But one thing that makes flip-style foldables “better” than larger foldables is price. So, let’s focus on the aspect of folding phones that makes/breaks them, yet doesn’t have anything to do with durability… price.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… Considering $1,000 gets you some of the very best flagship phones on the market, with some of the best display, cameras, endurance, and extra features, paying the same $1,000 for a folding phone that’s not nearly as powerful and capable seems… steep. But that’s where the Motorola Razr 2023 comes in.
You can read our full Motorola Razr 2023 review here, but the most important update to the review is that something very important has changed since we tested the Razr 2023, and this is the price of the phone.
The Razr 2023 launched at $700 in the US, making headlines as the most affordable folding phone (ever) available in America. But I’ll be honest with you… If I was writing this story a month ago, I would’ve told you the Razr 2023 isn’t quite the bargain it seemed it was. Not at $700.
But perhaps Motorola saw the criticism coming, and quickly (and seemingly permanently) brought the price of the new Razr 2023 down to just $500, which certainly changes the value proposition big time. In fact, if you trade-in an old but working iPhone 8 (amongst other phones), you can get a Motorola Razr for less than $400 from Motorola. Of course, some carriers in the US will sell you a Razr for just $200 for your autograph on their contract.
So, yes… The folding phone market is finally accessible to the vast majority of people who are used to paying “normal” prices for “normal” phones, and that’s true whether you’re in the US, Europe, or the UK.
Only if there wasn’t a tiny problem that holds me back from recommending the $500 Motorola Razr to some people…
Motorola Razr 2023: The cheapest folding phone ever changes the market forever but it has one major problem I simply can’t look past
The flagship Motorola Razr+ (right) has the largest cover display amongst clamshell foldables. The $500 Motorola Razr… not so much.
I even had to rethink my initial idea of the ideal mid-range foldable… What is it – a folding phone that’s as cheap as possible, or one that makes the right compromises?
But sure, if you were to stick to the “normal” Pixel 7a, you’d be gaining Google’s superior cameras in daylight, night time, and video – it’s hard to make a case for the Razr here.
That being said, if the camera is the only major drawback of the Razr 2023 when compared to a $500 “normal” phone, I say that’s still a great deal considering you’re getting the benefit of the novel form-factor, a brilliant screen, and decent battery life.
Does the game-changing price tag of the Motorola Razr 2023 makes up for its barely useful cover screen
Can you read this?
If we stopped here, I’d actually recommend the $500 Motorola Razr 2023 to everyone who isn’t crazy about getting the best camera, and wants to experience a new way of interacting with your smartphone.
See… Ironically, there’s one other phone that makes me have a whole different level of appreciation for folding phones and that’s my (massive) iPhone 15 Pro Max.
My first “Max” iPhone feels big and difficult to use with one hand, which has made me wish for a folding iPhone more than ever before. So, thinking you can get this for $500 or less is pretty great.
Unfortunately, unlike its more premium sibling, the Motorola Razr+ and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5, the Motorola Razr doesn’t offer that. Instead, you get a tiny 1.5-inch elongated cover screen, which is great if all you want to do is to control your music, glance over a few widgets, etc.
If I was buying a clamshell foldable today, the first reason would most certainly be because I want to use it with one hand when closed, and have a nice, large inner screen when I need to do more. And at least right now, the Motorola Razr’s tiny cover screen ruins what’s otherwise a crazy good deal.
Of course, the silver lining is that some people will be perfectly fine with the small cover screen of the Motorola Razr, which, remember, isn’t much different than the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s). So, I strongly recommend you to try it out if you find yourself yearning for a foldable on the cheap. In the end, you can always return the phone if you think it’s not for you.
Mid-range folding phones are a good idea if phone-makers manage to hit the right balance – Samsung doesn’t think this is possible
If not Samsung’s, perhaps Oppo’s next foldable can match the Motorola Razr for price? Honor is also said to be making their first clamshell folding phone.
I’d love to end on a high note… Not just for the sake of it, but because I really believe the $500 Motorola Razr is an important phone that does two very important things for the folding phone’s image:
- It changes the perception of how much a folding phone should cost, which will (sooner or later) push other phone-makers to lower folding phone prices and compete with Motorola – especially if the Razr manages to flip a few units
- Even more importantly, the $500 Motorola foldable gives the average consumer a chance to experience a truly innovative device that makes the smartphone a bit more exciting – I really do think foldables are fun and practical, and I believe many “normal”, non-techy people will too
