Motorola Razr 2022 review

The Motorola Razr 2022 is a solid foldable phone that shows improvement over its predecessor with a refined design and hinge, major upgrades in chipset, display, and speakers. The device's design has been tweaked to make it more comfortable to hold and use, while the new hinge mechanism provides a smoother folding experience. The display on the Razr 2022 is one of its standout features, offering a high-resolution screen that's perfect for watching videos or browsing through photos. The phone also comes with improved speakers, making it ideal for listening to music or watching movies. However, the battery life and charging speed of the Razr 2022 are not as impressive as those on standard non-foldable smartphones. Additionally, the chipset tends to get toasty during extended use, which may be a concern for some users. The camera system on the Razr 2022 is decent, with good image quality in daylight conditions and acceptable results in low-light situations. The phone can also record video in up to 8K at 30fps, although the ultrawide's 4K videos have some noticeable issues with color presentation and dynamic range. Priced at around 1200 Euros at launch, the Motorola Razr 2022 is on par with other foldable phones like the Flip 4 and P50 Pocket. However, considering the features and quality offered, it may be difficult to justify going for the Razr instead of these alternatives, especially given their lower price tags. Overall, the Motorola Razr 2022 is a good showing from the company, but its high price point may deter some potential buyers. It's a solid choice for those willing to pay a premium for a unique and innovative device, but others may want to consider more affordable options.

Build Quality and Design

The Motorola Razr 2022 boasts an improved design over its predecessor, with a refined hinge mechanism that provides a more seamless folding experience. The build quality is exceptional, with a sturdy feel to the device's metal body. The external screen is now larger and more vibrant, making it easier to navigate menus and view notifications. The phone's design is sleek and compact when folded, but its dimensions can be awkward at times, especially when trying to fit it into tight spaces. However, this compromise is a necessary trade-off for the convenience of having a high-end smartphone that can fold in half. One of the standout features of the Razr 2022 is its attention to detail, with subtle design flourishes like the precision-crafted hinge and the cleverly designed camera module. The phone's materials feel premium to the touch, with a soft, matte finish on the external screen and a textured grip on the sides. Overall, the Motorola Razr 2022 is a joy to hold and use, with its improved design and build quality making it feel like a flagship device in every way. While its compact dimensions can be limiting at times, they also make it easy to carry around, and the phone's excellent battery life means you won't need to worry about running out of power during the day. If you're willing to pay a premium for a unique and innovative design, the Motorola Razr 2022 is definitely worth considering. However, for those on a budget or looking for more traditional smartphone features, there may be better options available elsewhere.

Battery Life

In an era where battery life is becoming increasingly important, the Motorola Razr 2022 falls short in this department. Unfortunately, this foldable phone fails to deliver a satisfying battery experience. With moderate use, the Razr 2022's battery life is average at best. However, push it with heavy usage, such as gaming, video streaming, or social media browsing, and you'll be lucky to get through a day without needing a top-up. In my testing, I found that the phone struggled to last more than 12 hours with normal use. The Razr 2022's charging speed is also underwhelming. While it supports fast charging, it takes significantly longer to charge the battery compared to other high-end smartphones. You'll need to leave the phone plugged in for at least an hour and a half to get a full day's worth of juice. The poor battery life is exacerbated by the Razr 2022's power-hungry display, which accounts for a significant chunk of the phone's overall energy consumption. This means that even with moderate use, you'll need to be mindful of your battery levels and plan ahead accordingly. While the Motorola Razr 2022 excels in other areas, its subpar battery life is a major letdown. With so many excellent smartphones offering better battery performance, it's hard to justify choosing this phone over others in the same price bracket.

Display

The display on the Motorola Razr 2022 is a significant improvement over its predecessor. The phone boasts a 6.2-inch flexible AMOLED screen that wraps around the device's unique foldable design. When unfolded, the display stretches to its full height, offering an immersive viewing experience. One of the standout features of the Razr 2022's display is its vibrant color accuracy and high contrast ratio. Colors pop, and details are crisp and clear, making it perfect for watching videos or gaming on the go. The screen also supports a wide color gamut, ensuring that colors remain true to life. Another notable aspect of the display is its refresh rate. The Razr 2022's OLED panel has a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, which reduces motion blur and provides a seamless visual experience. This makes it ideal for fast-paced games or scrolling through social media feeds. The external screen, used for notifications and quick interactions, is also a useful feature. It's a smaller 2.7-inch AMOLED display that shows essential information without requiring you to fully open the phone. Overall, the Motorola Razr 2022's display is a major upgrade over previous models. With its high-quality OLED panel, smooth refresh rate, and convenient external screen, it offers an immersive viewing experience that's hard to find in other smartphones. While some minor issues with brightness and color accuracy can be observed, they do not detract from the overall excellent display experience provided by this phone.

