Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 launch live blog: review, camera comparisons, deals, and more

Motorola's latest foldable phones have arrived, headlined by the Moto Razr Ultra. This is a true flagship in every sense of the word, as we have the Snapdragon 8 Elite at the helm, paired with 16GB of RAM and either 512GB or 1TB of storage.

Of course, the star of the show is the 7-inch foldable pOLED display, with its 165Hz refresh rate and ability to reach up to 4,500 nits of peak brightness. But that's not all, as the 4.5-inch pOLED cover screen gets even better with the ability to add app shortcuts, along with panels for different apps and widgets.

Android Central Managing Editor, Derrek Lee, has been using the Razr Ultra for the past week, and so far, he seems to be enjoying it quite a bit. Starting off with the design, Derrek points out that Motorola has been able to retain its "unique styling with vegan leather, Alcantara, and wood finishes."

Those finishes paired with the brushed metal frame look simply stunning, and are frankly, sorely needed in a sea of phones plagued by a lack of imagination. It's very reminiscent of the old Moto Maker days, I just kind of wish we could mix and match or have some type of control over the combinations.

Something else that came as a surprise when reading Derrek's review was that Motorola has included "Flicker prevention for users with PWM sensitivity." This is something that our colleague Nick Sutrich has to contend with when using different phones, with some being better than others. I'd really be interested to see how Nick would fare with using the Razr Ultra, but I also know he's more than happy with the OnePlus 13.

By all accounts, the pOLED displays that Motorola is using for the Razr Ultra look beautiful, and I was even surprised to see that the main screen offers a 165Hz refresh rate. It really seems like Motorola is taking the fight to Samsung, as we suspect the Galaxy Z Flip 7 will be hitting the market sometime in the next few months.

It wouldn't be a new phone launch in 2025 if AI weren't involved in some form, and that remains true with the Razr Ultra. Motorola introduced quite a few improvements to its own Moto AI, such as "Look & Talk." This allows you to simply start interacting with Moto AI whenever the Ultra is in "Tent or Stand mode," as you just have to "look at it, and begin listening to you."

Unlike what we've seen from the most recent crop of Galaxy phones, AI implementation on the Razr Ultra takes a different approach. While we have Moto AI and Google Gemini, Motorola is also making other AI services available, such as Meta AI, Copilot, and even Perplexity. Of those three, Motorola is putting Perplexity first, as you'll get a free Perplexity Pro trial with every purchase.

The AI fun doesn't stop there, however, as features such as Image Studio and Playlist Studio are offered as a way to let your imagination run wild with the help of AI. As pointed out by The Verge, other AI-powered features are also onboard, such as "Remember This" which saves "screenshots, text, and photos so you can ask about them later." It sounds a lot like the Pixel Screenshots app, without being limited to just screenshots.

However, The Verge goes on to say that it's not quite "as useful in a personal assistant," with Moto AI being "a little slow to respond to a query since part of it runs in the cloud." One can only hope that this is just a case of growing pains, and that the speed and performance will improve as more people begin using these features.

One area of concern that some might have is the camera system that Motorola employs. Although previous iterations haven't been terrible, they also haven't quite matched up to the rest of the competition. Seeing as the Razr Ultra is a flagship device, Motorola turned things up a notch, as evidenced by its "collaboration" with Pantone.

As a reminder, the Razr Ultra 2025 is equipped with two rear cameras, utilizing a 50MP main lens and a 50MP ultrawide sensor. Derrek points out that the colors from pictures taken with the main lens "feel much punchier," which they attribute to the aforementioned Pantone collaboration.

This sentiment regarding the main camera is largely echoed by Max Buondonno of The Shortcut, as he says "The result is photos that look more true to life than any other Razr in the past."

Are you already intrigued by what the Razr Ultra offers and want to know if there are any deals out there? Well, as it just so happens, there are actually a bunch of ways for you to get one of these fancy new foldables for yourself, saving hundreds in the process.

