Motorola’s first book-style foldable, the Razr Fold, stole the show for much of this year. Now, it’s time to turn the page toward the Motorola Razr 2026 series of flip phones, which the brand officially unveiled this week at a Los Angeles launch event. Motorola carved out a strong niche in clamshell foldables over the past few years, offering the unrestricted cover screen experience and flagship Qualcomm processors Samsung hasn’t given Galaxy Z Flip users. This year’s lineup still includes three members — the Razr 2026, Razr 2026 Plus, and Razr 2026 Ultra — but it now faces newfound pricing problems amid the industry-wide component shortage.
I spent over an hour playing around with all three Razr 2026 models, diving into the new features and hardware changes. All the while, I tried to figure out whether each upgraded flip phone could justify its higher price tag. The Razr 2026 and Razr 2026 Plus are both $100 more expensive this generation, while the Razr 2026 Ultra is a staggering $200 pricier than its predecessor.
Of the new foldables, the Razr 2026 stands out as the one that received the most of Motorola’s attention. There are upgrades all over the midrange $799 foldable, from the processor and battery to the camera system. It’s also the only Razr 2026 to be available in four unique Pantone colorways, and this is a sign of Motorola’s commitment to the entry-level flip phone. While I only briefly tried the Razr 2026 lineup, my early impressions are that the base model is still looking fabulous, and the Plus and Ultra models leave a bit to be desired.
About this article: Motorola provided travel and lodging for its Razr launch event in Los Angeles. The company had no input in this article, and didn’t see it before publishing.
The Razr Ultra 2026 brings high prices, few upgrades
Asking buyers to pay $200 more for a last-gen chip is puzzling
The Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 comes in only two colorways, and they’re both stunning Pantone finishes: Orient Blue and Cocoa. I know it’s hard to get excited about smartphone colors and materials, but trust me, Motorola deserves praise for these. Orient Blue is a bluish-purple hue made out of Alcantara — an Italian suede-like material with a satisfying in-hand feel that’s nothing like phones you’ve held before. Cocoa is made out of wood, and while I prefer Orient Blue, it’s hard to ignore the cool factor that comes with using a wooden flip phone. If you want your phone to be an accessory itself without a case, the Razr Ultra 2026 is for you.
I’m starting with the Razr Ultra 2026’s design because that’s absolutely the first thing you notice after initially laying eyes on it and picking it up. The colors are new, because last year’s model came in Rio Red, Scarab, Mountain Trail, and Cabaret styles. The problem is, once you move past the fresh shades, there are more similarities between the 2026 and 2025 models than differences. Notably, the 15.69mm thickness of the flip phone when snapped shut is unchanged. It’s effectively as thick as two phones, and the Razr Ultra 2026 goes up against the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, which is more manageable at 13.7mm thick.
The weight is identical to the Razr Ultra 2025, too, at 199 grams. Again, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is ahead of the curve by weighing 11 grams less. Is this the end of the world? No, I don’t think so. The whole point of clamshell foldables is to provide a compact form factor when you’re not using them, and this comes at the expense of thickness and weight. I think it’s a worthy sacrifice, and the Razr Ultra 2026’s 7.19mm thickness feels innovative as soon as you open it up.
The similarities continue when moving to the displays, and to Motorola’s credit, this is partly because the Razr Ultra’s pOLED panels were already outstanding. Both the 4-inch cover screen and 7-inch foldable display support 165Hz refresh rate, surpassing most phones. The biggest change is that the Razr Ultra 2026’s main screen now tops out at 5,000 nits of brightness, which is 500 nits more than its predecessor. It’s a solid set of displays that really could only be further improved by slimming down the assemblies or making the crease less pronounced.
As for durability, the Razr Ultra 2026 is the first phone to ship with Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 on the cover screen. This will come in handy, as foldable cover screens are known to take more hits due to their exposed nature. There’s IP48 protection against dust and water ingress. It’s not quite as good as the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s IP68 certification, but it’ll get the job done against large dust particles and brief submersion in shallow water.
