Execs
- Lengthy battery life
- Spectacular cameras
- Modern construct
- Moto Pen stylus help
Cons
- Hefty $1,900 price ticket
- Restricted split-screen choices
- Proprietary gear wanted for quickest charging
After I’m reviewing a cellphone, I are typically most crucial of its digicam and battery life. These are the options most customers care about — and so they matter most to me, too, as somebody who snaps tons of pictures and spends a lot of time glued to my display screen.
I used to be skeptical about each as I started testing the Motorola Razr Fold, the corporate’s first book-style foldable. How good may the digicam and battery life be on a first-gen system this skinny, the place some {hardware} compromises are virtually inevitable?
Seems, fairly rattling good.
The Razr Fold, which begins at a whopping $1,900 for 512GB of storage, makes a putting debut. The slick, curved cowl glass provides it an immediately premium really feel, and its slim profile pays homage to the design legacy of the unique Razr flip cellphone. The textured, woven backing on my Pantone blackened blue mannequin is much less dazzling, however extra on that later.
The Fold’s digicam serves up vibrant, punchy photographs — although generally a little too punchy — and the 6,000-mAh battery effortlessly powers by means of heavy use on most days. The cellphone sits comfortably in my fingers and is satisfyingly easy to open and shut due to the chrome steel teardrop hinge.
Motorola could also be comparatively late to the book-style foldable sport, nevertheless it’s clearly been working onerous to nail that vital first impression.
It is a good time to hop on the book-style bandwagon. In 2025, foldable cellphone shipments in North America grew 28% yr over yr, in line with Counterpoint Analysis. That determine is anticipated to climb by greater than 20% yearly in 2026. Motorola reported the very best foldables development amongst main cellphone producers, due to its well-liked clamshell-style Razr smartphones.
The Razr Fold extends the corporate’s attain to individuals who need a bigger, tablet-like possibility. Its launch comes at a strategic second, as stories recommend Apple may launch a foldable iPhone within the coming months — a transfer that might doubtlessly elevate the general foldables area of interest whereas additionally overshadowing rivals.
The Motorola Razr Fold is now accessible for pre-order within the US at Greatest Purchase and on Motorola’s web site, with availability beginning Could 21. It’s going to even be offered by means of Verizon, T-Cell and Xfinity Cell within the coming months.
The Razr Fold feels much like a commonplace flat cellphone when folded shut.
Motorola Razr Fold appear and feel
In some ways, the Razr Fold borrows from the ultra-slim foldables that got here earlier than it. Whereas testing this cellphone, I had flashbacks to utilizing the Oppo Discover N5 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, which sport equally smooth designs. However Motorola’s first book-style cellphone has managed to carve out a distinct identification of its personal.
The Razr Fold measures 4.6mm thick when open and 9.9mm thick when closed, putting it firmly between the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Google’s Pixel 10 Professional Fold in phrases of thinness. When shut, it hardly feels any thicker than a slab cellphone. As one of my associates succinctly put it, “This appears like my iPhone.” (The iPhone 17 Professional is barely slimmer at 8.75mm.) The Razr Fold weighs 243 grams, and paired with its slim design, it feels snug to carry for lengthy stretches whether or not it is open or closed.
The Razr Fold’s most distinctive design alternative is its vegan leather-based backing. As a substitute of a conventional glass rear panel, my Pantone blackened blue mannequin has a woven, textured end that some individuals could discover interesting, although to me it felt a bit like a rugged OtterBox case. I personally choose the silky matte end on the Pantone lily white model of the Razr Fold, however that finally comes all the way down to style.
The curved edges of the Razr Fold’s Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 show give it a polished, premium really feel whereas including welcome sturdiness — holding my system trying pristine even with out a display screen protector or case.
The Razr Fold is simply 4.6mm thick when open — not together with the digicam bump.
One characteristic that offers the Razr Fold an edge over competing foldables is its help for the Moto Pen stylus — although it’s going to value you an additional $100. Samsung nixed S Pen help on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in alternate for a sleeker design, so it is commendable that Motorola is providing each a skinny design and stylus help.
