Motorola Razr 40 review 2023: Mid-range foldable coming out

The Motorola Razr 40 is the latest foldable phone from Motorola, and it’s a mid-range offering that’s both stylish and affordable. It features a sleek design, a powerful Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor, and a long-lasting battery. The 6.9-inch foldable display is bright and clear, and the 1.5-inch cover display is perfect for checking notifications and making quick calls. The Razr 40 also has a dual-camera system that takes great photos in most lighting conditions.

Motorola Razr 40 review 2023

In this review, we’ll take a closer look at the Motorola Razr 40 and see how it performs. We’ll also compare it to other foldable phones on the market, so you can decide if it’s the right phone for you.

So, if you’re looking for a stylish and affordable foldable phone, the Motorola Razr 40 is definitely worth considering. Keep reading to learn more!

Motorola Razr 40 Specs: What are the specs of the Motorola Razr 40?

Motorola Razr 40 Key Features: Why people loves it?

1.Convenient Small External Display:

Unlike its more premium counterpart, the Razr 40 features a handy 1.9-inch external screen designed to provide essential information at a glance, eliminating the need to frequently unfold the device.

2. Reliable Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Chipset:

While it may not be the latest chipset available, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 ensures dependable everyday performance.

3. Top-Tier Display:

Equipped with a stunning 6.9-inch pOLED screen that boasts a silky-smooth 144Hz refresh rate and support for HDR10+, the Razr 40 is perfect for binge-watching Netflix and scrolling through TikTok.

Motorola Razr 40 Pros and Cons

Motorola Razr 40 Design and Colors

The most significant letdown with the Moto Razr 40 is its external display. While competing and admittedly more expensive phones like the Oppo Find N2 Flip and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 provide large external displays that enable complete tasks and app interactions, the 1.5-inch panel on the Razr 40 is primarily useful for checking the time or recent notifications. Motorola seems to be distinguishing its 2023 foldable options with this smaller outer display, whereas the Razr 40 Ultra offers a larger panel that facilitates interaction with any installed app.

A double tap on the screen provides essential information such as the time, date, and battery status, while a swipe-down gesture grants quick access to Bluetooth, brightness, and other settings. Swiping up reveals recent notifications, although the small screen size makes it less comfortable for reading.

Customization options are available, allowing users to add quick access to a timer or modify the clock’s design. However, there’s no access within apps.

Unfolding the Razr 40 reveals a good internal screen, albeit one that’s quite tall, necessitating a two-handed grip to reach corners comfortably. The tall aspect ratio isn’t ideal for video content, leading to substantial black bars on either side. However, it fares better with social media apps, providing extra content space for platforms like TikTok or Instagram.

The OLED display boasts a 6.9-inch size, 2640 x 1080 resolution, and LTPO technology for adaptive refresh rates. While it supports a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz, it tends to switch between 60Hz and 120Hz, depending on the content being displayed. In some cases, it can drop as low as 1Hz, and users can set a maximum of 60Hz to conserve battery life.

One common drawback of foldable phones is the absence of the durability associated with glass screens. The plastic OLED used here reflects more light and is less visible in bright conditions compared to typical glass screens. Additionally, a noticeable crease runs across the middle of the display, which not only reflects light but can also be felt when swiping.

Motorola Razr 40 Display: How big is the Motorola Razr 40 screen?

While the Razr 40 carries the Razr name, it doesn’t closely resemble the iconic clamshell design of its predecessor. The build quality has a few noticeable compromises, with the device emitting creaky sounds during operations, such as opening, closing, or slight twisting. In contrast to the well-constructed Galaxy Z Flip 5, these noises raise concerns about the Razr 40’s long-term durability.

Moreover, the Razr 40 incorporates more plastic than some other foldable phones. The front and back surfaces of my forest green review unit are covered in a faux-leather material that offers a comfortable grip but lacks the premium feel of metal, such as on the Razr 40 Ultra. Motorola refers to this covering as vegan leather, but in reality, it’s molded plastic. This material is appreciated for its warmth, enhanced grip, and reduced immediate need for a protective case.

Nevertheless, the Razr 40 hasn’t entirely forsaken metal. It boasts a robust aluminum frame, and the hinge, responsible for enabling the phone to fold flat, is also reassuringly crafted from metal. It’s worth noting that instead of a full IP rating for protection against the elements, the device only features a water-repellent coating, which is somewhat disappointing. While this absence is consistent with the pricier Razr 40 Ultra, it’s a feature that could be more common in foldable phones.

The color options include a tasteful lilac finish, a light cream variant, and my forest green review model. The absence of a more subdued black option is noteworthy, as is the absence of a version without the faux-leather finish.

The phone comes in packaging that’s entirely plastic-free, utilizing paper for the phone’s sleeve, as well as for the charger and cable coverings. This environmentally friendly packaging approach is commendable.

Highlights:

• The body is made of plastic, with a faux-leather finish on the front and back.
• The phone is quite creaky, and the hinge is made of metal.
• The phone is available in three colors: forest green, lilac, and cream.
• The outer display is 1.5 inches and is only useful for checking the time or notifications.
• The inner display is 6.9 inches and has a 144Hz refresh rate.
• The inner display is plastic and has a noticeable crease.

Overall, the design and screen of the Motorola Razr 40 are a mixed bag. The plastic body and creaky hinge are disappointing, but the faux-leather finish is nice and the inner display is large and has a high refresh rate.

Also Read: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max release date in USA 2023: The Next Level Of Innovation

Motorola Razr 40 Cameras: How many megapixels does a Motorola Razr 40 have?

The Motorola Razr boasts a camera setup that includes two cameras on the outer lid, with another one on the inside, although the latter may not see frequent use. This camera arrangement delivers respectable performance, capturing vibrant and detailed photos under daylight conditions, but it falls short in low-light scenarios.

