Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip vs. Motorola Razr: Folding phone face-off

 

The second age of the flip phone has arrived with Motorola’s new Razr combining a futuristic folding screen with a distinctly retro form. Not to be outdone, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Flip at its Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event. Which of these new foldable phones is going to grab your attention? Let’s see exactly how the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip measures up against the Motorola Razr.

Recommended Videos

Specs

Galaxy Z Flip Motorola Razr
Size Unfolded: 167.3 x 73.6 x 7.2 mm, Folded: 87.4 x 73.6 x 17.3 mm Unfolded: 172 x 72 x 6.9 mm, folded: 94 x 72 x 14 mm
Weight  183 grams (6.46 ounces) 205 grams (7.2 ounces)
Screen size 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED and 1.06-inch Super AMOLED 6.2-inch POLED and 2.7-inch GOLED
Screen resolution 2636 x 1080 pixels  and 300 x 112 pixels  2142 x 876 pixels and 800 x 600 pixels
Operating system Android 10 Android 9.0 Pie
Storage 256GB 128GB
MicroSD card slot No No
Tap-to-pay services Samsung Pay, Google Pay Google Pay
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus Qualcomm Snapdragon 710
RAM 8GB 6GB
Camera 12-megapixel and 12MP ultrawide rear, 10MP front 16-megapixel rear, 5MP front
Video 2160p at 60fps 2160p at 30fps, 1080p at 30fps
Bluetooth version 5.0 5.0
Ports USB-C USB-C
Fingerprint sensor Yes, side Yes, front
Water resistance TBA Splash-resistant nano-coating
Battery 3,300mAh

Fast charging (15W)

Qi wireless charging

2,510mAh

Fast charging (15W)

App marketplace Google Play Store Google Play Store
Network support TBA Verizon
Colors Mirror Purple, Mirror Black Noir Black
Price $1,380 $1,500
Buy from Samsung

Motorola

Review score Hands-on Hands-on

Design, display, and durability

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is a little shorter, wider, and thicker than the Motorola Razr and it folds open to reveal a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen that is finished with thin glass for a familiar feel. The Motorola Razr is a little smaller but has a chin on the bottom that houses the fingerprint sensor, whereas the Z Flip has a fingerprint sensor on the side. The Razr’s screen is a half-inch smaller on the diagonal and it’s plastic. Not only does Samsung’s Z Flip have a bigger screen, but it also boasts a higher resolution. The secondary display on the Z Flip is very small and just for notifications. The Razr has a much larger outer display, but again it’s mostly intended for notifications and you’ll be opening these phones to get things done.

Durability is a bit of an unknown for these phones, but there have been some early reports of the Motorola Razr screen creaking when it’s folded. The Razr is splash resistant, so rain shouldn’t present a problem. We’re not sure what water-resistance if any, the Z Flip has. The Razr offers some nostalgia with a design that reminds us of the popular Razr flip phone series that came out in 2004. The Galaxy Z Flip has a different look that’s less emotive, and it has a smaller external display, but it seems likely that it will have a superior main screen. We’re calling this category a tie.

Winner: Tie

Performance, battery life, and charging

Corey Gaskin / Digital Trends

Things are much more straightforward here. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is packing a much more powerful processor in the shape of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus, backed by 8GB of RAM. The Motorola Razr makes do with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 and 6GB of RAM. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip also has 256GB of storage, while the Motorola Razr has 128GB and neither has room for a MicroSD card. The Z Flip is more capable and should be significantly faster than the Razr in most tasks. It will also handle multitasking better.

The Z Flip also wins on battery life and charging, with a much bigger 3,300mAh battery and support for wireless charging. The Razr has a 2,510mAh battery and will likely struggle to last as long as the Z Flip in normal use. Neither of these phones is going to support 5G.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

Cameras

Riley Young / Digital Trends

It’s another big win for the Z Flip here with a dual-lens main camera pairing a 12-megapixel sensor with a second ultrawide 12-megapixel lens. It also has a 10-megapixel front-facing camera at the top of the screen when you open it up. The Motorola Razr, by contrast, has a single-lens 16-megapixel main camera with a time-of-flight sensor and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The Z Flip boasts a more versatile camera and we usually prefer Samsung’s image processing to Motorola’s, so we’re giving the Z Flip the nod here.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

Software and updates

Corey Gaskin / Digital Trends

With Android 10 out of the box and Samsung’s One UI 2.0 over the top, which is optimized for folding phones, the Z Flip should offer a pretty slick, feature-packed software experience. The Motorola Razr has Android 9.0 Pie out of the box, but it is set to get an Android 10 update swiftly. Neither of these manufacturers has a great record for swift software updates.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

Price and availability

You can buy the Motorola Razr now, but it’s a Verizon exclusive in the U.S. and it will cost you $1,500. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is available from February 14 and starts from $1,380. You can buy it unlocked from Samsung or Best Buy or pick one up from Sprint or AT&T.

Overall winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is going to be the better buy for most people. With a superior screen, more processing power, longer battery life, and a better camera all coming in at a lower price, the Z Flip is the clear winner.

Simon Hill
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Simon Hill is an experienced technology journalist and editor who loves all things tech. He is currently the Associate Mobile…
More details emerge about Samsung first ‘fan edition’ foldable phone
Leaked product renders of Samsung Galaxy Z flip 7 FE.

A recent report from Korea, via SamMobile, has revealed several new theories regarding the long-rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. Samsung may begin production of this phone, which will be its first "fan edition" foldable, as early as next month.

According to the report, Samsung plans to produce up to 170,000 units of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, compared to 240,000 units for the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 7. These production numbers suggest that Samsung expects the standard Flip 7 to outsell the FE variant, keeping it as the company's top-selling foldable device.

Read more
Forget the Z Fold 8, new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 leak suggests it could be worth buying
A person holding the open Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

The new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has leaked again and this time it's looking like the next-gen foldable smartphone could be the one to buy.

This new rumour, coming from an X post by @The Galox_ reveals that the new Fold 7 could come with the latest Samsung Galaxy One UI 8 out of the box.

Read more
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 could land with a much better camera
Galaxy Z Fold 3 on a pavement.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 might do away with its under-display camera (UDC) in favor of a more traditional pinhole cam, according to well-known tipster yeux1122. The under-display tech has been a favorite of Samsung's for a long time, but is only used in the Galaxy Z Fold series. UDCs provide a seamless, more streamlined appearance, but lack quality compared to a dedicated camera.

Yeux1122 shared the information on Naver, a Korean blog site. He suggests that under-display cameras are not as cost-efficient as other alternatives. Given the current economic climate, Yeux1122 says Apple has postponed implementation of the technology in its devices and that Samsung's Galaxy division "is also moving in a similar direction." Part of the reason is due to costs, but another is that Samsung is reportedly struggling to improve the technical aspects of the camera.

Read more