Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Motorola Razr 2024: Not a completely unfair fight

The market for flip phones is fairly small in North America, but it's growing with new options in both the high-end and low-end. Samsung and Motorola are at the forefront of this growth, and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Razr 2024 are at both ends of the price spectrum.

These phones are fairly similar in some ways, but very different in many. This is pretty evident given they're targeting different price points, with Motorola giving consumers a more "affordable" entry into foldables. Samsung's Z Flip 6 is one of the most powerful flip phones on the market, but it means you'll pay a pretty penny for it. Black Friday is the perfect time to score some good deals on both foldables, and many Black Friday deals for Samsung and big savings on Motorola devices are already live.

So, which phone should you consider for your next (or first) flip phone? Lets compare, and hopefully this Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Motorola Razr 2024 comparison will help you choose.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Motorola Razr 2024: Design and display

Similar to comparing the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Motorola Razr Plus 2024, the design differences between these two phones are just as stark. Samsung takes a more angular approach to its flip phone, with flat glass panels and sharp corners. It's very much a refinement of previous models of the phone and maybe the best design for the flip series yet.

Meanwhile, the Motorola Razr 2024 borrows its design from the Motorola Razr Plus 2023. It's nearly identical to its predecessor, with rear panels that curve into the rounded frame. The phone is also covered in vegan leather on the rear, with a strip on the front above the cover screen.

The differences in design also mean a difference in comfort. The matte frame and glass on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 feel great, but the sharp corners will dig into your fingers, depending on how you hold the phone. It can be quite uncomfortable the longer you hold it. Meanwhile, the Razr 2024 is much easier to hold for long periods of time, as the soft vegan leather and rounded frame are just easier on the fingers.

Samsung offers the Galaxy Z Flip 6 in four main colors, with an additional three colors that are exclusive to Samsung.com. The colors are more pastel, which some may not like, depending on your taste, but they are still quite nice. Motorola offers the Razr 2024 in three colors, including a rather striking Spritz Orange, but the Beach Sand and Koala Grey colors are a bit dull in comparison. However, Koala Grey makes up for it with the unique suede feel, which is rather nice, almost like you're touching an animal's fur.

It's also worth noting that water resistance on both phones means they can be fully submerged, although the IP48 on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 beats out the IPX8 of the Razr 2024, thanks to the added dust resistance.

As for the displays, this is where the phones are a bit more similar, even more so than the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 and Z Flip 6. Samsung's phone has a smaller display at 6.7 inches, but both are OLED, have Full-HD+ resolution, and run at a variable 120Hz refresh rate. The Razr 2024 has a bit of an edge with a higher 3000-nit peak brightness, but the difference is fairly minimal, and you should have no trouble viewing both phones outdoors.

Thanks to improvements to the hinge and display designs, the display crease is also minimal on both phones.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Motorola Razr 2024: Hardware and specs

These phones are targeted at different price segments, so the hardware and specs will reflect that. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a high-end flip phone featuring the most powerful Qualcomm chip to date, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. As a result, it performs incredibly well, handling apps and games without issue, thanks in part to the 12GB of RAM. This also lets it handle AI features, which we'll get to in the next section.

The Motorola Razr 2024 features a new mid-range MediaTek Dimensity 7300X with 8GB of RAM, but don't let that fool you. The phone also performs well, although it may not exactly hold a candle to the Z Flip 6. Games like Honkai: Star Rail and Final Fantasy VII Every Crisis are playable at the highest settings, and the phone is also capable of running some AI features, although not as fast or as well as the Flip.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 has the upper hand with storage capacity, since Samsung offers a 512GB variant of the phone, although you'll pay more for this. Motorola only offers 256GB, and neither model supports expandable storage.

As far as audio, both phones support Dolby Atmos with dual stereo speakers, but the Razr 2024 sounds a bit unbalanced due to one speaker being noticeably quieter when playing content. Overall, you'll get a better audio experience with Samsung, but neither are phenomenal.

The battery life situation between the two is pretty comparable. Both phones will last throughout the day, depending on how you use them, although you will likely need to charge up before the end of the night. The Z Flip 6 charges at 25W, and the Razr 2024 at 30W, so speeds are pretty similar, and both have the same wireless charging speed. The main difference is that the Z Flip 6 supports reverse wireless charging, although its usefulness is still up for debate.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Motorola Razr 2024: Cover screen

If you read our Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs. Motorola Razr Plus 2023 comparison, then you'll have a good idea of how the cover screen experience compares between these two phones. Samsung reaffirms its focus on the panel/widget experience as the focus of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 cover screen, offering a more curated experience for users. Panels work fine, are presented well, and even have added functionality now that you can add multiple widgets to a panel. However, Motorola continues to excel in the cover screen experience, which extends to the Razr 2024.