On the lid, there are two cameras: a 13-megapixel sensor for ultrawide and macro shots and a 64MP primary sensor. In terms of megapixels, the camera actually outpaces the Razr 40 Ultra’s 12MP sensor. However, it’s important to note that megapixels alone do not determine camera quality. The Razr 40 Ultra still maintains a significant advantage with its wider f/1.5 aperture and generally superior sensor.

Images taken with the 64MP sensor (which bins down to 16MP) feature vibrant colors and abundant detail, occasionally leaning towards an oversharpened appearance. While these photos may not appear entirely natural when capturing colorful subjects like flowers or grass, they are pleasing and suitable for sharing on platforms like Instagram.

Despite the inclusion of optical image stabilization (OIS), the Razr 40 struggles in low-light conditions. Compared to the considerably more affordable Pixel 7a, night shots lack detail, suffer from prolonged focusing times, and tend to overemphasize bright areas.

The situation is somewhat less favorable with the secondary camera. Ultrawide shots exhibit less vibrant colors and often appear dull in comparison to photos taken with the primary camera. Such significant variations between sensors can be disappointing.

On the inside of the device, there’s a 32MP selfie camera. However, given that users can utilize the outer display and primary cameras for taking selfies, the internal camera may see limited use, primarily for video calls.

Video recording capabilities top out at 4K resolution, but only at 30fps. There’s also a 120fps slow-motion mode, which reduces the resolution to 1080p.

Motorola Razr 40 Performance

Evaluating the performance of the Razr 40 can be a bit tricky. Compared to similarly priced traditional smartphones like the OnePlus 11 or Pixel 7 Pro, it may be somewhat disappointing. However, it’s important to note that the Razr 40 is equipped with the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip, which is more commonly found in phones priced below $450, such as the Xiaomi 13 Lite. In this context, its performance limitations are easier to overlook.

It’s crucial to recognize that the Razr 40 isn’t striving to be a performance powerhouse; its priorities lie elsewhere, and it should be assessed accordingly.

For most everyday tasks, the mid-range Qualcomm chip performs adequately. It offers CPU performance similar to that of the Nothing Phone (1), an affordable phone released in mid-2022. However, it delivers some extra power in the graphics department, bringing it closer to phones equipped with older Snapdragon 8-series chips.

Games ran smoothly, and the 144Hz display added a touch of fluidity to scrolling. Nonetheless, there were occasional instances of rapid slowdowns, with the phone temporarily struggling to catch up. Notably, the Razr 40 remained cool to the touch, even during benchmarking sessions. You can see its performance compared to popular competitors in benchmarking results below.

Call quality is good, and the satisfaction of snapping the phone shut to end a call adds a dose of retro charm reminiscent of early 2000s flip phones.

Storage options include 128GB or 256GB, while RAM comes in 8GB or 12GB variants (availability may vary by region). It’s worth noting that there’s no option for expandable storage, so choose your storage capacity wisely.

Also Read: Top 5 Best Android phones in 2023: Explained every feature with comparison

Motorola Razr 40 Software: What operating system does Motorola RAZR 40 use?

Motorola’s approach to Android 13 is commendable, as they make subtle tweaks to Google’s OS. The version of Android 13 on the Razr 40 is akin to stock Android, but with a sprinkling of Motorola enhancements, a pleasant font, and minimal bloatware.

Motorola consolidates these tweaks into a user-friendly app, allowing users to enable or disable Moto gestures, customize the home screen layout and font, and even configure settings for the outer cover display.

As expected, there are specific foldable-related software features. For instance, when watching a YouTube video, folding the phone at an angle will allocate more screen space to the video, pushing the comments section to the lower portion of the display. This feature also extends to the camera app, allowing users to prop the phone up as a makeshift tripod. However, it’s worth noting that the hinge isn’t particularly sturdy and may not hold the desired position well.

Motorola commits to providing three years of software updates, which, while not the most generous, is still acceptable.

Motorola Razr 40 Battery Life: How long does the Motorola RAZR battery last?

When it comes to battery life, the Motorola Razr 40 performs admirably. It packs a sizable 4200mAh battery, which, combined with the LTPO screen and power-efficient chipset, allows this foldable device to comfortably last a full day even under heavy usage. With lighter usage patterns, it’s entirely possible to stretch the battery life to two days.

In our tests, the Razr 40 consistently outperformed the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Razr 40 Ultra, both of which tended to dip below 20% by the end of a busy day. In contrast, the Razr 40 often concluded the day with a more comfortable 35-40% battery remaining.

It’s worth noting that usage patterns can influence battery life. Many foldable users tend to unlock their devices less frequently and rely on the outer display for tasks like checking the time and notifications. This approach can significantly extend battery endurance, potentially allowing lighter users to achieve two full days of use, equivalent to approximately six hours of screen-on time.

In benchmark tests, streaming an hour of Netflix content consumed 7% of the Razr 40’s battery, which was 2% less than the Razr 40 Ultra. Additionally, an hour of light usage only resulted in a 5% battery drain, once again demonstrating slightly better efficiency compared to its pricier sibling.

Motorola continues to include chargers with its phones, and the 33W charger provided in the eco-friendly packaging is a positive inclusion. Interestingly, while the phone supports fast charging at up to 30W, the included charger maxes out at 33W, which is still quite speedy. A 15-minute charge can replenish the battery by 30%, reaching 59% in just 30 minutes, and fully charging the device in 64 minutes. It’s worth noting that the charger uses USB-A to USB-C, limiting its compatibility with smaller laptops and similar devices.

Wireless charging is available as well, but it operates at a relatively slow 5W speed, making it suitable mainly for overnight charging.

Bottom Line: Should you buy it or not?

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