Nevertheless, regardless of the premium really feel of the Moto Pen Extremely and its woven carrying case, I by no means discovered myself reaching for it. The actual fact you’ll be able to’t retailer the stylus within the cellphone, like you’ll be able to with the Galaxy S26 Extremely, makes it much less handy to make use of — and simpler to misplace. I am additionally not a lot of a stylus particular person normally; typing or tapping the display screen simply feels extra intuitive to me. Nonetheless, I believe it is nice that the choice is there for many who need it, even when it does value additional.
The Razr Fold carries IP48 and IP49 rankings, that means it could possibly survive being submerged in water for as much as half-hour and stand up to high-pressure water jets, although it nonetheless is not absolutely protected towards mud and tiny particles. And regardless of its slim construct, the cellphone feels strong when stress is utilized, whether or not it is open or closed. It additionally held up effectively after being tossed round in my bag, avoiding any main scuffs or scratches.
The Razr Fold’s 6.6-inch cowl show is huge sufficient to comfortably scroll by means of and sort on.
Motorola Razr Fold shows: Double obligation
Let’s get this out of the best way: Sure, the Razr Fold’s inside show has a seen crease. However like most foldables, it virtually fades into the background once you’re utilizing the display screen, so it isn’t distracting.
I keep on with the Razr Fold’s 6.6-inch cowl display screen about 80% of the time as a result of it appears like utilizing a commonplace slab cellphone, and previous habits die onerous. It is a extra snug setup for texting, scrolling by means of social media apps and firing off emails as a result of there’s much less display screen space to stretch my fingers throughout. It is also a testomony to how regular this foldable feels — in a great way — that I typically neglect there’s a bigger show tucked inside at any time when I would like it.
I go for the Razr Fold’s extra sprawling 8.1-inch most important show when engaged on the prepare or watching motion pictures in mattress. It hits the candy spot of being extra expansive with out veering into the colossal proportions of the Galaxy Z TriFold. I additionally like swiping by means of my picture gallery on the Razr’s bigger display screen, because it makes it simpler to identify extra particulars. However some apps aren’t well-suited for this format. Instagram, for example, awkwardly crops posts and movies on my feed — a frequent downside on book-style foldables that I want would hurry up and get resolved.
Cut up-screen is nice for multitasking and helps as much as three apps concurrently. The largest disadvantage is the dearth of versatile app resizing; in contrast to on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, I can not management how a lot area every app takes up on the display screen. Hopefully, that is one thing Motorola addresses in future updates.
One other approach to multitask is thru a mode known as Freeform, which locations an app in a small floating window you could drag across the display screen — much like picture-in-picture mode. This may be useful if you wish to play a YouTube video within the nook or preserve a notice open whereas utilizing your complete most important display screen for looking or scrolling. I by no means actually discovered a want for this characteristic myself, however I respect the choice.
Tapping the upper-left nook opens up fast controls for sure apps. Right here, I’ve an audiobook operating on Hoopla.
App continuity on the Razr Fold is remarkably easy. I can change between the duvet display screen and the primary show — and again once more — with none hiccups. After I open or shut the cellphone, playback is seamless; the audio does not minimize out and the video transitions between shows with none noticeable lag. I do not even need to unlock the duvet display screen to maintain watching. It is simply one of the Razr Fold’s most spectacular options.
A management nestled within the upper-left nook of each the duvet and most important shows expands into fast controls for sure apps, letting you pause playback or skip forward with out opening the app itself. I take advantage of this extensively once I’m listening to audiobooks and my consideration invariably drifts. There’s a related management on the lock display screen (which resembles Stay Actions on the iPhone) that additionally allows you to rapidly management music and audio playback.
The Razr Fold has a 50-megapixel triple digicam system.
Motorola Razr Fold cameras
For Motorola’s first foray into book-style telephones, the Razr Fold’s cameras serve up spectacular outcomes.
The cellphone packs a triple 50-megapixel rear digicam system with a wide-angle, ultrawide and telephoto lens. There’s additionally a 20-megapixel selfie digicam on the entrance and a 32-megapixel selfie digicam on the within, that are notable specs, notably for a foldable cellphone.