Out of the box, you can set up panels, similar to what you can do on the Galaxy Z Flip 6. In addition, you can set up and use apps on the Razr 2024 cover screen, just as you can on the Razr Plus 2024. The larger 3.6-inch OLED panel gives apps plenty of room, although the UI is still a bit scrunched, and you'll have to maneuver around the cameras. It's very easy to use the Razr 2024 without needing to open the phone, even when it comes to other aspects of the cover screen, like responding to notifications, changing wallpapers, and more.

While it's possible to use apps on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 cover screen, Samsung makes you go through hoops to make it happen. In addition, the cover screen experience is far from perfect, although apps work well when you get them to work. Still, there are many interactions that will require you to open the phone, which can be a little frustrating.

Overall, you'll have a better experience with the Razr 2024, as Motorola has upgraded the cover screen quite a bit, and the external OLED panel also just looks better, thanks to the 90Hz refresh rate and higher resolution. This is a huge win for this mid-range flip phone over Samsung's flagship.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Motorola Razr 2024: Software

Both phones run Android 14 out of the box, but the software experience is very different. Samsung's One UI continues to grow, and the company focuses on adding more AI experiences with Galaxy AI. Samsung has seemingly gone all-in and even includes some Google features you won't find on the Razr, such as Circle to Search. This elevates the software experience quite a bit, especially when on-device AI is involved, allowing you to keep your data private.

Many of Samsung's features are useful, like Chat Assist, and some are just fun, like Sketch to Image and Portrait Studio. Interpreter Mode also received a handy upgrade that takes advantage of the flip phone form factor, presenting translations on the cover screen to help make in-person conversations easier when speaking to someone in another language.

On the other hand, Motorola's new Hello UX isn't a huge departure from previous versions of the software, but there are some notable changes to the UI, including the settings menu and the new Control Center with a modern Quick Settings panel. Some AI features let you create new wallpapers, but they don't work very well.

The phone shares some AI camera features with its flagship sibling, but others, like Action Shot, are missing. You do have access to some Google features, such as the Gemini app, which is available on the cover screen, and Magic Compose. Also, thanks to Google Photos, the phone also has access to features like Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur.

Motorola has also teased some interesting Moto AI features in the works, but those are not yet available. 'Circle to Search' only recently arrived on select Moto foldables, but we're still waiting for the rest. Still, the software is perfectly fine, so long as you can deal with less frequent updates.

Samsung generally offers monthly software updates for its flagship phones and has provided an exceptional software update promise for the Galaxy Z Flip 6, providing support until 2031. Meanwhile, the Razr 2024 will only be supported until 2028, which is still impressive, but Motorola's track record means you won't receive the latest OS upgrades in a timely manner.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Motorola Razr 2024: Cameras

The camera comparison between these two phones is pretty cut and try. Both Samsung and Motorola gave their respective phones improved 50MP dual camera systems, but Samsung has the upper hand when it comes to image quality. It could have something to do with the ISP or just the way the algorithms produce images, but photos from the Razr 2024 tend to oversaturate scenes or punch up the brightness a bit too much. By comparison, images from the Galaxy Z Flip 6 appear much more natural, even when taken with the ultrawide cameras.

The Razr 2024 also oversharpens images, as if it's trying too hard to capture and retain detail. By comparison, images from the Z Flip 6 are much softer while still having plenty of detail. You can tell the difference from the images of the building below, which I've cropped so you can get an even better idea of what I mean:

Both phones can shoot 4K60 video and Auto Camcorder mode. They also have various shooting modes, although Samsung takes the cake with the addition of Expert RAW, for users that really want to take their photography to the next level.

Overall, neither camera is perfect, and I would probably prefer the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 over both, but the Galaxy Z Flip 6 easily beats out the Razr 2024.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Motorola Razr 2024: Which should you buy?

Between the specs, price, and camera performance, it's clear that these are two very different phones for very different people. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is for those of you who want the best of the best and are willing to spend a little extra for it. The Razr 2024 is for those of you who are maybe just dipping your toes into the world of foldables, or maybe it's not your first foldable, but you just don't want a phone that'll break the bank and can get by with the basics.

Despite being more of a mid-range phone, the Razr 2024 still has a lot going for it and performs well above its weight. It also looks and feels great, with one of the best cover screen experiences you'll find on a flip phone, second only to the Razr Plus 2024.

Samsung didn't change much with the Galaxy Z Flip 6, but it didn't really need to. It's a refined phone with the latest chip, a slightly better camera, and better battery life. Unfortunately, the cover screen experience still needs some work.

If you can manage the splurge, go with the Galaxy Z Flip 6. However, if you want to save, go with the Razr 2024. You might also want to check out our Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Razr Plus 2024 comparison to see the top two flip phones compared.