Motorola Razr Plus 2025 review: The cover is the star of the show
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When you go to a concert, you’re usually there to see a specific band play. Maybe it’s for a new album. Maybe it’s for nostalgia. But rarely would you expect to enjoy a cover band better than the original.
That’s how I feel about the Motorola Razr Plus 2025, a phone that looks identical to its predecessor, yet still somehow packs all the wonder and fun of the original without introducing anything new. Even stranger, it’s the small cover display that I found enjoying the most, not the large, beautiful inner display that folds in half like liquid glass magic.
This isn’t the first flip phone I’ve reviewed for Android Central, by any means. I’ve spent ample time with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip line since the second iteration, and I’ve used camera-focused alternatives from Chinese brands like Vivo. But none of them make a flip phone quite like Motorola, and so much of that is wrapped up in how the cover screen works and how it transforms the flip experience.
Motorola Razr Plus 2025 specs
| Category | Motorola Razr Plus 2025 | Motorola Razr Plus 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Display (internal) | 6.9-inch, pOLED, FHD+, 2640×1080, HDR10+, LTPO 165Hz, 3,000 nits peak brightness | 6.9-inch, pOLED, FHD+, 2640 x 1080, HDR10+, 165Hz LTPO, 3000 nit peak brightness |
| Display (external) | 4-inch, pOLED, 1272 x 1080, 165Hz, LTPO, 2,400 nits peak brightness | 4-inch, pOLED, 1272 x 1080, 165Hz, LTPO 2400 nit peak brightness |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 |
| RAM | 12GB LPDDR5X | 12GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 256GB UFS 4.0 | 256GB UFS 4.0 |
| Rear Camera 1 | 50MP, (f/1.7, 0.8μm) or 12.6MP (1.6μm Quad Pixel), OIS, Instant-all Pixel, Focus | 50MP, (f/1.7, 0.8μm) or 12.6MP (1.6μm Quad Pixel), OIS, Instant-all Pixel, Focus |
| Rear Camera 2 | 50MP telephoto lens (f/2.0, 0.64um) or 12.6MP (1.28μm Quad Pixel), 2x optical zoom | 50MP telephoto lens (f/2.0, 0.64um) or 12.6MP (1.28μm Quad Pixel), 2x optical zoom |
| Selfie Camera | 32MP (f/2.4, 0.7μm) or 8MP (f/2.4, 1.4um) Quad Pixel | 32MP (f/2.4, 0.7μm) or 8MP (f/2.4, 1.4um) Quad Pixel |
| Audio | 3 mics, dual stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, Snapdragon Sound | 3 mics, dual stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, Snapdragon Sound |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC | 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC |
| Security | Fingerprint sensor, Face unlock | Fingerprint sensor, Face unlock |
| Battery | 4,000mAh, 45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, 5W reverse charging | 4,000mAh, 45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, 5W reverse charging |
| Dimensions (open) | 73.99 x 171.42 x 7.09mm | 73.99 x 171.42 x 7.09mm |
| Dimensions (closed) | 73.99 x 88.09x 15.32mm | 73.99 x 88.09x 15.32mm |
| Weight | 189g | 189g |
The cover is the headliner
Unlike book-style foldables — think Galaxy Z Fold 7 — the cameras on the flip phones are basically attached to the cover display. Sure, you could open a book-style foldable and awkwardly use the big back cameras with a viewfinder on the front screen, but I’ve found that to be nothing but awkward over the years.
There’s nothing awkward about using the cameras on the cover screen of the Razr Plus 2025, and that’s what makes flip phone cameras so game-changing. Selfie cameras work fine enough when holding a regular phone, but the versatility you get by having a flip with a camera is unparalleled.
Being able to place your phone on any surface and take a photo or video in both portrait and landscape orientations without using your hands or a tripod is a remarkably cool feeling. It’s something I’ve used often at hands-on events and personal outings, and it never gets old.
Then there’s the app situation. With the Galaxy Z Flip 7, Samsung still makes you jump through several hoops to get any app you want on the cover screen for a flawed experience. Motorola’s implementation just works like a normal phone, including an app launcher, but it’s the notification support that really makes a difference.
On a Galaxy Z Flip, when you receive a notification and tap it on the cover screen, the phone will often prompt you to unfold it to interact with that app or notification. On a Razr, the app just opens on the cover screen. That’s it. Nothing complicated. No unnecessary extra steps or weird apps to install. It’s as user-friendly as it gets, and it blows my mind that Samsung still hasn’t fixed this problem with its Flips.
Because of this, I was able to fully enjoy the tiny size of the Razr Plus 2025 instead of getting annoyed that I had to open it constantly. It felt like a true pocket-friendly companion rather than something that was convenient when it wanted to be.
