After years of Samsung being the only player in the foldable phones market, other Android manufacturers are finally starting to catch up.
The latest Galaxy Z Flip 5 goes head-to-head with the Motorola Razr+ (also known as the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra in other regions)—one of the most well-received foldables of 2023. Both devices start at $999, but which one should you actually buy? Let’s find out.
Design and Durability
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is shorter and narrower than the Motorola Razr+ and has almost identical thickness and weight. Both devices fold shut perfectly flat and don’t leave a gap in the middle for dust or lint to pass through.
Neither of the two devices is rated for dust resistance, but the Flip 5 has an IPX8 rating for water resistance. Both devices have an aluminum frame, and the Flip 5 is more durable thanks to it having Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection on the back whereas its rival is protected by an older variant.
Being a fashion-focused device, one of thebest features of the Flip 5is the number of color options it comes with. You can choose from four standard colors including Graphite, Lavender, Cream, and Mint, or four additional exclusive colors including Gray, Blue, Green, and Yellow if you buy directly from Samsung’s official website.
The Motorola Razr+ is available in three colors: Infinite Black, Glacier Blue, and Viva Magenta. Neither of the two phones has a headphone jack, sadly.
Both devices have a dual rear camera system with OIS and 4K video at 60fps. However, since the main lens on the Motorola Razr+ has a wider aperture, it will (at least theoretically) be better at producing a natural bokeh effect in portrait shots.
The ultrawide lens on the Flip 5 has a wider field-of-view (FoV) so you’ll be able to fit more into the scene. It’s ideal for taking group shots.
When unfolded, the Razr+ can take higher-resolution selfies and shoot 4K selfie videos at 60fps. However, this is a bit redundant because if you want to take high-res selfies, you can just use the main camera system on either of these phones and double their cover screens as a viewfinder.
Both the displays (main and cover screen) on the Razr+ are bigger than the ones on the Flip 5. The former has a 6.9-inch 165Hz LTPO main screen and a 3.6-inch 144Hz cover screen whereas the latter has a 6.7-inch 120Hz main screen and 3.4-inch 60Hz cover screen.
None of the two are small, but if we were to pick one, it’d be the Motorola simply because of how pretty and futuristic its cover screen looks with its individual camera cutouts. If having a bigger cover screen is the goal, the Razr is the clear winner here. But it also begs the question:should flip phones have bigger cover screensin the first place?
The Flip 5 uses a special overclocked version of the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, meaning it’s capable of delivering better performance than the Motorola Razr+ which uses the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip of 2022—also afeature on the Nothing Phone (2).
In everyday use, it’s very unlikely that you’ll notice any major performance difference between the two devices, but it’s always better to have more power than less—as long as it’s also paired with efficiency gains.
RAM and Storage
Both devices start at 8GB RAM and 256GB storage and can be scaled to 512GB storage, but only the Razr+ offers a 12GB RAM variant for those who plan to do a lot of multitasking.
However, note that the Flip 5 uses the latest UFS 4.0 storage standard which is faster and more efficient than the inferior UFS 3.1 storage standard used on the Razr+.
Although the Motorola Razr+ has a slightly bigger 3800mAh cell, you’re likely to get significantly longer battery life on the Galaxy Flip 5 simply because its software is better optimized and the chip inside it is more efficient.
The wired charging speeds of the two devices are nearly identical, but the Flip 5 offers faster wireless charging and also allows reverse wireless charging to power accessories such as your smartwatch, earbuds, tracking device, and more.
The Razr+ Looks Better, but the Flip 5 Works Better
As much as we appreciate Motorola doing the R&D and developing such a beautiful cover screen on the Razr+, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is—without a doubt—the safer choice and will serve you better in almost every way.
The Flip 5 offers more power, longer battery life, more durability, longer software support of four years, an IPX8 rating for water resistance, faster wireless charging, reverse wireless charging, faster storage, a more optimized software experience, and more color options.
Not to mention the fact that the Motorola Razr+ is only available in select countries, so even if you like it, it might not be available in your region. If your only choice is the Flip 5, it’s a solid choice indeed.