• AT&T: Get the Razr Ultra 2025 for FREE when trading in your old phone.
• Best Buy: Save up to $600 with a trade-in, PLUS, get a Clicks Keyboard for FREE!
• Motorola: Save $200 and get 1TB of storage for the price of the 512GB Ultra.
• T-Mobile: Save up to $1,000 on the Razr Ultra, either when adding a new line or upgrading a current line and trading in your old phone.

But what if you don't need the most powerful Moto Razr? Well, there are some deals out there for you too, such as getting the Razr+ 2025 for $8.99 per month from AT&T, while Total Wireless by Verizon is giving away the regular Moto Razr 2025 for free when you transfer your number from your current carrier. Even Cricket Wireless is getting in on the fun, as the carrier is offering the Razr 2025 for just $299.99 when either transferring your number or activating a new line of service.

While Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip might be more mainstream, we really have Motorola to thank for making the cover screen actually usable. The Razr Plus 2024 made it possible to use any app that you wanted, and the Razr Ultra 2025 takes things further by letting you set up multiple pages full of apps, widgets, and other various shortcuts.

Derrek says this "remains one of my favorite ways to use the Razr." Meanwhile, Patrick Holland of CNET exclaims they "feel like the coolest kid in the coffee shop when Google Pay-ing for my cortado with my Razr Ultra closed."

The lack of a useful cover screen was one of the reasons why I ended up gravitating back to book-style foldable phones. But after reading Derrek's review and seeing what others have said, I might just find a way to take the Razr Ultra 2025 for a spin myself.

One area of concern for anyone considering a foldable phone is durability. There are plenty of horror stories about someone waking up and opening their phone, only to be greeted with a broken screen. For the most part, it seems those days are largely behind us, as the hardware has been improved.

However, another aspect of that is water and dust resistance, with many foldable phones not being able to withstand the elements very well. Thankfully, that shouldn't be too much of an issue with the Razr Ultra 2025, as it features an IP48 rating.

The key here is the first digit, with the "4" essentially meaning that the phone is protected from dust wreaking havoc. But we still wouldn't recommend taking this with you to the beach. On the other hand, the "8" signifies that the Razr Ultra 2025 is capable of being submerged in up to almost 5 feet of water (or 1.5 meters), for up to 30 minutes.

Battery life is another sore subject for foldable phones, as there's even less room in the chassis compared to standard "slab" phones. The Razr Ultra 2025 performs admirably, as Derrek has had "no complaints with battery life," stating that "You'll get a full day of use" with relative ease.

Not only that, but Motorola didn't hold back with charging rates, as the Razr Ultra 2025 enjoys up to 68W speeds when using a cable. Wireless charging also gets a boost, as it tops out at 30W charging speeds, both of which are quite welcome.

The only "catch" here is that Motorola doesn't include a charger in the box. On the bright side, there is no shortage of great options out there, and we wouldn't be surprised if you didn't already have one at home.

It can be rather overwhelming if you're trying to decide whether it's worth upgrading to a new phone. Motorola didn't do much to help make things easy with its 2025 lineup, as all three models are great in their own way.

The only obvious upgrade should be if you already have the Razr Plus 2023, as these new models blow it out of the water. AC Contributor Brady Snyder takes a deeper look at making such a decision, providing reasons for upgrading regardless of whether you have an existing Razr or if you might be looking beyond the confines of Samsung's ecosystem.

It's easy to be overwhelmed by notifications these days, as every app is vying for your attention and seems to think a plethora of notifications is the only way to hold it. Motorola thought of this and designed a way to help cut down on the problem by introducing AI-powered notification summaries.

As you can see from the photo above, Moto AI will give you brief snippets of what's happening in each conversation, complete with quick action buttons that you can tap. Whether this is just marking the message as read and making it go away, or tapping an automatic response to make it seem like you're paying attention, is totally up to you.

We'll likely see a similar feature come to Android 16 more widely, but for now, Motorola has the monopoly on the concept on the Android side of things. Apple introduced a similar feature in iOS 18 last year, but it infamously does a terrible job of summarizing things. Whether Moto AI does any better of a job for you is probably up in the air, but it's been a cool feature to play around with so far, nonetheless.

