As rumors announced, Motorola is renewing its offer on folding smartphones. However, it is not one, but two phones that have been made official: the Razr 40 Ultra, successor to the Razr (2022), and the Razr 40. If the first sports a giant screen even more than that of its predecessor, the proposal the second is simpler, but also much more affordable, since the phone is offered at 899 euros. Presentations.
We keep reminding us: Motorola is commercially one of the most aggressive brands of the French market, particularly in the premium segments, between 600 and 1,200 euros. The spec sheets are good. The proposals are balanced. And above all the prices are well below the competition. Too bad that the brand finally suffers from an aging image, because it has plenty to surprise you with. We have seen it with products like the Edge 40 Pro, the Razr 2022 or the Moto G200, all tested in our columns.
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And this is confirmed again today, May 30, 2023. As rumors said, the brand is returning to the folding smartphone segment with two products. The leaks have largely evoked the first of them: the Razr 40 Ultra, with its large screen cover (even larger than that of the Razr 2022). But they did not dwell on the second. This one is however the most interesting on a commercial level. He is called from Razr 40. And it’s really cheap.
The Razr 40 is the first folding smartphone under 900 euros
Indeed, the Razr 40 is the first folding smartphone whose starting price drops below 1000 euros. And even below 900 euros: the Razr 40 is launched at 899 euros with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. That is ambitious. Of course, you don’t have all the trappings of the Razr 40 Ultra here (which we’ll get to in a few moments), especially in terms of the much smaller external screen and performance. But the platform is, a priori, powerful enough for all everyday uses. Here are the elements to keep in mind on its technical sheet:
- Internal screen 6.9 inches POLED, Full HD+, HDR10+ and 144Hz
- External display 1.5 inch 60Hz OLED
- Processor Snapdragon 7 Gen 1
- 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage
- Battery 4200mAh with 30 watt fast charge and wireless charging
- Dual 64+13 megapixel photo sensor
- 13-megapixel selfie sensor
- eSIM-enabled
- IP54 certified
- Dolby Atmos-compatible
- 3 years of Android update and 4 years of security update
- 3 colors
The Razr 40 Ultra is an upgraded version of the Razr 2022
The Razr 40 is therefore a simple folding smartphone at an affordable price for this segment. We had the opportunity to try it and we find an experience similar to that of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 / 4. On the other hand, we believe that the autonomy will be there thanks to a much larger battery capacity. On the other hand, the Razr 40 Ultra is a direct successor to the Razr 2022 that we tested. Motorola not only resumes its price, 1199 eurosbut also many elements of its technical sheet, of which here are the main elements:
- Internal screen 6.9 inches POLED, Full HD+, HDR10+ and 165Hz
- External display 3.6 inches OLED, Full HD+ 144Hz
- Processor Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
- 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage
- Battery 3800mAh with 30 watt fast charge and wireless charging
- Dual 12+13 megapixel photo sensor
- 13-megapixel selfie sensor
- eSIM and Wi-Fi 6e compatible
- IP54 certified
- Dolby Atmos-compatible
- 3 years of Android update and 4 years of security update
- 3 colors
A few remarks on this data sheet. Even though the two phones are close, we note three very important changes between the Razr 2022 and the Razr 40 Ultra. First, the main photo sensor goes from a 50 megapixel model to a 12 megapixel model with a lens not only stabilizedbut also very bright (aperture at f/1.5 against f/1.8). Each pixel measures 1.4 micron (which is a little weaker than the 2 microns of the IMX766’s four-to-four agglomerated pixels) and the phase detection autofocus is Dual Pixel.
Second change, the refresh rate of the screen is not only faster, but it can also go down to 1 Hz, for better energy optimization. Added to this is a larger battery (300 mAh more) to increase autonomy, one of the weak points of this form factor. Last change, the external screen is even bigger: it goes from 2.7 inches to 3.6 inches, including even photo sensors. Motorola has reinforced the uses of this screen with new functions (not to mention the possibility of displaying all installed applications), including small games. The stated goal is to use the internal screen as much as possible.
We have already tested the Razr 40 Ultra and we will publish our article very soon in our columns. The first grip is very attractive, with a more successful design and this external screen really very practical on a daily basis. Of course, that’s not enough to judge a phone. And we will have many other elements to bring you by then.