I want to love the Razr Ultra 2026. It feels great, and has the “fun” and “cool” factors Samsung can’t match. There’s a new 50MP LOFIC (Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor) main camera sensor offering better dynamic range, greater detail, and more clarity, according to Motorola. Photo captures are twice as fast, so you don’t miss a moment waiting for the shutter. And the 5,000mAh silicon-carbon battery with 68W fast charging is groundbreaking for a flip phone.
These minor upgrades just aren’t enough when you consider the Razr Ultra 2026’s new $1,500 starting price. You get 512GB of storage, but that alone can’t justify the price hike. For reference, the 512GB Galaxy Z Flip 7 is $200 cheaper. Honestly, I’m not sure any amount of upgrades could justify the cost. That’s more than the Galaxy S26 Ultra and only $300 less than the Razr Fold. To make matters worse, the Razr Ultra 2026 uses the same Snapdragon 8 Elite chip as its predecessor. It’s certainly a capable processor that will handle anything you throw at it, but why pay $200 more for something you could get on a last-gen model for a fraction of the price?
- SoC
-
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
- RAM
-
16GB
- Storage
-
512GB
- Battery
-
5,000mAh
- Release date
-
May 21, 2026
The Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 is the brand’s highest-end flip phone, sporting a 7-inch main screen and a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. It has a triple 50MP camera system with a main and ultrawide sensor on the rear, plus a selfie camera on the inside. Plus, this phone offers a 5,000mAh battery with 68W wired charging.
The Razr Plus 2026 walks a fine line
It uses an even older chip and a smaller battery than the Razr 2026
After going hands-on with the Razr Plus 2026, I’m still not certain why it exists. Last year’s version had a $1,000 price point that split the middle between the Razr and the Razr Ultra tiers. It also stood out as the only model with a telephoto camera. With the Razr Plus 2026, that appeal is gone. The new model is $100 more expensive, pushing it firmly in flagship territory, if it wasn’t already there. The telephoto camera is gone, and it’s replaced with a 50MP ultrawide lens instead. This isn’t a bad choice in a vacuum, because an ultrawide might prove to be more useful than a telephoto in the long run.
My concern is that the Razr Plus 2026 no longer feels like a Razr Ultra 2026 alternative — it’s now just an expensive and worse alternative to the higher-tier version. It still uses the same Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform as the Razr Plus 2025 and the Razr Plus 2024. Performance isn’t everything, but it’s tough to ask consumers to pay over a grand for a midrange processor from nearly three years ago.
At 15.32 mm when shut, the Razr Plus 2026 is slightly slimmer than the Ultra variant. However, it gets Gorilla Glass Victus instead of Ceramic 3, and is only available in one “Pantone Mountain View” colorway. It’s rare to see a phone debut in only one color option, and even rarer for that color to be green. We might be able to predict customer demand based on the number of colorways offered: four for the Razr 2026, two for the Razr Ultra 2026, and one for the Razr Plus 2026.
I could see the Razr Plus 2026 being a compelling flip phone with discounts or promotions. It’s still a well-built foldable with a 6.9-inch main screen and a 4-inch cover screen. The launch price of $1,100 should be a non-starter considering the lack of major upgrades, though. It has the smallest battery of the trio, even including the cheaper Razr 2026, and that tells you everything you need to know.
- SoC
-
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform
- RAM
-
12GB
- Storage
-
256GB
- Battery
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4,500mAh
- Release date
-
May 21, 2026
The Motorola Razr Plus 2026 is a flagship flip phone with a 4-inch, edge-to-edge cover screen. It costs $1,099 and comes with a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. This phone has a 4,500mAh battery, which is the smallest capacity of the entire Razr 2026 series.
