INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Motorola Razr 2019 revives the most iconic flip phone design into a new form factor - a foldable phone
But instead of expanding into a tablet-like widescreen, the Razr folds clamshell-style into a form factor that’s half the size of
It challenges the idea of what a foldable can be - and in so doing, the current king of foldables, the Samsung Galaxy Fold.This isn’t so
much a head-to-head competition as it is a clash of philosophies, with the Razr designed to reduce its size while the Galaxy Fold attempts
to fit as much screen space into its central display as possible. While the Samsung device is closer to the idea of ‘foldables’ as
they’re popularly known - a bridge between phone and tablet - the Razr challenges the notion that devices in this newfound category must
endeavor to maximize display size. In truth, we suspect readers already know which of these devices they prefer - but this guide lays out
exactly how they differ, from specs to usability
While we’ll still point out which has superior elements over the other, their unique appeals preclude a lot of direct comparisons
They have different mission goals, and we’re here to tell you if they succeed.(Image credit: Future)Price analysisThe Motorola Razr will
be available in the US in January 2020, other regions TBAMotorola Razr cost: $1,500Samsung Galaxy Fold is available now in the US, UK, and
South KoreaSamsung Galaxy Fold cost: $1,980 / £1,800 / AU$2,900These are, without a doubt, premium devices, costing either half again or
even twice as much as the priciest flagship smartphones on the market
You’re paying for style and innovation in this first generation of foldable devices.The Motorola Razr 2019 has just been officially
unveiled to the world, and while it’s coming out soon in the US - preorders start December 26, 2019, with a January 2020 release - it’s
unclear when the device will come to other regions (though it’s planned for Asia, Australia, and Latin America)
We only know the US price: $1,500
It will be a Verizon exclusive.After a much-publicized aborted launch in April 2019 due to durability issues, the Samsung Galaxy Fold has
been available to buy in the US, UK, and South Korea since September and Australia since October
It’s marginally pricier, at $1,980 / £1,800 / AU$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.) Given the issues with the Fold,
Samsung looped in 24/7 support service (by phone, video chat, or in-person visit to one of its stores) with purchase of the phone for its
entire lifetime. Similarly, picking up a Motorola Razr in the US grants access to 24/7 chat or 14-hour-per-day direct device service, as
well as guarantees to replace defective parts or unduly damaged screens (Motorola hasn’t announced what kind of service and/or warranty
package will be offered in other regions)
Replacing the display for reasons not covered under warranty will set you back $299 (around £231, AU$439). (Image credit: Future)DesignAs
we mentioned before, both foldables define their appeal through their design
The Motorola Razr is portable and slim, while the Samsung Galaxy Fold is dense and expands into more screen real estate for productivity and
media.Considering prior foldables (the Fold, the Huawei Mate X, and even the Royole FlexPai) saw bendable displays as a way to get more
screen volume in the same space, it’s amazing that Motorola went the opposite direction - and pulled it off
Unfolded, its 6.2-inch display is nearly identical in size and ratio to that of the Xperia 5 (h/t for that observation to @tnkgirl); folded
closed, it takes up half the footprint of an iPhone 11 Pro Max.(Image credit: Future)The phone is somewhat thicker, of course, with both
halves stacked - 14mm - but even that isn’t too big, and it’s thinner than the Galaxy Fold’s 15.5mm
The Razr looks like its namesake, featuring the same scalloped top edge that tucks into the big bottom chin
Folding it closed shows the 2.7-inch front screen and the 16MP camera below it - and yes, you can use that screen to take selfies instead of
the small 5MP camera atop the interior display
More on that mini screen later.The Razr’s hinge is smooth but flipping the phone open isn’t quite as easy as it was with the original
Fair enough - phones have gotten much denser - so it takes a little work to pry open one-handed
it’s still satisfying to snap the phone closed to end a call, and you’ll notice how little of your pocket or bag it takes up.There are a
few disappointments in the Razr’s design, including sharp and tough to press side buttons (lock and volume rocker)
There is no slot for a SIM or expandable storage - and while neither does the Samsung Galaxy Fold, the latter’s larger internal storage
Nor do either have a 3.5mm phone jack.(Image credit: Future)The Galaxy Fold takes the opposite approach: start with a standard smartphone
footprint and unfold for more display
After the initial failures, the device was re-released in September 2019 with refinements to the screen and hinge for durability, and it is
indeed pleasant to unfold the phone with a satisfying snap into place - but good luck trying to do it one-handed.The Fold is narrower than
most flagship phones when folded closed, and unfolded flat to its 7.3-inch maximum, its display sits between the massive Samsung Galaxy S10
5G (6.7 inches) and the iPad Mini (7.9 inches)
The interior display is topped by a pair of cameras for video chatting, which complement the small lens on the front and the three standard
(main, ultrawide, telephoto) on the back, which is the kind of overkill that allows you to take photos from any orientation. The Galaxy
Fold is also heavy at 268g, and feels like a lead candybar when folded up
While the clamshell-closed Razr is similarly hefty, its 208g weight is notably less.(Image credit: TheIndianSubcontinent)DisplayThe Samsung
Galaxy Fold’s massive AMOLED display is a sight to behold, though it has a visible crease down the center
Don’t expect it to be quite as sharp as conventional smartphone displays: the 1536 x 2152 resolution is closer to tablet pixel density
than that found on flagships
But you pay for the real estate, and it’s impressive to use with Google Maps or other apps specced for its format (not all media can make
great use of its 4:3-ish ratio). There is a 4.6-inch 720 x 1680 screen on the front, which serves just fine for previewing and navigating
around the phone’s Android OS as normal, but its thick bezels and dimness make it a bit lackluster