Photos are persistently vibrant and detailed. I photographed lush greenery, colourful blooms, glowing string lights and charming avenue corners. These pictures are all vivid and attention-grabbing, although the shades aren’t all the time true to life. The digicam undoubtedly leans towards a daring, saturated type reasonably than extra pure tones, which might generally look over-the-top. However it does add richness, particularly to pictures that might use a little additional punch, like nighttime pictures.
As one good friend remarked once I confirmed her the digicam’s saturated colours, “My mother would love that!” All of it comes all the way down to choice.
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This picutre screams punchy.
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I am impressed by the sharpness of this nighttime shot. It balanaces all of the lights, shadows and colours effectively.
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The image that made my good friend say her mother would love this digicam. The background seems lush, and Raneem is in sharp focus.
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Punching out to .5x zoom does not weirdly warp objects an excessive amount of.
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These are some daring colours, which is sweet, however they border on overwhelming.
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That mentioned, I choose this shot in 2x portrait mode.
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This nighttime shot boosts the completely different hues so nothing seems overly shadowy.
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A selfie taken on the duvet display screen digicam.
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And a selfie taken on the inside display screen digicam.
There are some Razr Fold digicam options that take benefit of the cellphone’s expansive display screen area. On the primary show, you should utilize Fast Evaluate to see a dwell feed of the pictures you are snapping on one facet of the display screen.
You may as well open the cellphone and use the rear digicam for higher-quality selfies, whereas previewing the shot on the duvet display screen. Telephones such because the Pixel 10 Professional Fold have related options that take benefit of the dual-screen design.
I can often get about a day and a half — and generally a little extra — out of the Razr Fold earlier than needing to recharge it.
Motorola Razr Fold battery life and efficiency
The Razr Fold packs a 6,000-mAh silicon-carbon battery, a next-generation lithium-ion know-how designed to last more and cost quicker. However there’s a catch.
The cellphone does not include the proprietary charging brick wanted to unlock full-speed 80-watt wired charging, which Motorola calls TurboPower charging. You will need to shell out round $100 for the correct brick, and Motorola wasn’t in a position to ship one my means throughout my testing.
I ended up utilizing my 140-watt MacBook charging brick to faucet into as a lot energy as doable, and the outcomes had been underwhelming. The Razr Fold’s battery went from 0% to simply 37% in half an hour, and it took round 90 minutes to succeed in a full cost. I received related outcomes once I used a extra modest 67-watt energy brick from Google. For comparability, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 reached 42% in half-hour, and likewise took about an hour and half to succeed in full battery in my testing — and that was with 25-watt wired charging. Each telephones recharge slower than premium Android flat telephones such because the Galaxy S26 lineup and the Pixel 10 collection.
In any other case, the Razr Fold’s battery holds up effectively in the course of the day, which is very noteworthy given the cellphone’s slim construct. (The Z Fold 7’s greatest disadvantage is its comparatively meager 4,400-mAh battery.) As a result of silicon-carbon batteries are extra energy-dense, they will retailer extra energy in much less area.
On one of my heaviest-use days, which included becoming a member of a video name over mobile knowledge and spending a good chunk of time sending emails and scrolling on Instagram, the Razr Fold went from 100% at 9 a.m. to lifeless by 2 p.m. the subsequent day.
Different days mirrored extra typical use. On a workday spent totally on Wi-Fi and bouncing between my typical apps — Instagram, Gmail, WhatsApp, Audible, YouTube and the digicam — the cellphone dropped from 100% at 6:53 p.m. Wednesday to 26% by 9:02 a.m. Friday. On a extra relaxed Sunday spent primarily watching YouTube and listening to an audiobook, it went from absolutely charged at 11 a.m. to 14% by 5:40 p.m. the subsequent day.
In CNET’s 45-minute endurance take a look at, which entails streaming, scrolling by means of social media, becoming a member of a video name and enjoying video games on the within show, the Razr Fold’s battery went from full to 94%. That aligns with how rivals fared in the identical take a look at: The Galaxy Z Fold 7 completed at 93%, and the Pixel 10 Professional Fold ended at 96%.
