In contrast to underwhelming past releases of Motorola’s foldable phones, the brand has taken a remarkable leap forward this year. The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra has emerged with a notable departure from previous designs, surpassing many current forerunners in the market through its innovation. It has firmly established itself as a robust competitor among other name brands, flagship foldables.
Display and processor
The outside display of the 40 Ultra clearly distinguishes the phone from others in the Motorola lineup, and despite my initial skepticism, the 3.6 inch, 413 ppi screen offered significant additional functionality. The external screen allows use of almost any app installed on the phone, avoiding unnecessary distractions. I utilized this screen frequently, responding to messages, answering calls, making payments and playing music without ever opening the phone. Consequently, I found I reduced my screen time and unnecessary use of my phone, enhancing my productivity significantly. Further, use of this screen is enhanced significantly through the phone’s new “Flex Mode”. Unlike other foldable models, the 40 Ultra’s external screen can be used when half open, allowing you to prop the phone up to display playlists, map directions, timers and anything else you might like.
The phone also boasts other impressive specs given its price and foldable design. Notably, I found the main 6.9inch FullHD screen exceeded expectations with its admirable 165Hz and 1400 nit display making use during daylight, and across multiple resource-intense apps incredibly smooth. This performance was bolstered by the phone’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor which made for seamless app performance and display transitions. Moreover, the crease of this phone was to me, almost entirely unnoticeable. My only plight was with the display size, which felt to me to be too long and strangely narrow. Personally, this screen was hard to use with one hand and I felt clumsy carrying it at times. Nevertheless, for those looking for a larger screen, this may be a winning feature.
Camera
As with any foldable phone on the market today, camera quality of the 40 Ultra is definitely lacking in some areas. The phone comes with a 12 megapixel main camera, 13 megapixel ultrawide camera and 32 megapixel front facing camera. The photos taken with each of these are middling and by no means impressive, however are the standard for the phone’s form, limited by its hinged design. As a long time Motorola user, however, I continued to enjoy the brand’s tendency towards vibrant, colorful pictures which enhance photos taken in good lighting. Two unique features I did make use of were the external display’s viewfinder setting, and camera tripoding enabled by the folded design.
Battery
Foldable phones are not currently leaders in battery capacity, however, the Ultra’s 3800mHa battery is an improvement upon previous generations, and greater external display functionality allows for battery use to be minimized considerably. I was able to make it through most days using social media and streaming apps without having to recharge. Moreover, I found that dips in performance from battery saver were tolerable, although at times led to apps like google maps noticeably dropping frames. Finally, the 30W fast charging and 5W wireless charging capabilities of the phone allow for effortless recharges where necessary.
Additional Specs and Features
The additional features of the 40 Ultra model cement it as a phone suitable for everyday use, however I do question the phone’s longevity. I appreciated the phone’s 256gb baseline storage capacity which works in conjunction with android’s streamlined transfer of data to Google storage to allow for seemingless limitless storage. Further, integration of GPay into external display use was particularly helpful whilst on the go; I didn’t realize how much I used this feature until switching to a different phone. Where I feel there could be improvement is in the phone’s water and dust protection, which offers a relatively limited IP52 dust and splash protection rating. This, along with the phone’s thin 7mm design, did not inspire great confidence in its durability. Nevertheless, the phone remained undamaged throughout the entirety of my use so this worry is perhaps, ungrounded.
Conclusion
Motorola’s Razr 40 Ultra marks a turning point for the brand’s foldable models, showcasing impressive innovation and design. Highlight features include the phone’s versatile 3.6-inch external display with remarkable app flexibility and functionality, the 6.9inch FullHD screen which boasts a smooth 165Hz display, and the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor which enables the phone’s solid performance under stress. Whilst the Camera has room for improvement, the 3800mAh battery offers strong endurance aided by the external display. Overall, the phone is a strong competitor in the foldable market.
More about Motorola’s Razr 40 Ultra
Colours Infinite Black, Viva Magenta, Glacier Blue
RRP $1,499
You can buy Motorola’s Razr 40 Ultra here: https://www.motorola.com.au/smartphones-motorola-razr-40-ultra-2023/p
