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We’re here to compare Motorola’s brand new flip phone flagship, vs the old one. In other words, we’ll be comparing the Motorola Razr+ 2024 vs Motorola Razr+ 2023. Motorola did improve its new offering in some ways, and its camera performance comes to mind first. The two devices do look very similar, though. There are, of course, both similarities and differences between them, so let’s see if the new one is worth it (for you).
As per usual, we’ll first list their specifications, and will then move to compare the two devices in other categories. We’ll be comparing their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output. This article will hopefully help you make a purchasing decision. Both devices are compelling, but… the new one may just be enough to tip you over. Let’s get to it.
Specs
Motorola Razr+ 2024 vs Motorola Razr+ 2023, respectively
– Screen size (main):
6.9-inch fullHD+ foldable LTPO AMOLED (165Hz, HDR10+, 3,000 nits)
6.9-inch fullHD+ foldable LTPO AMOLED (165Hz, HDR10+, 1,400 nits)
– Screen size (cover):
4-inch LTPO AMOLED (165Hz)
3.6-inch AMOLED (144Hz)
– Display resolution (main):
2640 x 1080
– Display resolution (cover):
1080 x 1272
1056 x 1066
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
– RAM:
12GB (LPDDR5X)
8GB/12GB (LPDDR5)
– Storage:
256GB (UFS 4.0)
256GB/512GB (UFS 3.1)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (wide, f/1.7 aperture, 24mm lens, 0.8um pixel size, OIS, PDAF), 50MP (telephoto, f/2.0 aperture, 0.64um pixel size, PDAF, 2x optical zoom)
12MP (wide, f/1.5 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor, 1.4um pixel size, PDAF, OIS), 13MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 108-degree FoV, 1.12um pixel size)
– Front cameras:
32MP (f/2.4 aperture, 0.7um pixel size)
– Battery:
4,000mAh
3,800mAh
– Charging:
45W wired, 15W wireless, 5W reverse wired (no charger)
30W wired, 5W wireless (no charger)
– Dimensions (unfolded):
171.4 x 74 x 7.1 mm
170.8 x 74 x 7 mm
– Dimensions (folded):
88.1 x 74 x 15.3 mm
88.4 x 74 x 15.1 mm
– Weight:
189 grams
184.5/188.5 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.4/5.3
– Security:
Side-facing fingerprint scanner
– OS:
Android 14
Android 13
– Price:
$999
$699
– Buy:
Motorola Razr+ 2024 (Best Buy)
Razr+ 2023 (Best Buy)
Motorola Razr+ 2024 vs Motorola Razr+ 2023: Design
As you can see, the two phones do look very similar. In fact, they’re rather difficult to tell apart, unless you’re paying attention to details. The biggest giveaway is the cover display, and it’s bigger on the new model. Both phones have rounded corners, and their foldable displays have a centered display camera hole. The bezels around both displays are quite thin. Their buttons on the side have a similar placement, they’re both located on the right side. Also, the power/lock button doubles as a fingerprint scanner on both smartphones.
The cover display on the new model is a bit larger, and the bezels around it are a bit thinner. You’ll also notice that the outer area where the hinge is located has thinner accents. Both cameras on the back and an LED flash are located inside the cover display… on both smartphones. They’re horizontally aligned in the top-left corner. Motorola’s logo is centered on the back, while the ‘razr’ logo sits below it.
Both smartphones have an aluminum frame, and a hinge made out of stainless steel. The new model includes vegan leather aka silicone polymer on the back, while the old one has glass on the back. The two devices are almost the same height and thickness, while they’re exactly the same in terms of width. The difference in weight is a couple of grams, so that’s basically the same too. The Motorola Razr+ 2024 comes with an IPX8 certification for water resistance. The old model only has a water-repellent coating. It’s also worth saying that the new model is less slippery due to the silicon polymer back.
Motorola Razr+ 2024 vs Motorola Razr+ 2023: Display
The Motorola Razr+ 2024 features a 6.9-inch fullHD+ (2640 x 1080) Foldable LTPO AMOLED display. That display can project up to 1 billion colors and supports Dolby Vision too. HDR10+ content is supported, and the panel goes up to 3,000 nits of brightness at its peak. The screen-to-body ratio is around 85%, and the refresh rate goes up to 165Hz. The cover display, on the other hand, measures 4 inches and has a resolution of 1080 x 1272. That is also an LTPO AMOLED display with a refresh rate of up to 165Hz. Dolby Vision and HDR10+ content are supported, and the panel can project up to 1 billion colors. The peak brightness here is 2,400 nits at its peak. The Gorilla Glass Victus protects this panel.
The Motorola Razr+ 2023, on the flip side, also has a 6.9-inch panel. It has the same 2640 x 1080 resolution, and it’s also an LTPO AMOLED display with 1 billion colors and HDR10+. Even the refresh rate is the same. There is one difference here, however. With a peak brightness of 1,400 nits, it doesn’t get as bright. The cover display on this phone measures 3.6 inches, and it has a resolution of 1056 x 1066. It’s an AMOLED panel that can project up to 1 billion colors, and HDR10+ content is also supported. This panel goes up to 144Hz when it comes to the refresh rate, and has a peak brightness of 1,100 nits. The Gorilla Glass Victus protects this display.
