The Razr Ultra for 2026 ($1,499.99) holds the top spot in Motorola's triple-tier clamshell foldable line. It comes with flashy new industry milestones, including the Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 screen and a beastly 5,000mAh silicon-carbon battery—the largest ever in a US-sold flip phone. While these upgrades are welcome, they don't fully justify the Razr Ultra's $200 price hike over its capable predecessor. On the plus side, the Razr beats the cheaper Galaxy Z Flip 7 ($1,099.99) in multiple categories, from efficiency and brightness to performance and AI. Both of these flip phones are fun options for those who like the form factor. If you prefer Motorola's cleaner take on Android, the Razr Ultra is a fine phone, though you'll have to stomach the cost. Meanwhile, those already in the Samsung ecosystem should consider the Z Flip 7 for $400 less instead. Neither wins an Editors' Choice, however, which remains with the more powerful and more expensive book-style Galaxy Z Fold 7 ($1,999), our favorite folding phone overall.

Design: Alcantara and Wood Steal the Show

Motorola took a bold stance with the Razr Ultra’s design and rolled out two (somewhat campy) finishes: Pantone Orient Blue wrapped in Alcantara and Pantone Cocoa with a natural wood veneer. The Razr Ultra isn’t for buttoned-up folks who prefer to play it safe. Both finishes are unapologetically spunky, textured, and tactile—and they’re bound to spark conversation from curious onlookers.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

Motorola sent me the Pantone Orient Blue variant. The purplish-blue Alcantara texture, which matches the aluminum frame, takes up the bottom half of the rear panel, and I can’t stop touching it. This isn’t the first time I’ve encountered Alcantara (fuzzy, suede-like plastic) in consumer tech. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 relies on it for some portions of the outer chassis. It was glorious then, and it’s just as delightful now.

I was initially concerned that such a grippy texture would attract oil and grime. The real enemy turns out to be tiny flecks of debris. It's not a total dust magnet, but minuscule dirt specks are visible if you inspect closely. If minor dust-collection bugs you, it's best to get the wood variant instead.

The Alcantara-free part of the rear side, the cover display, is somewhat of a fingerprint magnet. However, the smudges are only noticeable when the screen is off and exposed to bright light. The cover display also houses a dual-camera module, with both lenses arranged side by side horizontally, almost like two digital eyes. The selfie camera is centered on the internal display.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

If tactile textures aren’t your thing, the Razr Ultra’s rival, the Galaxy Z Flip 7, comes in Blue Shadow, Coral Red, and Jetblack, as well as a mint colorway available exclusively on Samsung’s website.

Dimensions and Weight

Generation over generation, the dimensions have remained unchanged: 3.47 by 2.91 by 0.62 inches (HWD) when closed and 6.75 by 2.91 by 0.28 inches when opened. The weight is the same, too, at 7.02 ounces. The Razr+ and Razr are practically identical in size.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

Compare these measurements with the Galaxy Z Flip 7, which measures 3.37 by 2.96 by 0.54 inches (closed) and 6.56 by 2.96 by 0.26 inches (opened) and weighs 6.63 ounces. The Razr Ultra is taller than the Z Flip 7 in both its open and closed states, but it’s also narrower. However, the Samsung foldable has a thinner profile, making it more compact and easier to carry. The Motorola phone is also a touch heavier than its Samsung competitor.

Durability

Similar to the 2025 Razr Ultra, the new model uses a titanium-reinforced hinge, allowing me to confidently transform the foldable into several different modes, including tent and clamshell.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

The Razr Ultra, like the Z Flip 7, has an IP48 rating, which can withstand immersion in fresh water up to about five feet. It’s protected against solid objects larger than 1mm. In other words, Moto's foldable can survive an accidental dip in the pool, but don’t take it to the beach because sand is not its friend.

Buttons and Ports

On the left side of the phone, you’ll find an AI button, first introduced on last year's model. On the right side are two separate volume up/down buttons and the power button. Every button feels sturdy, with a pleasant, satisfying click.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

On the bottom edge, you’ll find a speaker grille and USB-C port. Like Samsung's Z Flip 7, Motorola still includes a physical SIM card slot instead of going all-in on eSIM. (I’m looking at you, Apple.) If you want to use an eSIM instead, you can do that, too.

