Foldables aren’t as area of interest as one would possibly assume. I typically spot foldable telephones in individuals’s arms, particularly these in customer-facing roles. Possibly that’s a big sufficient addressable marketplace for manufacturers to justify providing foldable telephones which are priced larger than your common high-end smartphone. However I typically surprise why Motorola, which was the primary mainstream model to launch a flip-style foldable, by no means thought of making a book-style foldable telephone. Its friends, nevertheless, have been providing book-style foldables for years, together with Samsung and Huawei. Even Apple is anticipated to launch the same machine sooner or later.
So, don’t be shocked if I let you know that I’ve spent the previous month testing Motorola’s first entry into the section, the Razr Fold. Surprisingly, it felt way more polished after I first noticed the machine earlier this yr on the CES tech present in Las Vegas. Certain, it has its shortcomings being the first-generation machine, however the general expertise, mixed with its {hardware}, software program, and cameras, makes it a strong foldable telephone.
Right here’s my evaluate of the Motorola Razr Fold.
What: Motorola Razr Fold| Worth: Rs 159,999
Distinct design and modern profile
The Razr Fold attracts inspiration from the model’s in style Edge collection. It options subtly curved edges and a square-shaped digicam island that homes 4 cameras and gently slopes throughout the again. If in case you have used a current Motorola telephone, you’ll instantly discover that the identical design language carries over to this foldable. I’m additionally glad that Motorola prevented a glass again and as an alternative opted for a woven, textured black end, which supplies the telephone a particular feel and appear. It’s additionally much less fragile than a glass again. Throughout my month with the machine, I didn’t discover a single scratch or scuff on the rear panel. A case within the field protects the telephone from on a regular basis put on and tear, which is a welcome addition.
I used the Motorola Razr Fold for over a month as my major machine. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Categorical)
The Razr Fold measures 4.6mm thick when unfolded and 9.9mm when folded. It weighs 243 grams. Whereas it maintains a comparatively slim profile, it isn’t fairly as skinny or as mild because the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. I might say it sits someplace between the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Google Pixel 10 Professional Fold when it comes to measurement and weight.
A seasoned foldable telephone consumer who has used each the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Pixel 10 Professional Fold for months, I can say the Razr Fold is designed to be an ultra-premium smartphone – and it exhibits. The curved edges, together with the Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 safety on the outer show, add an additional layer of sturdiness. Extra importantly, I felt assured utilizing the Razr Fold with no case.
The Razr Fold slides simply into my pocket, and I might sit comfortably even whereas sporting tight denims. The telephone additionally feels snug to carry for lengthy durations, whether or not folded or unfolded. I believe Motorola has nailed the fundamentals of a foldable telephone, and quite a lot of that comes all the way down to its hinge. Its mother or father firm, Lenovo, has a long time of expertise constructing laptops and perfecting hinge mechanisms, and it exhibits within the Razr Fold.
One other spotlight, for those who ask me, is the stylus assist. It’s non-compulsory and bought individually, and though I didn’t use it with the machine (I solely briefly tried it at Motorola’s workplace in Gurugram throughout a briefing), I believe a stylus is smart. Since Samsung dropped S Pen assist on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Motorola appears to be capitalising on that chance.
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Remember that whereas the Razr Fold has IP48 and IP49 scores, providing water resistance for as much as half-hour and safety in opposition to high-pressure water jets, it isn’t absolutely dustproof.
The display(s) and multitasking powerhouse
Like some other book-style foldable in the marketplace, the Razr Fold’s largest promoting level is its two-screen expertise. The interior 8.1-inch show does have a visual crease, however it step by step fades into the background with common use. Even when the crease is seen, it isn’t distracting. Nevertheless, in my day-to-day use, I discovered myself relying extra on the 6.6-inch outer show. It made the telephone really feel extra like a standard slab smartphone, which is acquainted for many customers – and I’m no totally different.