While we're on the subject of Moto AI, let's talk about the new AI-generated content the Razr Ultra 2025 allows you to make. Playlist Studio is easily one of the more creative AI-generated features we've seen on any phone, as it lets you ask for a playlist based on basically anything.

Android Authority's Ryan Haines asked for something as ridiculous as "Y2K pizza party jams" and Moto AI spit out a playlist with artists like Nelly, Beyonce, and several others that fit the bill for the era.

Playlist Studio currently uses Amazon Music as the backend for delivering songs, but don't worry, you don't need an Amazon Prime subscription to use it! Just make sure you've got an Amazon Music free account and you're good to go.

Motorola's camera game has improved tenfold over the company's older phones, and a lot of that has to do with the inclusion of smarter software. This year, Motorola is doubling down on the inclusion of AI-powered camera tricks, including its own version of the Google Pixel's Best Take. Motorola's feature is called Group Shot, and it ensures that everyone's face looks its best when you take a bunch of photos at a time.

The key here is not only to have everyone together in a photo, but to take a handful of photos each time you open the camera. After that, the back end does most of the work, making suggestions on a new best group photo for you to use.

Motorola is also improving its motion capture game with a new Action Shot mode that prioritizes moving subjects and does its best to ensure they're captured without blur. Your results may vary, but it's a big step in the right direction for a company that has historically struggled with camera quality.

Looking to upgrade to the Motorola Razr Ultra (2025), but aren't sure if you should wait until Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 7 gets announced? While we can't guarantee Samsung won't make something better, there are a few things to consider.

Both the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) will most certainly be using the same Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. There won't be a better processor available in 2025, and there's no reason to think Samsung will use something less powerful. But while processing power is the same, Motorola's battery tech is much better than Samsung's.

Not only is the Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) battery already good, but it supports 68W wired charging so you can get a quick top-up in a few minutes before you walk out the door. Meanwhile, no rumors point to the possibility that Samsung will offer faster charging on the Flip 7 than it did on the Flip 6. For note, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 charges at a paltry 25W rate, taking well over an hour to fully charge.

Motorola's Razr cover screen has always been immensely more useful than Samsung's, and while we haven't seen any leaks or rumors pointing to a change, there's always the chance Samsung listens to user feedback and gives the Z Flip 7's cover screen a full overhaul.

If it doesn't, though, know that Motorola makes it dead easy to use most apps on the cover screen compared to Samsung's very limited, widget-based cover screen. If you haven't used a flip phone lately, you'll be surprised at how useful the smaller cover screen is and how often you'll end up using it instead of flipping open that big screen.

OK, so you're interested in the Razr Ultra (2025) but did a double-take when you saw the $1,299 price, right? Thankfully, Motorola has two other models available that are more in budget, especially with some of the great Motorola Razr 2025 deals going on right now.

If you're a T-Mobile user, the base Razr 2025 is FREE with an eligible unlimited plan. You can't get any better than free, and it's hard to go wrong with T-Mobile's unlimited plan pricing, speed, and coverage, too!

And hey, if you're looking for a little more power but still want a great deal and something totally unique, Best Buy has the Razr (2025) and the Razr Plus (2025) for up to $500 off when you trade in, plus free Clicks keyboard case ($135 value). If you somehow haven't seen the Clicks keyboard case for the Razr, you owe it to yourself to consider getting one!

One of the more interesting hardware choices Motorola made with the Razr Ultra (2025) is the inclusion of an ultrawide-angle camera instead of a telephoto camera on the cover. You might be wondering how such a minimal thing could be interesting, and that answer all lies in the differences between the three Razr 2025 models.

The Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) sports the best camera hardware, as you would expect, with a pair of 50MP sensors on the cover display and one 50MP sensor above the inside display. The base Razr also has a 50MP main camera sensor — albeit with a smaller, less performant sensor — and a 13MP ultrawide sensor. So far, that seems to match expectations, but then we look at the middle child.

The Motorola Razr Plus (2025) retains the secondary telephoto lens from the Razr Plus (2024) instead of opting for a secondary ultrawide lens like the other two models. It's hard to know exactly why Motorola made this choice, but it also complicates the decision to choose between the three models because of the camera differences. Regardless, our Razr Ultra (2025) review points out that the change was a good one, as zoom performance remains solid despite the lack of a telephoto camera.

