The Motorola Edge Plus is a high-end phone with a lot going for it. It’s just missing one crucial thing: a reason to buy it over a Samsung or Google.

It’s the best flagship phone Motorola has put out in several years, and at $799, it’s priced well for its lengthy list of flagship-tier features — like a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, an IP68 rating, and a dedicated telephoto camera. Motorola hasn’t gotten all of those things quite right on recent high-end devices, and it’s excellent to see the company filling in those gaps. On top of that, there’s a nice, big screen, a stabilized 50-megapixel main camera, sturdy build quality, and a boatload of built-in storage.

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That’s all good news if you’re Motorola or you’re deeply interested in Android phones, but “much improved” isn’t very useful to someone who just wants the best phone they can get for their money. And the Edge Plus isn’t quite that device. Sure, it undercuts the $899 Google Pixel 7 Pro. That extra hundred pays for some useful upgrades, though, including a sharper screen, a longer telephoto lens, and a better overall camera system. Samsung’s $799 Galaxy S23 is in play, too, though it has a much smaller 6.1-inch display — that’s a positive for some of us, but most prefer a bigger screen.

There’s also the small matter of availability: the Edge Plus isn’t being sold by any of the three major wireless carriers in the US, and people in this country tend to get their phones from their carrier. That means no “free phone” deals for the Edge Plus. Motorola offers a trade-in program and financing through Affirm, but people who are accustomed to handing their old phone to their carrier and walking away with a shiny new Samsung Galaxy something-something probably won’t find that too appealing.

Motorola may have corrected many of the things it got wrong in previous generations, but in the process, it made a phone that fails to stand out. C’mon, Motorola, we know you’ve got it in you! You’re the company that gave us Moto Mods and a phone with a gorgeous walnut back panel. Instead, the company is sticking with the curved screen and the phone’s namesake edge notification lights as its unique value proposition. They’re fine, but the curved screen is annoying. There’s a good reason why most other phone manufacturers have moved back toward flatter sides.

Photo of Motorola Edge Plus 2023 standing upright on a table with the home screen visible.

The namesake curved edges are back, for better or worse.

It all starts with a big display. The Motorola Edge Plus (2023) — that is indeed its full, legal name — includes a 6.67-inch OLED with a top refresh rate of 165Hz. That is a lot of hertz. It makes for very smooth scrolling and on-screen animations, though it isn’t noticeably better than the more common 120Hz displays. The screen’s 1080p resolution is good enough to keep images sharp, even stretched across such a big canvas, but the 1440p displays on the Pixel 7 Pro and OnePlus 11 look just a little more crisp.

It’s a good-looking display, if not the best in its class, but I do have one major gripe with it: the curved edges. They make it hard to get a secure grip on the sides of the phone, and I don’t think they make the screen feel any more immersive than a flat display. They also make it hard to tap an icon that’s positioned a little too close to the curve, which I encountered trying to tap the tiny circles in Lightroom’s photo picker. There are the aforementioned Edge lights, which blink and pulse along the sides with different patterns when you get a notification, call, or an alarm.

They’re nice if you like to put your phone screen-side-down for privacy — they’re visible along the “edges”... oh, you get it. But I don’t find them very useful, especially since Motorola’s “Peek” lock screen notifications kind of accomplish the same thing. They’re nothing new, but I’m always reminded how much I like them when I use a Motorola phone. The way it works is that notifications appear on-screen as app icons — only by long-pressing them will you see their full contents. You also get app-specific quick actions, too.

In short, I don’t need a way of previewing phone alerts without broadcasting them to everyone around me because Peek notifications already tell me everything I need to know without giving too much away. Personally, I’d rather have the notifications always visible with an always-on display than the Edge lights, but sadly, there is no AOD here.

Photo of Motorola Edge Plus 2023 on a table with plant and decor showing the rear camera array.

The Edge Plus comes with a full IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

Complaints about curves aside, the Edge Plus is a well-built device. It’s made with sturdy aluminum rails and Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and the back panel and comes with an IP68 rating for full dust resistance and good protection against water immersion. It’s flagship through and through.

Actually, I do have one more complaint. The back panel’s glass has a slight matte texture. I like how it looks but hate how it feels in my hand. It actually makes the phone more slippery than smooth glass — the matte texture doesn’t have the same “stickiness” against your skin — and the Edge Plus will happily slide right onto the floor if you’re not careful. I’ve seen it happen. Thankfully, the thing is built like a tank, so there’s more danger to your floor than the phone, but you’ll really want to put a case on this one.

At the heart of the Edge Plus is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which you’ll find in most other high-end Android phones this year. It’s a powerful chipset, and it’s paired here with 8GB of RAM. It handles processing-intensive tasks easily, like several rapid-fire portrait mode photos and 3D game graphics.

It’s also easy on the battery; the Edge Plus’ massive 5,100mAh cell easily lasts a day of moderate use and even manages a full day of heavy use without needing a top-off. There’s also a generous 512GB of built-in storage, which is well above the 128GB that’s more common at this price point. There’s no MicroSD slot, but with half a terabyte of space, you probably won’t miss it.

There’s more good news on the battery front. The Edge Plus supports very fast 68W wired charging; Motorola claims that just nine minutes on the charger with a low battery will provide enough power to get through a full day. It’s still around 30 minutes to get from 0 to 100 percent — it’s a huge battery, after all, and charging slows down toward the end — but that’s a lot faster than your average Android flagship. There’s also 15W wireless charging. If you need power fast, plug it in. If you’re after maximum convenience, plop it down on a wireless charger. It’s nice having options.