Display: The Crease Is Almost Gone

I’m amazed by the Razr Ultra’s nearly creaseless display, though Motorola appears to be carrying over the same impressive crease minimization tech from last year’s model.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

The dreaded divot on foldables is a deal-breaker for some, but it never really bothered me much. You can still glimpse a barely there crease under certain lighting and angles, but when gliding my fingers across the internal display, there's no tangible evidence of a crease. If the crease has always been your excuse for dodging foldables, that won’t fly with the Razr Ultra.

Inner Screen

The main display, matching the 2025 model, measures 7.0 inches and has a resolution of 2,992 by 1,224 pixels on a panel that Motorola calls Extreme AMOLED. It supports a 165Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 5,000 nits, up from last year's 4,500 nits. During my outdoor testing at the park on a bright afternoon, the Ultra is highly visible and legible. I watched YouTube videos and caught up on some of my favorite Peacock shows without squinting.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

The Razr Ultra is a joy to look at, producing punchy colors and crisp textures throughout my testing. Genshin Impact, in particular, pops beautifully on-screen. Even reruns of The Office look clean and vibrant.

The Z Flip 7 is significantly dimmer, reaching a peak brightness of 2,600 nits on a 6.9-inch Super AMOLED panel that has fewer pixels at 2,520 by 1,080. 

External Display

The new Razr Ultra keeps its predecessor’s roomy 4-inch LTPO AMOLED outer display, paired with crisp 1,272-by-1,080-pixel resolution. There is one small, but welcome, upgrade: the cover screen now consists of Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 instead of the previous gen’s Gorilla Glass Ceramic. According to Motorola, the Razr Ultra is the world's first flip phone to feature Ceramic 3. This means the cover display is equipped with an extra dose of toughness for those inevitable “oops” moments.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

Similar to the main display, the outer screen supports a 165Hz refresh rate, but dips slightly to a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The Z Flip 7, on the other hand, has a 4.1-inch Super AMOLED, 1,048-by-948-pixel outer display that supports a variable refresh rate between 60Hz and 120Hz and a peak brightness of 2,600 nits, making the 2026 Razr Ultra the brightest device in this foldable sparring match.

New to the cover display is the ability to run video wallpapers from your gallery, but they must be at least five seconds and no more than 60 seconds. I tested the feature, but the animation only runs for about 10 seconds before pausing on a still frame.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

It took me some time to figure out how to best incorporate the outer display into my daily routine beyond checking notifications, texts, and the weather. I appreciated having quick access to the calculator after restaurant outings for tip math, and unexpectedly, I became hooked on Marble Mayhem, a digital spin on those old-school marble maze toys I used to play with as a kid.

Performance: Old Chip, Still Plenty of Muscle

One sore spot about the new Razr Ultra is that it's $200 pricier than its predecessor and somehow uses the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. You're paying significantly more for a phone that doesn't gain a processor upgrade. Perhaps the RAM crisis is partially to blame, but yikes.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

The phone is only available in one configuration: 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. There’s no expandable storage via microSD, and last year's 1TB option has quietly disappeared. I don't think most people will miss it; 512GB should be more than enough for the average user.

For $400 less, the Z Flip 7, powered by a Samsung Exynos 2500, is easier on the wallet; it offers a starting storage configuration of 256GB. You can also upgrade to a configuration with 512GB storage for $1,299.99. Bottom line: Samsung offers a 512GB model for $200 less than Motorola.

I ran Geekbench 6 to test the Razr Ultra’s CPU performance, and it scored 3,027 on the single-core test and 9,139 on the multi-core test. This beats the 2025 Razr Ultra, which notched 2,913 and 8,727, respectively. The new Moto also eclipsed the Z Flip 7’s scores: 2,267 (single-core) and 7,594 (multi-core). This sort of makes the generation-over-generation processor stagnation more palatable.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

I tried to run both 3DMark Wild Life and Wild Life Extreme tests on the Razr Ultra, only to be greeted with a “Your device is too powerful” message. This is a testament to just how much horsepower the Snaprdragon 8 Elite offers. Again, results like this make it easier to swallow Motorola's decision to reuse the older chip.

I played Asphalt Legends on High at 60 frames per second, and the Razr Ultra handled it with ease. My gameplay experience was smooth throughout testing, with crisp visuals and no noticeable stuttering or frame drops.

