Foldables are some of the most intriguing devices on the market, and I had been on the lookout for a good deal for quite some time. Just a few weeks ago, during the Great Freedom Festival sale on Amazon, the Motorola Razr 40 and the Razr 40 Ultra caught my attention. They were available for less than half of their launch prices, making them some of the most affordable foldables available. The Motorola Razr 40 was listed for around Rs 33,000, while the Razr 40 Ultra (review) was available for around Rs 45,000. As I was looking for a cheaper option, my first pick was the Razr 40. However, as I am a heavy user, I felt that the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 on the Razr 40 might trouble me in the long run, and decided to go for the Razr 40 Ultra, powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. For over two weeks the Razr 40 Ultra has been my primary smartphone, and here is a comprehensive analysis of the Razr 40 Ultra and how it stacks up in 2024. Unboxing Razr 40 Ultra The Razr 40 Ultra is a slim smartphone, but its retail box isn’t, and I appreciate that. I was more than happy to see a fast charger, data cable, and even a hard case in the box. Considering this is foldable, it is much harder to find a case, and I really appreciate Motorola for including one in the box. However, as the case adds a bit of bulk to the device, I ended up using the phone without it. I have used my fair share of foldables, including the Galaxy Z Fold4 (review) for more than six months. However, this is the first time I have considered a flip-styled foldable as my primary phone. As much as I love smartphones with big screens, I also sometimes complain about how big and bulky they are, and this is where the Razr 40 Ultra stands out from the crowd. When folded, it can easily fit inside my palm and it feels unlike any candy bar-styled smartphone. At 188 g, it is also light. While there are some lighter phones, the Razr 40 Ultra definitely feels much lighter in hand. Foldable with clean Android It is very hard to find an Android smartphone with a clean Android UI, that too on a foldable form factor, and if you are looking for one such device, the Razr 40 Ultra is definitely one of the few devices that offer that experience. Also, there is no bloatware except for a few first-party apps and Google services. However, I was a little disappointed that it is still running on Android 13, while the US counterpart (Razr 40+) has already received the Android 14 update. Other than the fact that it runs on an almost two-year-old OS, there were no issues with the overall user experience. The OS is well optimised to run on both the primary foldable screen and the cover display. Cover display that can do everything and flagship foldable screen A foldable smartphone is mostly about its screen, and the Razr 40 Ultra has two amazing screens. Despite being a year old, it still has one of the best cover screens ever featured on a flip-styled foldable, at least in India. The cover screen lets users engage with the device to its full potential without opening the primary screen. The 3.6-inch 144Hz cover screen runs around the two cameras. The cover display also has a mirror-like finish and can even double as a portable travel mirror, which also means that it is prone to smudges and fingerprints. From controlling music to scrolling through X or Instagram, the cover screen can do it all. In fact, I even streamed YouTube videos and played games like Candy Crush Saga directly on the cover display. You can make calls, answer calls, write messages and emails, take high-resolution pictures, and do a lot more directly on the cover display. The primary 6.9-inch foldable screen has a refresh rate of 165Hz, making it one of the fastest screens ever featured on a foldable. Not only that, it is also bright and colour-accurate. When opened, it transforms into a full-sized smartphone that is bigger than my Galaxy S23 Ultra (review). The two displays are well-optimised. If you are using an app on the primary display and close the phone, the phone will show a pop-up to continue using the app on the cover display. Similarly, when you are using an app on the cover display and open the device, it will automatically open the app on the primary screen. I was surprised that the crease on the Razr 40 Ultra is almost invisible, and I could see it only in certain lighting angles—a feat Samsung has yet to achieve on its more expensive foldables. In my day-to-day usage, I did not notice any lag. However, at times, the device gets a bit hot, but it would go back to room temperature pretty quickly. Hinge has some issues Another important aspect of any good foldable smartphone is a hinge, and the one on the Razr 40 Ultra is not really reassuring, even when I compare it with the almost three-year-old Galaxy Z Fold6. The hinge feels a bit loose, which also means that it cannot hold the phone in certain angles. In fact, when you open the phone, it does not fully open (180 degrees) and requires a bit of brute force to make it straight. However, when completely shut, there is no gap between the two halves of the screen, which ensures no dust or external particles can damage the inner screen. Terrible cameras and below-average battery life If I could point out two things that hindered the overall experience of the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, it would be its cameras and battery life. The dual-camera system on the Razr 40 Ultra is average at best, and the battery life is terrible. On most days, the phone would only last for around three to four hours of screen-on-time, and with its 33W fast charging, it does take a while to fully charge. Should you get Razr 40 Ultra in 2024? The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra was launched almost a year ago for Rs 89,999, and the same currently retails for Rs 49,999, making it a stellar deal, only for those looking for a good folding smartphone, though. For under Rs 50,000, the Razr 40 Ultra is as good as a flip-styled foldable can get, offers a holistic user experience, and it definitely grabs attention. The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra did everything that I came to expect from a foldable. It is almost as good as the latest Razr 50 Ultra (review), which costs almost twice as much as the Razr 40 Ultra. I will recommend the Razr 40 Ultra to anyone strictly looking for an affordable foldable smartphone that can handle normal day-to-day tasks. However, if you are looking for a more practical smartphone, then I recommend one of the candy bar-styled smartphones, those worth around Rs 50,000 in particular, which will deliver a holistic experience, especially when it comes to cameras and battery life.
