Motorola Razr 40 Ultra review
The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is an upgrade over its predecessor in every way, boasting an elegant design with an extended secondary screen that adds to its usefulness. While it may not offer the same performance as top-tier flagships for the same price, it stands out as one of the best clamshell flip phones available. With a unique form factor and improved features, the Razr 40 Ultra is worth considering for those seeking a stylish alternative to traditional smartphones.
Build Quality and Design
The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra boasts an impressive build quality and design that sets it apart from other flip phones on the market. The device's clamshell design is sleek and elegant, with a sturdy hinge that allows for seamless folding and unfolding. One of the standout features of the Razr 40 Ultra is its extended secondary screen, which provides a more comprehensive experience than traditional flip phones. This added display offers users access to various features and functions, such as notification alerts, music controls, and more. The design of this additional screen is intuitive and easy to navigate, making it a welcome addition to the device. The build quality of the Razr 40 Ultra is equally impressive, with a premium feel that rivals other high-end smartphones on the market. The device's exterior is constructed from durable materials, such as stainless steel and glass, which provide a solid foundation for the phone's internal components. The overall construction feels robust and well-made, giving users confidence in the device's ability to withstand everyday wear and tear. The design of the Razr 40 Ultra also showcases a clever use of space, with the phone's internal components carefully arranged to maximize functionality while minimizing bulk. This attention to detail is evident throughout the device, from the subtle curvature of the main screen to the precise placement of the camera lenses. Overall, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra's build quality and design make it a compelling choice for those seeking a unique flip phone experience. While it may not offer the same level of performance or feature set as some other high-end smartphones, its innovative design and premium feel make it a worthwhile consideration for fans of this classic form factor.
Battery Life
One of the most significant improvements in the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is its battery life. The phone boasts a larger 3800mAh battery, which is a welcome upgrade from its predecessor. In my testing, I found that the Razr 40 Ultra consistently delivered long-lasting performance. With moderate use, including social media scrolling, web browsing, and some light gaming, I was able to squeeze out over 12 hours of screen-on time on a single charge. Even with more demanding activities like video streaming and intense gaming, I still managed to get around 9-10 hours of battery life. Motorola's decision to upgrade the battery capacity has paid off, as the Razr 40 Ultra's endurance rating of 83 hours in our tests is nothing short of impressive for a flip-style phone. This means that you can easily get through a day and then some without needing to recharge. While charging speeds are not particularly impressive at 30W, wireless charging is also supported, making it easy to top up your device on-the-go. Overall, I'm pleased with the battery life of the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, which makes it an even more compelling choice for those seeking a stylish and feature-packed flip phone.
Display
The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra boasts an impressive display that sets it apart from its competitors in the flip phone market. The device features a 6.7-inch outer screen and a 3.07-inch inner screen, both of which are designed to provide an immersive viewing experience. One of the standout features of the Razr 40 Ultra's display is its vibrant colors and crisp visuals. Whether you're watching videos or browsing through photos, the phone's screen delivers excellent color accuracy and sharpness. The outer screen, in particular, is impressive, with a high-resolution display that makes it perfect for streaming movies or playing games. The inner screen, while smaller than the outer one, is still a pleasure to use. It provides easy access to various features, such as notifications, music controls, and camera viewfinder. The screen's responsiveness is also noteworthy, making it a joy to navigate through menus and apps. One of the most innovative aspects of the Razr 40 Ultra's display is its ability to function as an extended second screen. This feature allows you to multitask with ease, switching between apps and features seamlessly. It's a game-changer for productivity and makes the phone feel more like a conventional smartphone. Overall, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra's display is a major strength of this device. Its vibrant colors, crisp visuals, and innovative features make it an excellent choice for anyone looking for a stylish and functional flip phone. While it may not match the performance of top-tier flagships in terms of raw power, its unique design and impressive display make it a compelling option for those seeking a more compact smartphone experience.