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I prefer Motorola’s design and build over Samsung’s models. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 and 7 are overly flat phones, and I simply do not like flat phones. Having a curve to the edge of a device makes it nicer to hold, easier to open, and better looking overall, in my experience.
Not only that, but Motorola’s use of Pantone-certified colors and materials is second to none. The Mocha Mousse vegan leather model I have is stunning to behold and fits in with Motorola’s new angle as a fashion brand. The almost rose gold color of the metal frame perfectly matches the Mocha brown, and you’ll even find coffee bean flecks nestled in the vegan leather for a lovely touch.
Speed, battery life, and camera quality
One of the biggest reasons to choose the more expensive Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 or the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is the processor. In benchmarks, the Motorola Razr Plus 2025 is slightly faster than a Google Pixel 9 Pro but slightly slower than a Galaxy Z Flip 5.
While that sounds concerning, real-world performance tells me that it doesn’t matter. The only time I ever thought the phone felt slow was when I rebooted it after an update, and it was busy finalizing the update in the background. Most phones have a lag period after updating because of the app optimization process, so this isn’t a cause for concern.
Having a “slower” processor ultimately means that the phone prioritizes battery life over performance, ensuring you won’t run out of battery before the day is over. This was once a problem with flip phones, but Razrs solved that problem a while back. Plus, the 45W charging speed leaves Samsung’s flip phones in the dust, with a full charge (0-100%) taking only 45 minutes in my testing.
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More often than not, the camera quality from this phone exceeded my expectations, which, to be frank, were low given Motorola’s less-than-stellar reputation for camera quality. I should have expected good quality given the shots my wife has been able to pull off on her Razr Plus 2024 over the past year, but it’s still nice to be pleasantly surprised.
I love taking portrait photos with this phone, especially since the cover display makes it so effortless. Taking group photos with this phone using portrait mode is nothing short of stunning, and everyone will regularly say “wow!” when they see the viewfinder on the cover screen. Seriously, it happens every time.
Motorola included a 2x telephoto camera on this year’s model again, opting for moderately better zoom detail over the more useful ultrawide angle lens from the 2023 model. I would still prefer for Moto to revert to having a standard and an ultrawide lens for the 2026 model, especially since the other two Razr 2025 models have this configuration.
The Moto AI quotient
One of the big highlights of this year is Moto AI, a suite of new tools designed to be “helpful,” as all AI things are marketed to be. The reality is that most of these features sound cooler or more useful than they actually are. Take the AI-generated playlists feature, for example. It’ll generate a playlist of songs based on your request, but it’s limited to 10 songs in length and currently only works with Amazon Music.
Then there’s the ‘Catch Me Up’ feature, designed to summarize your notifications when you’ve put your phone away for a while. I tried this several times when my phone accumulated dozens of notifications, but overall, it didn’t seem particularly helpful.
The ‘Remember This’ feature sounded like something I would genuinely love to use. “Save screenshots, notes, and images to your Memory with AI-generated summaries and object recognition technology so that you can recall them later.” The problem is that I had no idea where to find them after I saved them, and even after I figured it out, I stopped using the feature when I realized it took several steps to find what it saved.
There are many great ideas in here, and I think the suite could become very good with more development time. For now, though, it feels half-baked and more like a user study than a final product.
Should you upgrade?
If you’re currently on a Razr Plus 2024, there’s no reason to upgrade. Yes, Motorola has upgraded the hinge with titanium and improved dust resistance, but almost everything else about the phone remains the same.
The cameras are still excellent and often surprise me with their quality, particularly when using portrait mode. The phone features the same 4-year update guarantee as its predecessor. And while I commend Motorola for some of the ideas in Moto AI, I found nothing in the suite that I used daily.
Motorola sells the Razr Plus 2025 for $100 less than the Galaxy Z Flip 7. While Samsung offers seven years of software updates for its phone, I don’t believe for a minute that any flip phone will last seven years without something breaking. I love foldables and can vouch for their durability, but I’ve seen numerous folding tests, and none of them suggest that a flip phone will last longer than five years at most.
Because of that, I recommend grabbing the Razr Plus 2025 over the Z Flip 7. Not only that, but Motorola also has a stellar flicker-reduction setting in display options that completely disables PWM dimming, a feature Samsung appears to be unable to offer its users. That means the Razr Plus 2025 is not only nicer to your wallet, but it’s also nicer to your eyes long-term.
The Motorola Razr Plus 2025 sports gorgeous Pantone-certified vegan leather backs, a solid metal frame build with comfortable curves, and a cover screen you’ll love so much you may never unfold the phone again. With a pocket or purse-ready size, you’re going to love the convenience of a Razr.
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