Motorola Razr 40 Ultra and Razr 40: The leading pair of foldable flip phones

The Motorola RAZR brand has a special place in the hearts of phone enthusiasts, and its return as a foldable flip phone excited everyone. Unfortunately, Motorola’s first few attempts failed to create the buzz, but the brand has finally come around and given the Razr lineup the attention it deserves. The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra and the Motorola Razr 40 launching today are ready to take foldable flip phones into the next generation.

• Best phones under 2000 AED in the UAE for 2023
• Best Phones under 1000 AED in the UAE for 2023
• Best Phones in the UAE for 2023 – Top Smartphones

With the Razr 40 Ultra and Razr 40, Motorola is targeting the high-end and mid-end segments of the foldable flip markets, which is interesting as we haven’t seen an affordable foldable flip from a big brand. This could either work well for Motorola or point out that non-enthusiasts don’t necessarily care for a flip phone.

The Razr 40 Ultra is obviously the sexy and hero product in this launch, with a massive 3.6-inch cover display that almost covers the entire front display and is the largest on any foldable flip phone. Let’s take a look at both the phones.

Motorola Razr 40 and Razr 40 Ultra Price in UAE and Availability

The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra and Razr 40 have just been announced globally with prices in Euros 1199 for the Ultra and 899 for the regular one. The Middle Eastern pricing is expected to be announced in the next few days, but we can confirm that Motorola is bringing both the phones to the Middle East.

The Razr 40 Ultra will be released first, followed by the regular Razr 40 sometime later this year. This is how Motorola is rolling it out globally, and expect the Middle East to follow a similar schedule with the Razr 40 Ultra releasing within the month of June 2023 with the regular Razr 40 coming in a few weeks later.

At launch, both the Razr 40 Ultra and the Razr 40 will only be available in one configuration across the globe which is with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Motorola might add more configurations at a later stage. You will get three colours in each of the models.

Motorola Razr 40 Ultra and Razr 40 Specifications

	Razr 40 Ultra	Razr 40
Size:	Folded: 88.4 x 74 x 15.1 mm Unfolded: 170.8 x 74 x 7 mm	Folded: 88.2 x 74 x 15.8 mm Unfolded: 170.8 x 74 x 7.4 mm
Weight:	188.5 g	188.6 g
IP Rating:	IP52 dust and splash resistant	IP52 dust and splash resistant
Colours:	Infinite Black, Glacier Blue, Viva Magenta	Sage Green, Vanilla Cream, Summer Lilac
Screen Size:	6.9 inches pOLED display 3.6 inches external display	6.9 inches pOLED display 1.5 inches external display
Resolution:	1080 x 2640 pixels	1080 x 2640 pixels
Refresh Rate:	165 Hz	144 Hz
Peek Brightness:	1400 nits	1400 nits
Processor:	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 (4 nm)
RAM / Storage:	8GB/256GB	8GB/256GB
Cellular:	5G, Dual SIM (Physical + eSIM)	5G, Dual SIM (Physical + eSIM)
Primary Camera:	12 MP f/1.5	64 MP f/1.7
Ultrawide:	13 MP f/2.2	13 MP f/2.2
Selfie:	32 MP f/2.4	32 MP f/2.4
Video:	4K @ 30fps	4K @ 30fps
Battery:	Li-Po 3,800 mAh	Li-Po 4,200 mAh
Wired Charging:	30W	30W
Wireless Charging:	5W	5W

Design and Display

The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra and Razr 40 look similar to most foldable flip phones. Motorola uses a teardrop hinge design that folds the hinge inside the chassis, giving the overall design a much less bulky look and feel.

Both phones will be available in three different colours. For the Razr 40 Ultra, Motorola has chosen Infinite Black, Glacier Blue and Viva Magenta, the hero colour. The Viva Magenta has a soft Vegan Leather finish on the back, while the Black and Blue have a matte glass finish. Gorilla Glass Victus protects the front and back of the phones- except for the Viva Magenta, which has a Vegan Leather finish on the back.

For the regular Razr 40, Motorola is releasing the phone in Sage Green, Vanilla Cream and Summer Lilac- all of which come with a Vegan Leather finish.

The inside panel for both these phones is similar in size and aspect ratio, which is set to 6.9 inches with a 22:9 aspect ratio. That’s a bit narrower than the 2022 edition of the Motorola Razr. While both phones have the same resolution of 1080 x 2640 pixels, the Razr 40 Ultra has a faster 165 Hz refresh rate, while the regular Razr 40 has a 144 Hz refresh rate which is still very impressive.

Where te Motorola Razr 40 Ultra stands out is with the external display that almost utilizes the full front area of the phone. It’s a 3.6-inch display with a very high 400+ PPI that’s super sharp and a refresh rate of 144Hz. Motorola has created a few panels that look great, but you can use any app with a full phone experience.

The regular Razr 40 doesn’t have this large screen; instead, you get a 1.5-inch screen that’s good for notifications.

Features and performance

The Razr 40 Ultra comes equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, while the Razr 40 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. While these processors are from last year, they are plenty fast for almost all tasks. Both phones only have one configuration at launch, which is with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.

Motorola has a super clean and very stock Android UI that certainly helps give the phone a very fast feel. Where the company needs to deliver is with timely updates. Motorola is promising three Android version updates and four years of security updates.

Cameras

The Razr 40 Ultra has a 12MP f/1.5 camera as its primary and a 13MP camera that acts as an Ultrawide and Macro. The regular Razr 40 has the same Ultrawide camera, but the primary camera is 64MP f/1.7. That might sound more impressive on paper, but that’s not the case, as the Ultra has a superior camera.

Both these phones can take 4K videos at 30 fps. The selfie camera is also similar on both models, which is 32 MP f/2.4.

Like other foldable flip phones, Motorola is also advertising the Razr’s hinge as a flexible solution that can be used instead of a tripod. You can set the phone at multiple angles to get the framing right and use the back cameras for selfies with the massive screen on the Razr 40 Ultra.

Battery & Charging

The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra has a battery capacity of 3,800 mAh, while the Razr 40 has a slightly bigger 4,200 mAh battery. Motorola is saying that both phones will provide an all-day battery life.

Charging speeds are 33E with a wired charger that’s included in the box and 5W for wireless charging. These speeds are slower than other competing phone.s

Alternatives to Motorola Razr 40 Ultra – How does it stack up against competitors?

The Oppo Find N2 Flip was one of the first foldable flip phones that started stretching the external screen. While the external screen isn’t as large as the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, the Oppo likely has better camera capabilities. It’s also more expensive than the Razr 40 Ultra.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is one of the most obvious competitors to the Razr 40 Ultra. However, that has a much smaller front screen. It should be similar to the Razr 40 Ultra in terms of speed and camera performance; however, considering that the Flip is almost a year old, you can pick it up for much cheaper than the Razr 40 Ultra.

Motorola Razr 40 Ultra reviews and first looks

TbreakTech (yes, that’s us) unboxed this phone inside the first-class cabin of an Emirates flight.

MKBHD takes a first look at the Razr 40 Ultra and rightly calls it the next generation of foldable flip phones. The Motorola Razr’s outside screen can do almost anything, including playing games and watching YouTube videos, but it remains to be seen if users actually want such a feature on a smaller, more regular phone.

Mr Mobile (Michael Fisher) thinks that the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is a new and improved Razr flip phone with a foldable display, improved specs, and versatile functions for content creators.