A year after revitalizing its most iconic phone, Motorola has released the Razr+ – 2024 Edition. This foldable style knocks it out of the park in almost every way, while maintaining one of the best foldable price points in 2024.
Motorola’s flip phone launch consists of two models, the Razr+ and the Razr. Not to be confused with last year’s lineup, which consisted of the same models. This 2024 series brings a much more enticing set of phones, each upgraded in their respective respects.
Redesigned hardware that just works
A display duo like no other
One of the best things the Motorola Razr+ did in 2023 was to bring a display that covered almost the entire front panel of the phone, allowing you to use common everyday Android apps on it. Motorola brought the same concept to the Razr+ in 2024, equipping the phone with a bigger and better display.
The 2024 Razr+’s external display is actually a bit of an overhaul, to be honest. At 1272 x 1080 resolution, the LPTO AMOLED screen achieves a 165Hz refresh rate – something that would normally be a little excessive for a front-facing 4-inch display. However, Motorola has designed this phone to be used in two modes – folded and unfolded. The first mode only works if the display panel on the cover is able to function as well as the internal display.
The internal display is also improved. It has the same 6.9-inch profile, but has a much higher peak of 3,000 nits. Like the external display, it retains the 165 Hz refresh rate and handles colors really well thanks to the AMOLED panel. The resolution has not changed from 2023 to 2024, although it still looks very good in everyday use.
Of course, I am completely surprised by another aspect of the phone – the fold. I would have thought Samsung or OnePlus would be the first companies to actually make decent strides in hiding the dreaded fold, but it’s Motorola.
I folded the Razr+ myself a hundred times, if not more. Still, the crease on the internal display is much less noticeable than on any of the Samsung or OnePlus phones. You have to really try to see the crease in the display inside, which makes for a much better experience – outside can be a different story. It also inspires a little more confidence in the longevity of the display itself, since it is still foldable glass.
You wouldn’t even know the phone was opening
Thanks to a better cover panel that brings HDR10+, Dolby Vision certification and an impressive refresh rate, it can be used with the same capacity as the internal display. Over the past two weeks, I’ve focused on getting the most out of the cover display, even on days when I barely open the phone. The experience with a smaller external display is simply good.
I’ve had success with every single app I’ve tried using on the front end. Everything from messaging apps like Google Messages and Discord to streaming like YouTube and Disney+ is perfectly usable on the front. By being usable, I don’t think any sacrifices need to be made other than size. They all work as they should – just smaller.
Google Gemini even gets a default shortcut via the power button. Gemini pops up natively on the cover display, ready for any command or query. It’s a nice touch.
Motorola has done a phenomenal job of combining its own minimal version of Android with the size of the front display. After turning on the phone, you are greeted with a simple splash screen. From there, you can swipe to the app drawer, calendar, widgets, and dedicated game page. These windows can be moved and configured, which is a huge improvement.
The cover display also uses Android’s gesture bar to quickly go to the home screen. Tap it in any app and the content will be displayed in full screen. This little trick makes it so easy to use any third-party app on the front display without the camera lens getting in the way
However, the biggest improvement is the addition of Always-on display for the cover display. Believe it or not, the 2023 version didn’t have AOD, which was a huge mistake. Its addition now marks a massive improvement over last year’s variant. The always-on display has several clock styles to choose from. There are also themes available to really tweak how the welcome screen looks on the 2024 Razr+.
I also liked how Motorola handled notifications on the Razr+. On the home screen, a small panel to the left of the camera lens displays notification icons that can be expanded with a single tap.
The Razr+ even feels like a better phone
One of our complaints about the Razr+ 2023 was the hinge. It was sometimes loose and untrustworthy. This year, Motorola claims to have redesigned the entire hinge system. The new hinge is 30% smaller and more reliable. It physically reflects that sentiment when I use it, and I’ve noticed a change over the years.