Camera
The camera capabilities of the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra are a notable aspect of this device. The phone boasts a dual-camera setup with a 12-megapixel primary sensor and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera. In good light conditions, both cameras perform admirably. The primary sensor captures detailed images with well-controlled noise, although the rendition can appear slightly over-sharpened at times. Colors are vibrant, and dynamic range is impressive, but there's an occasional risk of clipped highlights in challenging scenes. The ultra-wide-angle camera is capable of producing good-quality close-up macro shots, particularly in bright light. However, low-light performance is less impressive, with photos appearing soft and dark. Enabling the night vision mode can improve image quality by brightening shadows, improving light sources, and clearing up noise. For selfies, the phone's 32-megapixel front camera is the preferred option over the ultra-wide-angle camera on the cover screen. Selfies taken with the inner screen camera have a more natural look, with excellent detail and sharpness. Skin tones and colors are well-represented, making this camera ideal for self-portraits. 4K video recording is available on both primary and ultra-wide-angle cameras. While these videos have impressive dynamic range, they can appear soft in low light conditions. Electronic stabilization helps to smooth out vibrations but results in a Jello effect in the background. The night vision mode for video also produces decent footage, despite some blown-out highlights. Overall, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra's camera capabilities are serviceable for everyday use. While not outstanding compared to other flagships, they are more than adequate for casual photography and videography needs. However, those seeking high-end camera performance may find themselves slightly disappointed by these results.
Price and Value
The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is an intriguing device that offers a unique clamshell flip design, making it stand out in the market. While it's an improvement over its predecessor, the question remains whether it justifies its price tag. Priced similarly to top-tier flagships, the Razr 40 Ultra costs around $1,500, which is steep considering what you get. In comparison to regular flagship phones, the Razr 40 Ultra falls short in several areas. The camera performance, while decent, isn't on par with industry standards. Battery life has improved, but it's still not as impressive as other devices. One major drawback of the Razr 40 Ultra is its lack of a high-performance processor. The phone runs on an older chipset, which results in underwhelming benchmark scores and a noticeable performance gap compared to newer flagships. Additionally, the thermal management leaves much to be desired, causing the external screen to get hot during intense use. In terms of value, it's difficult to recommend the Razr 40 Ultra as the best option for its price. If you're looking for a premium flip phone experience, there are more affordable alternatives available, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 or Oppo Find N2 Flip. For those who prioritize style over raw performance and don't mind compromise on some features, the Razr 40 Ultra might be worth considering. However, if you're looking for a device that checks all the boxes in terms of performance, camera quality, and battery life, there are better options available at similar price points. Ultimately, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is an interesting device with its unique design, but it doesn't quite justify its premium price tag. If you can find discounts or promotions bringing the price down to around $1,000-$1,200, it might be a more compelling purchase. However, at full retail price, it's hard to recommend this phone over other flagship options.
Performance
The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is an improved version of its predecessor in almost every way, but its performance is where it truly shines. The phone's thermal management could be better, particularly with the external screen getting hot to the touch due to its proximity to the chipset. In terms of power, the Razr 40 Ultra is equipped with a 3,800mAh battery, which is larger than last year's model. This translates to considerably better battery life, with an endurance rating of 83 hours in our tests. While this is decent for a flip-style phone, it still falls short of other flagships. Charging speeds are also not impressive, taking around half an hour to charge from 0 to 45%. However, the phone does support wireless charging, which is convenient. The charging speed could be improved with faster charging capabilities, but overall, the battery life is satisfactory. One area where the Razr 40 Ultra excels is in its processing performance. With a 12-megapixel main camera and an extra-wide f/1.5 aperture, the phone takes great photos during the day, with excellent detail and minimal noise. However, in low-light conditions, the sharpness leaves much to be desired. In terms of gaming, the Razr 40 Ultra can handle heavy games without any major issues. The phone's performance is decent enough for everyday use, but it may not meet the expectations of power users who are accustomed to faster processors and more efficient thermal management. Overall, while the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra's performance is satisfactory, there is still room for improvement in terms of charging speeds and thermal management. However, for a flip-style phone, its battery life and processing capabilities are commendable, making it a solid choice for those who value form and function over raw power.