Motorola Razr (2023) vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Which should you buy?

Motorola is known for launching affordable phones with a ton of value, and with the latest Razr phones, the company has struck again. The new Motorola Razr is the latest offering that ain't to strike a balance between flagship features and an accessible price tag. And while Samsung has had its eye on making foldables more affordable with the Galaxy Z Flip lineup, it seems Motorola has finally cracked the code.

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is the latest clamshell foldable from Samsung, at least for now. It was launched in the second half of 2022 and sports one of the latest Snapdragon flagship chipsets. And while it's an impressive phone that follows years of continuously improving models, $999 is still a bit of a spend.

Of course, Samsung has a lot of experience with foldable phones, so it could be worth the splurge. That said, the Razr is said to be "marginally cheaper" than the Z Flip 4 and the Razr Plus, which could make it a great first foldable for anyone curious about the form factor. So which of these two phones should you purchase?

Motorola Razr (2023) vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Design & displays

The designs of these two phones are quite different, but closer still than the comparison between the Razr Plus and Galaxy Z Flip 4. Samsung's approach is more traditional, with flat glass panels and a squared-off design. On the other hand, Motorola goes for a more rounded design with vegan leather covering a large portion of the rear panels. Both have aluminum frames.

While some might prefer the rounded edges and feel of the vegan leather on the Razr, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 benefits from Samsung's bevy of color options, particularly with the Bespoke editions. Users can select from a multitude of colors and can mix and match them if they so choose. It makes the phone truly theirs.

The Razr only has three color options to choose from, including Sage Green, Summer Lilac, and Vanilla Cream, which admittedly look as good as they sound.

The phones both feature water resistance, but the Razr has a more protective IPX8 rating, meaning it's better equipped for accidental spills. The Razr only has an IP52 rating, so it can handle some light rain and the like. However, it has the benefit of dust resistance, something the Flip 4 lacks.

The layout of each phone is also pretty similar. Both devices have large internal displays with Full HD+ resolution and 22:9 aspect ratios, making them quite tall. The Razr display is a bit bigger at 6.9-inches, and it has a smoother 144Hz refresh rate compared to the 120Hz panel on the Flip 4, but the Galaxy has a larger cover screen on the back panel, measuring 1.9-inches versus the 1.5-inch cover screen on the Razr.

Peak brightness is actually higher on the Razr, but we'll have to get both phones together to compare visibility.

Creases are present on both displays, but the Razr is likely much less pronounced due to the teardrop hinge design, which has been tested to last at least 400,000 folds. The Galaxy hinge is tested for 200,000 folds. Both hinges are also capable of holding the phones at different angles, but the Flip 4 can hold its display at a wider degree.

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 cover screen gives users more room to view notifications and interact with widgets. Using full applications on the cover screen is also possible, but you'll need a third-party app or Good Lock. Meanwhile, the Razr cover display is really only good for checking notifications and viewing widgets in a limited manner.

If a more useful cover screen and better durability are what you're after, the Flip 4 may be the phone for you. But if you want a better overall display experience, you might wanna consider the Razr.

Motorola Razr (2023) vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Hardware & software

The hardware differences between the two phones make it clear why the Razr is the cheaper option, but both are still pretty strong phones, and the Razr manages to outclass it in a few areas. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, the same chip powering many other foldables this year, like the Razr Plus. It's a powerful chip that still holds up despite being a year old. The chip is paired with 8GB of RAM, which should be more than enough for managing apps.

The Razr is more of a "midrange" foldable, powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip. While it wasn't a widely used chipset, it still offers plenty of punch and should be sufficient in providing a flagship-like experience. It also comes with 8GB of RAM.

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 doesn't have the most robust battery at only 3800mAh, but battery life isn't exactly atrocious, getting our reviewer through a whole day and then some. The Razr has a larger battery capacity of 4200mAh, meaning it should last longer than the Galaxy. Motorola claims over 30 hours on a single charge, but we've yet to test out the Razr to see just what battery life is like. Once we do, we'll update this with our results.

Both phones also come with stereo speakers, NFC, USB 2.0, and at least Wi-Fi 6 (the Razr has Wi-Fi 6E).

They both currently run Android 13, although Motorola's MyUX is closer to stock Android with the addition of some tweaks here and there, including useful gestures and additional UI changes to highlight the foldable experience. Samsung uses One UI, which isn't as popular, but has matured well for foldables, and the company updates its phones very often, unlike Motorola. Like the Razr, it also includes tweaks for the phone, like shifting the UI for the camera and video player when the phone is in Flex mode.

Motorola promises three OS upgrades and four years of software updates, which is actually not too bad. Samsung has a similar update promise with one additional year of security updates. However, the phone has already used up one of its OS upgrades when it received One UI 5 (Android 13).

Both are expected to receive Android 14, although it's unclear when that will happen.

Motorola Razr (2023) vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Cameras

The cameras on clamshell foldables aren't anything to run home about, and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is no exception. It takes good enough images with its primary and ultrawide 12MP sensors, but they're not particularly impressive. Still, the cameras manage plenty of dynamic range and detail, which you can see in the images below:

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The Razr also sports a 64MP primary camera sensor, which sounds like it might have the upper hand on image quality. However, if it's anything like the 12MP sensor on the Razr Plus, it won't be particularly impressive. It also has a smaller aperture than the Razr, so it won't take in as much light. We haven't had a chance to test the Razr camera just yet, so we can't really say what the quality of the images will be or how the smaller aperture and larger resolution will differ from the Razr Plus.

Still, Motorola isn't known for having the best imaging algorithm, so I won't hold out for the particularly good image quality. Still, we'll hold our full judgment until we get our hands on the phone for testing.

Unfortunately, the phone is only capable of 4K30 video on all of its rear cameras, missing out on the 60fps recording found on the Galaxy Z Flip 4's primary sensor.

Motorola Razr (2023) vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Which should you buy?

Samsung has enough experience with foldables that the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is a safe bet if you're looking for a flip-style phone. It's stylish, powerful, and durable, and the cover screen is pretty useful, even if it's smaller than some newer models. Even with the newer Galaxy Z Flip 5 on the horizon, the Flip 4 is still a great option.

On the other hand, the Motorola Razr has a lot going for it... for an "affordable" foldable phone, that is. It has a relatively powerful chipset and specs that would rival even some of the best Android phones. And while we don't have a price or release date for North America, there's no doubt it'll be the cheapest new foldable on the market.

The Razr looks like a great option for someone looking to dip their toes into the waters with their first foldable. However, if you're not new to the foldable space, the Flip 4 or perhaps its upcoming successor might be more your speed.