Software is usually a strong point on Motorola phones, and it still is on the Edge Plus — but with one note. First, the good: it ships with Android 13 and is scheduled to get three OS upgrades and four years of security updates. That’s an extra year of support than Motorola has previously promised for its flagships, and it’s fantastic news. You’d get an extra year of security updates from a Samsung or Google flagship, but four years is at least reasonable.

Everything I like about Motorola’s take on Android is still here, too. There are unique gesture controls you can enable, the aforementioned Peek notifications, and a general pleasantness without ads stuffed at the bottom of the weather app or nonsensical app drawer organization (looking at you, Samsung).

But this time around, Motorola has contracted with a company called Iron Source to inject suggested apps into the onboarding process. It wants you to tell it some basic demographic information like your age so it can suggest some apps for download. It feels icky, and it didn’t suggest anything helpful to me. Thanks, but no thanks.

The Edge Plus supports sub-6GHz 5G on all three major US carriers. There’s no ultra-fast mmWave, but that’s not really a concern since it’s hard to find anyway. If you’re on a smaller carrier or MVNO, it’s a good idea to check Motorola’s compatibility list before you buy — it works on many of them, but Boost, Ting, US Cellular, and Xfinity Wireless are among those that don’t support it at all, and several more don’t have sub-6GHz 5G support.

Photo of Motorola Edge Plus 2023 showing rear camera array.

Three rear cameras and they’re all worth your time.

The Edge Plus’ camera system surprised me again and again as I put it through the wringer. Low-light portrait mode photos, moving subjects in dim light, macro closeups of a flower on a windy day — these are all challenging situations for a phone camera, and more often than not, the Edge Plus rose to the occasion. It still suffered from some inconsistency, but it’s honestly better than I thought it would be.

There’s a 50-megapixel main camera, for starters, with an f/1.8 lens and optical stabilization that does four-pixel binning for 12-megapixel images. That’s accompanied by a 50-megapixel ultrawide that doubles as a macro camera and a 12-megapixel f/1.6 telephoto camera for 2x optical zoom. On the front, there’s a 60-megapixel f/2.2 selfie camera. No shortage of pixels here.

On a high level, I like the Edge Plus’ exposure choices and color processing. Images generally look rich and inviting without going overboard on HDR or saturation, even if the HDR dances right up to the edge of bad on occasion.

The main camera mode is good, but portrait mode is surprisingly capable, too. Your default option there is the 2x telephoto, which Moto has positioned as a portrait-mode-first kind of lens. Lens options are marked as equivalent focal lengths: 50mm (the 2x telephoto), 35mm (main camera), and 85mm (a digital zoom from the telephoto). Portrait photos from the main camera are good, and subject separation is believable — if not as impressive as the Samsung S23 series.

The telephoto lens isn’t stabilized, but its f/1.6 aperture is fast enough (and Motorola’s processing is smart enough) to get sharp portrait photos from it, even in dim light or with a moving subject. There’s a fair bit of lag as it churns through shots, but I was surprised by the number of times when I thought, “There’s no way I’m getting anything usable here,” and actually got some nice shots.

A portrait mode photo from the 2x telephoto lens in very low light. It’s a darker exposure but surprisingly sharp.

This portrait mode photo is also from the 2x telephoto (labeled 50mm in the camera app). A sharp portrait photo of a moving subject in indoor lighting is no easy feat.

Motorola has also done the right thing by letting the ultrawide camera double as a macro cam rather than including a low-res, dedicated sensor. That means you can use autofocus, which is a big help if your subject is moving at all and you care about, you know, actually getting it in focus. It’s the difference between a macro camera you use once and forget about and one that you actually like using every once in a while.

The Edge Plus records up to 8K / 30p video; dropping down to 4K enables either 30p or 60p recording. At 4K, you can use stabilization at either frame rate, but HDR is only available at 30p. And if you go down to 1080p resolution, you can use something called horizon lock to keep your shot level. It does an impressive job of eliminating side-to-side roll-in clips, almost like you’re using a gimbal, though it does make it look like certain details are fluttering a bit on the screen. There’s also a passable portrait video mode. It’s not always sure what to blur and what to leave in focus, but it’s an admirable v1 attempt at the feature. Overall, video clips taken in bright light are good, and low light quality is acceptable.

Photo of Motorola Edge Plus 2023 on a dark countertop with home screen visible.

There’s a lot to like about this phone, but it needs something to love.

Samsung and Google don’t make it easy on would-be competitors hoping to crack into the US flagship phone market. They make great phones, and they have strong relationships with carriers. Motorola certainly has the name recognition and a strong presence in the budget class, but it’s a whole different game at the top.

That’s why a phone that’s “much improved” doesn’t carry a lot of weight when it comes to high-end phones: there are a few very good, established alternatives within striking distance of the Edge Plus that overshadow Motorola’s latest offering. For $100 more, there’s the $899 Google Pixel 7 Pro, with a more versatile 5x telephoto lens, a higher-res screen, and a better overall camera. Heck, there’s the $599 Pixel 7, too. If you don’t mind sacrificing a telephoto lens and settling for a 6.3-inch 90Hz screen, you can save quite a bit of money there.

