The 2019 Motorola Razr revives the phone's most iconic design in a new form factor: a foldable phone. But instead of being extended to a tablet-like widescreen, the Razr incorporates a bezel style in a form factor that's twice the size of conventional smartphones. This calls into question the idea of what a folding can be, and in doing so, the current king of folding, the Samsung Galaxy Fold.
This is not so much a head-to-head competition as a clash of philosophies: the Razr is designed to shrink in size while the Galaxy Fold tries to integrate as much screen as possible into its central display.
Although the Samsung device is closer to the idea of 'foldable media' as it is commonly called, a bridge between phone and tablet, the Razr questions the idea that devices in this new category should strive to optimize the size of your screen.
In fact, we think readers already know which of these devices they prefer, but this guide explains exactly how they differ, from specs to ease of use. We will always see which items are superior to the others, but their unique calls preclude many direct comparisons. They have different mission objectives, and we are here to tell you if they are successful.
(Image credit: future)
Price analysis
- The Motorola Razr will be available in the United States in January 2020, in other areas to be determined.
- Motorola Razr cost: € 1500
- Samsung Galaxy Fold is available now in the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Korea.
- Samsung Galaxy Fold Case: € 1,980 / € 1,800 / € 2,900 AU
These are undoubtedly high-end terminals, which cost half or double what the most expensive smartphones on the market offer. Pay for the style and innovation of this first generation of folding appliances.
The Motorola Razr 2019 has just been officially unveiled to the world. Although it will be arriving soon in the United States, pre-orders will begin on December 26, 2019 with the January 2020 launch. The time when the device will be released in other regions (although it is planned for Asia, Australia and Latin America). We only know the US price: € 1,500. This will be a Verizon exclusive.
After a highly publicized aborted launch in April 2019 due to sustainability concerns, the Samsung Galaxy Fold has been available for purchase in the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Korea since September and in Australia since October. Pricing is slightly above € 1,980 / € 1,800 / € 2,900, with exclusive carrier partners, AT&T in the US and EE in the UK. (Note that the US only has the 4G LTE version, while the 5G version is the only one available in the UK.)
Taking into account the problems encountered with the Fold, Samsung has completed 24/7 support service (by phone, video chat or visit in person at one of its stores) during the purchase of the phone throughout its life.
Similarly, buying a Motorola Razr in the United States gives you access to a direct chat service or a direct service 14 hours a day, as well as a replacement warranty for improperly damaged defective parts or displays (Motorola has not announced what type of service and / or warranty will be offered in other regions). Replacing the screen for reasons not covered by the warranty will cost you € 299 (approximately € 231, AU € 439).
(Image credit: future)
design
As we mentioned earlier, both ruffles define their appeal by their design. The Motorola Razr is portable and slim, while the Samsung Galaxy Fold is dense and expands to offer more screen for productivity and media.
Considering that previous folding displays (the Fold, the Huawei Mate X, and even the Royole FlexPai) saw flexible displays as a way to increase screen volume in the same space, it is surprising that Motorola has headed in the direction opposite, and removed it. Unfolded, its 6.2-inch screen is nearly identical in size and ratio to that of the Xperia 5 (h / t for this observation on @tnkgirl); folded, it takes up half the clutter of an iPhone 11 Pro Max.
(Image credit: future)
The phone is a bit thicker, of course, with the two halves stacked, 14mm, but even if it's not too big, it's thinner than the 15,5mm Galaxy Fold. The Razr resembles its name, with the same scalloped top edge slipping into the large lower chin. If you close it, the 2.7-inch front screen and 16MP camera are below, and you can use this screen to take selfies instead of the small 5MP camera on top of the inner screen. More on this mini screen later.
The Razr's hinge is smooth, but opening the phone isn't as easy as it was with the original. It's fair: phones have gotten a lot denser, so it takes a bit of work to open it with one hand. It is always good to close the phone to end a call and you will notice how small your pocket or bag is.
The Razr's design features a few disappointments, in particular stand-resistant and net side buttons (lock and volume rocker). There's no slot for a SIM card or expandable storage, and while the Samsung Galaxy Fold isn't either, the larger internal storage makes this problem easier. They also don't have a 3.5mm phone jack.
(Image credit: future)
The Galaxy Fold takes the opposite approach: start with a standard smartphone fingerprint and roll out for more screen. After initial failures, the device was reissued in September 2019 with improvements to the display and hinge for increased durability. Indeed, it is nice to unfold the phone with a satisfying click, but good luck trying to do it with one hand.
The Fold is narrower than most flagship phones when closed and folds out to a maximum of 7.3 inches. Its screen is located between the gigantic Samsung Galaxy S10 5G (6.7 inches) and the iPad Mini (7.9 inches). The inner screen is topped off by a pair of video chat cameras, complementing the small front lens and the three standard viewfinders (main, ultra-wide, telephoto), making it the overkill kind. which allows you to take photos from any orientation.
The Galaxy Fold also weighs 268g and looks like a leaded candy bar when folded. Although the Double Hull Razr is similarly heavy, its 208g weight is significantly less.
(Image credit: LaComparacion)
display
The widescreen AMOLED display on the Samsung Galaxy Fold is a sight to behold, although it does have a visible crease in the center. Don't expect as sharp a resolution as conventional smartphone displays - the 1536 x 2152 resolution is closer to the pixel density of the tablet than the flagship models. But you pay for real estate, and it is impressive to use it with Google Maps or other applications specified for its format (not all media can really take advantage of its 4: 3 ratio).
