- One of the tech world's tiredest tropes is to say
that the sequel of something
is what version one should have been.
But in the case of probably the most famous reboot
in mobile phone history,
you can't help but wonder what might've happened
if last year's Motorola RAZR had been this year's instead.
(upbeat music)
In last week's first look at the RAZR 5G,
I took you through the differences between it
and its 2019 forerunner
so you already know that the spec sheet upgrades
and hardware tweaks Motorola made to modernize this model,
well, they worked.
The RAZR 5G feels less
like a first generation folding phone,
more like a fully realized fashion flip phone.
And that added polish, now puts it within striking distance
of Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip.
While this video isn't meant to be a direct comparison
between the two, the fact that they're so close in price
and positioning means you have to consider them in context.
First and foremost, when it comes to the cameras.
The RAZR's gotten a big upgrade on its optics.
With a new 48 megapixel camera outputting at 12 megapixels,
you get more dramatic natural bokeh
when you really wanna do justice to that breakfast sandwich.
And with optical stabilization,
it's easier to keep the river traffic in the frame.
The viewfinder has been cleaned up and sped up,
now with artificial horizon.
And if you want, you can use that big outer display
to show your subject what the shot looks like.
As for the photos, (shutter clicks)
the new RAZR has kept me company at sunsets,
at delicious dinners.
It's accurately captured my girlfriend's cat's default mood.
And I wouldn't have made it my date
to this backyard socially distanced wedding
if I didn't trust it.
It's a competent camera with some fun toys,
like Spot Color for sassing up your socials,
which now works in video mode as well.
And even when I brought in the Z Flip for a side-by-side,
the RAZR hung in there enough to go punch-for-punch,
matching or outpacing the Samsung often enough
that as you can probably hear,
I needed to rerecord this segment of the VO
because of how surprised I was
at frankly how well the Moto did.
That is, until the night mode test,
which as you can see, Samsung still runs away with.
And you also have to consider that with a standard
and a wide angle camera, the Z Flip is just more useful.
On a trip to check out a potential new studio location,
I didn't even bother taking out the RAZR
because I knew I needed a wider lens than it could provide.
When you factor in the Z Flip's ability
to act as its own tripod with Flex Mode,
it's definitely the more versatile of these two cameras,
even if it's not always the best.
If you're fine with the RAZRs camera,
then there's an awful lot to like here,
and you don't even have to open the flip to see it.
In an effort to improve the battery life,
that we'll talk about at the end of the video,
Motorola has unlocked the potential of this cover display.
In addition to using it to dial frequent contact
and take selfies, you can now also use it
to open any app that will fit.
Yeah, of course, some just won't run out here
and others will nobly try and then fail,
but doing a speed test on your cover display
as a party trick, you try once.
Answering a Telegram or a tweet with a quick reply?
That's something I've been doing a few times
an hour every day.
This is crucial because people often ask me
if I get annoyed by how often I need
to open a clamshell foldable to use it.
On the Z Flip, with it's microscopic ticker tape screen,
I feel like I do need a smartwatch.
On the RAZR, but I can use a quarter
of the phone's features out here,
or try for a new high score
in Astro Odyssey without even opening it.
Fun fact: that game is so named
because Odyssey was this device's code name.
Now there are still hinky bits
I'd like Motorola to smooth out,
well, the company has made progress blending
its new software approach with the classic Moto display,
there's still two distinctly different styles
and it sometimes feels
like you're using two different phones out here.
Also gestures aren't quite as consistent as they could be.
Sometimes I can dismiss a message by swiping down
and sometimes I can't.
When you do open the phone, two things:
first, many apps will let you pick up on the full screen
right where you left off on the cover screen,
and second, that upgraded hinge and tightened display
make this a much easier one-handed opener
than even the first RAZR.
Aside from the soft sound of the screen material unfolding,
there's none of last year's creaks or pops,
even when you run a thumb over the hinge area,
which feels a lot smoother now as well.
The screen itself is the same one as last year
with its distinctive triple crease.
Whether you prefer this to the smaller
but deeper Samsung gutter is up to you.
And the improvements just keep coming
once you settle into it.
These bezels that some commenters have lamented
are here for a reason.
They combine with a slightly countersunk display
to make back gestures much smoother
than they were on the last RAZR.
I'm talking physically under your thumb smoother.
The side keys are click here and better positioned.
The fingerprint sensor is fast
and hidden in plain sight as a Motorola logo on the back.
Voice calls are more satisfying than on other phones
because Motorola has never forgotten
how important side tone is to the comfort of a phone call,
nearly as satisfying as snapping it shut afterwards.
And only the RAZR can claim any kind
of water resistance on any foldable,
a water repellent nano coating
that protects the internal components from splashes.
Speaking of components, no, spec nerds,
the Snapdragon 765G never kept me waiting.
Though I do wonder why Motorola couldn't shave more
off the price tag given the money they're supposedly saving
on silicon versus Samsung.
About the only real regression I can point to
is the speakerphone, which is loud,
but seems tinnier than last year's.
If there's one miss to point to here,
it's one I covered in the hands-on.
With a battery this small,
you can omit wireless or quick charging,
but particularly, if you're increasing the thickness anyway,
you've got to give me one.
The phone may say turbo charging,
but it maxes out at 15 watts.
For context, the OnePlus Nord charges at 30 watts,
which means you can get from 0 to almost 70 in a half hour.
The same half hour on the RAZR only got me to 40%.
And you will be charging more often.
The new RAZR lasts longer than the first one,
about 14 to 15 hours on a moderate workday.
But crank that up to heavy
with an afternoon of mobile hotspot,
and you're down to 12 hours.
Now that's not atypical for this form factor,
but a newcomer to foldables should know
that most conventional smartphones in this price range
get me between 16 and 18 hours even with heavy use.
At that price of 1399,
the RAZR 5G isn't gonna be for everyone,
but it's such an improvement over the last model
that the clamshell space is no longer a one-horse race.
Fashion forward fans have pocket-friendly phones,
you now have an option that doesn't lock you into a carrier
like the 2019 RAZR did.
Folding phone fans, you now have an alternative
to the super minimalist aesthetic of the Galaxy Z Flip.
And hopeless nostalgics pining for the mid-ops
but unwilling to give up a full smartphone,
the new RAZR's juxtaposition of throwback design
and bleeding edge technology might just be irresistible.
It certainly is for me.
First time I saw this thing leaked
in its Liquid Mercury colorway,
I said, "That's my next phone."
So I will be buying it when it goes on sale this fall,
and I'll let you know how it ages.
Whether it's slows down, speeds up, or starts squeaking
as I slowly chip away at that 200,000 fold guarantee
that Motorola promises for this hinge.
Stay tuned to my Into The Fold series for that.
Subscribe to theMrMobile on YouTube so you don't miss it.
And let me know if you'd like
to see an episode of When Phones Were Fun
based on the first RAZR sequel, the RAZR2 from 2007,
currently on loan from Avi Greengart.
This video was made possible by a RAZR 5G review sample
provided by Motorola but Mr. Mobile works for you,
not the manufacturers.
Motorola provided no compensation for this coverage,
nor did it receive any copy approval rights
or an early preview of this video.
They're seeing it right alongside you for the first time.
Until next time, thanks for watching,
and remember to stay safe and mask up
while you stay mobile, my friends.