The second age of the flip phone has arrived with Motorola’s new Razr combining a futuristic folding screen with a distinctly retro form. Not to be outdone, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Flip at its Unpacked event. Which of these new foldable phones is going to grab your attention? Let’s see exactly how the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip measures up against the Motorola Razr.

Specs

Galaxy Z Flip Motorola Razr Size Unfolded: 167.3 x 73.6 x 7.2 mm, Folded: 87.4 x 73.6 x 17.3 mm Unfolded: 172 x 72 x 6.9 mm, folded: 94 x 72 x 14 mm Weight 183 grams (6.46 ounces) 205 grams (7.2 ounces) Screen size 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED and 1.06-inch Super AMOLED 6.2-inch POLED and 2.7-inch GOLED Screen resolution 2636 x 1080 pixels and 300 x 112 pixels 2142 x 876 pixels and 800 x 600 pixels Operating system Android 10 Android 9.0 Pie Storage 256GB 128GB MicroSD card slot No No Tap-to-pay services Samsung Pay, Google Pay Google Pay Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 RAM 8GB 6GB Camera 12-megapixel and 12MP ultrawide rear, 10MP front 16-megapixel rear, 5MP front Video 2160p at 60fps 2160p at 30fps, 1080p at 30fps Bluetooth version 5.0 5.0 Ports USB-C USB-C Fingerprint sensor Yes, side Yes, front Water resistance TBA Splash-resistant nano-coating Battery 3,300mAh Fast charging (15W) Qi wireless charging 2,510mAh Fast charging (15W) App marketplace Google Play Store Google Play Store Network support TBA Verizon Colors Mirror Purple, Mirror Black Noir Black Price $1,380 $1,500 Buy from Samsung Motorola Review score Hands-on Hands-on

Design, display, and durability

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is a little shorter, wider, and thicker than the Motorola Razr and it folds open to reveal a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen that is finished with thin glass for a familiar feel. The Motorola Razr is a little smaller but has a chin on the bottom that houses the fingerprint sensor, whereas the Z Flip has a fingerprint sensor on the side. The Razr’s screen is a half-inch smaller on the diagonal and it’s plastic. Not only does Samsung’s Z Flip have a bigger screen, but it also boasts a higher resolution. The secondary display on the Z Flip is very small and just for notifications. The Razr has a much larger outer display, but again it’s mostly intended for notifications and you’ll be opening these phones to get things done.

Durability is a bit of an unknown for these phones, but there have been some early reports of the Motorola Razr screen creaking when it’s folded. The Razr is splash resistant, so rain shouldn’t present a problem. We’re not sure what water-resistance if any, the Z Flip has. The Razr offers some nostalgia with a design that reminds us of the popular Razr flip phone series that came out in 2004. The Galaxy Z Flip has a different look that’s less emotive, and it has a smaller external display, but it seems likely that it will have a superior main screen. We’re calling this category a tie.

Winner: Tie

Performance, battery life, and charging

Things are much more straightforward here. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is packing a much more powerful processor in the shape of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus, backed by 8GB of RAM. The Motorola Razr makes do with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 and 6GB of RAM. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip also has 256GB of storage, while the Motorola Razr has 128GB and neither has room for a MicroSD card. The Z Flip is more capable and should be significantly faster than the Razr in most tasks. It will also handle multitasking better.

The Z Flip also wins on battery life and charging, with a much bigger 3,300mAh battery and support for wireless charging. The Razr has a 2,510mAh battery and will likely struggle to last as long as the Z Flip in normal use. Neither of these phones is going to support 5G.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

Cameras

It’s another big win for the Z Flip here with a dual-lens main camera pairing a 12-megapixel sensor with a second ultrawide 12-megapixel lens. It also has a 10-megapixel front-facing camera at the top of the screen when you open it up. The Motorola Razr, by contrast, has a single-lens 16-megapixel main camera with a time-of-flight sensor and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The Z Flip boasts a more versatile camera and we usually prefer Samsung’s image processing to Motorola’s, so we’re giving the Z Flip the nod here.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

Software and updates

With Android 10 out of the box and Samsung’s One UI 2.0 over the top, which is optimized for folding phones, the Z Flip should offer a pretty slick, feature-packed software experience. The Motorola Razr has Android 9.0 Pie out of the box, but it is set to get an Android 10 update swiftly. Neither of these manufacturers has a great record for swift software updates.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

Price and availability

You can buy the Motorola Razr now, but it’s a Verizon exclusive in the U.S. and it will cost you $1,500. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is available from February 14 and starts from $1,380. You can buy it unlocked from Samsung or Best Buy or pick one up from Sprint or AT&T.

Overall winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is going to be the better buy for most people. With a superior screen, more processing power, longer battery life, and a better camera all coming in at a lower price, the Z Flip is the clear winner.

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