The Motorola Razr Plus and Razr are back in 2024, packed with upgrades and fun features. The Chicago-based company (owned by Lenovo) on Tuesday announced the new foldable phones with new colors, finishes, improved cameras, bigger screens, Moto AI and Google Gemini. I got to see and use the new Motorola Razr Plus and Razr for about 30 minutes at a press event in Brooklyn, and what stood out to me was how much fun was packed into these new flip phones.
I feel this was the biggest part of Motorola’s message: These Razrs are designed to strike a balance between being trendy, fun and innovative. In a world of drab titanium, black, and gray phones, every Razr comes in a rainbow of color options that are as fun to look at as they are to hold. The big news on that front is that the Razr Plus is now available in pink, which is a direct reference to the original Razr V3 flip phone from 2004, which was available in pink — you know, the one Paris Hilton had!
But are modern phones enough to entice customers to buy their first foldable phone? At a time when foldable phone shipments represent a tiny fraction of all phones sold, what seems to have worked for Motorola is offering both the premium Razr Plus at $1,000 and the more affordable Razr at $700, as the company did last year. No other phone maker has taken this approach.
Motorola shipped 1,473% more Razrs in the first three months of 2024 than in the same period in 2023, according to research firm Counterpoint. Clearly, something in Motorola’s strategy is working, even if it’s beating a pretty low base. So it makes sense for the company to build on that momentum by releasing two new versions of the Razr at the same price points as last year with major upgrades.
It remains to be seen if Motorola has found the right combination of fun, fashion and technology to get people to take a chance on a foldable phone in 2024. But I’m looking forward to reviewing and testing both Razrs soon.
Watch this: First look: 2024 Motorola Razr and Razr Plus come with colorful upgrades
Motorola Razr and Razr Plus design
The Razr and Razr Plus have many similarities. The phones ditch the glass backs we’ve come to expect on other devices and have the same vegan leather backs we saw last year, but this time in different textures of faux leather and even faux suede. In the short time I had with each phone, they were a pleasure to hold. Both Razrs look like they come with a sleek and plush case that’s built right into the phone. And the faux leather strip on the back of the two-tone midnight Razr Plus really caught my eye.
Motorola enforces that modern look and feel, but the design is also innovative. Both phones have a new hinge that’s 30% smaller than last year’s models. The smaller hinge has fewer moving parts, which should be good for long-term durability. The smaller hinge also means there are fewer places for dust to enter. Curiously, last year’s Razrs had a modest water resistance rating, but were the only foldable devices rated for dust resistance.
The 2024 Razr and Razr Plus are IPX8 rated for water resistance, meaning it can survive being submerged underwater for 30 minutes – putting it on par with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip. An “X” in the rating means there is no official dust rating this year.
Another benefit of the smaller hinge is that the screen crease is reduced. Oh, it’s still there, but much less visible. I also noticed that the phone opens and closes more easily than previous models.
The indoor screen on both phones is brighter (up to 3,000 nits), which should come in handy when you’re outdoors. Both the inner screen and the lid screen of both phones now have Motorola’s new Water Touch technology, which allows the phone to respond to taps, taps and swipes even when you’re using the phone in the rain – as we saw with the OnePlus 12.
Motorola’s new Razr and Razr Plus look downright chic in vegan leather
See all photos
One area where the differences between the two phones start to show is the refresh rate of the main 6.9-inch display. The internal screen of the Razr Plus has a refresh rate that reaches 165 Hz, while the regular display of the Razr can reach up to 120 Hz, which is still impressive. In the half hour I used the phones, it was hard to tell any noticeable change in refresh rates from one phone to another. But I know gamer friends who will be thrilled to have that extra 45Hz that the Razr Plus offers.
Perhaps the biggest changes to each phone are the roof screens. The Razr Plus has a new 4-inch roof screen. This is the same size as the flip display on the Honor Magic V Flip, which was launched in China earlier this month.
The regular Razr inherits the 3.6-inch screen of the Razr Plus from 2023. At the briefing I attended, it was hard to tell the difference between the two phones just from the lid screen, but one clue is that the regular Razr has a small band of vegan skin on the top of the lid screen.
