Motorola Razr Plus (2023)

4/ 5 Very good

pros and cons

Pros

• Solid performance with minimal form factor issues
• 3.6-inch external display is useful and thought out
• First foldable with dust resistance

Cons

• Moderate battery life with slow charging
• No telephoto camera
• Some LTE signal problems

$999 at Motorola $999 at Amazon $999 at Best Buy more buying choices

As LL COOL J once said, "Don't call it a comeback. Motorola's been here for years." Okay, I twisted a word or two there for context, but the point stands. 

With the newMotorola Razr Plus , the company is not pulling any punches to establish itself as the premier foldable phone maker in the U.S., even if its previous two attempts were a flip and a flop.

The Razr Plus is Motorola's return to form, modernizing a classic flip phone into one of today's best foldables  

There's now a larger 3.6-inch external display, the phone comes in some of the trendiest colorways on the market, and the overall design really makes you question exactly how much progress Samsung's made with its foldables over the past four years.

And as its closest competitor is slated to unveil its 2023 foldables in a month's time, there's no better opportunity for Motorola to put a dent in the market than right now. After spending a little more than a week with the Razr Plus, here's what Moto got right -- and what it got wrong.

Specifications

Display	6.9-inch POLED with 165Hz
Weight	184.5g
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
RAM/Storage	8GB with 256GB
Battery	3,800mAh with 30W charging and 5W wireless
Camera	12MP wide, 13MP ultra-wide, 32MP front
Durability	IP52
Price	$999

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What's new with this model 

With the Razr Plus, Motorola is in a tight race against Samsung's popular Galaxy Z Flip model. So, in order to win the hearts of early adopters, tech enthusiasts, and the everyday user, the company must tread carefully, balancing innovative benefits without endangering the delicacy that is foldable form factors. Here's how Moto did just that.

1. An external display that does more 

Trust me, this is more fun than just connecting the phone via Android Auto.

June Wan/

There's no denying that the hero feature of the Razr Plus is its 3.6-inch, 144Hz, OLED display. It's something I've been longing for with Samsung's now four-year-old Galaxy Z Flip series. And while Samsung's rumored to fulfill that wish during its Unpacked event in July, Moto's interpretation has stolen all the thunder -- and for good reason.

Besides serving as a quick access portal to notifications, alarms, and text messages, the external display on the Razr Plus gives the phone -- hear me out -- a second life. Using the Moto display feels more like a secondary, smaller phone than a larger smartwatch. You can interact with apps and services just like how you would when the phone is unfolded. That aspect alone gives the Razr Plus greater appeal than its clamshell competitors.

Naturally, I've found the handset to be the perfect car companion. With the display folded and mounted (shown above), controlling and swiping through Spotify playlists, glancing over at incoming notifications, and making phone calls are within arm's reach. Should I need the larger 6.9-inch panel for clearer navigation, I can just lift the top half upward, and voil