Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 Review: The Ultimate Flip Phone Has Arrived (But Should You Buy It?)

The name “Razr” still evokes a certain nostalgia for many – a time of iconic flip phones that defined an era. Fast forward to today, and Motorola is attempting to recapture that magic in the age of foldables. The 2025 Razr lineup marks a significant push, spearheaded by the Motorola Razr Ultra (2025), a device aiming not just to compete, but to dominate the premium flip phone category.

Unlike previous years where Motorola might offer one or two models, 2025 sees a clear tiered approach: the base Razr (2025), the Razr+ (2025), and the top-tier Razr Ultra. This strategy mirrors standard smartphone lines and signals Motorola’s ambition to capture various price points within the growing foldable market, moving beyond a single halo product. The Razr Ultra sits firmly at the pinnacle, boasting flagship specifications and a premium price tag.

But does it live up to the “Ultra” name? Is it the foldable flip phone you’ve been waiting for, or are established players like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 still the safer bet? This deep dive aims to provide an honest, user-focused look at the Razr Ultra 2025, examining its design, durability, screens, performance, cameras, battery life, and software to help you make an informed decision. We’ll address common concerns about foldables – price, fragility, practicality – and see if Motorola has truly flipped expectations.

Design & Durability: Built Tough, Looks Sharp

Motorola clearly understands that a premium phone needs premium aesthetics and robust construction, especially when dealing with the inherent complexities of a foldable design.

More Than Just a Pretty Face (Materials & Aesthetics)

The Razr Ultra (2025) presents a refined version of the modern flip phone silhouette. When open, it measures 73.99 x 171.48 x 7.29mm (or 2.91 x 6.75 x 0.28 inches), and when closed, it becomes a compact square at 73.99 x 88.12 x 15.69mm (or 2.91 x 3.47 x 0.62 inches). It weighs in at 199g (7.02 ounces), making it slightly heavier than its siblings and the previous generation, a trade-off for its larger battery and potentially more robust build.

The materials used scream premium. The large external display is protected by Corning® Gorilla™ Glass Ceramic, a material known for its enhanced toughness compared to standard glass options. The frame utilizes aluminum, standard for flagships, providing structural integrity. What truly sets the Razr Ultra apart, however, are the back panel finishes. Motorola offers a range of sophisticated options certified by Pantone, including Alcantara (a soft, suede-like material), FSC-certified wood, a Satin-inspired finish, and a Leather-inspired finish, depending on the colorway chosen. Available colors include striking options like Pantone Rio Red, Pantone Scarab (Green), Pantone Cabaret (Pink), and the unique Pantone Mountain Trail (Wood finish).

Hands-on impressions suggest that while it might feel a “smidge thicker and heavier” than the Razr Plus, it maintains a “relatively thin and light” feel overall, striking a balance between substance and portability.

Addressing Foldable Fears (Hinge & IP Rating)

Foldable phones have long battled perceptions of fragility. Concerns about hinge longevity and vulnerability to dust and water are top-of-mind for many potential buyers. Motorola tackles these fears head-on with significant durability upgrades in the Razr Ultra.

A standout feature is the IP48 rating. This is a crucial improvement. While many previous foldables, including earlier Samsung Galaxy Z Flips, carried an IPX8 rating (indicating water resistance but no specific protection against solids), the ‘4’ in IP48 signifies protection against solid objects larger than 1 millimeter. This means the Razr Ultra offers a degree of dust resistance, a vital feature often missing in foldables and a direct response to a major user pain point. The ‘8’ indicates water resistance, likely meaning submersion in up to 1.5 meters of fresh water for 30 minutes, matching competitors like the latest Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Motorola has also reinforced the critical folding mechanism with a new titanium-reinforced hinge. The company claims this hinge is not only stronger but also engineered to withstand 35% more folds over its lifetime compared to the previous generation’s stainless steel design. Early hands-on testing corroborates this, with reviewers noting the hinge feels “much better than prior generations”.

By specifically highlighting the IP48 rating and the stronger titanium hinge, Motorola is making a strategic play to build consumer trust. These features directly counter anxieties about foldable durability and position the Razr Ultra as a potentially more robust and reliable option compared to devices that historically lagged in dust protection or hinge reassurance. For users particularly concerned about longevity or living in dustier environments, this focus on durability could be a compelling reason to choose the Razr Ultra.

A Tale of Two Screens: Big, Bright, and Brilliant?

The dual-screen nature of a flip phone is its defining characteristic. The Razr Ultra aims to excel with both its large internal display and its highly functional external screen.