The Motorola Razr Fold has a 6,000mAh battery, which is the most important of any foldable telephone to this point. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Categorical)
The basic concept behind a foldable telephone is adapting to 2 screens. For me, having two screens makes on a regular basis duties simpler. All the things, from studying The Indian Categorical e-paper to checking the location’s every day numbers on Chartbeat, feels extra pure on the bigger interior show. The additional display actual property offers you a extra full view of the content material, and the identical applies to Zoom calls and taking notes.
One other nice instance is when you find yourself studying an e mail or looking a webpage with a number of hyperlinks. With two screens, clicking a hyperlink means you may open it on the second display and browse it later with out shedding your home. As I’ve stated earlier than, having two screens at your disposal fully adjustments the way in which you multitask on a tool.
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After all, so much is determined by the consumer. In my case, I work for a information publication, which is a fast-paced career, and I additionally journey so much. For somebody like me, a foldable telephone makes quite a lot of sense. Not as a result of I wish to flaunt a telephone with two screens, however as a result of it’s genuinely helpful for the form of work I do. I typically kind whole tales on the telephone itself, and I additionally don’t thoughts utilizing the Razr Fold’s display as a monitor and pairing it with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. It might look odd to the common consumer, however it works for me.
Each shows are lovely and clear. The 8.1-inch display is nice for Netflix or gaming. Moreover, most Google apps (together with just a few third-party ones) take full benefit of the interior display. I discover apps like Google Photographs, WhatsApp, and Gmail notably helpful on the inner show, the place you may have your e mail checklist and the present e mail open aspect by aspect. This makes scanning by means of messages and responding to emails a lot simpler, just like the expertise you’ll count on from a Home windows or Mac desktop app. Nevertheless, some apps, together with Instagram, are nonetheless not optimised for book-style foldable telephones, which is a disgrace.
Multitasking is the spotlight of the Razr Fold. (Picture: The Indian Categorical/ Anuj Bhatia)
Multitasking is what makes foldables such attention-grabbing gadgets, making them way more succesful than commonplace smartphones. On the Razr Fold, split-screen mode helps as much as three apps concurrently. Nevertheless, in contrast to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Razr Fold lacks versatile app resizing, which implies customers haven’t any management over how a lot display area every app occupies.
App continuity works properly on the Razr Fold, as I might seamlessly change from an app on the exterior show to the interior display. One other instance of multitasking on the Razr Fold is Freeform, which locations an app in a small floating window which you can transfer across the display, just like YouTube’s picture-in-picture mode. Moreover, the telephone presents a characteristic referred to as Moto Unplugged. When enabled, this mode limits distractions by permitting you to obtain solely textual content messages and telephone calls whereas nonetheless supplying you with entry to the digicam, serving to you keep centered on the duty at hand.
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Quick performer and lengthy battery life
The Razr Fold comes with a succesful chipset. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip (16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage on my evaluate unit), which is probably not Qualcomm’s newest and strongest flagship processor, however it’s nonetheless extremely succesful. Does it matter? Primarily based on my expertise, the Razr Fold has carried out extraordinarily properly. Evaluating most day-to-day duties with my Samsung Galaxy S26 Extremely, its efficiency was no less than on par.
I used the Fold’s exterior show more often than not. (Picture: The Indian Categorical/ Anuj Bhatia)
The telephone comes with Android 16 out of the field, and Motorola guarantees “7 OS updates and as much as 7 years of safety updates ranging from the worldwide launch date”, placing it according to different premium smartphones from Samsung and Google. The consumer interface is clear and principally bloat-free, which must be the case if you’re spending over one and a half lakh rupees for a telephone.
Gaming is one other space the place the Razr Fold shines, particularly for those who get pleasure from enjoying video games on its expansive 8.1-inch show. The telephone options audio system tuned by Bose and Dolby Atmos integration, which was good for watching films or listening to music.
The Razr Fold additionally has a spread of AI options, powered by Google Gemini, Moto AI, and Perplexity. There’s even a devoted aspect button that allows you to rapidly entry instruments for summarising notifications, producing photographs, or creating playlists. Essentially the most sensible AI characteristic, nevertheless, is Google’s Circle to Search, which helps you to rapidly pull up extra particulars about no matter is in your display—a characteristic now obtainable on most Android telephones.
