Motorola Razr 5G: A Huge Improvement

Motorola revolutionized the mobile phone industry in 2004 when it launched the Razr. Almost overnight, the sleek clamshell phone became a status symbol and gained a dedicated following until Apple’s iPhone and a host of other smartphones hit the market.

- STEVEN WINKELMAN

Moto brought it back briefly in the early 2010s with a line of slab-style Droid Razrs, before reuniting it with its rightful folding form factor earlier this year. While the new Razr 5G definitely turned heads, it was met with mixed reviews (including our own) and a healthy dose of skepticism after Samsung’s problems with the Galaxy Fold. Months later, the folding phone trend shows no sign of stopping, and Motorola is back with the Razr 5G.

Can the Razr 5G muster up the same enthusiasm as the OG model? Possibly, though even Motorola’s Doug Michau said the form factor isn’t for everyone—and until I used the new phone, I wasn’t sold on it myself. But the Razr 5G is different from most of the foldable out there right now, as it doesn’t attempt to do double duty as a tablet or a laptop replacement. And it fixes nearly every issue we had with its predecessor, for a lower price. While it’s still pretty expensive at $1,399.99, it costs a lot less than the $2,000 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, which is the only other folding phone we currently recommend.

BRINGING BACK A CLASSIC (AGAIN)

The Motorola Razr 5G is a handsome phone. The boxy design and sharp edges of the previous model have been replaced with curved glass, aircraft-grade aluminum, and a svelte chin bezel. It actually looks like a clamshell, unlike the clunky Galaxy Z Flip, which looks more like Samsung simply threw a hinge and flexible display into a regular smartphone.

Motorola Razr 5G

PROS Gorgeous design. Useful exterior display. Excellent 48MP camera. Solid sub6GHz 5G connectivity.

CONS No IP rating. Battery life could be better.