If you're having a hard time choosing between the Razr Plus (2025) and the Razr Ultra (2025), here are a few things that might make the Ultra worth the extra cost to you.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite processor inside the Razr Ultra is roughly twice as fast as the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 inside the Razr Plus. That's quite literally double the speed for just 30% more money. On top of that, you're getting the best displays on any Motorola phone, double the storage,

Gorilla Glass Ceramic is also present on the Ultra's cover, while the Plus model features Gorilla Glass Victus. If those names don't mean much to you, know this. Victus was introduced as Corning's strongest glass in 2020, while Ceramic was introduced in March of this year. Ceramic is made to withstand as many as 10 drops in a row from 1 meter high on asphalt, while Victus is only rated for a single drop on concrete from up to 2 meters.

The Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) has a 700mAh larger battery than the Razr Plus (2025). The Ultra sits at 4,700mAh while the Plus sports just a 4,000mAh battery. If we're just going by the math, that means the Razr Ultra should get roughly 15% better battery life than the Plus, on average.

Let's also not forget that the Razr Ultra (2025) comes in a bevy of colors and materials that you can't get on the other two Razr (2025) models. That includes fan favorites like wood and new choices like Alcantara, all of which make the Razr Ultra (2025) a sensory delight.

Motorola really went all out with AI on the Razr Ultra and didn't just partner with Google for Gemini but also with a few other companies to ensure the Razr Ultra has all the AI.

Ryan Whitwam of Ars Technica writes in his Razr Ultra review that he doesn't like this approach, saying it's too much. "It's hard to say exactly how much AI is worth having on a phone with the rapid pace of change, but Motorola has settled on the wrong amount. To be blunt, there's too much AI."

I definitely agree that there's a lot going on, and it can be overwhelming if you let it. Fortunately, a lot of the Moto AI triggers, like the power button or floating icon, can be disabled to help simplify things. So, for me, the only way to trigger Moto AI is with the AI Key or with Look & Talk.

I also feel like Moto AI is much less prevalent throughout the OS than Samsung's Galaxy AI on its phones, which is seemingly everywhere you look.

Still, it would be cool if Motorola gave users more control over their AI experience (i.e., what gets processed locally vs. in the cloud) since we now have so many options.

Philip Berne at TechRadar writes in his Razr Ultra review" that "Motorola seems to have borrowed Samsung's color tuning philosophy" when referring to the camera quality. Our review also shares this sentiment, noting that "images that feel more Samsung in terms of color and saturation, while the added depth and definition remind me a bit of a Pixel."

Whatever Motorola is doing with Pantone, I hope they keep it up, because the camera improvements are quite noticeable. Color reproduction and dynamic range just feel massively improved and on par with some of the best Android cameras on the market.

Did you know that the Motorola Razr Ultra has ultra-wideband (UWB)? This wasn't on the Razr Plus 2024, and it seemingly makes the Razr Ultra even more ultra.

This is important because UWB allows the phone to do some interesting things, such as more precise item tracking with Google's new Find Hub and UWB-enabled trackers like the Moto Tag.

It also means the Razr Ultra should be compatible with Motorola's BMW Digital Key. "The phone's ultra-wideband (UWB) technology allows the car to automatically unlock as you approach," the company announced in a press release last year. UWB functionality was initially available for the Edge 50 Ultra, while the Razr Plus utilized NFC, meaning you had to physically tap a car to open it.

Based on his Razr Ultra review, Adam Doud over at SlashGear seemed to really enjoy the phone, calling it "the first true flagship phone that you can fold in half." With specs that rival the Galaxy S25 Ultra, that seems like a fair assessment of the Razr Ultra (I would say so).

However, he does note that "the biggest miss in this generation of Razr is the lack of notable upgrades on the lower two devices, despite retaining the same price tag." I definitely agree that the Razr Plus 2025 was an interesting choice, especially when you compare it to the Razr Plus 2024, since they're pretty much identical.

