Affordable, adorable, and imperfect: How the Motorola Razr stole my heart
I respect devices that wear their heart on their sleeves: the Moto Razr costs next to nothing, knows it's not a flagship, and doesn't act like one. What's not to like?
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Just the other day, I had the pleasure of reviewing the mid-range Motorola Razr (2025), and the verdict was rather clear: it's a bargain phone that cuts the right number of corners to achieve its super-affordable price tag that make it an appealing buy. It's perfectly clear that's precisely what other manufacturers need to do to bolster the sales of their foldable phones.
But the Razr isn't just a clamshell foldable with a colorful design language and just little to no party tricks: it's a fairly decent mid-range phone that doesn't run away from its inherent nature: it wears its heart on its sleeve and is easily the one phone you should try out if you've been curious about foldables but didn't want to splurge on the more premium specimens.
Is the Motorola Razr (2025) worth it?
What exactly makes the Moto Razr (2025) a good phone despite the humble specs?
It's simple, really: this device is the most affordable way to experience foldable phones instead of going all-in on a Galaxy Z Flip 6 or its successor.
I know, these are by no means a new device category, but even more than half a decade since we saw the first devices hit the shelves, foldables are definitely more of a rarity rather than common. Foldable simply are not as common as the tech blogosphere tries to persuade us. As per the latest intelligence reports, the market penetration of foldable phones exactly a year ago was just 1.5%, and I can't imagine it has grown immensely since then.
And while it's true that experiencing the low-cost version of something doesn't really deliver the ultimate experience, it can very well create a grounded foundation for your expectations. The experience of using the Motorola Razr isn't really indicative of what an Oppo Find N5 or a Huawei Mate XT feel like, true, but this value-for-money trooper will still successfully show you whether foldables are worth it in the first place.
The bad
Starting at $700, the Motorola Razr (2025) already sets a fairly low bar for your expectations. While it's true that great phones exist at even lower price points, seeing the price tag here immediately soothes your desire to criticize and find faults.
And faults, there are many here. Don't expect the best camera, just a pair of wide and ultrawide snappers that will get the job done but nothing else; video isn't great either.
But what's probably the biggest issue with this phone and one of the bigger corners that have been cut is the chipset and its unimpressive performance. That's the key part here, as while you might not have to capture masterpieces with the camera every day, you will have to suffer the consequences of the modest MediaTek chipset paired with the slow storage inside.
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Gaming and heavier multitasking simply aren't enjoyable here. I tried playing some Balatro, which is not a perfect port that makes even seasoned Android flagships warm to the touch, the experience here was just not good: the phone got too hot, frames began dropping towards the endgame, and the overall experience was suboptimal, and let's not mention the immense battery life drop-off.
The same applies to other 3D games I tried: they run, but you will quickly understand that this is by no means a gaming phone.
The good
What's there to like, then? It seems that all the core aspects of a good phone are disappointing here, right?
Well, no.
It has a lovely display with just a slight crease, which is absolutely normal for any foldable, no matter the brand or the model. It's moderately pronounced, but not distractingly so, making it a non-issue. At the same time, the screen is bright and vivid.
And the outer screen is quite useful. You can pin multiple apps to it and not only check notifications and control most features of the phone, but also use those apps on the tiny outer screen. Sure, it's hardly as useful as the outer screens on the book-style foldables out there, but none of those can match the ultra-compact size of this Motorola either.
The battery life is another field where this Razr surprised me. Yes, it's not best-in-class and a more efficient chip could have potentially added a few extra hours to the battery life, but the overall endurance isn't too bad here. It's perfectly comparable to the battery life that the iPhone 16 delivers, which is more than okay.
Just flip the video and gaming results and the two are fairly comparable
The design is also something I didn't know I'd like so much.
There's this stigma around clamshell flip phones. It feels as they are perceived as more feminine and are often marketed towards women because why wouldn't a man want to use a larger foldable device? Well, damn whoever raises that point with me again, as using a compact flip phone like this one showed me that foldables shouldn't tear holes in your pockets. A compact device like this one just blends so seamlessly with my daily usage that I struggled to let it go and return to the other daily-driver slab of monstrosity I'm using right now.
Conclusion: While not perfect, this phone is great
I'm not a die-hard Motorola fan and never have been, but this Motorola Razr almost converted me.
It's perfectly aware of its shortcomings and doesn't try to hide them away, which made the overall experience so much better.
If you've ever talked yourself out of trying out a foldable phone, give this one a spin: it doesn't cost a fortune and will show you that this phone category is more than ready for the prime-time.
Peter, an experienced tech enthusiast at PhoneArena, is captivated by all things mobile. His impartial reviews and proficiency in Android systems offer readers valuable insights. Off-duty, he delves into the latest cryptocurrency trends and enjoys sci-fi and video games.
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