Motorola Razr 70 Ultra/Razr Ultra 2026 review

Competition

In most markets, the Moto Razr 70 Ultra (Razr Ultra 2026 in the US) is one of the few flip phone options around, especially in the US, where the handset goes against only one competitor - the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7. Perhaps that's why the company probably felt comfortable raising the price to $1,499, up from $1,299 last year. Or the RAM shortage caught up to Motorola as well. In Europe, the Razr 70 Ultra remains steady at €1,299 for the 16/512GB variant.

The US and Europe are not like China, where flip phones are in abundance. You have the Xiaomi Mix Flip 2, the nubia Flip3, the Honor Magic V Flip 2, etc.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 • Motorola Razr 60 Ultra

In the end, the Razr 70 Ultra is left with only one rival to beat - the Galaxy Z Flip7. And it's hard to go against the pioneer in the industry, especially since the Z Flip7 is a yesteryear phone, but with longer software support. The Galaxy has the upper hand when it comes to pricing as well. It's €450 cheaper in Europe and undercuts the Motorola by $400 in the US.

On the other hand, the Razr 70 Ultra could be a compelling choice for many, given its superior battery life, faster charging and objectively better and more functional cover screen. The Z Flip7 lacks native app support, and it's mostly widget-based, whereas the Moto gives you plenty of cover screen-centric functionalities.

As far as the cameras are concerned, it's hard to tell which one is better as each has its trade-offs. For example, we tend to like Motorola's stills more, while the Z Flip7 records better videos.

Lastly, do consider the Razr 60 Ultra as well, since it's essentially the same phone with slightly lower battery capacity and its software support ends one year before the Razr 70 Ultra's. But it costs about half of what the newer Ultra is asking.

Verdict

Even though the Razr 70 Ultra has few real competitors, it feels like Motorola is really trying to produce a competitive device. The Razr 70 Ultra offers one of the best battery endurances for a flip phone, has unique design options, charges quite fast, snaps excellent stills with all of its cameras, as far as flip phones go, and offers a fully functional cover screen with some neat features.

Sadly, this comes at a cost, especially for US consumers, where the price tag is hard to swallow. It may be indeed better than the competition in key areas, but it's still a pricey handset. And some minor missteps leave a lingering taste. For instance, the main display's HDR brightness is somewhat disappointing, and the 165Hz refresh rate is strictly conditional. Also, just 3 major OS updates no longer cut it for a flagship phone with a premium price tag.

Pros

• Standout color/material options.
• IP48 rating for survival in case of water submersion.
• Large, bright and fully functional cover display.
• Class-leading battery life; fastest-charging clamshell.
• Hello UI is both clean and full-featured; the cover screen functionality is wide-ranging.
• Great camera system for photos.

Cons

• Heavy CPU throttling, GPU overheating at maximal loads.
• Peak main screen brightness doesn't seem competitive.
• Speaker quality is worse than last year's model.
• Main cam video stabilization leaves more to be desired.

Pricing

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