Motorola released the razr 40 ultra a short time ago. On paper a big step forward for the company, but is it really? And how does it compare to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4? WANT editor Dennis Mons used the device extensively and this is what he thought of it.
I had the opportunity to use the Motorola razr 40 ultimate as a daily driver for some time. Admittedly, I have always had a soft spot for the brand. For example, ten years ago I was incredibly happy with my Razr V3i. Sexy, thin and impressive. But I won’t let myself “fan boy”! What do I think of the razr 40 ultra and is it better than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4?
Motorola razr 40 ultra versus Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
Ahead: I can’t ignore this. There are quite a few flip phones on the market and for now, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is one of the best. I also got to test that one and I was particularly impressed. Can the Motorola razr 40 ultra compete with it? One hundred percent as far as I am concerned.
[SPOILER] Herewith some of the points that made me fall in love with the razr 40 ultimate.
First, what a blissful price point. A logical first conclusion. After all, the razr costs “only” 1,199 euros. The Samsung now costs 1,099, but it doesn’t have that absurdly impressive external screen of 3.6 inches. Samsung’s is 1.9 inches.
That is also immediately a huge difference in usability and is worth that extra 100 euros already. The Motorola razr 40 ultimate is really excellent to use without opening your device. Virtually all your regular apps can be used on the secondary screen just as you do when you open the device. And the screen is absurdly smooth and fast at 165Hz. This is a mini phone óon a phone. There are even cool mini-games you can play. A gimmick, sure, but extremely entertaining nonetheless.
An exceptionally beautiful screen with many features. (Image: WANT.co.uk)
The inside is also beautiful
In terms of the “normal screen,” the brands are not very bizarrely different, since they are AMOLED screens. But the ultra does have a big advantage: the refresh rate is a whopping 165Hz compared to the Flip 4’s 120Hz. In addition, the screen is also a touch brighter, at 1400 nits.
Two screens do eat up your battery. If you have a flip phone with two screens, your battery life is quite a headache. Especially if, like with the Motorola razr 40 ultimate, you have a much larger and super bright screen, and you also have to give the second one a boost.
Although the Motorola razr 40 ultimate has a larger battery, of 3800mAh (the Samsung is 3700), the latter lasts longer, at 92 hours. But in daily use with fairly frequent charging, I didn’t notice very much of that with the razr. The fact remains that we’re on the charger anyway, so that wasn’t a pain.
Also excellent for use as an old-fashioned video camera. (Image: WANT.co.uk)
The best picture is inside the Motorola
In terms of photos, the Z Flip 4 has a 12MP, f/1.8 (wide) and 12MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide) camera. The ultra, in turn, has a 12MP, f/1.5 (wide) and 13MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide). These specs are not immediately decisive, as software is equally important.
Those photos, of course, are processed by the phone itself. And both the Z Flip 4 and the razr have an Octa-core with a “top speed” of 3.19 GHz. That’s more than enough for a blazingly fast device. They also share the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. Not the very fastest on sale (Gen 2 is out for the S23, for example), but that’s not necessary. It is absolutely a beast. So you get the most out of it. Both the Flip 4 and the razr 40 ultimate are affordable standouts in this regard.
Cool competition versus Samsung, but who wins?
I am completely convinced: despite a few things in which Samsung takes the points, the Motorola razr 40 ultra is the flip phone (or clamshell, if you will) of the moment in my opinion. When you hold this very light, well-designed and thin device in your hands, you know you are experiencing something special.
The fact that the external screen is so large and fast on the Motorola, and that the refresh rate of both screens puts competitors ahead of them for a while, is a deciding factor for me. In addition, the form factor is also important. Everything about the design is right.
And so speaking of reviewing … if you sit with it in a café or in the ov: THIS is a sexy phone. Perhaps the sexiest of the moment. So expect lots of jealous looks.