Then there’s the Samsung Galaxy S23 for the same $799 as the Edge Plus. If you can live with a much smaller screen, you’ll get a 3x telephoto lens and the best portrait mode in the game right now. Plus, all of those alternatives come with five years of security updates — one more than the Edge Plus.

The Edge Plus is closer than ever to being a true flagship contender, but it needs something to push it into the spotlight. The foundation is there: excellent battery life, a lovely big screen, a good camera system that’s occasionally great, and user-friendly software. And I think there’s a place for this device with the Motorola faithful looking for an upgrade-worthy phone right now. But without that little extra something — and Edge lighting ain’t it — and especially without the big carrier freebie deals, this generation of the Edge Plus is destined to remain overshadowed.

Photography by Allison Johnson / The Verge

Agree to Continue: Motorola Edge Plus (2023)

Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate.

To actually use the 2023 Motorola Edge Plus, you must accept the following:

Motorola’s Privacy & Software Updates

But you also get to decide how Motorola’s support works on your phone:

Help Excellerate Motorola products (optional)
Enhanced device support (optional)
Smart updates (optional)

After entering your Google account, you are asked to:

Add a phone number to your Google account (optional)

And you must agree to the following from Google:

You’ll also need to agree to the following on Google Services:

Google Services:
Install updates and apps: “You agree this device may also automatically obtain and install updates and apps from Google, your carrier, and your device’s manufacturer, possibly using cellular data. Some of these apps may offer in-app purchases.”
Use basic device backup (optional)
Use location (optional)
Allow scanning (optional)
Send usage and diagnostic data (optional)

Google Assistant:

You can set up Google Assistant (optional)
Activate Voice Match for Hey Google (optional)
Access Assistant without unlocking your device (optional)

Lastly, you have the option to join Motorola’s user community:

Give permission to Motorola to send push notifications about its services and benefits (optional)
Provide your email to Motorola (optional)

In total, you have to accept five main agreements and can bypass 13 when setting up the Motorola Edge Plus.

Motorola Razr+ & Motorola Razr 2023 specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Row 0 - Cell 0	Motorola Razr+	Motorola Razr
Price	$999	N/A
Colors	Infinite Black, Glacier Blue, Viva Magenta	Sage Green, Vanilla Cream, Summer Lilac
Inner display	6.9-inch OLED, FHD+, 165 Hz	6.9-inch OLED, FHD+, 144Hz
Outer display	3.6-inch OLED, 144Hz	1.5-inch OLED, 120Hz
Rear camera	12MP main (f/1.5), 13MP ultrawide (f/2,2)	64MP main (f/1.7), 13MP ultrawide (f/2,2)
Front camera	32MP (f/2.4)	32MP (f/2.4)
Chipset	Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1	Snapdragon 7 Gen 1
RAM	8GB	8GB
Storage	256GB	128GB
Battery	3,800 mAh	4,200 mAh
Wired charging	30W	30W
Wireless charging	5W	5W
Dimensions	6.7 x 2.9 x 0.27 inches (open), 3.48 x 2.9 x 0.59 inches (closed)	6.7 x 2.9 x 0.27 inches (open), 3.48 x 2.9 x 0.59 inches (closed)
Weight	6.63 ounces	6.65 ounces

Motorola Razr & Razr+ 2023 price and availability

motorola razr+ and motorola razr (2023)

(Image credit: Future)

The main thing going for the Motorola Razr 2023 series is its price tag. The standard Razr 2023 foldable will cost you £799 in the U.K.; U.S. pricing hasn’t been revealed. In contrast, the Razr+ costs $999/£1,049, which happens to be the same price as the Galaxy Z Flip 4. Barring a surprise price cut for the Galaxy Z Flip 5 when it comes out in a few month, the entry-level Motorola Razr 2023 figures to be the cheapest foldable we’ve seen so far.

The Razr+ will be available for pre-order in the United States from June 16, and will go on sale on June 23. It will also be going on sale in the U.K. today (June 1). The only model on sale has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage

The standard Razr doesn’t have a release date in the U.S. or U.K. yet, but will be available to British buyers in the ”coming weeks.“ The only model available has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage,

Motorola Razr & Razr+ 2023 design and display

Motorola Razr 2023 next to Motorola Razr+

The Motorola Razr 2022 (Image credit: Future)

The display is one of the standout features of the 2023 Razr family, especially the Razr+. Both phones have a 6.9-inch pOLED interior screen with FHD+ resolution, while refresh rate caps out at 144Hz on the Razr and a whopping 165Hz on the Razr+.

The Razr+ has a newly-increased 3.6-inch cover display, the biggest on any foldable phone so far. In fact it’s bigger than the 3.5-inch screen used on the original iPhone. This screen is capable of supporting full-size apps and has space for a keyboard, meaning you may not need to open the Razr+ a lot of the time.

The standard Razr isn’t so lucky, with the same 1.5-inch cover display found on previous models. So that only lets you do minor things like checking the time or seeing notifications.

The phones have a new redesigned teardrop hinge, which features what Motorola calls the ”first dual-axis tracking.“ That's meant to minimize the amount of space needed to close the phone shut. However, it hasn’t been enough to eliminate the crease, which is still very noticeable by sight and touch.

The hinge also features new covers at the side, to prevent the ingress of dust. However both phones are rated IP52, which means they don’t offer much protection from dust or water — especially water, so don't submerge your new Razr.

