Motorola Razr 50 Review: Let’s Get to the Best Part

Motorola’s Razr series has always been a symbol of innovation and nostalgia, fusing the iconic flip phone Design with modern folding technology. With the launch of the Motorola Razr 50The company continues this legacy by introducing significant improvements that address some of the shortcomings of its predecessors.

The Razr 50 is also positioned as the more affordable alternative to the Razr 50 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 Both are probably the best foldable phones you can buy right now. However, the Razr 50 definitely offers better value for money.

Let’s dive into the various aspects of the Razr 50, from its design and build quality to performance, camera capabilities, and overall value.

Motorola Razr 50 Review:Design and build quality

The Motorola Razr 50 bears a striking resemblance to last year’s Razr 40 Ultra in terms of design, but it features a few key upgrades. The most notable change is the addition of a larger, more functional protective display and improved IPX8 water resistance. The overall design of the phone feels premium, with a satin-finished aluminum frame and a stainless steel hinge cover.

The Razr 50 is available in three color variants, including Koala Grey with a vegan suede finish, Beach Sand, and Spritz Orange with vegan leather. I had a chance to try out the Koala Grey variant, and it feels premium as soon as you hold it in your hand. The 3.6-inch Cover Display, protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, provides a substantial upgrade over the Razr 40’s small bar display. This larger screen makes interacting with notifications, quick settings, and apps much more convenient.

The phone’s hinge mechanism allows it to stay open at various angles, a feature that comes in handy for hands-free video calls or taking photos. The Razr 50 can fold, a feature that was a first for Motorola’s flip phones. One more thing: That snap you hear when you fold the screen is oddly satisfying.

The Razr 50 has an unfolded thickness of just 7.25 mm and measures 15.85 mm when folded or closed. As for physical buttons, the Razr 50 has a volume rocker on the right edge of the top half and a power button, which also functions as a fingerprint sensor.

Another great addition from Motorola is that the retail box also includes a protective case for both halves of the phone.

Motorola Razr 50 review: display

The Razr 50 features two displays: a 6.9-inch LTPO OLED main display on the inside, and a 3.6-inch cover display on the outside. The main display features a 1080 x 2640 pixel resolution and supports HDR10+. However, it lacks the Dolby Vision support found on the Razr 50 Ultra, which is a minor downside. The refresh rate is capped at 120Hz, which is smooth and responsive, though not as high as the Ultra model’s 165Hz.

One thing I noticed during my testing is that HDR content playback on YouTube only works in full-screen mode, not windowed mode. And, as soon as you switch to picture-in-picture mode that hovers over other apps or content, the video window goes black and only the audio plays. This issue didn’t occur with non-HDR videos, which played without a hitch.

The Cover Display is a significant improvement over previous models, though, offering a 1,056 x 1,066 pixel resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. It provides a more immersive and interactive experience with full-featured apps and a proper camera viewfinder. Motorola has made handling the refresh rate simple, offering two modes: High (up to 120Hz) and Standard (60Hz), both of which adapt to the content on display.

Motorola Razr 50 review: performance

Inside, the Motorola Razr 50 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300X chipset, which is a departure from the Snapdragon processors typically found in high-profile foldables. Built on a 4nm process, the Dimensity 7300X features an octa-core CPU with a combination of four 2.5GHz Cortex-A78 cores and four 2.0GHz Cortex-A55 cores. The GPU is the Mali-G615 MC2. In India, the Razr 50 is only available with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. However, you can choose to expand the RAM by up to an additional 8GB using unoccupied storage.

In terms of real-world performance, the Razr 50 is competent, but not groundbreaking. It handles everyday tasks with ease, including browsing, social media, and moderate multitasking. Its gaming performance is less impressive, however. Titles like BGMI and Asphalt Legends Unite are playable, but you may need to tweak the settings for optimal performance. The device tends to get warm under sustained load, though it doesn’t reach uncomfortable temperatures.

