We have already reviewed the Motorola RAZR 40 Ultra flagship with two full screens. That model left behind a pleasant impression, but in this series there is also a younger brother Motorola RAZR 40. We also tested this option, so below we share our impressions and the difference with the older model, as well as the experience of using it. What to choose if you aimed for a “folder” from Motorola? Easier, so to speak, the RAZR 40 or the version with the Ultra console? All the answers in our new review.
Motorola RAZR 40
From UAH 21,885.
Pros:
design and good build quality; an adequate set of supplies; two screens; powerful for the segment, chip; quality cameras; excellent autonomy; the fast Android 13 OS and proprietary add-on provide many different possibilities; adequate price/quality ratio
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Cons:
the assembly point is still visible on the final screen; processor throttling; unnecessary selfie camera
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8.5/10
Estimated by ITC.ua
Specifications: Motorola RAZR 40
| Main display | pOLED 6.9 inches, Full HD+ (2640×1080 pixels), LTPO, 144 Hz, brightness up to 1400 nits, HDR10+ |
| External display | OLED 1.5 inches, 194×368 pixels, 60 Hz, brightness up to 1000 nits |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 |
| Graphics | Adreno 644 |
| Corps | Plastic and vegan leather, aluminum frame with steel hinges |
| Main camera | 64 MP, f/1.7, OIS, ultra-wide-angle lens 13 MP, f/2.2, 120 degrees, macro mode |
| Front camera | 32 MP |
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR4X |
| built-in memory | 256 GB UFS 2.2 UFS 2.2 |
| Battery | 4200 mAh, fast charging 33 W conductive and 5 W inductive charging 33 W |
| OS | Android 13 with MyUX skin |
| Modules and interfaces | Wi-Fi 6e (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2.4+5+6 GHz bands), 5G, 4G LTE and LTE-A, eSIM, dualSIM (one nanoSIM + eSIM), Bluetooth 5.3 , NFC, GPS (+GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou), |
| Stereo speakers | IS |
| Moisture protection certification | Yes, IP52 |
| Dimensions | 73.95×88.24×15.80 mm and 73.95×170.82×7.35 mm in folded and unfolded states |
| Weight | 188.6 grams |
Packaging and assembly
Motorola RAZR 40 comes in a standard eco-cardboard box.
Inside we can see the phone itself, plastic covers on the case, documents, a clip for a SIM card, a USB-A to USB-C cable, as well as a 33 W power supply.
Design and ease of use
Motorola RAZR 40 is as similar to Ultra as possible. It’s a bright modern foldable phone with a metal frame and rounded corners.
On the front panel, we see relatively thin frames and a front camera built into the screen.
And on the back, vegan eco-leather, a stylized Motorola logo, the inscription razr, the main dual camera with a flash on the protruding surface, and a small external display next to it.
On the right side of the model, there is a lock button and separate volume buttons. On the left side, there is a slot for two SIM cards. On the top end there is a microphone, and on the bottom another microphone, a USB-C port and a speaker.
When folded, the Motorola RAZR 40 is extremely compact and easy to use, although it is a bit thick. When unfolded, it is longer than ordinary smartphones, but this does not prevent it from being used even with one hand.
But opening it with her is difficult and inconvenient, but possible. And later, if practiced, it can be done effectively as needed. However, using it with two hands is, of course, more convenient. At the same time, I did not detect any creaks or other problems.
In the place of the fold, as on any other complex device, a strip is visible. Someone says that almost nothing can be seen there, that lie, because it constantly falls into the eyes. Yes, it does not create discomfort or any inconveniences in use, but it is noticeable and significant, because there is no other way with the available technologies.
I liked that the back of the smartphone is completely made of vegan leather and there is no glossy cover like the Motorola RAZR 40 Ultra. But it collected a lot of prints, dust, dirt, etc. Yes, such a surface is scratched much faster, and it does not look very effective.
Motorola RAZR 40 display
The Motorola RAZR 40 has a main 6.9-inch LTPO pOLED screen with a resolution of 2640×1080 pixels (413 ppi), a refresh rate of 1 to 144 Hz and a maximum brightness of 1400 nits. There is support for HDR10+.
The display is juicy and clear, the image is bright and it can be used without any problems even under direct sunlight. Settings include night mode, color schemes, dark theme, change refresh rate, etc.
The second, external, touchscreen is also OLED. Its diagonal is 1.5 inches, and the resolution is 368×194 pixels. The refresh rate here is standard and is 60 Hz. Of course, this is not a full-fledged display, as in the Ultra, but only an auxiliary screen with additional functions such as clocks and notifications. Weather, player, timer, calendar, voice recorder, etc. are also displayed here. And the second screen is convenient to use for selfies through the main camera. And the quality of the photos will be higher and clearly visible on the display.
