Finally, Motorola has thrown down the gauntlet to Samsung with the launch of a new $1,599 Razr foldable which is real competition for the Companies Galaxy Flip 4, which along with their Galaxy Fold 4 accounts for over 12% of Samsungs smartphone sales in Australia.

It appears that foldable devices are proving popular with both male and female users, now moving to compact device over traditional smartphones, with Motorola who initially pioneered the concept of foldable mobile devices 20 years ago set to take on the market leader.

This is a category and a form factor that won over the hearts and souls of tens of millions worldwide when Motorola first introduced the Razr flip phone that got to #1 in the Australian market, only to disappeared from the market as Apple and Samsung took over at the top end of the market pushing out market leaders such as Nokia, Motorola, and Blackberry.

For several weeks I have been using the all new Razr which has been redesigned and engineered from the ground up, after Motorola rushed a previous Razr model to market, only to have the product rejected by consumers.

Now it appears that Motorola, have learnt from their earlier mistakes with a model that is a serious contender to the Samsung Flip.

This is the foldable smartphone that Motorola should have launched initially, the hardware credentials are excellent from the processor to the camera which are housed in a significantly improved design over the 2019 model, to the way that it connects with a TV or mobile phone for multi-tasking even the fold down screen is larger than the Samsung Flip.

The brand is owned by Lenovo the #1 PC Company in the world today and they know a lot about hardware design.

The look functionality and design of the new Razr, is a big improvement on the old model with the larger 2.7” front screen delivering excellent functionality without having to open the device fully.

When opened the 6.7”-inch display screen, looks and feels like you are using a normal smartphone, even the fold in the middle is hardly noticeable and more so when you start reading or watching content.

If what you want is great pictures and video the new Razr houses a dual 50-megapixel main camera that also supports 8K video and when shooting in low light, you will be impressed with the result as we were. The camera functions are also easy to operate, and you have a wide choice of options when setting up to shoot an image.

Where the 2019 Razr had no IP rating, the 2022 model is certified IP52 which mens you can’t drop it in the pool because it’s ony water resistant not waterproof.

The Razr has some handy configuration configuration capabilities for example, you can split the main display into 2 views.

This allows you to see the image you are shooting in one screen and the control settings on another making it ideal for hands free shooting.

For most users this device has everything you want and is up there with most Android smartphones other than the really top end Samsung S22 Ultra which is $800 more expensive than the new $1,600 Razr.

The high-quality image and video output is achieved because Motorola has gone with the new Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm) CPU.

Running Android 12 the new processor has allowed Motorola developers to include camera software that automatically fine tunes a low light picture however they should have launched with Android 13 which I suspect is going to be delivered via an upgrade similar to the Samsung Flip model which also has Android 12.

The introduction of a Quick View display mode delivers an option that allows users to take selfies and join video calls using the higher resolution rear camera.

The 50-megapixel dual camera on the 2022 Razr is the “most advanced camera seen in a flip phone” according to Motorola and I have to go along with this.

Packed into this small form factor device is a 50-megapixel (f/1.8) main sensor with OIS and a 13-megapixel (f/2.2) ultra-wide/macro sensor with a 120-degree field-of-view.

Also built in is ultra-res mode, night vision, group selfie and dual capture, while the camera can also capture 8K video at 30fps or UHD at 60fps.

Shot at night time as light was failing.

Pixelation when zommed in on above image.

Looking for a Feed Pelican at Balmoral Beach.

The only camera weakness was when we zoomed right into an image over a long distance it was then that we noticed pixilation occurring.

The new Motorola camera alone is a very good reason to buy this device, which when combined with the fact that it can be easily packed into the pocket of a pair of shorts makes it a unique smartphone offering.

Most of the images I shot were sharp and crisp and the colours vibrant and saturated because the new 32-megapixel front (f/2.4) camera is a huge upgrade from the tiny 5-megapixel one on the 2019 model.

When it comes to display the HDR10+, DCI-P3, and 10-bit colour support is a plus so is the 144Hz peak refresh rate display, which is good for gaming, couple this technology with the new processor capabilities and you have a neat gaming device when travelling or sitting a train or bus.

As far as software goes, the Razr runs Google’s Android 12, and this is where Motorola needs to deliver upgrades and new software features quickly as several eading Android smartphones are set to get Android 13 which is a big improvement.

They also need to tidy up the dashboard functionality, instead of the ‘close all’ sitting at the bottom of the page similar to a Samsung device, you have to scroll to the beginning of the open files to close all of the open pages at once, which can be a pain if you have multiple pages open.

If Motorola is to make it long term as the third mobile brand and I am confident they will, they have to realise that software is the unlock key to success.

Samsung is competing head on with Apple who are the master of creating sticky software glue that does a great job of bringing people back time and time again for a new model iPhone because they are happy with the software functionality of their iPhone.

These consumers love the Apple software more so than the hardware which is manufactured by third party Companies and is often not as good as the hardware found in Motorola and Samsung Android based devices.

While there are several customisation options via the settings menu and the and Moto app more work needs to be done on software functionality.

As for battery life, the new Razr has a 3,500mAh battery and I was surprised at how good the battery life was from a smallish battery and the fact that this device houses a powerful processor.

I got well over a day and the big plus is that this device comes with a big 30W charger which will recharge 90% of the device in 30 minutes.

The bad news is that there is no wireless charging, and this is a no go today, especially for any device over $1,599.

While there are gesture controls like Three-finger Screenshot, Lift to Unlock and the ability to open up the camera by shaking the phone twice, these are great, but software is key today, in getting people to stay with a brand as Apple has proved time and time again.

Conclusion

Four things stand out with this device apart from the great design, camera, battery, processor and the fact it’s manufactured by a brand that has a lot of smartphone pedigree.

If you like the concept of a foldable form factor and want a device that is that is very much premium quality, Motorola has the answer in the new Razr.

Packed into this small form factor a great camera, mighty battery and a whole lot of capability, it will also impress your friends.

This is a brand new Razr that bears no resemblance to the 2019 model, it’s a massive step up for the Motorola design team who now have to concentrate on software innovation to take on Apple.

Software and their iOS and their UI interface made Apple what it is today and Motorola has to take this issue head on because software design look and feel creates the glue that results in people staying with a b rand.

It’s not hardware because most Apple iPhones consist of components made by the likes of Samsung and LG along with Qualcomm.

Motorola has the hardware side right and this device, but they cannot afford to leave out such features as wireless charging.

If you were hesitant back in 2019 to invest in a foldable device the Motorola Razr is well worth the investment in 2022.

Rating 8.5/10