On the other hand, the Razr 2025 does include some notable upgrades worth looking at, especially for a $700 foldable. It has a bigger battery, improved hinge, an upgraded chip, and cameras with true-to-life Pantone Validated color and skin tones for (hopefully) better photos. The Razr 2024 was already a steal, especially when it went on sale, but this year's is also not one to ignore if the Razr Ultra is a little too expensive.

Which Razr 2025 model is right for you?

Motorola always seems to find intuitive ways for users to interact with the unique form factor of clamshell foldables, and that's really what makes the Razr Ultra 2025 special. By far, my favorite way to use flip-style foldables is as a portable camera. On the newer model, you get two rear 50MP sensors on the back and one 50MP selfie camera on the inside. But of course, the Razr Ultra 2025 can use any one of its cameras as a selfie camera.

That opens up a number of possibilities, like Camcorder Mode, which lets you keep the phone half-opened in your hand — like an old-school camcorder. Both you and the person you're filming will get a handy preview of the video feed utilizing the two displays, and it's a game-changer. Flip phones are all about nostalgia, and Camcorder Mode — also a staple of past Razr flagships — reminds me a lot of my Flip camcorder from way back when.

There are also a ton of other handy modes and features, like Group Shot for group photos and Action Shot for moving subjects. You can always prop up your Razr as a tripod anywhere, too. The versatility of clamshell foldables, and specifically the upgraded Razr Ultra 2025 camera system, is part of what makes them great.

By now, you probably know that the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 has Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which is a first-of-its-kind move. But how much does that affect performance? If you're curious, we ran Geekbench 6.4 on the Razr Ultra 2025, Razr 2025, and its closest competitors. Here's how they fared:

What can we learn from these results? The Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset in the Razr Ultra 2025 helps the phone perform better, especially in multi-core performance, than the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Surprisingly, the last-gen chip in Samsung's foldable doesn't falter, as it beats the Razr Ultra 2025 in single-core performance. But it's hard to understate the massive improvements made to multi-core performance between the Razr Plus 2024 and the Razr Ultra 2025.

Meanwhile, the Razr 2025's chip upgrade seems to be in name only, as there are no noticeable performance improvements in synthetic tests compared to the prior model.

Reviewers seem to agree that the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 is an outstanding flip phone, perhaps the best clamshell foldable we've seen commercially available in the U.S. The better question is whether the Razr Ultra 2025 is worth the $1,299 price tag it comes with. While the hardware is certainly there, with a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, a trio of 50MP cameras, and major durability improvements, software is still a concern.

The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 ships with Android 15, the most current public version of Android. However, Motorola is only promising three years of Android OS upgrades. That's way less than the competition, as the cheaper Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is supported for a whopping seven years of Android OS upgrades. Considering the company's less-than-stellar track record with updates, this should give every potential buyer pause before dropping a ton of cash on a Razr Ultra 2025.

The new hinge on the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 is an underrated upgrade this time around. Motorola, a company relatively new to foldables compared to the likes of Samsung, hasn't always offered an outstanding hinge. My experience with the Motorola Razr Plus 2023's hinge was so disappointing compared to the Samsung ones I was used to that I didn't use the phone nearly as much as I hoped.

Now, there's a new titanium-reinforced hinge for the Razr 2025 series that addresses nearly all of my concerns with prior models. Our Razr Ultra 2025 reviewer, Derrek Lee, concurs, saying that "opening the phone feels great, thanks to the new titanium-reinforced hinge" and adding that "it’s stronger and makes it easier to open the Razr Ultra with one hand."

I've been testing the base-model Razr 2025, which also has the brand-new titanium hinge, and agree on all counts. It's satisfying enough to make the base Razr 2025 a key upgrade over my Razr Plus 2023.

That wraps up our coverage of the Motorola Razr 2025 series launch day! If you haven't already, be sure to check out our review of the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025, and be on the lookout for the best Razr 2025 lineup deals. Although the pre-order window has concluded, there are still great deals to be had at major retailers, like Best Buy's offer of trade-in credit, a free Clicks keyboard case, and more.

Plus, if you're on the fence about buying the Razr Ultra 2025 at all, we can help you with that too.