Sound and vibration feedback
Like the older Motorola RAZR 40 model, it received stereo sound (main speaker + speaker). There is surround stereo and Dolby Atmos support, so the sound, like for a smartphone, is rich, loud, clean and pleasant. As always, there are presets for Dolby Atmos and, as always, some of them do not affect the sound at all. But some do their thing. And there is an equalizer.
Support for SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, LDAC and LHDC codecs is declared. And this means that in any headphones the sound will be at least more or less adequate, and even detailed. Especially with those models that support high definition codecs (LDAC and LHDC).
The vibration response is nice and not cheap, but it’s still a long way from the vibration in the last few iPhone series.
Motorola RAZR 40 cameras
Motorola RAZR 40 is equipped with a main dual camera with 64 MP (f/1.7) and 13 MP (f/2.2) sensors. The last ultra-wide angle of 120 degrees with the function of macro photography.
Photos on the main camera and with sufficient lighting come out with good colors and saturation. They are also quite detailed, but still not as much as we would like. The second module is good. The photos come out just normal.
Night photos are better taken on the main module and they also turned out better than I expected. Of course, there are noises and degraded details, but for a smartphone where the emphasis is definitely not on cameras, we have good results with good illumination of details.
The smartphone records video in 4K at 30fps or 1080p at 30/60fps. The shooting results are also adequate, especially when there is a lot of light around. But not everything is fine with the stabilization.
32 MP front module. It also takes normal photos and has various effects and enhancements. But in my opinion, it is more effective, easier and more convenient to take a selfie with the main camera.
Productivity, software and games
Motorola RAZR 40 runs on a mid-range Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip. This last year’s model is made using a 4nm process. The graphics here are Adreno 644. We also have 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256 GB of UFS 2.2 storage.
Of the modules and interfaces, there is Wi-Fi 6e (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ac/ax) in the 2.4+5+6 GHz bands, 5G, 4G LTE and LTE-A, 3G, 2G, as well as Bluetooth 5.3. We did not forget about NFC modules and eSIM support, and with them GPS (+A-GPS), LTEPP, SUPL, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou.
The smartphone produces good results for its category in various tests, but the chip throttled very much during the CPU Throttling Test. I don’t think I’ve seen the worst results yet. But the phone is not hot in my hands at all, and I did not notice specific hangs in games or other applications. However, it will definitely not be possible to launch something serious and with good graphics and play for a long time. Although this smartphone is clearly not for that.
The Motorola RAZR 40 runs Android 13 with the Motorola MyUX skin. The latter has several applications and functions of its own (Ready For for a smartphone as a PC, gesture control, sidebar, detailed appearance settings, etc.), but in general it is very similar to “pure” Android.
The main function of the shell is to ensure stable operation of the split screen. This is when the smartphone can be folded into the letter G, one part of the screen can be used to launch one program, and the other part something else. However, not all programs support this mode.
Motorola RAZR 40 autonomy
Motorola RAZR 40 received a 4200 mAh battery. Let me remind you that the Motorola RAZR 40 Ultra has a 3800 mAh battery. This gives much more time for autonomous work and makes this element one of the most noticeable advantages of the model.
If the Ultra could be stretched for a whole day, then the regular Motorola RAZR 40 works without problems. With not excessive use, it will also be enough for part of the next day. But no more.
In the PC Mark test, the older model showed a result of 9 hours and 6 minutes, and in the RAZR 40 this result was 12 hours and 58 minutes. This is a significant improvement between the two, and overall a great performance compared to other simple models.
Motorola RAZR 40 has a 33W fast charging function. There is also 5W wireless charging. In the first case, charging takes an hour (from 20 to 100%). In the second, more than two.
Price and competitors
Motorola RAZR 40 is sold at a price of 21,885 hryvnias. The smartphone does not have many competitors, but some of them are from Motorola itself.
Of course, this is the Motorola RAZR 40 Ultra, which, although more expensive, has full-fledged two screens and a powerful processor. There is also last year’s Motorola Razr 2022 with a price tag of 29,000 hryvnias. Samsung Galaxy Flip5 (price from 29,600 hryvnias) can be called a competitor, but there will probably be more confrontation with Samsung Galaxy Flip4 (price from 21,150 hryvnias).
Conclusion:
I liked the Motorola RAZR 40 better than its older brother with the Ultra console. Despite the weaker chip, which is a throttle, this model received a lower pleasant price, and a significantly increased autonomy. There is also a second screen here, it is functional, but not full-fledged, as in the model mentioned above. However, all the capabilities of the second screen are unlikely to be needed by the average user, and those that are here are also enough for the head.
I also liked the more practical case, which has a metal frame and is completely covered with vegan leather. There are no glossy panels that get dirty and scratched quickly, but there are complete protective pads that replace the cover. If you are looking for a complex smartphone, then in addition to the competitors listed above, pay attention to the Motorola RAZR 40. In my opinion, you will like it more than the older model because it has a better price / quality / capabilities ratio.
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