As a long-time smartphone enthusiast, I was excited to get my hands on the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, a foldable phone that promised innovation while invoking a sense of nostalgia. After using it for a few weeks, here’s my honest take—both the good and the bad.
The design of the Razr 40 Ultra is easily one of its highlights. It’s sleek, lightweight, and the foldable form factor makes it highly portable. The hinge mechanism feels sturdy, and the Gorilla Glass Victus used on both the front and back adds a premium feel. The aluminum frame and stainless steel hinge ensure durability, and the phone is comfortable to hold, especially in its folded form.
However, being a foldable phone, it does make me nervous about long-term durability. While Motorola has done a good job with the hinge, I’ve read reports of issues with the fold after extended use. Also, the water-repellent coating is nice, but it’s not the same as full water resistance, which is something you’d expect from a phone at this price.
The 6.9-inch foldable LTPO AMOLED display is gorgeous, offering vibrant colors and smooth scrolling with its 165Hz refresh rate. Watching videos and playing games on this screen is a joy, especially with HDR10+ and 1400 nits of peak brightness. The external 3.6-inch AMOLED screen is handy for quick tasks like checking notifications or using apps without fully unfolding the phone.
On the downside, the crease in the middle of the foldable display is noticeable, particularly when scrolling on light backgrounds. While I’ve grown used to it, it’s still there, and for someone spending this much on a phone, that’s a compromise. Additionally, the external display—while useful—feels a bit cramped when trying to perform more than just quick tasks.
Powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and up to 12GB of RAM, the phone performs exceptionally well. Apps load quickly, and gaming is smooth without any noticeable lag. The Adreno 730 GPU handles high-performance gaming and multitasking with ease, and the phone doesn’t heat up much during heavy usage.
Still, considering other phones are shipping with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the Razr 40 Ultra feels slightly behind the curve for a 2023 flagship. If you’re someone who wants the absolute latest in terms of performance, this may be a slight letdown.
The dual-camera setup (12 MP wide + 13 MP ultrawide) is decent, but it’s not the best in its class. Photos in good lighting come out sharp with vibrant colors, and the OIS helps in stabilizing shots. However, in low light, the quality drops noticeably. The images tend to become noisy, and even the ultrawide camera struggles in dim settings.
As for the 32 MP selfie camera, it works well enough for most situations, but the performance could be better in less-than-ideal lighting. While the 4K video recording is smooth, the camera experience overall doesn’t feel on par with other flagships in this price range.
The 3800 mAh battery is, unfortunately, one of the weakest aspects of this phone. On days with moderate use—scrolling social media, light gaming, and a few hours of video streaming—I’ve been able to make it through the day. But on heavier usage days, especially when I’m gaming or using the foldable screen extensively, the battery struggles to last till the evening.
The 30W wired charging is fast, and you can get about 50% in 30 minutes, which is convenient. But the 5W wireless charging feels slow and outdated compared to other premium devices offering much faster wireless charging speeds.
In terms of connectivity, the phone excels with 5G support, Wi-Fi 6e, and Bluetooth 5.3. Everything worked seamlessly without any hiccups. I also appreciate the inclusion of NFC for payments. The stereo speakers deliver rich, clear audio, but the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack may be a dealbreaker for those who still prefer wired headphones.
However, there are a few things I missed, like a higher refresh rate on the external display, which could have made it more fluid, especially for quick tasks. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor is fast, but I would have liked an in-display fingerprint reader for a more seamless design.
At ₹44,999, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is not cheap. For the foldable design and premium build quality, it’s somewhat justifiable, but the compromises—such as average camera performance, battery life, and noticeable display crease—make me wonder if it’s worth the price tag compared to traditional flagship phones that offer more in terms of specs and reliability.
The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is a head-turner with its sleek design and foldable technology. The display is stunning, performance is solid, and the foldable feature is unique and exciting. However, it does come with its set of trade-offs, particularly in the camera department, battery life, and the price.
If you’re someone who values innovation and the wow factor of a foldable phone, and can overlook a few shortcomings, the Razr 40 Ultra will certainly impress. However, if you’re after a device with top-tier performance across the board—especially in camera and battery life—there are better options available at this price point. For me, the Razr 40 Ultra is a great second phone or a style statement, but it’s not perfect for everyone.
Announced | 2023, June 01 |
Status | Available. Released 2023, June 05 |
OS | Android 13, up to 3 major Android upgrades |
Chipset | Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4 nm) |
CPU | Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) |
GPU | Adreno 730 |
Card slot | No |
Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
# | UFS 3.1 |
Type | Foldable LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 165Hz, HDR10+, 1400 nits (peak) |
Resolution | 1080 x 2640 pixels (~413 ppi density) |
Size | 6.9 inches, 107.6 cm2 (~85.1% screen-to-body ratio) |
# | Second external AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+, 1100 nits (peak) 3.6 inches, 1056 x 1066 pixels, 413 ppi, Gorilla Glass Victus |
Dual | 12 MP, f/1.5, (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, PDAF, OIS | 13 MP, f/2.2, 108˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.0", 1.12µm, AF |
Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR |
Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS |
Single | 32 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 0.7µm |
Features | HDR |
Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
Dimensions | Unfolded: 170.8 x 74 x 7 mm | Folded: 88.4 x 74 x 15.1 mm |
Weight | 184.5 g or 188.5 g (6.53 oz) |
Build | Plastic front (unfolded), glass front (folded, Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame (7000 series), hinge (stainless steel) |
SIM | Nano-SIM, eSIM or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
Protection | Water-repellent coating |
Type | Li-Po 3800 mAh, non-removable |
Charging | 30W wired |
# | 5W wireless |
WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band or tri-band (region dependent) |
Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless |
NFC | Yes |
Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) |
USB | USB Type-C 2.0 |
Radio | No |
Infrared Infrared connectivity is an old wireless technology used to connect two electronic devices. It uses a beam of infrared light to transmit information and so requires direct line of sight and operates only at close range. |
Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
2G bands 1 2 3 | GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 | CDMA 800 / 1900 |
3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO |
4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 48, 66 - International | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, , 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 - North America |
5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International | 2, 5, 7, 12, 13, 14, 25, 26, 29, 30, 38, 41, 48, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - North America |
Speed | HSPA, LTE (CA), 5G |
Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers |
3.5mm jack | No |
# | Snapdragon Sound |
Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer (USA only) |
Models | XT2321-3, XT2321-1, XT2321-2 |
Colors | Infinite Black, Glacier Blue, Viva Magenta, Peach Fuzz |
Price | $ 344.99 / € 697.99 / £ 505.99 / ₹ 44,999 |