I judge phones harshly.
Mostly on camera quality and battery.
They are the two things that matter.
I take pictures.
I stare at screens.
All day.
So when the Motorola Razr Fold landed in my hands I was skeptical.
It is a first-gen book-style foldable from a brand better known for clamshells.
Can it actually perform?
Or is it just expensive metal and glass?
It starts at $1,900.
That hurts.
The short answer.
Yes.
It’s good.
First Impressions
The Razr Fold looks premium.
Sleek curved cover glass.
A profile that nods to the original Razr legacy without mocking it.
My review unit came in Pantone Blackened Blue.
It has a woven textured back.
It felt rugged.
Almost like a case was already on.
I preferred the look of the lily white version but that’s subjective.
What wasn’t subjective was how slim it is.
4.6mm open.
9.9mm closed.
Thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Thicker than the iPhone 17 Pro but you’d hardly notice.
One friend told me.
It feels like my iPhone.
That says something.
“This feels like my iPhone.”
Motorola entered the book fold market late.
But it arrived hard.
Foldable sales are up.
28% growth in North America in 2025.
More growth expected next year.
Motorola saw the highest growth among major manufacturers thanks to its flip phones.
This phone captures the rest of the market.
People who want a tablet that fits in a pocket.
Apple is rumored to be making one soon too.
Which means this category is heating up.
Right now you can preorder from Best Buy or Motorola.
In-store May 21.
The Hinge and The Pen
The hinge is stainless steel.
Teardrop shape.
Silky smooth.
No resistance.
Just satisfaction.
Here is a twist though.
You can use a Moto Pen with this thing.
For $100 extra.
Samsung killed their stylus support for thickness.
Motorola kept both.
Slim body and stylus slot.
But wait.
There is no internal slot for the pen.
You carry it in a woven pouch.
It’s easy to lose.
I didn’t use it.
Typing is faster.
My fingers prefer glass.
But the option exists.
That’s worth noting.
Water resistance?
IP48 and IP49.
Survive a 30-minute soak.
High pressure jets won’t kill it.
Dust still gets in though.
IP68 isn’t here yet.
The Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 handles drops well.
My review unit looked brand new after a week of bag life.
Screens and Creases
Look at the inner display.
There is a crease.
You see it if you look for it.
You don’t notice it when you use the phone.
Most of the time I use the 6.6-inch cover screen.
Why?
It feels like a normal phone.
Old habits stick.
Texting.
Scrolling.
Emailing.
Easier with small fingers on small glass.
When I want space though.
I open it.
8.1-inch display.
Perfect for trains.
Perfect for bed movies.
Better than the massive Z TriFold screen which feels unwieldy.
Photos look detailed on the big screen.
But apps?
Some are lazy.
Instagram crops your feed.
It’s ugly.
Motorola needs to tell devs to fix this.
Split screen works well.
Three apps at once.
But you can’t resize them freely like on Samsung phones.
You get the space allocated by the OS.
It’s restrictive.
Hope for an update.
Multitasking gets a feature called Freeform.
Floating windows.
Drag a video corner.
Keep notes open while browsing.
Gimmick?
Maybe.
I rarely used it.
But it’s there.
Continuity is the star though.
Close the phone.
Audio plays on.
Open it.
Video moves to the big screen instantly.
No lag.
No restart.
You don’t even unlock the screen to keep watching.
That is magic.
Camera: Too Vibrant?
Triple 50MP setup.
Wide.
Ultrawide.
Telephoto.
Front camera is 20MP.
Inside selfie cam is 32MP.
Good specs for a fold.
The photos pop.
Bright.
Saturated.
Maybe too saturated.
Nature doesn’t look this green.
Flowers look artificial.
One friend looked at a photo and said.
“My mom would love this.”
She wasn’t wrong.
It’s a bold style.
Not natural.
Night shots get that boost though.
So if you like rich colors this works for you.
Features leverage the form factor.
Quick Review on the inner screen shows a live feed while you snap.
Open the phone for a better selfie angle using the rear lens.
View it on the cover glass.
Clever.
Battery Life: Good. Charging: Annoying.
Here is the rub.
Big battery.
Small problem charging it.
It has a 6,000mAh silicon-carbon cell.
High density.
More power in less space.
Great for battery life.
Terrible for speed charging if you don’t have the right brick.
Motorola charges you extra for the 80W adapter.
They didn’t send one to me.
I used a 140W MacBook charger.
Slow.
37% in 30 mins.
Full charge in 90 minutes.
Compare that to the Z Fold 7.
42% in 30 mins with a weaker 25W charger.
Both phones are slow chargers compared to flat flagships.
Does the battery last?
Yes.
Heavy use day.
Video calls.
Emails.
Instagram doom scrolling.
Started 9am.
Dead next day 2pm.
That’s almost 30 hours.
Average work day?
6pm to next morning 9am.
26% left.
Sunday chill?
11am to next evening 6pm.
14% left.
Solid.
In standardized tests it beat or matched rivals.
Streaming 3 hours over Wi-Fi left me at 86%.
Z Fold 7 was 84%.
Pixel 10 was 78%.
Small margin.
But silicon-carbon tech shows gains.
Performance and AI
Snapdragon 8 Gen 5.
Android 16.
Smooth.
Very smooth.
Seven years of updates.
Matches Google and Samsung promises.
Longevity matters at $1,900 prices.
AI features everywhere.
Gemini.
Moto AI.
Perplexity.
Side button triggers summaries.
Generates playlists.
Creates images.
I don’t want it.
I read texts.
I curate music.
I prefer my chaos.
One thing I liked?
Circle to Search.
Tap and hold the side key.
Drag a circle around an object.
Search it instantly.
Actually useful.
Most of the other AI bloat is… bloat.
Benchmark wise it’s competitive.
Below the Z Fold 7 slightly in graphics.
Beats the Pixel 10 XL.
Decent numbers.
Not class leading but capable.
The Verdict
Is the Razr Fold right for you?
If you are new to foldables.
Probably yes.
It handles the basics perfectly.
The hinge feels great.
The screens work together seamlessly.
Camera takes nice photos.
Battery lasts forever.
It is expensive.
Charging is slow unless you buy another accessory.
Stylus is optional but cumbersome.
Creases exist.
Motorola made a solid entry.
Thin enough to carry.
Big enough to create.
Whether that justifies the cost?
That depends on whether you believe the future of phones is foldable.
Or if this is just a niche passing phase.
The phone waits in my desk drawer now.
Open or closed.
I pick up the closed half more often.
But when I need space.
It opens.
And it feels right.
Just don’t lose the pen.