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Motorola additionally presents Good Join, its model of a productiveness software that works with Home windows laptops operating Home windows 10 or later. As soon as put in, you may entry the Razr Fold’s apps and recordsdata on the laptop computer utilizing Cross Management. When the telephone is unfolded and related to a laptop computer, you should utilize the Motorola Razr Fold as a second display and simply switch recordsdata between gadgets. Nevertheless, I didn’t get an opportunity to check this characteristic.
The Motorola Razr Fold is skinny however not as modern because the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. (Picture: The Indian Categorical/ Anuj Bhatia)
The Razr Fold is fitted with a 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery, a next-generation lithium-ion know-how designed to supply longer battery life and quicker charging. The telephone ships with the 90W charging brick required to take full benefit of its full-speed 80W wired charging, which Motorola calls TurboPower charging. It takes roughly 46 minutes to cost the machine from 20 per cent to 100 per cent. On a mean day, taking loads of photographs and movies, a good bit of net looking, and utilizing WhatsApp extensively, the battery didn’t fall wanting Motorola’s claims; in actual fact, it carried out higher than I anticipated.
Glorious cameras
I’ve been a staunch critic of the digicam efficiency on Motorola smartphones for years, however I used to be pleasantly shocked by how good the Razr Fold cameras are. The telephone packs a triple 50-megapixel rear digicam system, consisting of a wide-angle, ultrawide, and telephoto lens. There’s additionally a 20-megapixel selfie digicam on the entrance and a 32-megapixel selfie digicam on the interior show.
My expertise with the cameras on foldable telephones from Samsung and Google has been blended and underwhelming. Nevertheless, Motorola has nailed the digicam expertise with the Razr Fold. Photographs look crisp, clear, and vibrant. Photographs seem real looking and convincing, and I can lastly seize lovely landscapes in a approach that I wasn’t in a position to with earlier foldable telephones.
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The Razr Fold’s digicam provides distinction, brightens faces, and preserves highlights within the sky, for instance. In my pictures, the digicam maintains pure pores and skin tones whereas preserving fantastic particulars. Nevertheless, I do want the digicam might seize portrait pictures somewhat higher.
Under are some digicam samples shot on the Razr Fold. Please notice that the photographs have been compressed for the online.
Shot on the Razr Fold (Picture: The Indian Categorical/ Anuj Bhatia)
Shot on the Razr Fold (Picture: The Indian Categorical/ Anuj Bhatia)
Shot on the Razr Fold (Picture: The Indian Categorical/ Anuj Bhatia)
Shot on the Razr Fold (Picture: The Indian Categorical/ Anuj Bhatia)
Shot on the Razr Fold (Picture: The Indian Categorical/ Anuj Bhatia)
Shot on the Razr Fold (Picture: The Indian Categorical/ Anuj Bhatia)
So, do you have to purchase the Motorola Razr Fold?
In the previous few years, foldable telephones have gotten higher, but they by some means nonetheless really feel unfinished. The Razr Fold retains the section thrilling, however the machine is much from excellent. Foldables, in my view, nonetheless lack an optimised consumer interface designed for dual-screen gadgets, and the Razr Fold doesn’t remedy that downside. Nevertheless, Motorola’s first try at a book-style foldable telephone is commendable, with only a few negatives. That stated, I do want Motorola had launched a wider-screen foldable as its debut book-style foldable, because the Razr Fold’s type issue now not feels as recent or distinctive because it as soon as did.
That stated, the Razr Fold can simply function your every day driver and exchange a standard slab smartphone, however it comes at a excessive price, particularly at a time when job losses are rising and financial uncertainty stays excessive. If in case you have the finances, the Razr Fold suits properly into the skilled market. In case you are an fanatic, a enterprise consumer, or an actual property skilled searching for a tool that stands out from the gang and delivers a strong, distinctive expertise past the run-of-the-mill smartphones obtainable immediately, it is a machine that received’t disappoint.