Design Déjà Vu: Glamorous, But Familiar
Pick up the new Motorola Razr Ultra and the first feeling is déjà vu. From the slim folding profile to the bold Pantone finishes, this flip phone looks and feels almost identical to last year’s model. The Pantone Cocoa and Orient Blue options are genuinely striking, and Motorola’s attention to fashion-forward detailing still makes the Razr Ultra one of the most eye-catching foldables you can buy. Durability is another bright spot: enhanced drop resistance, Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 on the cover display, and an IP48 rating suggest the phone can withstand daily abuse better than many rival foldables. Yet beyond these refinements, the core design architecture remains unchanged. For existing Razr Ultra owners, the hardware feels more like a polished rerun than a reinvention, raising the question of whether a cosmetic refresh is enough to justify a much higher asking price.
Performance, Battery, and Cameras: Incremental, Not Transformative
Under the hood, the Razr Ultra delivers what you’d expect from a late-cycle refresh: a faster chipset, excellent day-to-day performance, and significantly improved battery life compared with other flip phones. Reviewers highlight that the Razr Ultra offers some of the best endurance in its category, with speedy wired charging to match. The main camera also sees a modest upgrade, notably in low-light scenarios, producing brighter, more usable shots than before. However, video capture still lags behind premium slab phones, and overall camera improvements are described as nice-to-have rather than game-changing. On the software side, Motorola’s tweaks emphasize AI features, but additions like the dedicated AI key feel redundant and underutilized. In short, the experience is smoother and more efficient, yet not meaningfully different from last year’s Razr Ultra for anyone already using that device.
The $200 Question: Is This a Worthwhile Foldable Phone Upgrade?
The most contentious aspect of this Razr Ultra review is price. The new model launches at USD 1,499.99 (approx. RM7,000+), a USD 200 (approx. RM930) bump over last year’s USD 1,299.99 (approx. RM6,000+) tag. Complicating matters, the previous Razr Ultra was recently sold for USD 799.99 (approx. RM3,700+), with its MSRP quietly adjusted to match the new flagship. Reviewers are blunt: if you own the 2025 Razr Ultra, you effectively already have this phone. There is “no need to upgrade,” and certainly not at this premium. Several critics argue the device feels like last year’s flagship sold at this year’s price, with stagnation setting in just as competitors close the gap. The consensus: the Razr Ultra is a very good flip phone, but it’s a USD 1,300 (approx. RM6,000+) experience at best, and truly compelling only if discounts pull it back toward that USD 799.99 (approx. RM3,700+) territory.
Premium Foldable Value: Razr vs Galaxy Z Flip and Beyond
Motorola once enjoyed a clear lead in compact foldables, but the current Razr lineup suggests that advantage is eroding. On one side is the cheaper Razr, priced at USD 799 (approx. RM3,700+), with the same core design language, a capable 3.6‑inch cover screen, and a 6.9‑inch 120Hz inner display. It offers decent hardware but suffers from weaker performance, bloatware, and a plastic inner layer that detracts from tactility. Above it sits the Razr Ultra at USD 1,499.99 (approx. RM7,000+), whose incremental upgrades do not clearly justify almost double the outlay. Meanwhile, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 7 comes in at around USD 900 (approx. RM4,200+), potentially delivering better value with competitive hardware and software polish. For buyers evaluating a foldable phone upgrade, the Razr Ultra’s premium foldable value proposition is shaky: unless you prioritise Motorola’s styling and can snag a major discount, the broader market now offers more compelling balance between price, innovation, and longevity.