Both smartphones have excellent displays. The thing is, both panels on the new model are brighter. Yes, you’ll notice that difference when outdoors, as it’s really not all that small. If you find the old model’s brightness to be sufficient, then you really don’t need to upgrade, at least as far as displays are concerned. All four panels offer vivid colors with deep blacks and good viewing angles. They’re all sharp enough and offer a high refresh rate.
Motorola Razr+ 2024 vs Motorola Razr+ 2023: Performance
The Motorola Razr+ 2024 is fueled by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC, one of Qualcomm’s latest and most powerful chips. It also comes with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The Motorola Razr+ 2023, on the flip side, is fueled by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. It includes up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage. The new model is an upgrade in every way, basically. Not only does it include a more powerful, and more modern SoC, but faster and more efficient RAM and flash storage.
With that in mind, the Motorola Razr+ 2023 still performs admirably. That chip is more than powerful enough to push it through basically anything with ease. Is the new model faster? Well, yes. You can notice that if you’re using them side by side, that’s for sure. Still, the difference is not that big, to be quite honest. As far as regular day-to-day performance is concerned, if you own last year’s model, there’s really no reason to upgrade.
Some of you may consider upgrading due to gaming, perhaps. Well, neither of these two phones is made for gaming, per se. And yes, the Motorola Razr+ 2024 will push through demanding games a bit better, but for the vast majority of titles, they’ll perform about the same. The difference can be noticeable in truly graphically-demanding titles. Everything else… they’re about the same. Both can get quite warm from gaming, but not as much to affect the performance or to be too hot to handle.
Motorola Razr+ 2024 vs Motorola Razr+ 2023: Battery
The Motorola Razr+ 2024 features a 4,000mAh battery on the inside. Its predecessor comes with a 3,800mAh battery. Now, based on the battery size alone, you may think that the Motorola Razr+ 2024 offers better battery life. While that may be the case in some cases, it’s a toss-up, to be quite honest. In fact, we’d say that the Motorola Razr+ 2023 has better battery life overall. That is not all that surprising considering how efficient the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is.
We were able to get outstanding battery life with last year’s model, barely getting over 8 hours of screen-on-time on several occasions. 7+ was no issue at all. The new model is also very comfortable at over 7 hours of screen-on-time, at least it was for us, but it was a level below last year’s phone. It’s possible that will change after some updates, of course. In any case, do note that we did not play games on either phone when we got such numbers, but they were used for a lot of other tasks such as browsing, messaging, emailing, social media, TikTok, YouTube, camera testing, image editing, and so on. Both phones actually offer really good battery life, and the 2024 model even did better on some days. As I said, an update or two could completely flip the script, but you don’t have to worry about battery life on either phone.
In regards to charging, the Motorola Razr+ 2024 does have an advantage. It offers 45W wired, 15W wireless, and 5W reverse wired charging. Last year’s model supports 30W wired and 5W wireless charging. The new model does charge a bit faster. Do note that neither phone includes a charger in the box, though.
Motorola Razr+ 2024 vs Motorola Razr+ 2023: Cameras
One area in which Motorola improved things considerably from last year is the camera department. The Motorola Razr+ 2024 not only offers a better camera setup but noticeably better camera performance too. The Motorola Razr+ 2024 has a 50-megapixel main camera, and a 50-megapixel telephoto unit (2x optical zoom). The Razr+ 2023 arrived with a 12-megapixel main camera, and a 13-megapixel ultrawide unit (108-degree FoV).
A larger camera sensor is used this time around for the main camera. The same goes for the secondary unit, in addition to the fact it’s a telephoto camera this time around and not an ultrawide unit. Granted, the ultrawide camera on last year’s model did not really have an extremely wide FoV, so it was not all that useful. This telephoto camera is arguably more useful, though it would be best if Motorola actually used a good ultrawide camera on this year’s model.
Now, in regards to image quality. Last year’s model did a good job, but it wasn’t great. The Motorola Razr+ 2024 is a massive improvement. It does a better job of balancing images during the day, offers more details, and sharpening is barely visible and not always present. In low light, we were actually surprised at how good the phone was. It managed to preserve a lot of detail, while doing great at keeping images well-lit without much noise. Low light images are a lot better than they were last year. The telephoto camera is nothing to write home about, but it’s okay. It would be more useful if it had a higher optical zoom level, at least 3x.
Audio
Both of these phones have stereo speakers. Last year’s model had a really good speaker performance with good loudness. This year’s model does even better in that regard, as the loudness is excellent, and the quality preserved.
What they do not have is an audio jack. You can use their Type-C ports to connect your wired headphones, though, of course. You will need a dongle, though. Bluetooth 5.4 is supported on the new model, while the old one has Bluetooth 5.3 support.