Battery Life: Outlasts Its Samsung Rival

If you were wondering where the Razr Ultra's big upgrade is, this is it. Motorola packed a humongous 5,000mAh silicon-carbon cell, a step up from the 2025 model's 4,700mAh battery. For perspective, no other flip phone currently sold in the US packs a battery this large. The Z Flip 7 has a smaller battery of 4,300mAh. 

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

Does the new battery mean more battery life? I ran our usual test, which consists of streaming a 1080p video over Wi-Fi with the screen brightness set to max. The Motorola lasted 21 hours and 16 minutes. That puts it just shy of its predecessor's 22-hour battery life, but beats the Z Flip 7 by nearly four hours. It's a bummer that I didn't see a significant increase in battery life, but 21 hours is still outstanding for a foldable. I suspect the phone's markedly brighter screen played a role here.

The Razr Ultra supports 68W wired charging, 30W wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging. The Razr Ultra doesn’t ship with a charging brick, so you’ll need to supply your own. It charged to 100% in 1 hour and 10 minutes, which is lightning-fast compared with the Z Flip 7's 1 hour and 58 minutes. 

Connectivity: Keeping the Physical SIM Alive

The new Razr Ultra supports 5G on both sub-6GHz and C-band networks, though it lacks support for high-frequency mmWave 5G, which you can find on the Z Flip 7. The Razr Ultra supports Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 7, which matches the Samsung offering.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

I took the phone’s radios for a spin at a popular shopping spot in Long Island. On the Verizon network, it reached wireless download speeds of 454Mbps and upload speeds of 21.0Mbps. At the same location and on the same network, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (which has mmWave) delivered download and upload speeds of 487Mbps and 19.9Mbps, respectively.

When connected to my Wi-Fi 6 router, the Razr Ultra notched speeds of 309Mbps down and 275Mbps up. The S26 Ultra hit similar download and upload numbers of 305Mbps and 330Mbps, respectively. When I moved the phones to a location on the fringe of my network, the Razr hit peak download speeds of 17.9Mbps and upload speeds of 2.75Mbps. The Samsung phone, on the other hand, delivered better results of 85.7Mbps down and 8.66Mbps up.

Audio: Loud Enough, But Lacking Detail

Calls via the Razr Ultra sound fine, and it effectively filters out background noise. I wouldn’t call the experience exceptional. Audio quality is decent enough for conversations, but it's not a highlight by any means.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

In testing, the earpiece reached a solid 72.4dB, which provides plenty of clarity for calls. When switching to the speakerphone, volume improves to 75.6dB. The speakerphone could use a boost in volume, but both are adequate for calls in quieter environments.

Our test track, The Knife's "Silent Shout," reached a peak of 84.1dB. It's clear that delivering top-of-the-line sound wasn't a priority for Motorola. The tune sounded a bit metallic and lacking in richness, especially at max volume. I recommend pairing your preferred set of wireless earbuds for a more pleasant listening experience.

Cameras: Camcorder Mode Gets an Upgrade

Similar to its predecessor, the Razr Ultra has 50MP cameras across the board: the main sensor, ultra-wide camera, and selfie shooter.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

The trio of 50MP sensors uses quad-binning, which outputs 12.6MP photos by default. However, you can enable Ultra-Res mode if you’d rather capture more detail with the pixel count.

Main Camera

The main camera now features a LOFIC (Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor) sensor, designed to deliver improved dynamic range. The phone should handle tricky, high-contrast lighting scenarios (e.g., a bright sunset) without blowing out highlights or losing detail in shadows.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

I took a photo of a pergola overgrown with lush vegetation. Compared with the 12.6MP capture, the 50MP shot preserves more fine details in the white lattice wood texture and the vine strands; it's far more colorful, too.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

The same can be said for the snapshots I took of a lakefront community center. The 50MP photo captures the ripples in the water and the brick building's deep reddish-brown hues more clearly.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

Larry’s Pub in Long Island looks slightly more vibrant in the 50MP shot, with richer brick tones, stronger contrast, and sharper detail around the windows and storefront signage.