The software and main screen interface have been updated. You can open any Android app on it, and it has improved software panels that are easier to navigate, including a new “all panels view” that you trigger by pinching and dragging out.
Motorola Razr and Razr Plus cameras
Motorola Razr and Razr Plus in cases with straps. Both phones have two external cameras built into the screen cover.
Both phones have two external cameras built into the lid screen. I really like how this looks, very impressive. The main camera on each phone has a new larger 50-megapixel sensor and optical image stabilization. The regular Razr retains the same 13-megapixel ultrawide camera from last year.
But the Razr Plus replaces last year’s ultra-wide camera with a new 2x telephoto 50-megapixel camera. Motorola told me that the reason behind the switch is that the company found that its users were taking more zoomed photos than they were ultrawide. Personally, I like both telephoto and ultra-wide lenses and would have a hard time choosing one over the other. But I’d probably prefer to have a telephoto lens.
Motorola Razr and Razr Plus battery and processor
Rounding out each device, the Razr Plus is powered by a Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 chip and packs a 4,000mAh battery that supports 45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging. In contrast, the regular Razr is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7300x chip, has a 4,200mAh battery, and supports 30W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. These numbers don’t mean much by themselves; we’ll see how their battery life fares in our tests.
Moto AI on the Razr Plus
Four different colors of the Motorola Razr Plus: (left to right) Spring Green, Midnight Blue, Hot Pink and Peach Moss.
It wouldn’t be a phone launch in 2024 without mentioning AI. The Razr Plus works with Moto AI, which takes place both on the device and in the cloud, and will offer camera features such as improved portraits, autofocus in videos and long exposure images. I’m especially excited to try out the new cameras on the Razr Plus to see how and if the new hardware, Snapdragon chip, and Moto AI improve things.
There will also be features like Pay Attention, where the Razr Plus will record and transcribe a conversation when asked, and a feature called Style Sync, which generates an original wallpaper for your phone that matches or complements the clothes you’re wearing which it just looks fun — that word again.
The Razr Plus will come with Google Gemini built-in and can be accessed entirely from the lid screen if needed. Plus, you’ll get three months of Gemini Advanced free with the purchase of the Razr Plus.
Moto AI won’t come to older models and is limited to the Razr Plus only. Motorola says more Moto AI features will be added in the coming months and years.
It’s a good time to mention here that both the Motorola Razr and Razr Plus run Android 14, and that the company promises basic OS software support for three years and security updates every two months for four years. That’s a decent commitment from Motorola, but it’s one year short of Samsung’s four years of major Android software updates and the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s five years of security updates.
Moto Tag gasped
Moto Tag is a bluetooth tracker with ultra-wideband support that works with Android phones — not just Motorola devices.
Perhaps one of the most surprising things Motorola is announcing is the Moto Tag, which actually drew an audible gasp from the handful of reporters at my briefing. It works on Google’s Find My Device network, supports ultra-broadband and is compatible with all Bluetooth-enabled Android phones.
Moto Tag can be found with any Android phone paired to it, but it also has a built-in button that you press to find your phone. But the same button can be used as a remote shutter button to take a photo — again, another fun feature. The Moto Tag comes in two colors, green and blue, and will be released in the US on August 2nd for $30.
Motorola Razr and Razr Plus pricing and launch
Motorola Razr 2024 in Beach Sand (left), Spray Orange (right) and Razr Plus in Midnight Blue.
The new Motorola Razr Plus will be available for pre-order at T-Mobile, AT&T, the Motorola website, Amazon, and Best Buy on July 10 for $1,000. The regular Motorola Razr is available for pre-order at T-Mobile also on July 10 for $700, and will then be available unlocked at Amazon, Best Buy, and Motorola on July 24.
I have to hand it to Motorola, the company sure made a splash with what they added and improved on the Razr and Razr Plus. I’m looking forward to testing each one soon to see how these new additions and features actually perform, and whether Motorola managed to top last year’s excellent Motorola Razr Plus. But something tells me I’m going to have a lot of fun in the process.