Both phones come in a variety of color schemes, including Viva Magenta, Infinite Black and Glacier Blue.

Motorola Razr & Razr+ 2023 cameras

Motorola Razr+ taking selfie with front display

(Image credit: Future)

Cameras are another area where both phones start to deviate. They each have two rear facing external cameras, and a hole-punch selfie camera on the interior, but the hardware is very different.

The Razr+ comes with a 12MP main camera with f/1.5 aperture and optical image stabilisation, alongside a 13MP ultrawide camera (f/2.2) that can take macro shots. Motorola claims this camera has Instant Dual Pixel PDAF for faster shooting ability and better performance — especially in low light. The selfie camera is a 32MP lens with f/2.4 aperture.

The entry-level Razr has a 64MP camera, which sounds better on paper, but Motorola claims this isn’t really the case since it lacks all the advancements of the Razr+. We’ll have to wait to compare the cameras to see just how much better or worse the Razr+’s quality really is. Like the Razr+, the Razr has a 13MP ultra wide lens (f/2.2) and 32MP selfie camera (f/2.4).

Both cameras can be used in a variety of different phone orientations, with Motorola offering a “Flex View Mode” that lets you use the hinge to securely place your phone and get a great shot.

Motorola Razr & Razr+ 2023 performance

Motorola Razr+ half folded next to two other colors

(Image credit: Future)

Sadly, the Motorola Razr+ seems to be falling down in the performance department, certainly compared to current flagship Android phones. The phone runs on the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, which is not the latest and best silicon from Qualcomm. It’s also the same chipset that came with the 2022 Razr.

It’s not that the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 is bad, far from it, just that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has proven itself to be far superior in every way. That includes both raw performance and power efficiency, with the chip getting some of the credit for Samsung Galaxy S23’s astronomical leap in battery life compared to the Galaxy S22.

Since the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is likely to use the Gen 2, or potentially even the custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, opting for a Gen 1 chipset is going to put the Razr+ as a serious disadvantage.

The entry-level Razr is even worse off, using a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset, which means it certainly won’t be winning any benchmark tests anytime soon.

Both phones have 8GB of RAM, which is about standard nowadays, with 128GB of storage in the Razr and 256GB in the Razr+.

Motorola Razr & Razr+ 2023 battery life and charging

Motorola Razr+ inner display fully open

(Image credit: Future)

The entry-level Motorola Razr 2023 comes with a 4,200 mAh battery, though Motorola hasn’t divulged how long it is supposed to last. We will be putting it, and the Razr+ through our rigorous battery life test to see just how well they perform.

The Razr+ comes with a smaller 3,800 mAh battery, in part because the larger cover display needed more internal space.

Both phones support 30W TurboPower wired fast charging and 5W wireless charging. While 30W is pretty good compared to some other flagships, the 5W wireless charging is a major disappointment. But I suppose it’s better than not having it at all.

Motorola Razr & Razr+ 2023 outlook

Motorola Razr+ camcorder mode

(Image credit: Future)

Now that both Motorola Razr 2023 models have been announced, we have a far better understand of what they can offer compared to the competition. Sadly it doesn’t paint a wholly positive picture, since there are specs that are disappointingly low, such as the camera resolution and the chipsets powering both models.

Then again the price is certainly on Motorola's side, especially with the entry-level Razr, which should undercut every other foldable phone on the market. That low price does come with pretty big caveats, but if you want a foldable that's relatively inexpensive, it might be your best bet.

As for the Razr+, it’s unclear how it might be able to compete with the likes of the Galaxy Z Flip 5, especially since Samsung's upcoming model is likely to come in at a similar price.

We’ll just have to see how these things play out, and jut how well both Razr 2023 foldables do once we can put them through some thorough testing.

More from Tom's Guide

Tue, 30 May 2023 23:44:00 -0500 en text/html https://www.tomsguide.com/news/motorola-razr-2023 Motorola Razr 2023: everything you need to know about Moto's new flip phone

The new Motorola Razr (2023) and the premium Motorola Razr Plus (2023) have been announced and are going on sale soon. The Razr Plus will hit stores first, with the less expensive Moto Razr following up later in the year, though hopefully it won’t wait long.

Motorola has taken aim directly at the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 with its new Razr lineup, and the phones leave behind the chin and distinct Razr look we saw on previous models. Of course, we haven’t seen all the previous models, as Motorola didn’t bother to sell its last Motorola Razr 2022 here in the US, but our UK editors liked that phone nonetheless.

The premium new Motorola Razr Plus is all about the big cover screen, the biggest you’ll find on a flip phone today, as well as a new thinner design that loses the gap and reduces the crease just a bit.

The less expensive Motorola Razr is about style and design, with vegan leather on the front and back and cool new color options chosen in tandem with Pantone’s massive color library.

We had a chance to spend time with the new phones for a hands-on look, and we’ll have an in-depth review of the Motorola Razr Plus soon. Once we learn more about the base model Moto Razr, including pricing, we’ll keep you posted on availability and get our review ready for the best buying advice.

Cut to the chase

What is it? Motorola's new foldable flip phone
When is it out? Pre-orders start June 16, on shelves June 23
How much will cost? $999.99 / £1,049.99 / AU$1,499

Motorola Razr (2023)

(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

Motorola Razr 2023: release date and price

The new Motorola Razr (2023) has been officially announced, but we don't have pricing or a specific sale date for that phone. The premium Motorola Razr Plus (2023) will go on sale first for $999.99 / £1,049.99 / AU$1,499. You can start placing orders on June 16, and the phone should be on store shelves by June 23.

