A bold new start
The Razr Fold is the first of its kind for Motorola and it hasn’t held back. It packs top-shelf hardware, ample of RAM and storage, two gorgeous displays, and a massive battery capacity. It’s expensive but it does feel worth it.
Pros
- Thin and light design
- Built really well
- High-res rear cameras
- Stylus support
- Both colors and finishes feel premium
- Uses a flagship Qualcomm chip
- Seven OS upgrades promised
Cons
- Motorola isn’t known for timely updates
- No proper dust proofing
- Only single storage variant
Arguably the best flip around
The latest Razr Ultra 2026 is easily one of the best flip phones in the market with great performance, improved cameras, and fantastic battery life that lasts all day. However, it’s not the best value since it costs $200 more than the old model and not much has changed.
Pros
- All-day battery
- Good performance
- Noticeable improvements with main camera
- Useful cover screen updates
- Fast charging
Cons
- Too expensive
- No major chipset upgrade
- Limited usable camera zoom
- Few colors and fewer accessories
Motorola has finally entered the premier foldables market in 2026 with the launch of the Razr Fold. First unveiled at CES 2026, the phone is now on sale, making it Motorola’s most expensive smartphone today. In the time we spent reviewing it, we can confidently say that the Motorola Razr Fold gives stiff competition to Samsung and Google’s offerings. But it’s expensive, and in the same ballpark is yet another Motorola flagship foldable begging for your attention.
The Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 is the latest iteration this year, and prices have gone up, bringing it into the Razr Fold’s territory. The Ultra is a more compact phone with a flagship processor while still delivering great battery life. Let’s compare the two phones to see which one you should put your money on.
Motorola Razr Fold vs. Razr Ultra 2026: Design and display
It might be natural to assume that the phone with the smaller footprint should also be slimmer, but that’s not the case. If you’re looking for slimness, the Razr Fold has the Razr Ultra 2026 beat. Unfolded, the Fold measures just 4.7mm compared to 7.2mm on the Ultra. When folded, the Razr Fold is still moderately slim at 10.1mm vs. 15.7mm on the Ultra. Size-wise, the Razr Ultra is easier to handle thanks to the smaller dimensions.
The Ultra is also far lighter than the Razr Fold, weighing 199 grams vs. 243 grams. As far as build quality and toughness go, both phones do an excellent job, with each having a unique feature. The sturdy glass and aluminum body aside, the Razr Ultra 2026 is also MIL-STD-810H certified to survive falls, but it only has an IP48 rating. The Razr Fold lacks the military certification, but it is IP48/ IP49 rated for maximum water resistance.
The displays on both the Razr Fold and the Razr Ultra 2026 are phenomenal in their own right. Let’s start with the Fold, which comes with an 8.1-inch folding pOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 6,200-nit peak brightness. Then there’s the outer display, which is an expansive 6.6-inch panel with a 165Hz refresh rate and up to 6,000-nit peak brightness. This display is also protected by the latest Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3.
The flip-style Razr Ultra 2026 boasts a 7-inch folding screen with an impressive 165Hz refresh rate and up to 5,000-nit peak brightness. The outer display is a 4-inch edge-to-edge display with the same refresh rate and up to 3,000 nits of brightness. This screen is protected by Gorilla Glass Ceramic.
The outer displays on both phones perform very well under any condition. Touch response is great, colors are vivid, and the high brightness makes the screens easily legible even under direct sunlight. The only thing to decide here is which size you’re most comfortable with. The Razr Fold has the added advantage of supporting an active stylus called the Moto Pen Ultra, but this is sold separately.
Motorola Razr Fold vs. Razr Ultra 2026: Hardware and specs
The Motorola Razr Fold costs $1,899.99 at launch, and it comes in a single variant with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Keep in mind that Motorola is known to drastically slash the prices of its phones during sales or even a few months after launch, so I fully expect a more attractive price very soon.
The processor in the Motorola Razr Fold is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 and not the 8 Elite Gen 5. It’s still a flagship, though, and handles multitasking and heavy games really well. We tested it with titles like Honkai: Star Rail and Where Winds Meet at the highest settings and found no performance issues when playing.
The Razr Ultra 2026 comes in two colors and sells for $1,499 with 16GB RAM and 512GB of storage. It’s $400 cheaper than the Fold, which isn’t a small amount, since you can easily buy one of the best cheap phones for that difference. Motorola hasn’t upgraded the processor in the 2026 version, as it uses the same Snapdragon 8 Elite from the 2025 model. This chip still has plenty of life left in it, so it’s not a big deal, but I can see how it won’t sit well for some, considering the price hike.
