The $700 Moto Razr released last yeardidnt quite light the world on fire.
During this Razr 2024 review, I used the external display way more than I thought I would.
And it makes sense, too.
© Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
Its a beautiful pOLED display with a 1056 x 1066 resolution and HDR10+.
The Motorola Razr wraps all your apps around the lenses to offer more space.
However, not all apps are optimized for a 4-inch display, which renders some partially useless.
I asked Gemini AI to identify the books on my bedside. Yes, I was asking it for bread storage strategies before this. What about it? Screenshot: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
For instance, the lenses obstruct the Skip Ads button on YouTube and some of Slacks bottom bar icons.
YouTube looked just fine on Default Mode.
I didnt mind a slightly trimmed screen in exchange for not having any features blocked.
Slack on full screen mode vs. default mode. Screenshot: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
I occasionally switched to Default Mode on Slack and Gmail when required.
The Full Screen Mode left the app utterly useless on Instagram, with all the most important functionality hidden.
On 2023s Razr, I saw complaints about the main display not reading the actions of the external display.
The vegan leather on the Moto Razr. Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
Motorola Razr Design
An upgraded hinge but downgraded dust resistance.
I complained about the hinge on last years Razr+ being too tight.
You had to pry the phone open instead of flipping it open.
You can pinch the cover screen to view all your pages. Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
Im glad both of these issues have been fixed with the new Motorola Razr 2024.
Its not tight enough to be a hassle or loose enough to feel flimsy.
Its at the Goldilocks level of comfort.
The side bar. Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
It opens regularly and evenly and closes with a satisfying click.
However, how well the hinge performs over time is something at least a year-long test can tell.
Only time will tell.
The same tree photographed during the day and at night. Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
Motorola does a fantastic job hiding the crease on the Razr 2024.
Youd hardly see it when using its main 6.9-inch display.
A tiny dip in the center is only noticeable if light hits your phone at a certain angle.
The same street photographed during the day and at night. Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
Weighing 188g, it weighs around the same as the previous generation.
The Razr went from an IP52 rating on the 2023 model to an IPX8 on this years iteration.
Since there are hinges and crevices to mind, a foldable phone should withstand dust and other air particles.
The camera lenses on the Moto Razr+ 2023 and the Moto Razr 2024. Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
Motorola Razr Performance
A MediaTek chip capable of handling your multitasking needs.
This is one of the areas in which the newly launched Razr and Razr+ significantly differ.
I multitasked between Gmail, Slack, and Chrome on some days.
Switching between apps is fast and smooth, and multitasking is a breeze.
My Razr+ from 2023 is still running the outdated Android 13.
Motorola Razr UI and Gestures
Adding apps to the external screen is a breeze.
We have new gestures.
Swiping down on the screen displays a plethora of quick settingshonestly, more than youll ever need.
It was easy to personalize the phone.
The outer screen features themes, fonts, and color options that are pretty easy to change.
it’s possible for you to also pick slide sensitivity to avoid accidental swipes.
I thought Id find this gesture a lot more useful than I did.
The power key is easy to press, and the sliding gesture often results in an accidental keypress.
The zooming also wasnt as smooth as Id liked it to be.
Holding the power key enables Gemini AI, which I turned to several times during testing.
Motorola Razr Camera
Massively underwhelming low-light photography.
Motorola again gave us an utterly underwhelming camera on this 2024 Razr.
The new Razr sports a 50MP main rear camera with a second ultra-wide 13MP rear camera.
The front camera offers 32MP.
All cameras shoot in 4K UHD at 30fps and in FHD at 60fps.
I messed around with the camera at home and on my commute to work.
While the night shots were particularly bad, I wouldnt say I was impressed with even day shots.
Zooming in made my photos lose a tremendous amount of clarity and made them look visually noisy.
The night shots were a complete mess.
They came out muddled and lacked sharpness, clarity, and detail.
Motorola Razr Battery and Speakers
An all-day battery and loud, room-filling sound.
The Razrs 4200mAh battery easily lasted two days of moderate and a day and a half of heavy usage.
I never found myself tethered to a socket or complaining about the battery on this gadget.
Once it was fully charged within an hour, it lasted at least 11 hours.
All my testing was done on 50% brightness and with the low power mode off.
I am currently battery testing and will update this story with exact figures soon.
A 30W power brick charges the phone, though you have to buy it separately.
I blame Apple for starting this.
The onboard audio is handled by a pair of stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos featuring Spatial Sound.
I dont remember cranking the volume, even once during testing.
Around 70-80% was enough to fill my room with sound.
Like all phone speakers, the sound is more tinny than bass-heavy.
The external display is far from a gimmick and is actually useful.
It provides sufficient real estate and an easy UI to add any apps you want.
The newly-added Default Mode ensures that apps not optimized for a 3.6-inch screen also run perfectly.
The below-average camera is a big compromise you will have to make.
The only way you wont mind its camera is if you mostly click pictures during the day.
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