Motorola Razr 40 Ultra review

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Introuction and specs

Motorola is having another shot at foldables, and at first glance, it looks as if the company is on the right path. Motorola is launching two clamshell foldable Razr phones this year - the Razr 40 and 40 Ultra (also known as Razr+ in North America). The subject of this review is the more expensive Ultra, which introduces a few notable changes compared to the 2022 Razr.

It's the design that has been mostly changed, and that's an important aspect as today's foldables are meant to appeal mostly to the design-conscious audience. And before the geek inside you scoffs at that, the hardware changes deserve attention. Motorola has updated the hinge, narrowing the gap between the two parts of the chassis when closed; they've also trimmed the main display's bezels and made the crease somewhat less visible; finally, they've added a truly usable outer display.

The 3.6-inch outer screen is not just for glancing at notifications or other contextual info, no. Motorola has worked closely with app developers, so a handful of apps are optimized to run on the cover display, including Netflix, Disney+, and Spotify. It also works as an excellent viewfinder for the main camera. Although, you will find a selfie cam on the inside as well.

Motorola Razr 40 Ultra specs at a glance:

• Body: 170.83x73.95x6.99mm, 188.6g; Plastic front (opened), 88.42x73.95x15.1mm glass front (closed, Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus) or vegan leather, aluminum frame (7000 series), hinge (stainless steel); Water-repellent coating.
• Display: 6.90" Foldable LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 165Hz, HDR10+, 1400 nits (peak), 1080x2640px resolution, 22:9 aspect ratio, 413ppi; Second external pOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, 1100 nits (peak), 3.6", 1056 x 1066 pixels, 413 ppi, Gorilla Glass Victus.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 730.
• Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
• OS/Software: Android 13.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 12 MP, f/1.5, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 13 MP, f/2.2, 108˚, 1/3", 1.12µm, AF.
• Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 0.7µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps.
• Battery: 3800mAh; 30W wired, 5W wireless.
• Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 6e; BT 5.3, EDR; NFC.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); stereo speakers.

On the inside, the Razr 40 Ultra is a mix of some old and new hardware. While it's still rocking the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, the device swaps out its old display for a faster and bigger one. The 6.9-inch main display can now run at 165Hz, while the secondary one is clocked at 144Hz. Battery capacity has increased as well, now 3,800 mAh, but there is no upgrade in the charging speed. The 40 Ultra does get wireless charging this year, though, which is a must-have feature in the premium segment.

The camera department sees a small upgrade as well, particularly the main camera. It's no Quad-Bayer anymore, and it uses a standard 12MP sensor with big pixels and is paired with a wide f/1.5 aperture lens.

The updated specs sheet seems promising enough, but is it enough to tackle the heavy hitters - Samsung and Huawei? After all, Samsung's Galaxy Flip series has been the default option for people looking for a clamshell foldable for some time now, so we will be glad to see a worthy competitor to Samsung's hegemony this year.

Unboxing the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra

The handset ships unfolded in a standard box containing the usual user manuals and the appropriate 30W TurboPower wall charger with USB-A along with a USB-C to USB-A cable for charging and data transfer. The charger isn't included in the box for North American buyers, though.

There's also a two-piece protective case with a hard and transparent shell.