Unlike the last Motorola Razr (2022), this year's model will not only be available to buy in the US, it will even be sold by some of the mobile carriers. That means you might be able to find a good deal if you're willing to sign a contract agreement. We know that AT&T and T-Mobile will sell the phone in the States, among numerous smaller MVNOs and carriers.

In fact, T-Mobile will be the only carrier to sell the new Viva Magenta color in stores, to match the carrier's signature color, of course. That may be the most desirable model, since it uses vegan leather instead of glass to create a unique feel and finish. Otherwise, the new phone will be available in Infinite Black and Glacier Blue, both Pantone-branded color names.

The less expensive Motorola Razr will come in Summer Lilac (purple), Vanilla Cream, and Sage Green, also Pantone colors, when it eventually launches later this year.

There won't be multiple configurations of memory and storage, just a single option with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for the Motorola Razr Plus or 8GB of Ram with 128GB of storage for the Motorola Razr.

Motorola Razr 2023: design

The biggest changes between last year's Motorola Razr (2022) and this year's new models is the new design. Both the less expensive Razr and the premium Razr Plus are based on the same chassis and use the same display.

The hinge and crease are identical in both, so both phones close shut with no visible screen gap. Both phones are equally the thinnest flip phone you can buy when closed.

Motorola Razr Plus (2023)

The cover display takes up almost half the phone's face (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

The biggest design improvement is the huge new cover display on the Motorola Razr Plus, a 3.6-inch square that dominates the face and wraps around the camera lenses. It's not just a simple notification space, this is practically half a smartphone that you can use for apps, maps, games, and plenty of other widget options.

Motorola Razr (2023)

The smaller display leaves more room for a big battery (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

The more affordable Motorola Razr still uses a smaller external bar window, but makes up for this in a few ways. First, it uses the vegan leather finish that feels great and is otherwise only available on the Viva Magenta version of the premium Razr Plus. Every cool color option on the Motorola Razr is finished in the fake leather, and it feels great.

Second, skipping that big display gives Motorola more room for a larger battery inside, which we'll discuss below. Needless to say, the Moto Razr is certainly a downgrade, but those changes may be worthwhile if the price is low.

Motorola Razr 2023: displays

Both the Motorola Razr (2023) and the Motorola Razr Plus (2023) use the same display, but because the Razr Plus uses a more powerful chipset inside, it's screen is a bit more capable.

The internal display is a huge, 6.9-inch screen that is bigger than any current flip phone rivals. It has a 22:9 aspect ratio and 2640 x 1080 pixels. On the Razr Plus, the display can refresh up to 165Hz, while the base model Razr display can refresh up to 144Hz.

The new screen also uses LTPO technology so it can step down that refresh rate to save power as needed. It can handle HDR10+ content for inky black contrast and reaches a peak brightness of 1400 nits.

Motorola Razr Plus (2023)

The hinge on the Motorola Razr Plus (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

The screen is bright and clear and the crease is minimal, though it's still present. You can feel it easier than you can see it. Both new phones get the same teardrop hinge that manages to fold the screen almost flat with no gap in between the halves if you look at the phone sideways.

The Motorola Razr Plus gets a big new cover display, the biggest design improvement across the family. The new screen is a 3.6-inch OLED panel with 1-66 x 1056 pixels, a massive upgrade over last year's model and most rival flip phones. That screen can also refresh up to 144Hz, and it even supports HDR10+, so it's no slouch.

Motorola Razr Plus (2023)

The crease is barely visible, though you can feel it (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

The smaller Motorola Razr cover display is a 1.5-inch OLED panel with 194 x 368 pixels. It can refresh up to 60Hz. Both the larger and smaller OLED screens can emit 1000 nits at peak brightness.

Motorola Razr 2023: camera

The premium Motorola Razr Plus gets a better camera setup than the less expensive Motorola Razr, though it may not be easy to understand on paper. That's because the cheaper phones uses more megapixels on the sensor, but megapixels don't tell us the whole story.

The Motorola Razr Plus is the first flip phone with a camera that uses a wide f/1.5 aperture lens. Motorola says this lets in up to 44% more light than the narrower f/1.8 aperture lens on competing phones like the Galaxy Z Flip 4. This could make a huge difference in low light photography as well as capturing a nice depth of field in photos.

Motorola Razr Plus camera app

Use the cover display as a viewfinder for the main camera (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

In addition, the 12MP sensor on the Razr Plus (2023) uses much larger sensor pixels than the 64MP camera on the Motorola Razr (2023): four times larger, in fact. That means each pixel has a better chance of catching photons in a dark environment, which should equate to better low light photos.

Both the Razr Plus and the Razr use a second, 13MP camera for ultrawide photos and what Motorola calls 'macro' photography, though we'll have to judge for ourselves after we've reviewed these phones whether the macro mode is really viable.

Motorola Razr Plus (2023)

There's a 32MP selfie camera but you won't need to use it (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

The front-facing camera on both phones uses a 32MP sensor that combines pixels for an overall 8MP image, a technique called pixel binning. You won't need to use this camera for selfies, though, at least on the Moto Razr Plus, since the cover display can act as a viewfinder for the higher-quality main camera array.