In a 3-hour streaming take a look at over Wi-Fi, which concerned enjoying a YouTube video in full-screen mode at full brightness on the within show, the battery dropped to 86%. For comparability, the Z Fold 7 reached 84% and the Pixel 10 Professional Fold hit 78%. So there are some noticeable — if comparatively minor — beneficial properties from the silicon-carbon battery.
The Razr Fold is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip, and arrives with Android 16 on board. Motorola ensures “7 OS updates and as much as 7 years of safety updates ranging from the worldwide launch date,” placing it according to different high-end telephones from Samsung and Google.
Like all premium smartphone in the marketplace at the moment, the Razr Fold comes full of AI options, together with a combine of capabilities from Google Gemini, Moto AI and Perplexity. There’s even a devoted facet button that allows you to rapidly set off instruments for summarizing notifications, producing photographs or creating playlists.
I personally do not discover any of these options mandatory, useful or time-saving (I choose to learn my associates’ texts and create my very own playlists, thanks very a lot), so I did not put them to a lot use. Probably the most sensible AI characteristic is Google’s Circle to Seek for rapidly pulling up extra particulars about no matter’s on my display screen, which is obtainable on most Android telephones.
Benchmark assessments for the CPU in Geekbench 6 place the Razr Fold just under the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z TriFold. The telephones additionally beat out the Razr Fold in a graphics take a look at utilizing 3DMark’s Wild Life Excessive, however Motorola’s providing tops the Google Pixel 10 Professional XL. Take a look at the graphs beneath for extra specifics.
Geekbench v.6.0
Motorla Razr Fold 2,616 9,160Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 2,944 9,379Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold 2,980 9,582Google Pixel 10 Professional XL 2,288 6,215
Longer bars point out higher efficiency
Motorola Razr Fold 5,095Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 6,424Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold 5,909Google Pixel 10 Professional XL 3,354
The Razr Fold typically makes good use of its dual-display design.
Remaining ideas: Is the Motorola Razr Fold a good match for you?
Should you’ve been eager about switching to a book-style foldable for the primary time, the Motorola Razr Fold makes a sturdy case for itself — even with its hefty $1,900 price ticket. The cellphone’s smooth really feel, spectacular cameras and strong battery life are the most important promoting factors, and the interface is usually well-suited for its dual-screen design. Motorola’s help for seven software program upgrades helps to solidify the Razr Fold’s premium flagship standing.
The Razr Fold is skinny sufficient to really feel like a slab cellphone when closed, and each the duvet and most important shows are snug and pure to make use of. Moto Pen stylus compatibility is an added bonus in case you choose jotting down notes the old school means — although you may need to shell out more cash and might’t retailer the pen contained in the cellphone.
Should you’re already utilizing a foldable cellphone just like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 or the Pixel 10 Professional Fold, it is tougher to suggest making the leap to Motorola’s providing. The general expertise does not really feel completely different sufficient to justify switching. There are additionally professionals and cons to every possibility, so it relies on what you select to prioritize. The Razr Fold has a greater battery, however I believe the Z Fold 7 has extra spectacular cameras. And the Pixel 10 Professional Fold has a sturdy IP68 score that makes it notable in its personal proper.
Motorola’s new foldable may not faucet into nostalgia the best way its clamshell-style Razr telephones do, nevertheless it nonetheless feels poised to carve out an identification of its personal.