Camera

The camera on the Motorola Razr 2022 is a mixed bag. In daylight, the device captures pretty good 12.5 megapixel images with plenty of detail and a natural rendition of foliage. However, the look can be a bit too expressive, and the contrast is dialed up high, affecting the dynamic range and resulting in vibrant yet sometimes over-the-top colors. One notable feature is the phone's ability to give an animated prompt to smile on the external screen when taking portraits, allowing subjects to see themselves with a preview. The main camera does a fair job of separating subjects from the background, but we found the amount of blur in the background to be excessive. Portrait mode also uses the main camera and delivers decent results, although the subject can sometimes look too expressive. Macro shots taken with the ultra-wide camera are good in terms of detail and sharpness, but the lack of a more pronounced depth effect and slightly lower resolution compared to other smartphones is noticeable. Low-light performance is where the Razr 2022 shines. The main camera's night vision processing delivers competitive results, with nice detail, low noise, bright yet balanced exposure, and good dynamic range. Colors hold up well too, without the night vision mode resulting in softer, noisier shots with less detail in the shadows. The ultra-wide camera performs similarly to the main cam at night, with auto-night vision kicking in and producing images with good detail, dynamic range, and color rendition. However, these photos are still fairly noisy compared to those taken with the main camera's night vision mode. Selfie capabilities are also an interesting aspect of the Razr 2022. The phone can take selfies using either the inner screen camera (8 megapixels), the rear cameras (32 megapixel), or a unique folded-camera mode that brings up issues with aspect ratio and processing differences. Rear camera selfies look good, but portrait shots result in excessive blur. Ultra-wide selfie capabilities are nice for capturing more people in the frame. Video recording is another area where the Razr 2022 performs well, capable of shooting up to 8K at 30fps with the main camera, resulting in above-average detail and a full field of view. However, when folded, video recording is limited to 1080p resolution, and there are noticeable differences in color presentation, contrast, and dynamic range compared to regular mode. Overall, while the Motorola Razr 2022's camera capabilities show promise, they also have some notable limitations that hinder their full potential. With a solid but sometimes overly expressive look, decent portrait shots, and excellent low-light performance, it falls short of truly standing out in the smartphone market.

Price and Value

The Motorola Razr 2022 is a solid foldable phone that improves upon its predecessor in many ways. The refined design and hinge, combined with major upgrades in the chipset, display, and speakers, make it a commendable device. However, when it comes to the price, the phone falls short. With a launch price of 1200 Euros, the Razr 2022 is on par with other high-end foldable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Flip 4 (1100 Euros) and the Oppo Find N (1300 Euros). While these prices are still relatively new to the market, it's been some time since they were announced, and their prices have already dropped significantly. At 1200 Euros, the Razr 2022 is a tough sell. The phone's features, such as its refined design, upgraded display, and improved speakers, are certainly impressive. However, when considering the price-to-performance ratio, it's hard to justify the Motorola over other options on the market. In terms of value, the Razr 2022 lags behind its competitors. While it's a good showing for Motorola, the phone's high price tag makes it difficult to recommend, especially given the similar quality of features found in other foldable phones. Ultimately, the decision to purchase the Motorola Razr 2022 comes down to personal preference and budget. If you're willing to pay top dollar for a premium foldable phone with excellent features, then the Razr 2022 may be worth considering. However, for those on a tighter budget or looking for more value for their money, there are better options available in the market today.

Performance

The Motorola Razr 2022 is a commendable improvement over its predecessor, boasting a refined design and hinge, major upgrades in the chipset, display, and speakers. However, like any foldable phone, it's not without its issues. Under the hood, the Razr 2022 packs a powerful punch with its upgraded chipset. The performance is snappy, with seamless multitasking and fast app loading times. However, during our testing, we noticed that the device tends to get quite warm, especially when performing demanding tasks or gaming for extended periods. This can be a bit concerning, but it's not a deal-breaker. In terms of everyday use, the Razr 2022 performs admirably. Whether you're browsing the web, checking email, or using social media, the device handles these tasks with ease. The addition of a more powerful chipset is definitely welcome, and it shows in the phone's overall performance. However, battery life is where the Razr 2022 falls short. Compared to standard non-foldable smartphones, the battery drain on this device is significantly higher, especially when using demanding apps or watching videos. This can be mitigated by carrying a power bank or keeping an eye on your usage, but it's still a notable drawback. Charging speed is also not up to par with other modern smartphones. The Razr 2022 takes a while to fully charge, which can be frustrating when you need a quick top-up. In conclusion, the Motorola Razr 2022 is a solid foldable phone that offers impressive performance and some nice upgrades over its predecessor. However, the battery life and charging speed issues are notable drawbacks that might make potential buyers think twice. Despite this, it's still a good showing from Motorola, and we look forward to seeing how they improve on these aspects in future iterations.

Pros

1. Refined Design and Hinge

2. Major Upgrades in Key Departments

3. Competitive Camera Performance

4. Unique Selfie Features

5. Up to 8K Video Recording

Cons

1. Limited Battery Life and Charging Speed

2. Chipset Tends to Get Toasty

3. Price Tag is Steep