The Main Event (Inner Display)

Unfolding the Razr Ultra reveals its largest main display to date: a 7.0-inch Foldable AMOLED screen with a Super HD (2992 x 1224 pixels, 464ppi) resolution. This panel utilizes LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) technology, enabling an adaptive refresh rate that dynamically adjusts up to 165Hz. This means users get incredibly smooth scrolling and animations when needed, while the refresh rate can drop significantly (down to 1Hz when idle) to conserve battery life.

Motorola claims an exceptionally high peak brightness of 4500 nits for this display. While achieving such peaks typically requires specific conditions, this suggests excellent potential for outdoor visibility, likely surpassing competitors like the Galaxy Z Flip 6 (rated at 2600 nits peak HDR). Reviewers anticipate it will easily exceed the brightness of previous Razr models, which were already class-leading. Support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision further enhances the viewing experience for compatible content.

Of course, the question of the crease remains. While specific reviews on the Razr Ultra’s crease visibility are pending, foldable displays inherently have a subtle indentation at the fold point. User experiences with previous models suggest that while noticeable if you look for it or run a finger across it, it tends to fade from consciousness during regular use.

The Cover Story (External Display)

Motorola has consistently leveraged the cover screen as a key differentiator for its Razr line, and the Ultra continues this tradition with a large and capable 4.0-inch pOLED external display. This isn’t just a notification ticker; it’s a highly functional secondary screen with a sharp 1272 x 1080 resolution (417ppi).

Like the main display, it features LTPO technology with an adaptive refresh rate up to 165Hz, ensuring fluidity even on the smaller screen. It also supports HDR10+ and boasts a claimed peak brightness of 3000 nits, making it usable even in bright conditions.

The real value lies in its utility. Users can run full Android apps directly on the cover screen, check notifications, reply to messages, use it as a camera viewfinder for higher-quality selfies with the main cameras, and access a variety of customizable widgets. New additions include a communications widget that aggregates messages from various apps. This extensive functionality aims to minimize the number of times users need to open the phone for quick tasks, a key convenience factor for the flip form factor.

Compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6’s smaller 3.4-inch cover screen, which often requires workarounds like Samsung’s Good Lock app to run arbitrary applications, the Razr Ultra’s larger, more inherently capable cover screen presents a significant usability advantage. While some minor navigational quirks were noted on previous models’ cover screens, the overall experience is designed to be a core strength. For users who want to do as much as possible without unfolding their phone, the Razr Ultra’s cover screen implementation is a compelling feature.

Brains and Brawn: Performance Meets Intelligence

Motorola positions the Razr Ultra as the “world’s most powerful flip phone”, backing this claim with Qualcomm’s latest high-end silicon and a strong focus on artificial intelligence.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Powerhouse

At the heart of the Razr Ultra lies the Snapdragon® 8 Elite Mobile Platform, built on an advanced 3nm process technology. This is Qualcomm’s top-tier chipset for 2025, featuring custom Oryon CPU cores (2 high-performance cores up to 4.32GHz, 6 efficiency cores up to 3.53GHz) and the powerful Adreno 830 GPU. This chip promises significant performance uplift over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 found in competitors like the Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Benchmark comparisons illustrate this potential advantage. AnTuTu 10 scores show the Snapdragon 8 Elite potentially achieving scores around 2.7 million, roughly 30-35% higher than typical Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 scores (~2.0-2.1 million). Similarly, Geekbench 6 results suggest substantial gains in both single-core (~44% higher) and multi-core (~33% higher) CPU performance for the Elite.

Supporting this powerful chip is a generous 16GB of fast LPDDR5X RAM, which Motorola claims can be virtually expanded up to 32GB using RAM Boost technology. Storage options are ample, with 512GB or 1TB of high-speed UFS 4.0 storage available. This combination of cutting-edge processing, abundant RAM, and fast storage positions the Razr Ultra for demanding tasks and smooth multitasking.

The Potential Performance Catch (Throttling & Power Draw)

While the Snapdragon 8 Elite boasts impressive peak performance figures, harnessing that power within the confines of a slim foldable presents challenges. Benchmarks and analysis indicate that the 8 Elite can consume significantly more power under sustained load compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. This higher power draw translates to more heat generation, which must be managed, especially in a device with limited space for cooling solutions.

Real-world testing of the Razr 60 Ultra (the global name for the Razr Ultra 2025) by sources like GSMArena revealed aggressive CPU throttling under sustained load. Early Geekbench results for a Razr Ultra prototype also showed scores slightly lower than expected for the 8 Elite, potentially due to thermal management within the foldable form factor.