Motorola Razr Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs. Google Pixel 10 Professional Fold
| Motorola Razr Fold | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 | Google Pixel 10 Professional Fold | |
| Cowl show dimension, tech, decision, refresh fee | 6.6-inch pOLED; 2,520×1,080 pixels; as much as 165Hz variable refresh fee | 6.5-inch AMOLED, 2,520×1,080p, 1 to 120Hz refresh fee | 6.4-inch OLED; 2,364×1,080 pixels; 60 to 120Hz refresh fee |
| Inner show dimension, tech, decision, refresh fee | 8.1-inch LTPO OLED; FHD+; 2,484×2,232 pixels; as much as 120Hz variable refresh fee | 8-inch AMOLED, 2,184×1,968p, 1 to 120Hz refresh fee | 8-inch OLED; 2,152 x 2,076 pixels; 1 to 120Hz refresh fee (LTPO) |
| Pixel density | Cowl: 415 ppi; Inner: 412 ppi | Cowl: 422 ppi; Inner: 368 ppi | Cowl: 408ppi; Inner: 373ppi |
| Dimensions (inches) | Open: 2.9 x 6.3 x 0.2 in; Closed: 5.7 x 6.3 x 0.4 in | Open: 5.63 x 6.24 x 0.17 in; Closed: 2.87 x 6.24 x 0.35 in | Open: 6.1 x 5.9 x 0.2 in; Closed: 6.1 x 3 x 0.4 in |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | Open: 73.66 x 160.02 x 5.08mm Closed: 144.78 x 160.02 x 10.16mm | Open: 143.2 x 158.4 x 4.2mm; Closed: 72.8 x 158.4 x 8.9mm | Open: 155.2 x 150.4 x 5.2 mm; Closed: 155.2 x 76.3 x 10.8 mm |
| Weight (grams, ounces) | 243g (8.6 oz) | 215g (7.58 oz.) | 258g (9.1 oz) |
| Cell software program | Android 16 | Android 16 | Android 16 |
| Cameras | 50-megapixel (huge), 50-megapixel (ultrawide), 50-megapixel (telephoto) | 200-megapixel (huge), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto) | 48-megapixel (huge), 10.5-megapixel (ultrawide), 10.8-megapixel (5x telephoto) |
| Inner display screen digicam | 32-megapixel (inside display screen); 20-megapixel (outer display screen) | 10-megapixel (inside display screen); 10-megapixel (outer display screen) | 10-megapixel (inside display screen); 10-megapixel (cowl display screen) |
| Video seize | 8K | 8K | 4K |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy | Google Tensor G5 |
| RAM/storage | 16GB + 512GB | 12GB + 256GB, 12GB + 512GB, 16GB + 1TB | 16GB + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Expandable storage | None | None | None |
| Battery | 6,000 mAh | 4,400 mAh | 5,015 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | Aspect | Sure | Sure |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | None | None | None |
| Particular options | IP48/IP49 score, 80-watt wired charging, 50-watt wi-fi charging, 5-watt reverse charging, twin stereo audio system (with Dolby Atmos, tuned by Bose), Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic cowl show, 6,000 nits peak brightness on cowl show, 6,200 nits peak brightness on most important show, 5G (sub-6). corridor sensor, proximity sensor, multi-spectral digicam assistant sensor, | One UI 8, 25W wired charging velocity, Qi wi-fi charging, 2,600-nit peak brightness, Galaxy AI, NFC, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, IP48 water resistance | IP68 score, gearless hinge, cowl and inner display screen 3,000 nits peak brightnes, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cowl and again glass, Satellite tv for pc SOS, ultra-wideband chip, Qi2-certified, free Google VPN. 7 years of OS, safety and Pixel Drop updates |
| US worth begins at | $1,900 (512GB) | $2,000 (256GB) | $1,799 (256GB) |
How we take a look at telephones
Each cellphone CNET’s opinions group assessments is utilized in the true world. We take a look at a cellphone’s options, play video games and take pictures. We study the show to see if it is vivid, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and construct to see how it’s to carry and whether or not it has an IP score for water resistance. We push the processor’s efficiency to the extremes utilizing standardized benchmark instruments like GeekBench and 3DMark, together with our personal anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution movies and enjoying graphically intense video games at excessive refresh charges.
All of the cameras are examined in a selection of situations, from vivid daylight to darkish indoor scenes. We check out particular options like evening mode and portrait mode, and examine our findings towards equally priced competing telephones. We additionally try the battery life through the use of it every day, in addition to operating a collection of battery drain assessments.
We take into consideration extra options like help for 5G, satellite tv for pc connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus help, quick charging speeds and foldable shows, amongst others, that may be helpful. We steadiness all of this towards the worth to provide the verdict on whether or not that cellphone, no matter worth it’s, truly represents good worth. Whereas these assessments could not all the time be mirrored in CNET’s preliminary overview, we conduct follow-up and long-term testing in most circumstances.
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