When the Motorola Razr was introduced back in 2018, it brought with it that nostalgic sentiment and cajoled some of the audience to shell out more than a lakh on a smartphone that felt like it was rolled out as a prototype.
Two years later, Motorola has launched the Motorola Razr 5G, which, as the name suggests, adds 5G capabilities to the device and comes across as a more-refined avatar of the aforementioned 2018 variant.
We got a day with the Motorola Razr 5G and here is our first impressions of the device.
Design & Display
Right off the bat, you’ll be able to tell that Motorola has added more glass to the package. The 3D glass sandwiches the entire body in a neat manner and it exudes a more premium look than before.
The chamfered edges have been detailed a little too well, so much so, that there isn’t any indentation or a gap between the two halves of the phone where I could slide my thumb in to open the flap.
Also, the hinge has been reworked to make sure that dust and debris aren’t allowed entry between the 6.2-inch POLED foldable display and the inside of the device. That was a major problem before. If you tilt the display at a certain angle, you will be able to see that the phone now carries three creases, which frankly isn’t a deal-breaker for me as they are hardly noticeable while using the phone.
It’s a good display although struggles a bit outdoors. The missing oleophobic coating is an open invitation for smudges, glare, and perhaps even scratches.
When folded, the device sits comfortably in the palm of my hands and slides without any difficulty even into smaller pockets. One of the things I love about this phone.
The hinge has been designed in such a way that the flap doesn't remain half folded — something like what we have seen on the Samsung Galaxy Flip — and this restricts a lot of added functionalities fo the device. You cannot keep it flat on the tabletop and binge on content as the screen doesn’t support that orientation.
The outer 2.7-inch OLED touch display now offers app support and the transition from the smaller screen to the bigger is smooth when you have specific apps opened on the smaller display.
Hardware & Performance
The Motorola 5G is a considerable upgrade in terms of the hardware. You get a Snapdragon 765 that’s running the show bundled with 8GB of RAM and 256GB on onboard storage that isn’t expandable.
The moniker Razr 5G can be credited to the millimeter-wave support that the new Snapdragon 765 offers with this phone.
The fingerprint sensor has now been moved to the back that now supports gestures. I had no problem with it being on the front but the engineers at Motorola had a different eye for detail.
We will pass giving reviews on the performance of the device as we didn’t get enough time with the device.
In terms of the user experience, you get Android 10 out-of-the-box and Motorola has kept things neat with no bloat in this device.
We did get an opportunity to play a few games on the phone and there wasn’t any lag. But again, the real test comes in when you get the chance to load the phone will multiple apps and then try it. So, no comment on the performance.
Camera & Battery Life
The Motorola Razr now gets a 20-megapixel front camera with a 48-megapixel shooter at the back. Compared to the 16MP/5MP camera combo unit in the 2019 Motorola Razr, this seems like a major upgrade.
We did click a few images and weren’t disappointed with what was on offer. The TOF (Time of Flight) 48-megapixel snapper at the back gets OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) for the video while it also adds burst mode, night vision and other features as well.
We tried the front camera in low light and noticed that the picture came out a bit oversaturated. Rest assured it comes bundled with a lot of modes you can play around with.
Here’s a look at some of the sample images:
There has been a minor bump in terms of battery juice with the 2020 variant now being shipped with 2,800mAh of battery with 18W fast charging support. Under the 3,000mAh mark, it’s tough saying whether it will be enough to last the entire day.
Initial Verdict
The preponderance of foldable smartphones among conventional flat-screen devices is still at its nascent stage but it’s an industry that will thrive in a couple of years. It seems Motorola seems to be headed in the right direction with the new Razr 5G.
It’ll be premature to even consider the Motorola Razr 5G as the paragon of foldable technology in India but it’s welcome upgrade nonetheless.
I still feel the hinge isn’t perfect but it’s getting there.
At a retail price tag of Rs 1,24,999, the Motorola Razr 5G is not made for everyone and belongs in deep pockets. Moreover, you get bragging rights for owning a foldable phone in these times.
Not to forget, the sheer pleasure you drive out of flipping your phone open and putting it to your ears as we’ve seen in so many Hollywood movies. You can’t put a price tag on that.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)