Ultra-Wide Camera

The ultra-wide camera sports a 50MP shooter with an f/2.0 aperture and a 122-degree field of view.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

The colors on shots from the ultra-wide are more muted and have flatter contrast compared with the main sensor, but that's expected given its darker aperture and smaller sensor, both of which capture less light. Details in the trees, water, and distant brick building are hazy and slightly washed out. Ultra-wide cameras tend to struggle with distant scenery.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

This flower photo fares much better. The shooter captures these flowers' punchy orange petals and the surrounding green leaves accurately.

Zoom

You won't find a dedicated telephoto lens, but you can rely on digital zoom for close-up shots and portraits. There's also a convenient toggle button for quick 2x crops. Take a look at this zoomed-in shot I took of two swans in a lake.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

The water reflections have decent definition. Plus, the colors look natural, and the waterfowl's orange beak catches the eye. However, details such as the swans' feathers could be sharper.

Selfie Camera

The internal display houses a 50MP hole-punch selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture.

The shooter captures impressive sharpness across my face, particularly around my eyes, hair strands, and skin texture. It also does a solid job of balancing my complexion without oversaturating it. One thing to consider is that Motorola's image processing leans a bit heavy at times, making my skin look slightly airbrushed. It looks like I hit the watercolor filter on some AI photo-editing app. That said, I’ve seen worse offenses than a phone making me look a touch more photogenic.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

The beauty of a flip phone like the Razr Ultra is that it gives you easy access to the main camera: the best lens on the device. With the phone folded shut, I opened the camera from the cover display, which doubles as a viewfinder. With a quick press of the shutter button, I can take a picture of myself with the main camera in a flash.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

I prefer these selfies to the photos I took with the front-facing shooter. My face looks more proportional and less distorted. However, Motorola's preference for vibrant colors, along with its polished, slightly enhanced aesthetic, may not appeal to everyone. Personally, I don't mind it.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

Video

The Razr Ultra lets you capture 8K video at 30fps and 4K video at 60fps, complete with Dolby Vision support.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

If you, like me, absolutely hate asking strangers to take videos of you, the Razr's foldable design doubles as a built-in tripod. Prop the Razr up on a nearby surface, and it will record you without bothering anyone.

Another way Motorola has leveraged the flippy form factor is by allowing users to shoot in camcorder mode. This feature isn't new, and isn't exclusive to the Motorola flip (the Z Flip supports it, too), but there's one minor upgrade this year: You can now twist the phone's body left or right to zoom in or out on your subject. It’s not a game-changer, but using the twist gesture was surprisingly intuitive and made one-handed zoom control feel natural.

The Razr Ultra's video recording quality lags behind slab-style superstars like the iPhone 17 Pro Max, particularly in noise control and low-light conditions. However, it delivers sharp, detailed video and decent dynamic range in well-lit environments.

Software: Semi-Helpful AI and Short Support

The phone ships with Android 16 and offers three years of OS upgrades and five years of bi-monthly security updates, which trails the Samsung Z Flip 7's seven-year support cycle. Something to keep in mind if you like to hold onto your phones for a long time.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

I've been feeling AI fatigue, but some Moto AI features are actually useful. For example, Remember This is a thoughtful perk that lets you save screenshots or jot down quick notes for future recall. I can't tell you how many screenshots I've saved on my phone, only for them to get buried in my gallery. This could be handy, for example, if you found an insightful comment on Threads, or perhaps you just need to remember where you parked.

If you're popular enough to be bombarded with notifications all day, Catch Me Up helps summarize that influx without needing to parse through them yourself.

Transparently, AI-based image generation isn't my thing, but if it's yours, it's bundled into Moto AI via Image Studio. It lets you create stickers, avatars, and sketch-to-image artwork. I spent a few minutes generating a dancing puppy in sunglasses and a funky sci-fi car before Moto AI abruptly informed me that I’d exhausted my credits and needed to wait until tomorrow. In other words, you get about two or three generations before Image Studio stops you in your tracks. Hey, Motorola's gotta keep its AI servers from melting somehow, right?

On the main display, I took advantage of the Razr Ultra's split-screen capabilities, running Perplexity on the bottom half of the screen, for example, and scrolling through Reddit for some fun prompts to run.

(Credit: Kimberly Gedeon)

Overall, I found the Razr Ultra's software polished, zippy, and surprisingly practical at times, though some of the Moto AI perks are gimmicky, like Apple Intelligence and Galaxy AI.