• Motorola Razr+ standing on a table.

    Source: Jason Cipriani

    Motorola Razr+ (2023)

    $899 $999 Save $100

    The Motorola Razr+ is currently available for preorder and will officially launch on June 23 for $999. It has a foldable display that flips open, and one of the biggest external displays we’ve seen on this kind of phone, measuring 3.6-inches. 

  • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

    Source: Jason Cipriani

    Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

    Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 helped set the bar for foldable flip phones, and it continues to be a worthy option. You can often find it on sale or part of trade-in promotions to get it below the stanard $999 price tag. 

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  • Motorola Razr+ (2023) Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
    SoC Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
    Display 6.9-inch pOLED, FHD+ 1080p, 165Hz, HDR1-+, 1400 nits (inner); 3.6-inch pOLED, 1066×1056, 144Hz, HDR10+, 1100 nits (outer) 6.7in AMOLED, 1080p 120Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits (inner); 1.9in, 260 x 512 AMOLED (outer)
    RAM 8GB 8GB
    Storage 256GB 256GB / 512GB
    Battery 3,800mAh 3700mAh
    Front camera 32MP internal 10MP internal punch-hole
    Rear cameras 12MP OIS (main), 13MP (ultra-wide) 12MP f/1.8, OIS (main), 12MP (ultrawide)
    Dimensions 170.83 x 73.95 x 6.99mm 165.2 x 71.9 x 6.9mm
    Weight 188.5g 187g
    Charging 30W TurboCharge wired, 5W wireless 25W wired, 15W wireless
    IP Rating IP52 IPX8

When Motorola announced the Razr+ (also called the Razr 40 Exaltado outside the US), we immediately began making comparisons to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4. Both are priced at $999, have the same foldable design that looks a lot like Grandpa’s old flip phone, and run the latest version of Android.


Beyond sharing some of the same specifications, the similarities stop there. The Razr+’s external display is unlike anything we’ve seen on a foldable phone thanks to its 3.6-inch front display, but that’s just the most obvious difference. There are plenty of differences between the two phones that could make deciding which one is right for you feel like a lot of work. Don’t worry, that’s why we’re here. We’ll walk you through the phones and help you make a decision.


Price, availability, specs

The Motorola Razr+ is available to preorder right now from Motorola, T-Mobile, AT&T, Best Buy and Amazon. Orders will arrive the same day as in-store availability (June 23). It’s $999 for a 256GB model, and it comes in Infinite Black, Glacier Blue or a T-Mobile exclusive, Viva Magenta.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 launched in August 2022 and is widely available. You can often find it on sale through various promotions and trade-in deals. Its starting price is $999 for the 128GB model, $1,059 for the 256GB model, and $1,179 for a Samsung online exclusive 512GB model. You can find the Z Flip 4 available for purchase at all major tech retailers, and wireless carriers.

The standard color options include Bora Purple, Graphite, Pink Gold and Blue. You can also buy a Bespoke Edition from Samsung, mixing and matching various colors.

You can view the specifications for each device below – but don’t worry if you don’t understand what some of it means. We’ll go into more detail below.

Design and build

Motorola Razr+ and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 laying flat on a table

Source: Jason Cipriani

The Razr+ and Z Flip 4 share a lot of the same design characteristics and approach to the overall build. They both have a hinge that holds the phone closed, but then you can flip it open to reveal a large internal display that looks and works just like a modern smartphone.

But before we talk about the fancy hinge Motorola developed, or even compare the internal display, let’s address the obvious difference between the two phones: The external display.

The Motorola Razr+ has a 3.6-inch external pOLED display that takes up the entire front of the phone, with specs like HDR10+ and a 144Hz refresh rate. To take advantage of a big external screen, Motorola made it possible to use apps directly on the front screen. That means you can do things like check your email, use Chrome to browse the web, mindlessly scroll on TikTok – or anything else you can think of. And, yes, there’s even keyboard access that you can use to send texts. The keyboard, mind you, takes up the entire front display when it’s in use. The two main cameras are part of the front display’s design, placed horizontally next to one another. They’re a lot bigger than the cameras on the Z Flip 4, and Motorola fully embraced their placement and size by creating wallpapers that you can use that make it look like the black circles are part of the picture.

The Galaxy Z Flip 4’s front display is much smaller and less capable in comparison to the Razr+. The external screen is a 1.9-inch Super AMOLED Display. It’s very basic in design and functionality. You can swipe across the screen to scroll between various widgets, view notifications, answer phone calls, and other basic tasks – but running a full app on the external screen isn’t possible.

The cameras on the Z Flip 4 are stacked vertically on the right edge of the front display. There aren’t any fancy wallpapers you can use to hide the cameras, as the display doesn’t wrap around them.

For what it’s worth, there are rumors that the external display on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is going to be bigger, but not quiebro as big, as the Razr+. We’ll know more about the Flip 5 at the end of July when Samsung holds its next Unpacked event from Seoul, South Korea.

The two hinges, however, are very different. The hinge on the Z Flip 4 leaves a gap between both sides of the screen when the phone is closed, which can allow for dust a debris to get inside. Motorola, however, developed a hinge that allows the phone to completely close, leaving no gap between the two sides of the internal display. Furthermore, when the phones are open, the back of the Razr+ feels like one smooth surface, whereas the hinge is back of the Z Flip 4 is very obvious when you run your finger across the back of the phone.

