large displays, this device should give the Samsung Galaxy Fold a run for its money. Too bad Motorola ditched the iconic Razr design.
Motorola Razr 5G
The Moto Razr 5G carries an iconic design that will create significant nostalgia for anyone who owned one many years ago. At the time, the Razr 5G wasn’t a bad phone, but it was underpowered and has only worsened over the past three years. Outside of the design, it can’t come close to matching the Razr+.
When Motorola launched the Razr 5G, it was banking on a heavy dose of nostalgia from fans of the original Razr. It may not have been one of thebest Android phonesat the time, thanks to its middling chipset and sky-high price, but Motorola did a fantastic job recreating the iconic design. TheMoto Razr+is its latest iteration and may just be the worthiest device to carry the Razr name. Compared to its previous attempt with the Razr 5G, the company has changed quite a bit about the Razr+. Let’s find out how the two stack up against each other.
Price, availability, and specs
The Moto Razr+ launched on June 23 for $1,000, which is cheaper than theSamsung Galaxy Flip 4. You can get the Razr+ through the top carriers or skip them altogether and just grab it unlocked. The Razr 5G is no longer sold new, although at one point you could get it through certain carriers. It launched in 2020 with an astronomically high price tag of $1,400, and over the years it could be found for a significant discount. You can still find it “used” but in good condition for about $300.
The Razr+ ditches the iconic Razr design and exudes a modern square foldable instead. It comes with two displays, one internal and one external, and it is protected on both sides by Gorilla Glass Victus. It measures 88.42-by-73.95-by-15.1mm when closed, 170.83-by-73.95-by-6.99mm when opened, and weighs a relatively light 188.5g. When closed, there are two camera lenses on the top of the phone that, when opened, become rear cameras. The phone’s left side is clean with no buttons, while the right side includes the power and volume buttons.
The Razr 5G has an arguably better design. Motorola embraced the iconic Razr design in all its glory and created a unique-looking foldable device that is more rectangular, doesn’t try to hide the hinge, and has a unique sloped chin. The aluminum body is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, and the phone has a stainless steel hinge. When folded, the Razr 5G is a little longer, thinner, and thicker at 91.7-by-72.6-by-16mm. Once opened, it’s shorter, thinner, and thicker at 169.2-by-72.6-by-7.9mm. It’s also a tad heavier than the Razr+ at 192g. The Razr 5G also has two displays but ships with only one main camera. The power button is on the left side, and the volume buttons are on the right.
The Razr+ has Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6e, eSIM support, stereo speakers, and a side fingerprint reader; it’s also IP52 rated and 5G compatible. The Razr 5G has Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi AC, eSIM support, a single bottom speaker, and a rear fingerprint reader; plus, it’s water-repellent and 5G compatible. Regarding colorways, the Razr+ comes in Infinite Black, Glacier Blue, and Viva Magenta (which is a T-Mobile exclusive). The Razr 5G comes in Polished Graphite and Liquid Mercury.
Like many foldable devices, these devices have an internal and an external display, but the Razr+ is the clear winner here. The Razr+’s external display is a whopping 3.6-inch pOLED display with a 1066 x 1056 resolution. In addition, it has a 1:1 aspect ratio, is HDR10+ compatible, and supports 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. The external display on the Razr 5G is inferior in just about every way — it has a 2.7-inch OLED display with an 800 x 600 resolution, with a 4:3 aspect ratio.
Moving on to the internal displays, the Razr+ continues its domination over the Razr 5G. The Razr+ has a 6.9-inch 2640 x 1080 pOLED LTPO display with a 22:9 aspect ratio. It supports HDR10+, 10-bit, and covers 120% DCI-P3 color gamut. The Razr 5G has a much smaller 6.2-inch OLED display with a 2142 x 876p resolution and a 21:9 aspect ratio. Of these two devices, there is no question that the Razr+ has a superior display.
If you don’t like heavy customizations or Android skins, then you will be pleased to know that, as a rule, Motorola likes to run stock Android. What you may not be a fan of is theirlack of timelysecurity and Android updates. However, that may be changing with their recently promised three major Android upgrades and bi-monthly security updates for four years.
The Moto Razr+ launched with Android 13 and will get Motorola’s new promised upgrade schedule. The Razr 5G was launched with Android 10 but has since been updated to Android 12. It will not be receiving any further updates; it is sad to see a $1,400 phone lose support after only three years.
Performance
With a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, the Razr+ should be a solid performer. It shouldn’t have any issues with your day-to-day tasks or playing the latest games. On the other hand, the Razr 5G never launched with a flagship chipset, which held it back a bit. The Razr 5G has a Snapdragon 765G processor, 6GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage.
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 should be good for a Geekbench single-core score of 1450 and a multi-core score of 3800. It also gets an OpenCL score of 4900 and a Vulkan score of 6900. The Snapdragon 765G gets a single-core score of 775 and a multi-core score of 1820. The Razr 5G gets an OpenCL score of 1100 and a Vulkan score of 1100. The Razr+ has a much more capable chipset that will hold up much better than the 765G chipset for the Razr 5G.
Battery life
The Moto Razr+ has a 3800mAh battery and can be charged at up to 30W wired and 5W wirelessly. The Razr 5G has a 2800mAh battery and can be charged at up to 15W wired only. It has no wireless charging but can make it for up to seven hours of screen time for all-day battery life. The Razr+ has bigger displays and higher pixel density, but since it has a more efficient chipset and a much larger battery, you’re able to expect similar battery life at a minimum.
The Razr+ adds additional camera functionality compared to the Razr 5G. It has a 12MP f/1.5 primary camera with OIS and a 13MP f/2.2 ultra-wide + macro lens with a 108-degree field of view. It also has a 32MP f/2.4 front-facing camera. The main lens and selfie camera can record 4K at up to 60fps, and the wide lens can record video at 4K and 1080P at 30fps.
The Razr 5G has a single 48MP f/1.7 main camera and a 20MP f/2.2 selfie camera. Its primary camera can record at 4K 30fps and 1080P at up to 60fps. The front camera can record 1080P at up to 60fps. The additional lens on the Razr+ will make it a much more versatile system, even if the main camera is limited to only 12MP.
Which is right for you?
If you are still holding onto your Razr 5G, now is the time to upgrade. The Razr+ is better in almost every conceivable way. It has a much-improved processor, a larger screen in a smaller package, better software updates (hopefully), and a larger battery. If you are looking for a new phone, then this is the only real option between the two unless you are trying to get a foldable phone at a great price. Actually, the question isn’t so much how it compares to the Razr 5G, but should you get it over the upcomingSamsung Galaxy Fold 5?
Significantly improved
The Moto Razr+ may have ditched the iconic design, but it brings along much-improved performance and a larger display in a smaller package. The Razr+ will have no trouble keeping up with your day-to-day activities thanks to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor and 8GB of RAM.
For those of you who still hold the Razr 5G near and dear to your heart and are happy with its overall performance, hold onto your phone until it stops working for you. While it has an arguably better and more nostalgic design, it is inferior in just about every other way.
Beautiful and nostalgic
The Razr 5G has the better design, but since it has a Snapdragon 765G chipset and no more software updates, you shouldn’t go out of your way to purchase this phone. Unless, of course, you really want it in your collection and not as a day-to-day device.