This suggests a potential trade-off: the Razr Ultra might offer chart-topping burst speeds for quick tasks but could throttle performance during extended demanding activities like high-end gaming or heavy video editing to prevent overheating. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, while using the slightly less powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, incorporates a vapor chamber for cooling and uses a chip known for better power efficiency relative to the Elite under load. This might result in more consistent sustained performance on the Z Flip 6, even if its peak benchmark numbers are lower. Users prioritizing consistent speed for prolonged heavy use should be aware of this potential limitation in the Razr Ultra, highlighting the importance of considering real-world sustained performance, not just peak benchmarks, in thermally constrained devices.

Moto AI & Gemini Smarts

AI is a significant focus for the Razr Ultra, leveraging the powerful NPU (Neural Processing Unit) within the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Motorola integrates its Moto AI suite, which utilizes models from Google Gemini, Meta AI, OpenAI, and Perplexity.

Key Moto AI features include:

• Catch Me Up: Summarizes your notifications, saving you time.
• Pay Attention: Records conversations and generates summaries or transcriptions.
• Remember This: Allows you to capture on-screen info or voice notes and retrieve them later using AI search.
• Next Move: Contextually analyzes what’s on your screen and suggests relevant next actions or AI features.
• Playlist Studio: Creates music playlists based on prompts or themes.
• Image Studio: An AI-powered image generator.
• Group Shot: Similar to Google Pixel’s Best Take, it captures multiple frames and blends the best expressions for an optimal group photo.
• Look & Talk: Allows initiating interactions with Moto AI simply by looking at the phone.

The phone also deeply integrates Google Gemini, including access to Gemini Live for real-time conversational AI and a complimentary 3-month trial of Gemini Advanced and the Google One AI Premium plan (which includes 2TB of cloud storage). A dedicated AI Key on the side provides quick access to these features. This comprehensive suite aims to make AI a helpful and integrated part of the daily user experience.

Flipping the Script on Cameras? The Triple 50MP Array

Flip phone cameras have often been seen as a compromise compared to their traditional “slab” counterparts. With the Razr Ultra, Motorola appears determined to challenge that perception with a versatile and high-resolution triple-camera system.

The setup includes:

• A 50MP main camera with an f/1.8 aperture and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) for sharper shots, especially in lower light.
• A 50MP ultrawide camera with a wide 122-degree field-of-view (f/2.0 aperture) that also doubles as a macro camera for close-up shots.
• A 50MP front-facing (selfie) camera housed in the main display’s punch-hole (f/2.0 aperture).

This configuration is notably different from the other 2025 Razr models. The Razr+ features a 50MP main and a 50MP telephoto lens, while the base Razr has a 50MP main and a 13MP ultrawide. The Ultra’s choice of a high-resolution ultrawide instead of a telephoto, paired with a high-resolution selfie camera, seems geared towards versatility, particularly for content creators and vloggers who benefit from wider angles and detailed self-capture.

Compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, which offers a 50MP main, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 10MP front camera, the Razr Ultra boasts significantly higher resolution on both its ultrawide and selfie sensors. This could translate to more detailed landscape shots, better group selfies, improved macro photography, and more flexibility for cropping images without significant quality loss.

Motorola enhances the hardware with AI-powered features:

• AI-powered low-light enhancement: Claims of capturing 4x more light and using 25% larger pixels (likely through pixel binning) aim for brighter, sharper night shots.
• Group Shot: AI blends multiple exposures to ensure everyone looks their best.
• Action Shot: AI adjusts shutter speed automatically to minimize motion blur.
• Signature Style: AI fine-tunes photos based on scene recognition (food, landscape, portrait).
• Hand Gestures for Video: Allows starting, pausing, and stopping video recording with hand gestures, useful for solo vlogging.

Video capabilities are robust, supporting 8K recording at 30fps and 4K at up to 60fps. While flip phone cameras still need to prove they can match the absolute best traditional flagships, the Razr Ultra’s high-resolution triple-50MP setup is ambitious and appears well-equipped on paper, particularly challenging Samsung’s more modest secondary and selfie sensors on the Flip series. Independent reviews and tests will be crucial to validate its real-world performance.

Power Through Your Day (and Then Some): Battery & Charging

Battery life and charging speed are critical factors for any smartphone user, and often areas where foldables have required compromise. The Razr Ultra makes a strong statement here, aiming to lead the pack.

