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The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the latest clamshell foldable smartphone on the market, at least at the time of writing this article. The phone got announced during Samsung’s second Unpacked event of 2023. Having said that, in this article, we’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Motorola Razr+. These two smartphones are direct rivals in the market, as direct as it gets, actually. That goes for the US market too.
One thing to note is that the Motorola Razr+ name is used in the US, while in most other regions the phone is known as the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra. These two smartphones both have a large outer display, and have plenty to offer in general. We’ll first list out their specifications, and will then compare them across a number of different categories.
Specs
– Main display: 6.7-inch fullHD+ foldable Dynamic AMOLED (120Hz) / 6.9-inch fullHD+ LTPO AMOLED (165Hz)
– Cover display: 3.4-inch 720 x 748 Super AMOLED (60Hz) / 3.6-inch 1056 x 1066 AMOLED (144Hz)
– SoC: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy / Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
– RAM: 8GB (LPDDR5X) / 8GB/12GB (LPDDR5)
– Storage: 256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0) / 256GB/512GB (UFS 3.1)
– Rear cameras: 12MP (wide, OIS, PDAF, f/1.8 aperture, 1.8um pixel size), 12MP (ultrawide, 123-degree FoV) / 12MP (wide, f/1.5 aperture, 1.4um pixel size, OIS, PDAF), 13MP ultrawide (f/2.2 aperture, 108-degree FoV)
– Front cameras: 10MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1.22um pixel size) / 32MP (f/2.4 aperture, 0.7um pixel size)
– Battery: 3,700mAh (25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless), no charger / 3,800mAh (30W wired, 5W wireless), no in some markets
– Dimensions (unfolded): 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9mm / 170.8 x 74 x 7mm
– Dimensions (folded): 85.1 x 71.9 x 15.1mm / 88.4 x 74 x 15.1mm
– Weight: 187 grams / 184.5/188.5 grams
– Connectivity: 5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security: Side-facing fingerprint scanner
– OS: Android 13 with One UI / Android 13
– Price: $999 / $999
– Buy: Amazon / Amazon
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Motorola Razr+: Design
Both of these smartphones are made out of metal and glass, but they do feel different in the hand. The Motorola Razr+ has fewer flat sides, which is the main reason for a different in-hand feel. Both phones have a centered display camera hole on the inside, and they fold right down the middle. They also both have very thin bezels on the main display. When they’re open, and you look at them from the front, they’re extremely similar.
Now, the differences can be seen on the back, easily. They both do have two cameras on the back, which are horizontally aligned in the top-left corner. What’s different is their cover displays. They’re both quite large, but the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s has a folder-like shape, while the Motorola Razr+’s goes around the cameras, and has a rather normal shape for a display. It takes more room than the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s panel.
The Motorola Razr+ is a bit taller and wider than the Galaxy Z Flip 5, while they’re about the same in terms of thickness. That goes for both the folded and unfolded states. It is worth noting that the Motorola Razr+ has a larger main display too, which is the main reason for the size difference between them. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is IPX8 rated for water resistance, while the Motorola Razr+ has water-repellent coating.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Motorola Razr+: Display
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 features a 6.7-inch fullHD+ (2640 x 1080) Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. That panel has a 120Hz refresh rate, and HDR10+ support too. It goes up to 1,200 nits of brightness at its peak. A 3.4-inch cover display is also included. It’s a Super AMOLED panel with a 720 x 748 resolution, and that panel is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
The Motorola Razr+, on the other hand, includes a 6.9-inch fullHD+ 2640 x 1080 Foldable LTPO AMOLED display. That panel can project up to 1 billion colors, and it’s a 165Hz unit. HDR10+ content is supported on this panel, and the display goes up to 1,400 nits of peak brightness. The cover display on Motorola’s device measures 3.6 inches, and it offers a 1056 x 1066 resolution. Gorilla Glass Victus protects this display.
