The Razr+ and Razr are reviewed

Why the Razr+ is so good at flipping: I’m all about cover screens, and what do I like about the Motorola S7 Plus?

There’s so much I like about the Razr Plus that the disappointments sting a little more than if this was just any old slab-style phone. The cover screen is even more useful this year with some improvements. It comes with an IPX8 rating, significantly upgrading its water resistance. The crease is all but gone when using the inner screen because of the improvements to the hinge. Important stuff! Improvements and moments of joy are not enough in the long run to offset the weaknesses of the Razr Plus.

These cover screens are far more useful, and I find myself spending a lot of time on ’em without having to open the phone. You can scroll through the various parts of the app, and even open it, such as the weather, which I like to use when I need a code. I even like Motorola’s built-in mini-games that play well on the tiny screen; it’s a great way to kill time. The bigger screen of the Razr+ lets you see more content at a glance.

If you’re new to modern flip phones, I want you to know the elevator pitch: big phone inside, small phone outside. With the phone flipped open, you have a normal smartphone with a big screen that does all the typical stuff. But when you close it, the cover screen almost acts like a second phone so you can get basic things done like check notifications and respond to texts without opening up your phone and coming face to face with everything on the big screen. I like them very much.

The Razr Plus, Google, and Samsung Updates: Where to Go? How to Educate and How to Get More Information from a Smartphone

You agree to a series of terms and conditions in order to use a smart device. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate.

I wouldn’t recommend it to a person who is more interested in a flip phone than in nostalgia. A camera that costs less can be better than a camera that costs much more and it is important when you carry it. Motorola’s track record for timely software updates remains spotty, too. And the inner screen just isn’t up to the standards of a modern flagship phone.

The 2x zoom option for portraits is provided by the 2x telephoto lens of the Razr Plus. Quality is decent as long as there is enough light, but there is a 4x digital zoom for more reach. Without the ultra wide on the rear panel, it is not possible to get everyone in the picture, but if your camera is wide enough, a few people can be in the picture.

The system knows how to use bright light and I got some amazing photos from the summit of a hike. Medium light continues to be a challenge, with images and reds saturated to the point of clipping.

The new feature is called photo enhancement engine and it uses Artificial Intelligence to improve noise reduction in low light, portrait mode photos, and boost dynamic range. That list sounds like a list of everything the phone makers have been using for over a decade. The new photo processing pipeline doesn’t address the main problems of portrait mode subjects, background blur, and color reproduction.

I’m once again asking for help with its software support. The four year security update on the Razr Plus is part of the three year OS upgrade. Four years is probably as long as most people will want to stay on the phone. But Samsung and Google now promise seven years for their high-end phones — even the $499 Pixel 8A comes with seven years of support. I want more from the phone. Motorola’s track record for timeliness isn’t great, either; 2023 Razr Plus owners only just started getting their Android 14 update — not a good look when Android 15 is just a few months away.

Source: Motorola’s 2024 Razr Plus is a damn fun flip phone with the same old flaws

The Galaxy Razr Plus Cover Screen, a Step Towards High-Resolution, Environmentally-Certified, Water-Stable Smartphones

The soft touch on the back panel is a nice touch as always, but the hot pink model I tested comes with a new “vegan suede” material, and I don’t think it’s a change for the better. It feels more papery, and I don’t think it’s going to wear well over time; my review unit has a couple of faint scratches that don’t budge when I try to buff them out with my finger. Considering this is a real phone, and not some kind of bougie case, it seems pretty bad. The other colors — peach fuzz, midnight blue, and spring green — come with a vegan leather finish like last year’s pink model, and for what it’s worth, that seems to have held up fine.

The good news is that Motorola adopted a new hinge design this year that minimizes the appearance of the crease when the phone is fully unfolded. There is no official dust resistance, and the IPX8 rating has been upgraded. The Razr Plus is certified to withstand full immersion in fresh water, a big improvement over the previous gen’s “splashproof” rating. Importantly, an IPX8 rating also puts the Razr Plus on level ground with the Galaxy Z Flip 5 (and, very likely, the Z Flip 6, which is due out soon).

The cover screen is a delight, but the inner screen is much more pedestrian. The display has a resolution that doesn’t bother me much, but the screen is large enough to benefit from a higher resolution. It isn’t as bright outside as I would like. It’s fine, but you can definitely get a better display on a slab-style phone for the same amount of money — or even a bit less.

The cover screen experience is better than the previous generation but less mature and similar to testing beta software. I’d take this every time over the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, and yes I know about Good Lock. Motorola put a lot of thought into every aspect of the display, and it shows. Before we move on to the other phone attached to this phone, be sure to shout out to the two cover screen additions, the one for theassistant and the one forGemini. and an always-on display. All my dreams are coming true.

The procedure for allowing apps to open on the cover screen is better. On last year’s model, you had to open the phone to approve an app for the cover screen — just once per app, but for every single app. You can approve the app right away from the cover screen notification. You have three options actually: allow, not allow, or — my favorite — “not right now,” which allows me to just slowly back away without making a commitment when I mindlessly tap on a Threads notification. Not right now, Satan.

There are a lot of ways to modify the cover screen. The cover screen has a few app shortcuts that you can pick to put right on it. Previously, you could not access any apps until you swiped to a separate panel. The calendar panel is much improved, surfacing more information with a few more viewing configurations.

One of the background choices for the media controls on the cover screen is a turntable. When the record plays music, there are cutouts of the camera at the center. Press pause and the needle will lift off the record and stop. Do you think I’m exaggerating? That is very cute.