|
Category |
Motorola Razr Fold |
Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 |
|---|---|---|
|
OS |
Android 16, Seven years of OS upgrades |
Android 16, Three years of OS upgrades |
|
Folding display |
8.1-inch 2K, 120Hz LTPO OLED (1-120Hz), 2,484×2,232 pixels, 6,200 nits peak brightness, 10-bit, Ultra Thin Glass |
7.0-inch, Extreme AMOLED, 1272 x 2992, LTPO 165Hz, 10-bit, Dolby Vision, 5,000 nits peak brightness |
|
Outer display |
6.6-inch, 165Hz pOLED, 6,000 nits peak, 2,520×1,080 pixels, Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 |
4.0-inch, Extreme AMOLED, 1272 x 1080 LTPO 165Hz, 10-bit, Dolby Vision, 3,000 nits peak brightness |
|
Processor |
Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite |
|
RAM |
16GB LPDDR5X |
16GB LPDDR5X |
|
Storage |
512GB |
512GB |
|
Rear cameras |
50MP Sony LYTIA main + 50MP 3x telephoto + 50MP ultrawide (w/ AF) |
50MP main + 50MP ultrawide |
|
Cover + folding screen cameras |
32MP + 20MP |
50MP |
|
Protection |
IP48/ IP49 |
IP48, MIL-STD 810H |
|
Connectivity |
Wi-Fi 7, 5G, Bluetooth 6.0 |
5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
|
Security |
Fingerprint scanner, face unlock |
Fingerprint scanner, face unlock |
|
Battery & charging |
6,000mAh, 80W wired, 50W wireless, 5W reverse wireless |
5,000mAh, 68W wired charging, 30W wireless charging, 5W reverse charging |
|
Dimensions (folded/ unfolded) |
160.05 × 73.6 × 9.89 mm / 160.05 × 144.47 × 4.55 mm |
73.99 x 88.12 x 15.69 mm / 73.99 x 171.48 x 7.19 mm |
|
Weight |
243g |
199g |
|
Colors |
PANTONE Blackened Blue, PANTONE Lily White |
PANTONE Orient Blue with Alcantara Finish, PANTONE Cocoa with Wood |
Thanks to the silicon-carbon battery tech, Motorola has managed to squeeze a massive 6,000mAh capacity in the Razr Fold, giving it incredible battery life. Charging speed is also very fast, thanks to 80W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. To get both these speeds, though, you’ll need the appropriate charging adapters. There’s no Qi2 charging support, which I find a little disappointing.
The Razr Ultra 2026 is no slouch, though. For its size, you still get a pretty big 5,000mAh capacity with 68W wired charging and 30W wireless charging. The battery life of both phones is really good and will easily last you a full day on one charge.
Motorola’s software has generally been slick over the years, and its AI features have also gotten better, but there’s still room for improvement till it reaches Samsung’s or Google’s level in my opinion. Then there’s timely software updates and long-term support, which haven’t been its strong suit. I hope the Razr Fold is the first phone to bring about that change, as for the first time, Motorola is promising seven years of OS upgrades, in line with Samsung and Google.
The incredible versatility is one of the main reasons you should consider buying the Razr Fold. You can easily open and use up to three apps at once in split-screen mode. Simply drag the app from the taskbar and choose the window size you want. There’s an option to open a fourth app too, but this has to be done as a floating window. Then there’s Desk Mode, which turns the Fold into a smart desk display showing you the clock, calendar, and upcoming tasks. All of this is handled beautifully without any hiccups.
The Razr Ultra 2026 also has some software tricks, but not on the same level as the Fold. My main gripe, though, is that the software update commitment is still three years for this phone, which could have easily been longer considering the Fold gets seven.
Motorola Razr Fold vs. Razr Ultra 2026: Cameras
The Motorola Razr Fold has more cameras than the Razr Ultra 2026, and arguably even better ones. Our in-depth camera review of the Fold blew us away with its amazing quality against phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Honor Magic V6. Motorola has truly stepped up its camera game with fantastic Sony Lytia sensors. You get three 50MP sensors on the back, and 20MP and 32MP selfie cameras for the outer and inner displays, respectively.
The Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 gets a new camera sensor and a few new camera features, which are cool. The updated Camcoder Mode lets you perform zoom-in or zoom-out actions by simply twisting your wrist, all while keeping the horizon locked. The lack of a dedicated telephoto camera limits the zoom capability of the Ultra, though.
Motorola Razr Fold vs. Razr Ultra 2026: Which one should you buy?
If you’re planning to spend more than $1,500 on a foldable, I would strongly recommend the Motorola Razr Fold over the Razr Ultra 2026. The Fold is the more versatile phone; it’s slimmer, has better cameras, bigger displays, and lets you be more productive if you also throw the stylus into the mix.
The form factor might take some getting used to, but when it’s folded, it should feel like a standard smartphone. Plus, you’ll have many more years of OS upgrades, which is important when you’re spending this sort of money.
The Razr Ultra 2026 is simply too expensive for what it offers. If it’s the flip style you’re after, then I suggest picking up the 2025 Razr Ultra at a much lower price while you can. You won’t be losing out on much compared to the 2026 model, plus you can save a good chunk of change for accessories like a fancy case.
An impressive debut
The Razr Fold is the company’s first foldable in this category and it’s absolutely fabulous. It’s pricey but still very competitive against similar offerings from Samsung and Google.
Good, but too expensive
The Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 only gets minor upgrades which makes its $200 price increase over the 2025 model quite jarring. Wait for a sale or grab the 2025 Razr Ultra if you need it right away.