Hands On with the 2026 Motorola razr Lineup
Today, 11:01 AM by Rich Brome @rbrome.bsky.social
Motorola has refreshed its lineup of razr phones for 2026. Most of the changes are minor, putting a few small upgrades into the same three bodies. We also spent time with Motorola's first book-style foldable phone, the razr fold. With all of its phones, Motorola puts a big focus on CMF: color, material, and finish. So we spent some hands-on time with all four new razrs to check how they look and feel in person. Read on for our impressions.
razr fold
The razr fold might be Motorola's most ambitious phone ever. Samsung, now on its seventh generation of Galaxy Z Fold, has proven that demand exists for book-style foldables. But it's still a niche market, one that Samsung and Google are already splitting in the US. And because they are inherently expensive — this one will sell for $1,900 — and designed for power users, expectations are high. You can't half-ass a product like this and expect to get any market share. So Motorola is taking a big swing here.
So is it any good? Well, I can say confidently that it makes a very good first impression. The metal frame feels solid and well-engineered. The hinge action is smooth. It's as thin as it needs to be to work well as a foldable, and there's no hinge gap. It doesn't feel like a first effort; it feels refined. You'd think Motorola has been making phones like this for years.
I think my only complaint about the design is that the camera hump in the corner is awkward and quite thick, but I'm not sure how else Motorola could have put a no-compromise camera system in this phone. They do say they were aiming for full flagship specs, and they delivered.
It comes in two colors and finishes. The darker option is "Blackened Blue". It can look like dark blue, but can also look greenish in certain light. It has a fine woven texture that reminds me of a Chilewich placemat, but at a much finer scale. It's similar to the texture on the new razr+. The other color is Lily White, which has a luxurious-feeling texture like real satin (but solid, if that makes sense). I like the feel of both.
I didn't have enough time with it to fully explore the software. But what I did see was promising; it looks like there are a lot of extra software features to help you make the most of the form factor, which is important with a device like this.
Is there a crease in the flexible screen? As with all foldables to date —including the other razrs announced today — the answer is yes. But it's not egregious and you quickly stop noticing it.
It's also compatible with a new "Moto Pen Ultra" stylus accessory that will be sold separately for $100.
The fold has impressive fast-charging capability at up to 68 watts for wired and 50 watts (!!) for wireless. But it's not clear how you'd actually charge it wirelessly at 50 watts, because the Qi standard only goes up to 25 watts, and Motorola has yet to announce a wireless charger that powerful. Presumably they're working on one?
razr flip series: software
There are some new software features across all three razr flip models.
Live Updates, a new feature of Android, will appear on the cover display. The cover display also now supports five-second video wallpaper.
The camera app also has some new tricks. A really clever one is Frame Match, which is designed for the specific situation where you want someone else to take a photo of you, but you want to make sure it's framed a certain way, getting everything you care about in the shot. You start by framing the shot and taking a temporary photo that's framed just the way you want it, minus you. Then you hand your phone to someone else and get in position. The person taking your pic sees a semi-transparent overlay of the shot you took, making it easy and intuitive to line up the shot the exact same way you did.
razr ultra (2026)
The new razr ultra gets a fancy new "LOFIC" sensor on the main camera. This is a technology you'll be hearing a lot more about over the next year or two. This particular new LOFIC sensor (probably from OmniVision) expands the dynamic range that can be captured at once by six times. So instead of taking three shots quickly and combining them to create an HDR image, this sensor can inherently take the HDR image all in one go. It's a big deal. It means 2x faster shot-to-shot time, and better power efficiency because it doesn't have to do as much to take an HDR photo.
Although all of these razr models have a "pro" camera mode that can do long exposures, the ultra adds a dedicated "long exposure" mode that the others don't have.
The razr ultra comes in two finishes: Alcantara and wood. I'm always impressed with how much Alcantara feel like real suede, and it's no different on the new razr ultra; it's uncanny. The wood feels the same as on last year's model: slightly plastic-y thanks to whatever protective coating they put on it. But it is real wood, and you can feel a certain wood-grain texture that is unique and feels nice.
razr+ (2026)
The new razr+ doesn't differ too much from last year's model, except it does revert back to having a wide-angle camera. The original razr+ had a wide camera, then the 2024 model switched to having a telephoto camera, and now we're back to wide for the second outer camera.
The new razr+ comes in just one color and finish: "Mountain View" (forest green) and a fine woven finish similar to that on the razr fold. It feels very high-quality and durable. I'm very fond of the color, too.
razr (2026)
The base-model razr sees the most changes from last year's model, with a slightly better processor and faster RAM, at the expense of some storage (128 GB instead of 256 GB). (I imagine the current shortage of memory chips is a factor, here.)
The big upgrade is the wide-angle camera, which steps up from a 13 megapixel sensor to a 50 megapixel one, matching the rest of the new razr series.
However — also like the other razr models — the wide-angle camera has no high-res option, so it's stuck outputting 12.5 megapixel images using pixel binning (where four pixels act like one). It's still an upgrade on the razr because pixel binning does improve image quality, especially in low light. But it's a bit of a shame because all of the other cameras across the new razr lineup (including the selfie cameras and the tele camera on the razr fold) do have a high-res mode that lets you output the full resolution of the sensor.
The base-model razr comes in the greatest variety of colors and finishes, and they are all quite different:
"Hematite" is a brownish-gray with a "woven-inspired" finish. It's not the same kind of "woven" as on the razr+ and razr fold, though. It still feels like woven rubber, but in a way that's softer and more fabric-like. It's a very handsome color and texture.
"Sporting Green" is supposed to be a "leather-inspired" finish, but it feels like a high-quality stiff rubber with a sophisticated patterned texture.
"Violet Ice" is actually pink. It has an unusually pronounced texture that reminds me of a luxury handbag. This one feels much more leathery than Sporting Green, at least to my fingers.
"Bright White" is the finish that surprised me the most. I didn't care for the first picture and description that I saw. But seeing it in person, I really liked it. It looks like tiny tiles made of pearl or the insides of pretty oyster shells, and it has a velvety-smooth finish that feels like porcelain. The way the reflections change as it moves in the light makes it look much more sophisticated than how it looks in a still photo. It's a very unique look that you almost have to see in person to appreciate.
Summary
The biggest upgrade with this year's models might be the new silicon-carbon battery chemistry that gives each model more battery capacity without increasing the size or weight one bit. Battery life was always a compromise in the foldable flip factor, but Motorola has now changed that. Honestly, Motorola should be making a bigger deal about this.
It's a shame that Motorola had to raise prices. This could also be linked to the global shortage of memory chips thanks to unprecedented demand from AI data centers. Motorola isn't alone; Samsung recently raised prices on some of its phones.
And the phones themselves didn't change much, almost like last year. The 2026 razr and razr+ are 99% the same as the 2024 models. And yet, the razr is the #1-selling foldable flip phone globally. These are good foldable phones, so I guess they're sticking with what works. (Motorola is also doing something similar with their lower-end phones this year.)
I appreciate Motorola's continued efforts on CMF (color, material, finish). I think they're doing a great job offering phones that are unique, stylish, and personal, and phones that feel great in your hand.
It's difficult to say how well the razr fold will do, but again, my first impressions are very positive. If you're in the market for a phone that basically converts into a small tablet, the razr fold is definitely worth a look.
About the author, Rich Brome:Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
Motorola Refreshes razr Lineup with Better Batteries & More
Motorola Previews razr fold
Motorola Reveals More Razr Fold Details
Motorola Teases Book-Style Foldable
Motorola razr fold
Motorola razr (2026)
Motorola razr+ (2026)
Comments
No messages yet