The Razr+ and the Z Flip 4 have a fingerprint reader that doubles as a power button on the right edge of the phone, with volume up and down keys above it.

The phones are close in overall size, with the Razr+ being slightly bigger at 170.83 x 73.95 x 6.99mm and the Z Flip 4 measuring 165.2 x 71.9 x 6.9mm when opened. They weigh almost the same amount at 188.5g and 187g, respectively. As for any water or dust resistance, the Razr+ has an IP52 rating, which means it should withstand an occasional splash, but not a dunk in the pool. The Z Flip 4’s IPX8 rating means it doesn’t offer any dust protection, but it can withstand being submerged in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes.

Display

Razr+ vs Z Flip 4 internal display

Source: Jason Cipriani

We’ve already touched on the external displays, so I’ll save you from going over them again and instead focus on the internal displays.

When opened, you’ll find Razr+’s 6.9-inch FHD+ 2640 x 1080p pOLED display that offers HDR10+, 10-bit support, and a refresh rate of up to 165Hz for smooth scrolling and gaming. There’s a hole-punch camera centered at the top of the display for selfies and video calls. The Z Flip 4’s main screen is a 6.7-inch FHD+ 2640x1080p AMOLED display, with HDR10+ and a refresh rate that caps out at 120Hz. There’s also a hole-punch camera centered at the top of the display.

When the phones are open and sitting side by side, you’d be hard-pressed to tell them apart if it wasn’t for the very minor size difference. Even the raised bezels that sound both screens look identical in height and thickness all the way around.

Hardware and Performance

Motorola Razr+ and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

Source: Jason Cipriani

When it comes to the presente hardware inside both phones, guess what? They’re very similar there, too. Both the Razr+ and Galaxy Z Flip 4 are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, have 8GB of memory, and each one offers a version with 256GB of storage. Actually, the Razr+ only comes with 256GB of storage; you can’t get more or less, nor can you add a microSD card to expand the storage amount.

Battery wise, the Z Flip 4 has a 3,700mAh battery, while the Razr+ has a 3,800mAh battery. You can fast charge both phones, with the Z Flip 4 charging at a max of 25W, and the Razr+ charging at 30W via a wired connection.

Because both phones are using similar internal hardware, you should see very similar, if not identical performance. The main differences when it comes to performance of either phone is going to come down to the software experience.

Both phones run Android 13, with each company’s respective tweaks and skins to customize the overall experience.

The Z Flip 4 currently uses Samsung’s One UI 5.1 which has several tweaks and changes to Android. It’s especially apparent when viewing the interface in things like the Settings app, or even the app icons on the home screen. Some people don’t have any issues with Samsung’s take on Android, while others don’t like how aggressive Samsung is with pushing its own apps and services.

Motorola’s approach to Android is light-handed, but not without its own customizations and tweaks. For instance, there’s a Moto app icon that randomly floats above the apps on your home screen. When selected, it launches an app that walks you through various features specific to Motorola phones (like twisting the phone two times to launch the camera app), or how to tailor the home screen and overall theme of the phone to your liking.

There are a few Motorola apps pre-installed, such as a stand-alone Phone app for placing and receiving calls, but that’s about it. The rest of the experience is a more vanilla Android experience.

Admittedly, both phones offer stellar software experiences on their own, and it really comes down to personal preference.

Cameras

Motorola Razr+ and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 front cameras with front displays on as a view finder.

Source: Jason Cipriani

The Motorola Razr+ has a total of three cameras. There are two rear-facing cameras (when the phone is open), and one camera that’s part of the internal display. The rear-facing cameras are made up of a 12-megapixel main camera, and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera that can also take macro photos. On the internal display is a 32-megapixel selfie cam.

The Z Flip 4 has a similar setup, with the rear-facing cameras (again, when the phone is opened) and a hole-punch camera at the top of the internal display. The two rear-facing cameras consist of one 12-megapixel main camera, and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera. The front-facing camera on the inside display is 10 megapixels.

Both phones do offer the option to use the external display as a viewfinder for taking photos with the rear cameras, with the Razr+ having the obvious advantage due to the added screen space.

Don’t look at the megapixel count of each camera and automatically write off the Z Flip 4’s capabilities. Samsung’s phones are known for taking sharp photos that are clear and crisp, while Motorola photos often look good, but lack saturation and some clarity.

Conclusion

So, which one do you get? Motorola’s Razr+ offers one very important feature that the Z Flip 4 just doesn’t have with its large external display. And for many, that’s a huge benefit (and we can’t blame you). Being able to play a quick game, quickly scan Facebook or Reddit, or even reply to a text or email without opening the phone is a major selling point, and something that’s not possible on the Z Flip 4.

For that reason alone, we’re giving the Razr+ a slight edge over the Z Flip 4. Ultimately, however, Samsung makes fantastic phones, and you really can’t go wrong with the Z Flip 4.

Motorola Razr+ standing on a table.

Source: Jason Cipriani

Motorola Razr+ (2023)

$899 $999 Save $100

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

Source: Jason Cipriani

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