Motorola has taken great advantage of the folding design when it comes to using the camera. There are tons of shooting modes that let you use the folded state as a tripod or a photo booth, complete with a countdown timer and consecutive shots. You can also hold the phone sideways and use half the screen for video controls while the other half is a viewfinder, old school camcorder style.

Motorola Razr 2023: battery

The Motorola Razr Plus gets a minor battery upgrade over last year's model, but the base model Motorola Razr gets even more. By removing the larger cover display, the Razr has more room for a larger battery cell, and this equates to longer battery life.

The Motorola Razr Plus uses a 3,800 mAh battery, just a bit larger than the 3,700 mAh cell on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. The basic Razr uses a larger 4,200 mAh battery, which comes close to the best flat smartphones.

Motorola Razr (2023)

The base model Razr has a larger battery than the Razr Plus (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

Motorola says the Razr should get all-day battery. You may need to be a bit more conservative with the Razr Plus, especially when it comes to using that external display every time you close the phone.

Charging speed hasn't been improved, and the new phones charge at 30W, the same as last year's model. That's a bit faster than Samsung's flip phone can charge, but it can't match much charging from OnePlus and other rivals.

This year's Moto Razr gets wireless charging, though it's quite slow. At only 5W, the Razr will barely keep its head above water compared to the faster 15W charging we'd expect on a modern smartphone.

Motorola Razr 2023: specs and features

While the exterior has been completely redesigned, the internal components of the new Motorola Razr Plus and Motorola Razr will be familiar to anyone following the smartphone world this past year. That's because both phones use mobile platforms launched by Qualcomm in 2022.

The Razr Plus features a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, just like the Galaxy Z Flip 4. The existing flagship smartphones use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform, but presumably using last year's best platform helps Motorola cut costs.

Motorola Razr (2023)

The Motorola Razr uses a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

The base model Motorola Razr uses the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset, a platform found on mid-range phones like the Samsung Galaxy A74 or the OnePlus Nord lineup.

Performance should be adequate, though the platform isn't fast enough to run the display at the same refresh rate as the Snap 8 Gen 2 platform. The Razr can only refresh at 144Hz while the Razr Plus can manage display rates up to 165Hz.

We don't have pricing for the base model Razr, but using a mid-range chipset should equate to a significant price reduction compared to the expensive Razr Plus model.

While both phones offer 8GB of RAM for memory, the premium Moto Razr Plus uses LPDDR5 memory, while the Razr uses LPDDR4X. For storage, the Razr Plus offer 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, while the Razr only gives you 128GB of storage on a UFS 2.2 standard.

Motorola Razr Plus (2023)

(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

The Motorola Razr Plus features the most modern Wi-Fi stack we've seen on a smartphone, and it's capable of communicating across bands and standards including 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/k/v/r/ax as well as Wi-Fi 6e. The Razr has fewer specialized Wi-Fi modes and supports 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax and Wi-Fi 6e. Both phones use a USB Type-C port running at USB 2.0 speeds.

For connectivity, you can use an eSIM or a physical SIM card, depending on your carrier.

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 07:01:00 -0500 en text/html https://www.techradar.com/news/motorola-razr-2023 Motorola Edge+ (2023) now available for $799, ships immediately

Earlier this month Motorola showed off its first proper flagship for the US market in a while in the Motorola Edge+ (2023). Now, that phone is available for purchase and shipping next week.

Fri, 19 May 2023 02:56:00 -0500 en-US text/html https://9to5google.com/2023/05/19/motorola-edge-plus-2023-available/ Review: Motorola Edge+ is no one’s first choice, but maybe it should be

As stock Android experiences go, Motorola has found success in the past and delivered good hardware and experience with it, though it’s been a long time. Now, with the 2023 Motorola Edge+, it seems the company is maybe finding its stride again, delivering a phone that flies under the radar but should really be on a lot of buyers’ minds.

I’ve been using the Motorola Edge+ 2023 for a little over two weeks as my primary device. Often, I find that pretty difficult, especially when it means dropping a favored Pixel and using something that varies a bit in the way of Android skins. This time, the switch was almost seamless, with the Motortola Edge+ turning out to be a device deserving of the flagship daily driver title.

Hardware & display

As with every device, the design is what tends to catch people’s eyes the most. The 2023 Motorola Edge+ takes on a pretty common silhouette with nothing that screams “unique” right out of the gate. The Edge+ is nice and thin, coming in at 8.6mm high. What helps thin out the phone is the approach Motorola took, which brings the rear and front glass panels together, meeting the aluminum frame with curved edges. Both panels are Gorilla Glass Victus and feel more than premium to the touch.

The rear panel takes on a gorgeous texture that feels very fine but not smooth. In the right light, it gives off a glittered effect with the clear glass Motorola logo punctuating the middle of the panel. At the top-left lies a sure camera array that doesn’t look too much out of the ordinary, though it also takes on the same curved right and left edges to emphasize the overall design language Motorola went for.

The front of the Edge+ 2023 is where the magic happens, as it contains a 6.67-inch 2400 x 1080 OLED that can hit 165Hz and handles Dolby Vision and a peak brightness of 1300 nits. While the Edge+ isn’t hitting 4k, or even close to it, the approach the OLED panel takes to color recreation and vibrancy of those tones makes up for the Full HD resolution.