Benchmark results show the Razr 50 falling behind its competitors, including the Galaxy Z Flip series and the Razr 50 Ultra, but that’s obvious given that they pack more powerful chipsets. Its performance is similar to other mid-range devices, with decent, but not exceptional, performance stability under load. This chipset choice may disappoint users looking for high-end gaming or future-proofing.

In my tests, the Razr 50 scored 650,720 points in the AnTuTu benchmark. In Geekbench 6, the device scored 1050 points in the single-core test and 3025 points in the multi-core test. To give an idea, the Dimensity 7300-powered CMF Phone 1 scored 616,175 points in AnTuTu and scored 1042 points in the single-core test and 2921 points in the multi-core test in Geekbench 6.

In the CPU throttling test, the Motorola Razr 50 showed some fluctuation in performance, though remained relatively stable overall. The device maintained an average of 81% of its maximum performance, with a minimal drop of 72%.

Motorola Razr 50 review: battery life and charging

The Razr 50 is equipped with a 4,200mAh battery, the same capacity as its predecessor. In testing, the phone reached a full charge in just over an hour using the included 33W TurboPower adapter. However, the phone only supports 30W wired charging. This performance is better than the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Flip 6, but it doesn’t match the Razr 50 Ultra’s faster charging speeds.

Wireless charging support has been improved to 15W, a significant improvement from the previous 5W limit. The device maintains good battery life overall, with the ability to comfortably last a full day of average use.

Motorola Razr 50 review: camera system

The Motorola Razr 50 comes with a dual rear camera setup: a 50MP main sensor and a 13MP ultra-wide camera. On the front, there’s a 32MP selfie camera. The main camera is similar to the one found on the Razr 50 Ultra, but it lacks the dedicated telephoto lens.

The 50MP Samsung ISOCELL GN8 main camera performs well in daylight conditions, offering vibrant colours and a decent dynamic range. However, images can appear over-processed with noticeable sharpness. In low light, the main camera captures relatively good photos, with balanced exposures and pleasing saturation.

The 13MP ultra-wide camera is acceptable, but not exceptional. It struggles with white balance and dynamic range, and while it captures usable photos, they often appear cooler and less detailed compared to the main camera.

The 32MP front camera allows for taking good quality selfies with accurate skin tones and adequate details. The cover screen camera feature makes taking selfies more convenient and many users will prefer external cameras for better details and background separation.

Motorola Razr 50 review: software and features

The Razr 50 runs Android 14 with Motorola’s Hello UI. The software experience is a combination of the stock Android OS with Motorola’s customizations. The UI is clean and features additional features that can be accessed through the Moto App Center.

The cover screen functionality is the best part, offering quick access to notifications, quick settings, and a variety of apps. Google Gemini can be accessed directly from the cover screen, adding a modern touch to the user experience.

I liked the fact that Motorola allows you to tweak customizations so that you can continue using apps on the cover screen as soon as you fold the Razr 50. I even tried playing BGMI on the cover screen, although it’s not practical, it still worked without any issues.

Motorola Razr 50 review: speaker and audio quality

He Features of the Motorola Razr 50 A dual-speaker setup, with one front speaker functioning as an earpiece when the device is unfolded and another placed next to the USB-C port. Audio output is mid-range, but overall louder and more vibrant. The stereo effect is well controlled and overall audio performance is satisfactory for a foldable device.

Motorola Razr 50 review: verdict

The Motorola Razr 50 is a commendable addition to the foldable phone market, offering a combination of style, functionality, and improvements over its predecessors. The larger cover display and improved water resistance are notable upgrades that make the Razr 50 a more competitive option against the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip series. Its design is sleek, and the foldable display technology remains impressive.

However, the Razr 50’s performance, powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300X chipset, may not meet the expectations of power users or gamers. The camera system, while competent, doesn’t stand out in the crowded foldable market.

For those looking for a stylish and functional foldable phone with good battery life and a large display, the Motorola Razr 50 is a solid choice at Rs 64,999. It may not be the best option when it comes to performance or camera prowess, but it offers a well-rounded package that makes it a worthy contender in the foldable phone landscape.