Motorola Razr+ 2023 vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4: Which Flip Phone Is Better?
If you want a flip smartphone in the US, you only have one real option: the Samsung Z Flip4. While there are other models out there, like the Oppo Find N2 Flip and the 2022 Motorola Razr, they aren’t readily available locally.
However, this changed in June 2023 with the global launch of the Motorola Razr+ (known as the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra in Europe). With this, Samsung is getting a major competitor to the Z Flip4. But how does it compare?
Z Flip4 vs. Razr+: External Display
The most obvious difference that the Razr+ has over the Samsung Z Flip4 is its massive external display. The latter has a 1.9-inch screen that displays information like the time, notifications, and what your camera sees if you want to use the primary cameras for a selfie.
However, this display is small compared to the rest of the front clamshell—it covers just about a fifth to a quarter of the available space. But with the Razr+, you get a large 3.6-inch AMOLED screen with a 1056 x 1066 resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate, and 1100 nits of peak brightness.
This means that the Motorola Razr+’s external display covers almost the entire front of the flip phone, giving you more screen real estate. So, not only can you see bigger notifications, but you can also do more on it. This allows app developers to makefeatures that make you want to use the cover displaymore.
Winner:Motorola Razr+
Z Flip4 vs. Razr+: Internal Screen
Although the Motorola’s cover display is an eye-catching feature, we should also check out the phones' main displays. After all, you’ll spend most of your time on this screen.
The Z Flip4 and the Razr+ have AMOLED screens with 1080 x 2640px resolution. They’re also bright and legible under the noontime sun, hitting 1200 and 1400 nits of peak brightness, respectively. You should also note that both devices do not have toughened armor glass on the flexible display—unfortunately, that’s justhow foldable smartphone screens work.
However, the Razr+ has a faster refresh rate of 165Hz, a bit more than the Z Flip4’s 120Hz. You also get a 6.9-inch display with the Razr+, bigger than Samsung’s 6.7 inches. Although this size means that the Razr+ has a lower pixel density at 413ppi (compared to the Z Flip4’s 426ppi), most people cannot see the difference between the two.
Because of this, we’ll have to give the internal screen to the Razr+, but just by a small margin.
Z Flip4 vs. Razr+: Primary Cameras
Both phones feature two rear cameras—a wide primary shooter and an ultrawide sensor. The Samsung phone uses 12MP for the main and wide cameras, while Motorola uses 12MP for its main camera and 13MP for the ultrawide.
The Samsung phone has a larger primary sensor, at 1/1.76 inches, and larger pixels, at 1.8µm, compared to the Motorola’s 1/2.55 inches and 1.4µm. On the other hand, the ultrawide sensor on both phones looks the same, except for the Motorola’s higher megapixel count.
Furthermore, the Samsung Z Flip4 ultrawide camera has a wider field of view at 123 degrees, than the Razr+ at just 108 degrees.
According toour Samsung Z Flip4 review, Samsung’s cameras are good. They’re not great and lack some features, but overall, it does the job. But because we haven’t got our hands on it yet, we cannot judge how good Motorola’s cameras will be. So, for now, we’ll have to give our award based on hardware specifications, and Samsung takes the cake for this category.
Winner:Samsung Z Flip4
Z Flip4 vs. Razr+: Selfie Cameras
Of course, we cannot ignore the selfie camera on these devices. Because of its clamshell form factor, you could use the phone’s lower section as a stand and unfold it at 90 degrees or greater. With this, the device becomes a self-supporting selfie machine, just like how Samsung showcases the Z Flip4.
According to its specifications, the Z Flip4 has a 10MP selfie camera with a 1.22µm HDR sensor, and it can shoot videos up to 4K/30 FPS. Motorola trumps this by offering a 32MP sensor to shoot HDR videos at 4K/60FPS. However, its pixel size is only 0.7µm—significantly smaller than the Z Flip4’s.
So, although you get a higher resolution, the Razr’s smaller pixel size could mean increased noise, which is whythe megapixel count vs. sensor sizehas been an age-old question in smartphone photography. But because both devices have their pros and cons, we’ll have to give this one a draw.
Winner:Draw
Z Flip4 vs. Razr+: Build and Dimensions
The Z Flip4 and Razr+ use Gorilla Glass Victus for their outer shells, while the internal screens remain plastic. They also have aluminum frames, although the Razr+ uses a stainless steel hinge, which is tougher than Samsung’s Armor Aluminum.
But when we consider both devices' IP ratings (what is the IP code?), we’ll find that Samsung offers IPX8, while Motorola only has IP52. This means that Samsung has better water protection but no dust protection rating. Although the Razr+ has limited dust ingress protection, its low water ingress rating means it’s only protected from drizzle—not if you drop it in a bucket of water.
But before we give this category to Samsung, we have to consider that the Z Flip4 does not fold shut. When the phone is closed, a gap near the hinge allows small items, like coins and dust, to wedge into the phone and scratch its soft plastic screen. This is unlike the Razr+, which folds flat, ultimately protecting its interior when you put it in your bag or pocket with other things.
Z Flip4 vs. Razr+: Processor and Memory
Althoughthe Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 launched in November 2022, the Motorola Razr+ still sports the previous generation Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1—the same chip that the Z Flip4 uses. However, it has an advantage in the RAM category.
The Razr+ starts with a 256GB storage and 8GB memory combination, better than the 128GB and 8GB RAM that the Z Flip4 offers. And if you max out its specifications, you can get 512GB storage and 12GB RAM on the Razr+, while the Z Flip4 only has 512GB and 8GB RAM.
Z Flip4 vs. Razr+: Battery and Charging
The Motorola Razr+ has a 3800mAh battery, 100mAh more than the Z Flip4. However, because of its larger external screen, it needs this extra juice. And unless Motorola optimized its hardware and software, you can expect the Samsung to last longer.
Motorola compensates for this by having faster charging at 30 watts, which is better than Samsung’s 25 watts. However, this is far from the 60 to 90 watts you may get on some non-foldable phones.
The Razr+ also has wireless charging, but it’s limited to a paltry 5W—just a third of Samsung’s 15-watt wireless charging capability.
Z Flip4 vs. Razr+: Color Options
Many flip smartphone buyers pick this form factor because it’s stylish and unique. So, it is crucial to give them great color options. Samsung offers four unique colors: Bora Purple, Graphite, Pink Gold, and Blue.
On the other hand, Motorola Razr+ only comes in three colors—Infinite Black, Glacier Blue, and Viva Magenta. This limits your options, making choosing one that fits your personality harder.
Is It Time to Go Moto?
Both the Samsung Z Flip4 and the Motorola Razr+ get three points in our comparison. And this is expected, as, on paper, these two devices are nearly identical.
They should perform similarly, mainly because they have the same SoC and almost the same RAM. The prices are similar, too. The only real difference is that the Motorola Razr+ has a massive external screen, making it useful for many more things.
However, although this is just one difference, it’s sometimes reason enough to switch. So, are you ready to go Moto?
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