Introduction
A big protective display and water resistance — it doesn't sound like much, but that's exactly what the plain Razr lacked last year, and now the Razr 50 gets it. Motorola's vanilla clamshell foldable goes one step further, making it another viable alternative to the Galaxy Z Flips.
As with other Motorolas, there are some nomenclature peculiarities that should be noted. The Razr 50 is the name of the global model, and it is sold more or less unchanged as the Razr 2024 in the US. Since we have a Razr 50 device in our hands, this is the name we will use throughout the review, but our conclusions should also apply to the Motorola Razr (2024).
Motorola Razr 50 • Motorola Razr 2024
Okay, back to what's new with the Razr 50. The phone gets the Razr 40 Ultra's Cover Display – in terms of size and proportions at least, if not in terms of refresh rate. While the Razr 40 only had a small bezel on the outside, the 50 gets the full Cover Display experience – with full apps and a real camera viewfinder.
The other big news is IPX8 water resistance – more and more foldables are now rated for submersion, as is the Razr 50. The Galaxies' main selling points are becoming fewer and fewer.
There are a handful of other changes, but none are particularly major. The main camera is now 50MP instead of 64MP, but the sensor size remains the same, so it's not exactly a downgrade. The chipset is another such minor step – a Dimensity 7300X in place of the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 doesn't really qualify as an upgrade. Perhaps a certain demographic will appreciate the faster wireless charging (15W vs. 5W for the old model), but the unboxing section below will reveal another evolution in this general area that isn't necessarily for the better.
Motorola Razr 50 Specs Overview:
- Body: 171.3×74.0x7.3 mm, 188 g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), Silicone polymer back (Eco-leather), Aluminum frame (6000 series), Hinge (Stainless steel); IPX8 water resistant (up to 1.5 m for 30 min).
- Display: Main: 6.9-inch foldable LTPO AMOLED display, 1 billion colors, 120 Hz, HDR10+, 3,000 nits (peak), 1,080 x 2,640 px resolution, 22:9 aspect ratio, 413 ppi; Blanket: 3.6″ AMOLED, 1B colors, 90 Hz, HDR10+, 1700 nits (peak), 1056x1066px, 413 ppi, Gorilla Glass Victus.
- Chipset: Mediatek Dimensity 7300X (4 nm): Octa-core (4×2.5 GHz Cortex-A78 and 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G615 MC2.
- Memory: 256 GB 8 GB RAM, 512 GB 12 GB RAM; UFS 2.2.
- Operating System/Software: Android 14.
- Rear camera: Large (main): 50 MP, f/1.7, 1/1.95″, 0.8 µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 13 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 1/3.0″, 1.12 µm, AF.
- Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 0.7 µm.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 4K at 30 fps, 1080p at 30/60 fps, gyroscope-EIS; Front camera: 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 30/60fps.
- Battery: 4200mAh; 30W wired, 15W wireless.
- Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 6e; BT 5.4; NFC.
- Miscellaneous : Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); stereo speakers.
Unboxing the Motorola Razr 50
The Motorola Razr 50 comes in a black cardboard box that is even longer than the already quite large Razr when unfolded. Of course, the packaging inside is scented – typical Motorola.
The charger is the notable omission from the package: the previous model had one in the box, and this year's 50 Ultra also had an adapter in the bundle. There's still a USB-C cable here, though.
Just like the Ultra, the Razr 50 comes with a protective case that matches the phone's color, as well as a carrying strap. The case must be attached to the phone using the adhesive strips, otherwise it won't stay in place properly.
We're inclined to think that this accessory won't be to many people's tastes, and it would make more sense for it to be sold separately rather than included with every Razr. Especially since the power adapter has been removed – the whole situation irritates us.