When put up against other devices running 1440p, there’s not much of a difference to be had between the two. If you never knew the specs of the Edge+, it’d be incredibly difficult to tell that the display was running at 1080p.

On a personal level, I love the curved displays. Even though they make screen protectors more of a challenge and offer no real advantage, I feel that they make a tactile response easier to achieve when using Android’s navigation controls. Of course, that opinion is more than divisive.

On the course of the Edge+ and its screen curves, it has a total of four on the front panel – one for each side. While I don’t mind this, our own Ben Schoon made a remark that carries some weight. When looking at the 2023 Edge+ from certain angles, the display’s bezel corner radius and outer glass panel radius don’t quite match up in angle. While the large majority of users will never notice this – seriously, never ever – the possible optical illusion is something of note.

Besides that incredibly minute detail, the rest of the device and its build quality feels great. I did have to find a case for the Edge+, though, since the phone is so slick and just slightly thinner from right to left than other devices in the past year. I had to develop a bit of muscle memory to grip the phone a little more firmly so it didn’t just fall out.

Another aspect of the device to note is the fingerprint sensor. As far as accuracy goes, it’s one of the best in the business. It’s fast and reliable and offers no performance flaws. However, it does fall victim to one downside, which is the height at which the sensor sits underneath the display.

The Motorola ThinkPhone and Edge+ share a lot of similarities, which is a huge positive. They also share a couple of negatives, which is the fingerprint sensor height in this case. For some reason, Motorola opted for a sensor that sits about 0.75-inches from the bottom of the phone. In practice, that’s a little too low for me and causes a bit of strain on my thumb.

However, the Motorola Edge+ also comes with face unlock, which is also surprisingly fast and accurate. That makes up for the sensor height just a bit.

Software and performance

At its core, the Motorola Edge+ runs Android 13 on a SnapDragon 8 Gen 2. That 4nm SoC features an Adreno 740 GPU for better gaming performance. This chipset is the latest high-end system from Qualcomm and finds itself in the top devices from major manufacturers, like the Galaxy S23 and OnePlus 11. While we often find that true performance is not always contingent on the best processors out there, it certainly doesn’t hurt.

Motorola has done a fine job of incorporating that 8 Gen 2 into the Edge+ and pairing it with 8GB RAM does well to set the foundation for a well-performing device. Every single app I’ve run on the Edge+ up to this point has been smooth and responsive. With a high refresh rate of 165Hz, it’d be pretty easy to tell if there was a dip in performance, even when it’s set to adaptive. To add, network connection has been solid throughout my time with it and it’s nice to see dual-SIM capability – one physical SIM slot and one eSIM slot.

Though the Edge+ is built by Motorola, the company hasn’t taken unnecessary liberties in designing a skin that overtakes stock Android 13. The OS running on the 2023 Edge+ is the same one found on the ThinkPhone, which we praised for a similar software experience.

Aspects like the app drawer and Quick Settings panel within the notification shade are basically untouched, save for a couple of minor additions that essentially help round out the device. Even the lock screen houses Google Home and Wallet shortcuts, just like stock Android 13 on the Pixel lineup.

The only real difference lies in the “Personalize” page and lock screen overlay, which Motorola calls the “Peak Display.” The personalize page is Moto’s version of the “Wallpaper & style” tool on Android and features unique tools like additional icon shapes, fingerprint animations, and edge light customization. The latter changes the color of the notification light that appears on the outer curves of the Edge+.

The Edge+ delivers a quality Android 13 experience that doesn’t deviate too far from a smooth stock experience. The cherry on top is the promise of 3 years of Android OS support and 4 years of security updates from Motorola, which has recently upped its game in terms of device longevity.

Battery life

While the overall software performance and design of the Edge+ won me over pretty fast, it took some time for me to gauge the battery life of Motorola’s latest flagship – a very long time. At 5,100 mAh, you know battery life is going to be good, but you don’t know how good until you put the Edge+ through its paces. That means web browsing, games, pictures, calls, texts, and a ton of idle on-screen time.

Try as I might, I really struggled to kill the phone’s battery. During normal use, I could get one and a half days, easy. In an effort to kill it, I still lasted a full day. As insanely good as this battery is in comparison to the modern flagship landscape, the most annoying part is how Motorola approaches charging it.

Just as with the Motorola ThinkPhone, the Edge+ hit a full 100% in just about 45 minutes with the 68W TurboPower charger. At even just 20 minutes, the phone was up to 65% and given the overall performance of the battery, that’s basically a full day of use. While I don’t recommend topping off at 65% every day, you could get away with a 20-minute charge on the regular. Things go a little slower when you opt for 15W wireless charging or using a brick under the included 68W USB-C charger.

Cameras

Let’s circle back around the nice little camera array on the rear panel; that setup consists of four cameras. The main sensor is a 50MP wide-angle lens, accompanied by a 12MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultra-wide lens.

Megapixel count is all well and good, but what really counts – in real-life experience – is what the Edge+ can do in post-processing. We’ve seen this with the Galaxy S23 series up against the Pixel 7 Pro. The S23 comes with an impressive array but what hinders its RAW power – good joke, eh? – is the post-processing Samsung does after the fact. Even though the Pixel’s cameras aren’t as good on paper, Google’s Tensor chip turns photos into fantastic images.