Both smartphones are well-equipped in the display category. Truth be said, they both do the job phenomenally. Neither display feels too plasticky or anything (in terms of foldable panels), and they’re all bright enough. Of course, don’t expect the same brightness as the most powerful (regular) smartphones out there offer, but it’ll be enough for most people. Touch response is also good, as are the viewing angles. The Motorola Razr+ allows you to run any app on the cover display, while the Galaxy Z Flip 5 will do the same soon, as soon as the Good Lock update arrives. You’ll need to enable that manually, though. The Motorola Razr+’s cover display does offer a considerably higher resolution, and refresh rate, though.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Motorola Razr+: Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy fuels the Galaxy Z Flip 5. In addition to that, Samsung included 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage too. The Motorola Razr+, on the flip side, has a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC on the inside. That chip is inferior to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but it’s extremely powerful nonetheless. Motorola offers 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM here, along with UFS 3.1 flash storage.
So, as you can see, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 does have more powerful internals. Does that mean it has a huge advantage in the performance department? Well, no, not really. Both phones perform admirably. They’re very smooth in day-to-day performance, and can even handle the most demanding games out there The Galaxy Z Flip 5 does usually open apps slightly faster, but that’s not something you’ll notice unless you run them side by side. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is more future-proof, in a way, thanks to the specs, but they both run beautifully at the moment.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Motorola Razr+: Battery
Samsung’s latest clamshell foldable includes a 3,700mAh battery. The Motorola Razr+, on the other hand, has a 3,800mAh battery on the inside. The Motorola Razr+ actually offers really good battery life, at least it did during our testing. We were able to pull out 7.5-8 hours of screen-on-time from the device. Based on the specs alone, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 should be able to offer something similar.
We’re still testing the device, though, our verdict is not ready yet. From what we’re seeing, however, it still flies a bit under the levels of the Motorola Razr+. The battery life the phone provides is better than what the Galaxy Z Flip 4 had to offer. That may change, however, as we’re still in the early days of Galaxy Z Flip 5 usage. Our full review will reveal far more information, stay tuned for that.
When it comes to charging, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 offers 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. The Motorola Razr+ supports 30W wired, and 5W wireless charging, no reverse (wireless) charging. Do note that the Galaxy Z Flip 5 does not include a charger in the box, while the Motorola Razr+ does, but only in some markets. That’s not the case in the US, however.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Motorola Razr+: Cameras
Both smartphones include two cameras on the back, and one on the main display. You can, of course, use their rear-facing cameras as the only cameras, as you can use them in collaboration with cover displays on both phones. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 includes a 12-megapixel main camera, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (123-degree FoV). The Motorola Razr+ features a 12-megapixel main camera, and a 13-megapixel ultrawide unit (108-degree FoV).
When it comes to image quality, both smartphones are quite good. The Galaxy Z Flip does have a tendency to crank up the saturation, while the Motorola Razr+ images can look a bit muted sometimes. Neither phone is aiming for true-to-life portrayal, but both do a good job. In most situations, we end up preferring the Galaxy Z Flip 5 shots in daylight, and Motorola Razr+ shots in low light. Do note that we’ve recently started using the Galaxy Z Flip 5, though, so we’re not making our final impressions yet.
When it comes to ultrawide cameras, they do their best to follow the main shooters, but are a level below them. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 does offer a noticeably wider FoV, and we didn’t really use the Motorola Razr+’s ultrawide camera due to its (108-degree) field-of-view.
Audio
What about audio? Well, first and foremost, do note that there is no audio jack on either of these two phones. They do offer a set of stereo speakers, however. The Motorola Razr+ speakers do seem to be a bit louder, but both sets are very good in terms of quality.
If you’d like to hook up your wired headphones to either phone, you’ll have to use their Type-C ports. Wireless connections are an option too, of course. Both of these smartphones offer Bluetooth 5.3 for such purposes.