The Razr 2026 is still the best deal
Yes, it’s $100 more expensive, but it somehow got the most attention
I’ve been tough, but fair, on the Razr Plus 2026 and Razr Ultra 2026 so far. Now, it’s time for Motorola’s victory lap. The base-model Motorola Razr 2026 is still set to be the best phone for anyone looking to try a foldable phone for the first time. Yes, it is $100 more expensive this year, but its predecessor was so cheap that the Razr 2026 is still just $799 now. The 128GB of included storage could be tight for some users — it’s a downgrade compared to the 256GB Razr 2025. Other than that, the Razr 2026 is a slam dunk.
The Razr 2026 still has a smaller 3.6-inch cover screen than its counterparts, but that’s part of the charm. Choose between the four Pantone color options of Hematite, Violet Ice, Sporting Green, Bright White, and the rear finish will match the bezel above the cover screen. On the inside, you’re not missing out, as you still get a 6.9-inch foldable pOLED screen. Durability is top-notch for the price thanks to an IP48 certification and Gorilla Glass Victus on the cover screen.
Compared to the other models, upgrades are all over the Razr 2026. It’s the only device in the series to get a new chip this year, as it packs a fresh MediaTek Dimensity 7450X processor. The ultrawide lens got the boost from a lowly 13MP sensor to a standout 50MP one, too. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s a bigger 4,800mAh battery and fast 30W wired charging.
By far, the best part of the Razr 2026 series is the new Motorola software tricks. They’re available across all models, so even the cheapest Razr can take advantage of them. I’ve long been a camcorder mode fan, as this mode allows you to record video with your phone half-opened for a retro vibe. Now, you can “rotate to zoom” using camcorder mode. Twist your wrist, and the camera will automatically zoom in or out based on the movement, all while keeping the horizon steady.
Speaking of horizon, “frame match” is my favorite Razr 2026 feature. It’s a way of guiding your photographer to take the exact photo you want. You’ll take a picture with the precise framing you’re looking for, then pass the camera to your friend and take a pose. Your friend will see an outline of the frame you just took, and can align the live viewfinder with the guide on the screen. This helps them find the exact camera positioning you want. Finally, they can take the photo, and it’ll hopefully match your expectations. No more arguing over smartphone photos.
Motorola is also introducing Daily Drop, a collection of updates that serves as the brand’s answer to Samsung’s Now Brief. You get Live Updates and video wallpaper support on the cover screen, too. The brand is partnering with Google to bring Photos memories to the Daily Drop, and that’s not all. It’s touting the availability of Google Photos’ upcoming Wardrobe feature on Razr 2026 devices. This new feature will come to other Android phones too, but it’s a clever one.
Google Photos scans your photos to learn which pieces of clothing you own. Then, it’ll use the cloud to process things like shirts, pants, and shoes, combining them into outfits you can preview with Nano Banana models. The idea is that you can “shop” for new outfits using the forgotten items in your closet. While it does rely on the cloud, Google says photos are never used for ads or training material. I asked whether this might work with Google Shopping’s Try-On tools in the future, and a spokesperson assured me that shopping ads won’t come to the Photos app.
That about sums up the Razr 2026 series. The entry-level model is incredibly attractive at $799, complete with a fresh chip, larger battery, and upgraded camera system. At $1,099 and $1,499 respectively, the Razr Plus 2026 and Razr Ultra 2026 seem tougher to recommend. Motorola’s paltry three-year Android OS upgrade support guarantee looms large when considering whether the price is worth it. Still, we’ll have to wait for our chance to fully test the devices before giving a verdict.
- SoC
-
MediaTek Dimensity 7450X
- RAM
-
8GB LPDDR5X
- Storage
-
128GB
- Battery
-
4,800mAh
- Release date
-
May 21, 2026
The Motorola Razr 2026 features a compact 3.6-inch outer screen and 6.9-inch primary screen in a clamshell foldable form factor. It’s a budget device powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7450X and equipped with dual 50MP rear cameras. At $799, it’s an incredibly affordable way to get your hands on a foldable Android phone.