Getting back to the Edge+, our time with the Motorola phone has us placing the Edge+ more in line with the Pixel, as far as post-processing goes. Details are precise, color is accurate – albeit a little over-saturated – and natural bokeh from the main sensor is pretty great.

If I were told I’d have to use the Edge+ as my go-to mobile camera, I’d have no issue.

Wrap-up

The Motorola Edge+ took me by surprise. For a company that has been keeping up with the competition but is slow to take risks, it has dive-bombed into 2023 with a device that not only looks the part, but performs well and makes use of practical battery life.

If you were to choose a go-to device in 2023 for under $1,000, your options would consist of the Pixel 7 Pro ($899) and Galaxy S23, based on good software performance and overall quality. Do yourself a favor and add the Edge+ to that list.

For $799, you’re right on par with the devices above. As someone who favors the Pixel 7 Pro because of the software experience and ease of use, I have no problems making the switch to the Edge+. It has a great battery life, quick charging, a competent camera, and an Android experience that’s pleasant to use. Not to mention you’re looking at four years of support from Motorola, which is a good start.

Motorola surprised us this year and produced a flagship device deserving of high praise for a price that isn’t quite a slap in the face. If the Edge+ 2023 isn’t on your device radar, maybe it really should be.

Buy the Motorola Edge+ 2023

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Tue, 30 May 2023 10:35:00 -0500 en-US text/html https://9to5google.com/2023/05/30/motorola-edge-2023-review/ Friendly Reminder That Motorola is the Worst at Updating Its Phones

Motorola is in headlines as I type this because they’ve launched a new phone called the Motorola Edge+ (2023) in the US. The early reviews of it all have mostly good things to say, which is awesome in a space that is desperately in need of some old-yet-fresh players. Android could really benefit from someone outside of Samsung and Google delivering the goods on a regular basis and meeting the moment. There’s an opening here.

But it wouldn’t be a Motorola launch without having to remind you about their poor software support. In exact years, we’ve reviewed Motorola’s top tier Edge+ line and were one of the few to deliver each release glowing remarks. I was a big fan of the original Edge+ (2020) and liked the package of the Edge+ (2022) as well. We also were clear that if software updates were important to you, that you might want to skip these phones.

Now that the Motorola Edge+ (2023) is available (and tempting!), you should consider the current situation of those two phones I just mentioned.

You may recall that when the Edge+ first launched in 2020, Motorola was only promising a single Android version update. They received enough criticism that they had to immediately promise a 2nd update. They ended up delivering that update as Android 12 in April of last year, but the phone is basically done seeing big updates going forward. It does appear to still be receiving semi-regular security patch updates.

The newer Motorola Edge+ (2022) launched with Android 12 about a year ago and is still currently on Android 12. In case you forgot, Android 12 went stable in 2021. We’ve had stable Android 13 since last summer. We’re deep into beta testing Android 14 because it will launch to stable on Pixel phones and others in a few months. Motorola’s flagship phone from last year, which was priced at $1,000, is about to be two Android versions behind.

Motorola has started to sporadically deliver Android 13 updates to some of its high-end phones around the globe, like the Edge 30 and Edge 30 Pro. For the US, though, it appears that only the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion has started to see it. I know, you have no idea what that phone is.

Thankfully, Motorola is at least promising 3 years of Android OS updates and 4 years of bi-monthly security updates. The thing is, yearly Android OS updates only make sense when you get them yearly, or within a year of their launch. As I just mentioned, last year’s Edge+ launched on old Android 12 and is still on it over a year later. So, what does Motorola mean by 3 years of OS updates? Are they going to issue Android 14 in 2024 even though it’s scheduled to release mid-2023? Will Android 15 show up in 2025 and Android 16 in 2026? Will it take longer than that?

And look, this goes beyond the new Edge+ (2023). Motorola is going to announce a new Razr+ foldable on June 1 and it looks ready for the US. They’ll likely promise the same 3 years of OS updates for it, but you should really hesitate on it too because there’s no certain that the update situation from Motorola is ever going to improve.

We often refer to Samsung as the “King of Android Updates.” Motorola is the worst at them.

Thu, 25 May 2023 05:55:00 -0500 Kellen en-US text/html https://www.droid-life.com/2023/05/25/friendly-reminder-that-motorola-is-the-worst-at-updating-its-phones/

MSC-131 learner - Design and Deploy AirDefense Solutions Updated: 2023

Other Motorola exams

Best Motorola Smartphones

Motorola Edge 30 Fusion

Motorola Edge+

Moto G Power (2022)

Moto G Stylus (2022)

Motorola One 5G Ace

Moto G Power (2021)

Motorola Edge (2021)

Moto G Stylus (2020)

Moto G Play (2021)

It’s much closer to being a true flagship competitor, but the Edge Plus 2023 lacks the extra something that it needs to stand up to the category leaders.

Agree to Continue: Motorola Edge Plus (2023)

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MSC-131 learner - Design and Deploy AirDefense Solutions Updated: 2023

Other Motorola exams

Best Motorola Smartphones

Motorola Edge 30 Fusion

Motorola Edge+

Moto G Power (2022)

Moto G Stylus (2022)

Motorola One 5G Ace

Moto G Power (2021)

Motorola Edge (2021)

Moto G Stylus (2020)

Moto G Play (2021)

It’s much closer to being a true flagship competitor, but the Edge Plus 2023 lacks the extra something that it needs to stand up to the category leaders.

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