Not a big deal given most important tasks will be done on the big center screen.(Image credit: Future)The Motorola Razr’s central 6.2-inch
P-OLED display is likewise lower-resolution than conventional phones, but its central axis doesn’t show a crease - at least not right off
This is partially due to some design wizardry that bends the screen out while the phone closes before tucking the display back in to the
Yes, this creates a small (several millimeter) gap where water or dust particles could enter, but Motorola seems unconcerned with this
vector. The front 2.7-inch display serves as a remarkable selfie-aiding screen that shows surprising clarity for its 800 x 600 resolution
But you’ll mostly use it to preview texts, emails, and other messages that you can reply to with a few auto-generated suggestions - a lot
like a smartwatch.(Image credit: Future)On the other hand, the Galaxy Fold’s 4.6-inch front screen is a fully functional smartphone
display for unabridged access to the Android OS - though it’s a bit small and dim for extensive use. (Image credit: Future)CameraThe
Motorola Razr’s 16MP main camera is what you’ll be using most, and though the phone is fresh, what little testing we’ve done reveals a
very by-the-numbers Motorola camera setup, with decent performance aided by improved photo software since the Moto Z4 hit the stands
The camera app is simple, with photo, video, and a branching menu with various modes (including a night mode). As previously mentioned, the
main camera can also be used for selfies in conjunction with the small front display when the phone is folded closed
This isn’t just for photos - you can video chat in this mode too.(Image credit: Future)But say you’re video chatting on the front screen
and want more screen - just flip the phone open and the video call will transition seamlessly to the open central screenand the 5MP camera
(It can also be used for selfie photos.)The Galaxy Fold’s camera array is a six-camera amalgam of shooters lifted from previously-released
The outward-facing 10MP selfie camera is taken from the Samsung Galaxy Note 10’s front-facing camera - which is just okay, though we
mostly used it for unlocking the phone. (Image credit: Future)Unfolding the Fold reveals two front-facing cameras (a 10MP selfie camera and
8MP RGB camera), both taken from the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus - unlike the outer camera, this one can take Live Focus (Samsung’s Portrait
mode) photos.This duo is mostly for video chatting and elaborate selfies.The Galaxy Fold’s rear setup is also drawn from the S10 Plus: a
trio of lenses featuring a 12MP standard (variable aperture f/1.5 + f/2.4 77 degree FoV), a 12MP telephoto, and an ultrawide (123-degree
These are impressive cameras, though they aren’t quite as advanced as the Note 10’s improved lenses.PerformanceThe Samsung Galaxy Fold
is far and away the powerhouse here, with a Snapdragon 855 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage
The device is fast, even when we pop open its inner display and run several apps at once. Which isn’t to say the Motorola Razr is slow -
it runs a Snapdragon 710, a chipset designed for mid-range phones, with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage
The thin design necessitated a processor that wouldn’t run so fast it heated up the phone - and what’s more, would drain the battery
As you’ll see below, the Razr has far less battery to throw around.In our initial testing, the phone ran just fine, playing media and
sorting through typical tasks without a hitch
It’s hard to guess what, if anything, will trip it up.Both phones come with Android 9 Pie out of the box - the Galaxy Fold was slated to
be released long before Android 10 was released, while the Motorola Razr was likewise originally scheduled for a summer release before being
delayed until later in 2019.Both phones also lack a storage slot, so they can’t have their storage expanded
This is far less a problem for the Galaxy Fold’s 512GB internal space, but it’s a harsher penalty for the 128GB in the Razr
Still, that should be plenty for most users.BatteryOne of the creeping worries about foldables seems to be whether the extra screen real
estate will require more battery
If that ends up being a serious correlation, the Samsung Galaxy Fold has prepared for it with a 4,380mAh total capacity split between both
phone “halves.” We were able to get day-and-a-half battery life, but this varied wildly depending on screen use. Likewise, the Razr has
split its battery between both sections - but its capacity is a measly 2,500mAh
This seems concerning, to say the least
Today’s smartphones often start at 3,000mAh and go up from there
Motorola is confident users will get a full day out of the battery life, partially because their usage will change with some functionality
outsourced to the front screen
We’ll look forward to testing this out.In any case, both devices come with 15W fast chargers in the box
The Fold comes out a bit ahead in this regard, with wireless charging and the capability to lend its capacity out to other devices with
reverse wireless charging, a feature that debuted with the Samsung Galaxy S10 line.(Image credit: Future)TakeawayThese are truly distinct
devices with different ideal users: the Galaxy Fold appeals to folks who desire more screen real estate at the expense of sleekness, while
the Motorola Razr is extensively designed to re-introduce compact smartphones back into the market.In other words: you know which device
appeals better to you, and there likely isn’t too much overlap between these devices
What does matter, then, are how effective these devices are at achieving what they set out to do.The Galaxy Fold meets its goal of bringing
a tablet to a phone fight, though it’s not the most elegant device with the visible seam in its inner display and big-bezel front preview
That said, it will likely go down as the pricey innovator that brought foldable displays to the mainstream… or at least paved the way for
better executions down the line. The Motorola Razr accomplishes its intention to shrink smartphones down to a much more pocketable form
Folded up, the Razr is half the size of most flagship handsets, which means it’s great for folks with small hands or who carry their
You’ll have to pay for the privilege, though, since the rest of the phone packs mid-range specs at best.m4Bi8Hshr3xyv2aj9Jcwi8.jpg?#