The front display has a 4.6 "720 x 1680 screen, which allows you to view and navigate normally through the phone's Android operating system, but its thick bezels and brightness make it a bit boring. This is not important, as more tasks important events will take place on the large central screen.
(Image credit: future)
The 6.2-inch P-OLED center display on the Motorola Razr also has a lower resolution than conventional phones, but its centerline is wrinkle-free, at least not near the assembly line. This is partly due to some design magic that bends the screen while the phone is closed before replacing the screen on the hinge part. Yes, it creates a small gap (several millimeters) where water or dust particles could enter, but Motorola doesn't seem concerned about this vector.
The 2.7-inch front screen forms a remarkable display, designed to facilitate self-help, providing amazing clarity for its 800 x 600 resolution and small size. But you will mainly use it to preview texts, emails and other messages that you will be able to reply with some auto generated suggestions, like a smart watch.
(Image credit: future)
In addition, the 4.6-inch front screen of the Galaxy Fold is a fully functional smartphone screen that allows seamless access to the Android operating system, although it is a bit small and dark for heavy use.
(Image credit: future)
camera
The Motorola Razr's 16-megapixel main camera is what you'll be using the most, and while the phone is brand new, the tests we've run reveal an extremely accurate Motorola camera setup, with decent performance aided by improved photography software since then. Moto Z4 came to the pits. The camera app is simple: photo, video and branch menu with various modes (including a night mode).
As mentioned above, the main camera can also be used for selfies alongside the small front screen when the phone is closed. It's not just for photos, you can video chat in this mode too.
(Image credit: future)
But suppose you're chatting on the front screen and want more screen: just open the phone and the video call becomes transparent to the open center screen... and the 5MP camera above. (Can also be used for selfie photos.)
The Galaxy Fold's camera lineup is a six-shooter amalgamation of Samsung's flagship products. The 10MP outward-facing selfie camera is taken from the front camera of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10, which is fine, even if we mainly use it to unlock the phone.
(Image credit: future)
When unfolding the lid, you can see two front cameras (a 10MP selfie camera and an 8MP RGB camera), both taken from the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, unlike the external camera, it can take Live Focus photos (Live Focus mode). portrait Samsung). mainly for video conferencing and elaborate selfies.
The rear configuration of the Galaxy Fold is also inspired by the S10 Plus: a trio of lenses with a standard 12 MP (variable aperture f / 1.5 + f / 2.4 77 degrees FoV), a 12 MP telephoto lens and an ultra diaphragm (123 degrees FoV). These cameras are impressive, although they are not as advanced as the improved lenses on the Note 10.
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy Fold is by far the most powerful on the market, with a Snapdragon 855 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. The device is fast even when we open its internal screen and run multiple applications at the same time.
That's not to say that the Motorola Razr is slow: it uses a Snapdragon 710, a chipset designed for mid-range phones, with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The slim design required a processor that didn't run as fast as it heated up the phone and would also drain the battery. As you will see below, the Razr has a lot less battery to use.
During our first tests, the phone performed very well, reading media files and sorting through classic tasks with ease. It's hard to guess what, if any, will cheat.
Both phones come with Android 9 Pie out of the box - the Galaxy Fold was expected to ship long before the Android 10 launch, while the Motorola Razr was also scheduled for a summer outing prior to launch. It will be delayed until later in 2019.
Both phones also don't have a storage location and therefore cannot expand their storage. It's much less of an issue for the Galaxy Fold's 512GB internal space, but it's a harsher penalty for the Razr's 128GB. However, this should be sufficient for most users.
battery
One of the worrisome concerns about folding items appears to be whether the additional display will require more battery. If this proves to be a serious correlation, the Samsung Galaxy Fold is prepared there with a total capacity of 4,380 mAh distributed between the two "halves" of the phone. We were able to get autonomy for a day and a half, but that varied wildly depending on screen usage.
Similarly, the Razr shared its battery between the two sections, but its capacity is 2.500 mAh. This seems worrisome, it is the least that can be said. Today's smartphones often start at 3000 mAh and rise from there. Motorola is confident that users will benefit from a full day of battery life, in part because usage will change with some outsourced front-screen features. We are eager to try this.
Regardless, both devices come with 15W fast chargers in the box. The Fold is a bit ahead in this regard, with wireless charging and the ability to transfer its capacity to other devices with reverse wireless charging, a feature that debuted with the Samsung Galaxy S10 lineup.
(Image credit: future)
To go
These are truly different devices, with different ideal users - the Galaxy Fold's direction for people who want more screen savings at the expense of fluidity, while the Motorola Razr is fully designed to reintroduce compact smartphones to the market.
In other words: you know which device suits you best and there probably isn't much overlap between these devices. What counts is the effectiveness of these devices in achieving your goals.
The Galaxy Fold hits its mark, which is to bring a tablet into a phone fight, though it's not the sleekest device with visible stitching on its internal screen and wide-dial front preview screen. That said, it's probably going to become the pricey innovator that brought folding screens to the mainstream...or at least paved the way for better performance going forward.
The Motorola Razr is realizing its intention to reduce smartphones to a much more compact form factor. Folded down, the Razr is twice as small as most flagship phones, making it ideal for people with small hands or who carry their device in small pockets. However, you will have to pay for this privilege because the rest of the phone is, at best, endowed with mid-range specs.