It packs a substantial 4,700mAh battery, a significant increase from the 4,000mAh in the Razr+ 2025 and the 3,800mAh-4,000mAh range of previous high-end Razrs. This capacity is also notably larger than the 4,000mAh battery found in the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6. Motorola claims this battery can last “more than a full day and a half” on a single charge.

Independent testing backs up the promise of excellent endurance. GSMArena’s comprehensive “Active Use Score” test, which simulates a mix of calling, web browsing, video playback, and gaming, awarded the Razr 60 Ultra (Razr Ultra 2025) an impressive 15 hours and 10 minutes. This significantly outperforms the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 (10 hours and 35 minutes) and previous Razr models like the Razr 50 Ultra (12 hours and 5 minutes) and Z Flip 5 (9 hours and 29 minutes) in the same test suite. This data suggests the Razr Ultra offers class-leading battery life among current flip phones.

Complementing the large battery are exceptionally fast charging speeds. The Razr Ultra supports 68W wired TurboPower™ charging, claimed to provide a full day’s power in just 8 minutes and achieve a full charge in approximately 40-45 minutes. It also boasts rapid 30W wireless charging and offers 5W reverse wireless charging to top up other devices.

These charging capabilities represent a massive advantage over the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, which is limited to 25W wired and 15W wireless charging. GSMArena’s charging tests confirmed the speed difference, showing the Razr Ultra reaching a full charge in 45 minutes, while the Z Flip 6 took 1 hour and 38 minutes. It’s worth noting, however, that the 68W charger might be sold separately in some regions.

By combining a significantly larger battery with charging speeds that are among the fastest available on any phone, let alone a foldable, Motorola has clearly prioritized addressing battery anxiety. For users frustrated by mediocre battery life or slow top-ups on previous foldables, the Razr Ultra’s performance in this area presents a compelling, data-supported reason to choose it over the competition.

Software: Android 15, Moto Touches, and the Update Question Mark

The Razr Ultra ships with the latest Android 15 operating system out of the box. Motorola is known for offering a relatively clean, near-stock Android experience, which many users appreciate for its simplicity and lack of excessive bloatware.

Motorola adds its own useful enhancements, including:

• Smart Connect: Facilitates seamless interaction between the phone, compatible TVs, and PCs for content sharing and accessing notes.
• Moto Secure: A dedicated hub for managing privacy settings, security features, network protection, and creating hidden folders for sensitive apps or files.
• Customizable External Display: Panels and widgets, including AI-driven suggestions, enhance the cover screen experience.

However, software support remains a critical consideration, and historically, this has been an area of weakness for Motorola compared to rivals like Samsung and Google. For the Razr Ultra, Motorola promises 3 years of major Android OS updates (taking it potentially up to Android 18) and 4 years of bi-monthly security updates.

While this commitment is an improvement over some of Motorola’s past policies, it falls significantly short of Samsung’s industry-leading promise of 7 years of both OS and security updates for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and other flagships. Furthermore, Motorola’s track record for delivering updates in a timely and bug-free manner has been inconsistent. Users and reviewers have frequently cited slow rollouts, updates arriving long after Google’s initial release, and instances of buggy updates causing issues. Android 15 updates, for example, reportedly caused launcher crashes on some Moto devices recently.

This discrepancy between the on-paper promise and historical execution creates a potential trust issue. Users who prioritize long-term software support, timely access to new Android features, and consistent security patches may find Samsung’s longer and generally more reliable update commitment a decisive advantage. While Motorola’s hardware might excel in areas like battery and charging, the software support lifecycle is a crucial factor for longevity and value, making it a potential Achilles’ heel for the Razr Ultra when compared directly against Samsung’s robust policy. For users active in the custom ROM community, Motorola bootloaders are often unlockable, but Pixel and sometimes OnePlus devices typically receive more developer support.

Head-to-Head: Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

Choosing between the two leading premium flip phones comes down to weighing their respective strengths and weaknesses based on individual priorities. Here’s a direct comparison:

This table highlights the clear trade-offs. The Razr Ultra generally wins on raw hardware specifications: bigger and better displays, more RAM and storage, a theoretically more powerful (though potentially throttled) chip, higher resolution secondary and selfie cameras, and significantly better battery life coupled with much faster charging. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 counters with a lower starting price, a proven (if less powerful) processor likely offering better sustained performance, and a vastly superior software update commitment backed by a more reliable track record. Both now offer IP48 protection.

Who Should Buy the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025? (And Who Shouldn’t?)

The Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) is undeniably one of the most feature-packed and technically advanced flip phones released to date. However, its high price and specific characteristics mean it’s not the perfect choice for everyone.