The folding opening is pretty good. Motorola noted at its conference that it’s even easier to open with one hand, although I didn’t feel it. Even though the hinge doesn’t rest as much, the phone’s rails are made of shiny, slippery metal. While I don’t mind the look, it’s definitely a little more precarious if you’re folding the foldable with one hand.
The Razr+ has a textured back panel which I like and depending on the color you get you can see a different look. For example, my Midnight Blue Razr+ has a racing stripe on the back, while no other color does. Spring green brings a tighter, somewhat fabric-like texture to faux leather. In any case, Motorola has put some effort into these trendy phones and it shows.
Excellent but unreliable software experience
Motorola nails the minimal Android look
From the cover display to the internals, the Motorola Razr+ runs an excellent version of Android that I never have issues with.
There are minor tweaks throughout the phone that bear the Motorola name, such as the tap-and-hold customization menu on the home screen. You’ll also see it in the notification bar or Quick Settings panel. However, no matter how much I use the phone, it never feels unworldly or inherently difficult to use. The phone will launch with Android 14, which means you’ll see a lot of newer features hacked into the operating system.
The only thing I didn’t see and really wished was a Google search circle. It is not known when this device will see the recent feature, but it would be the cherry on top.
Compared to other OEM skins, Motorola feels like one of the best by far. If you enjoy running stock Android on the Pixel line, you’ll enjoy Motorola’s user interface.
The Razr+ packs a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3. It’s not the latest and greatest, but I haven’t run into any speed or processing issues. The entire phone, from the front panel to the internals, runs very well, which surprised me somewhat.
Rocky support reputation
While I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Motorola Razr+, there’s one thought hanging over my head. Motorola has been pretty bad lately with support for newer versions of Android. For example, the Motorola Edge+ 2023 was a fantastic device when it launched. Unfortunately, it’s still running on Android 13 and there’s no word on the promised Android 14.
We remind you that Google will launch Android 15 soon.
So if the Motorola Razr+ 2024 launches with Android 14, when would Motorola upgrade it to Android 15? Well, it might be good when the version actually launches and then sometime after other OEMs create individual versions and skins for certain devices. Motorola promises 3 years of updates, although they can’t be guaranteed to be on time.
The camera is now good
This is another area of ​​improvement over last year. The Razr+ features a 50MP main sensor and a 2x telephoto lens. Motorola has boasted about using AI throughout the phone and I think this is where it shines the most. Images are crisp, clear, and vivid 9 times out of 10. In fact, the images look like they’ve been processed in a very similar way to how Google processes Pixel images.
You can view the Google Photos album in full resolution here
Taking pictures is incredibly easy and the user interface of the camera app is very simple. One of the best features is Motorola’s video camera mode, which lets you hold your phone like an old-school video camera. You can use your thumb to zoom in and out, similar to using a physical zoom switch. It’s fun and useful, even if it looks like a gimmick.
Of course, another huge advantage of the Razr+ is its ability to take selfies with the main camera. It’s also easy to take group shots when the phone is propped up.
Battery improvements all around
Even though the 2024 Razr+ brings an always-on display and a larger front-facing display, I had no problem making it through a day and then some. The capacity is 4,000mAh, and while that’s only slightly better than the 2023 model, it’s like night and day – and then night.
While I sometimes like to use the phone only through the front display, there were days when I really pushed it for power. That means session capture, streaming, and anything else that might take the juice out of it. Still, I was impressed with how the battery held up.
Final thoughts
I think the Razr+ 2024 is finally at the point where it’s recommended—not just recommended, but encouraged.
The phone itself is physically better, with a bigger display and a better hinge. It brings a much better camera and telephoto lens and includes a stronger battery. Overall, it’s a flip phone that handles itself very well.
Any gripes I had with the device were minor at best. It may be a little slippery, but that can be fixed with a case. In general, the Razr+ 2024 is good.
At $999, the Motorola Razr+ 2024 maintains the same price as last year and remains seated on its throne as the best flip phone to date. The Motorola Razr+ will be available for pre-order from July 10, right around the time Samsung launches its own flip competitor. On July 28, the phone will launch in full.
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