Pros:

• Exceptional Battery Life: Class-leading endurance thanks to the large 4,700mAh battery.
• Blazing Fast Charging: 68W wired and 30W wireless charging significantly reduce downtime.
• Large, Bright, Fluid Displays: Both the 7.0″ inner and 4.0″ outer screens boast high resolution, 165Hz refresh rates, and impressive brightness.
• Highly Functional Cover Screen: Offers extensive app and widget usability without unfolding.
• Powerful Peak Performance: Snapdragon 8 Elite and 16GB RAM deliver top-tier burst speeds.
• Improved Durability: IP48 rating adds dust resistance, and the titanium hinge promises longevity.
• Potentially Versatile Cameras: Triple 50MP setup offers high resolution across all lenses.
• Premium & Unique Design: High-quality materials and distinct finishes like wood and Alcantara.
• Ample RAM & Storage: Generous 16GB RAM and 512GB/1TB storage options.

Cons:

• Premium Price Tag: At $1,299, it’s one of the most expensive flip phones.
• Potential Performance Throttling: The powerful chip may throttle under sustained load due to thermal constraints.
• Questionable Software Update Record: Motorola’s history of slow or buggy updates contrasts with its 3+4 year promise and lags behind Samsung’s 7-year commitment.
• Camera Performance Unproven: While specs are good, real-world photo/video quality needs validation against top competitors.
• Charger May Be Extra: The fast 68W charger might not be included in the box.

The Ideal Razr Ultra (2025) User:

• Prioritizes Battery & Charging: If best-in-class battery life and ultra-fast charging are paramount, the Razr Ultra is hard to beat.
• Loves the Cover Screen: Users who want to interact extensively with their phone without opening it will appreciate the large, functional external display.
• Wants Top Specs: Tech enthusiasts seeking the highest specifications (processor, RAM, storage, display tech) currently available in a flip phone.
• Values Unique Design: Individuals drawn to premium materials like wood or Alcantara and distinct color options.
• Upgrades Frequently: Users less concerned about receiving Android updates beyond 3-4 years.

Who Might Look Elsewhere:

• Budget-Conscious Buyers: The $1,299 price is steep; the base Razr (2025) or previous generation models offer more affordable foldable experiences.
• Software Update Sticklers: Those who demand guaranteed, timely, and long-term OS and security updates will find the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s 7-year commitment more reassuring.
• Heavy Gamers / Power Users: Concerns about sustained performance throttling might make the Z Flip 6 (with its vapor chamber) a more reliable choice for long, demanding sessions.
• Samsung Ecosystem Users: Those already invested in Samsung’s ecosystem might prefer the seamless integration of the Z Flip 6.
• Photography Enthusiasts Needing Proven Results: Users prioritizing camera quality above all else should wait for in-depth camera comparisons or consider top-tier traditional flagships.

The Final Flip: Verdict & Your Thoughts

The Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) arrives as a bold statement in the foldable market. It pushes the boundaries for flip phones, delivering genuinely impressive hardware advancements in display technology, battery capacity, charging speed, and baseline performance specs. The improved durability features, particularly the IP48 dust resistance and titanium hinge, directly address long-standing consumer concerns about foldable fragility. Its large, highly functional cover screen remains a significant advantage, offering a level of convenience unmatched by its main rival.

On paper, and in key areas like battery life and charging, the Razr Ultra convincingly surpasses the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6. However, this “Ultra” package comes with an ultra-premium price tag and potential caveats. The very power that gives it chart-topping benchmark scores might lead to thermal throttling under sustained load, potentially impacting real-world consistency for demanding users. Furthermore, despite an improved software update promise, Motorola’s track record casts a shadow of doubt compared to Samsung’s industry-leading 7-year commitment, a crucial factor for long-term value and security.

Ultimately, the Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) justifies its name through its ambitious hardware and features. It’s a technically superior device to the Z Flip 6 in several measurable ways. Whether it’s the better phone depends entirely on your priorities. If cutting-edge specs, class-leading battery performance, rapid charging, and maximum cover screen utility are your main drivers, and you can overlook the higher price and software support questions, the Razr Ultra makes a compelling case as the new flip phone king. But if long-term software reliability, consistent sustained performance, and a slightly lower price point are more important, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 remains a formidable and arguably safer choice.

What do you think of the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025? Is it the ultimate flip phone, or does the Galaxy Z Flip 6 still hold the crown for you? Are the impressive specs worth the premium price? How important are software updates versus hardware features like battery life and charging speed?

Share your thoughts and priorities in the comments below – we’d love to hear from you and help others navigate the exciting world of foldable phones!