Galaxy Z Flip vs Motorola Razr: Real-World Test By MrMobile [Michael Fisher]

- It was the Battlestar Galactica reboot which taught us that all of this has happened before and all of it will happen again. See, when Motorola released its first ultra-thin Razr, the V3, in 2004, Samsung was hot on its heels the very next year with its super-slim competition, the A900, a phone that didn't have nearly as much brand cache but made up for it with better specs and better user experience. Well, Motorola closed out last year by resurrecting the Razr with a new folding screen model for 2019 and now Samsung has answered again with the Galaxy Z Flip. I'm MrMobile and I've spent 24 hours flipping these in the real world. Let's see which is the folding phone for you. (upbeat dance music) All right, let's just come out and say it.

If you're buying based on specs, your money should go to Samsung. The Galaxy Z Flip has a newer processor, more RAM and storage, more versatile cameras, and a bigger battery, with wireless charging and wireless power share. Samsung also uses ultra-thin glass, instead of plastic, for its display cover and the display itself is higher resolution. Somehow, Samsung packs all this into a package that weighs in at 22 grams less than the Motorola phone. While we're at it, let's call out pricing, shall we? The Z Flip is also the cheaper phone by over $100.

Now, given that shower of Samsung supremacy, it's easy to understand why a lot of people say the Z Flip is the communicator to beat in this contest, but there are a few areas where Motorola takes the cake. To start with, let's talk about these external displays. Samsung's is roughly the size of my two pinky nails put together. It's enough to give you caller ID, bare bones notifications, and a comically tiny viewfinder for selfies, but about the best you can say for it is that it's better than nothing. Now comparatively, the Razr's external display seems huge.

It's big enough to serve as a viewfinder that's actually useful and when you're not shooting selfies, you can triage messages or control audio or talk to Google Assistant. Those shortcuts, plus the gestures that open the camera and flashlight, are all part of the Moto Suite, the most useful third-party interface on Android. All this stuff goes a ways toward making up for the fact that the Razr is running a full generation of Android behind. Though, if we're being honest, that still sucks. Z Flip has also gotten a lot of credit for better build quality than the Razr.

For one thing, the hinge isn't squeaky and creaky like Motorola's. And I'm sure the Samsung's ultra-thin glass will wear better over time than the Razr's softer plastic. But the Z Flip also inherits the most irritating thing about the Galaxy Fold, this pronounced crease down the center line. You can't always see it but you do feel it every time you move your thumb across it. The Razr's screen, reinforced underneath by metal plates, doesn't have quite the same gutter.

Also, Motorola coated the Razr's entire interior in a water-resistant nano coating so if moisture gets in, it has less chance of doing damage to the Motorola phone than the Samsung one. Samsung, perhaps remembering the Galaxy Fold initial launch fiasco, opted to focus on avoiding dust intrusion with these nylon brushes instead. By the way, full review videos on both of these phones are coming soon. Be sure to subscribe to TheMrMobile on YouTube so you don't miss it. My last pro-Moto argument is halfway subjective, so you may disagree here and that's okay.

I just feel the Razr's industrial design is more intentional than Samsung's kind of generic-looking box. And it has practical benefits, too. Because the Razr is textured differently on front and back, you can feel which side is which right in your pocket. The Z Flip is so symmetrical that I routinely pull it out of my pocket upside down or backwards. Also, the Razr's plastic back anchors it firmly to a table, while the Z Flip's glass means it usually slithers toward the edge.

But despite all that, folks, there's just no getting around it. The Z Flip comes back with more than enough advantages to put it over the top. Just take a look at these camera samples from my Chelsea wanderings with my Android Central and Pocketnow friends today. I had two big surprises. I didn't know you could currywurst in New York City and I didn't realize how far behind Samsung Motorola still was in image processing, at least on this hardware.

Factor in Samsung's superior night mode performance and the ultra-wide options the Z Flip gives you and, guys, there's just no contest. The Z Flip owns the Razr. Then there's the way the Z Flip makes a practical advantage out of its folding nature. Open it to 90 degrees and an app like Gallery or Google Duo, not only will the Flip stay locked there, but the UI splits the screens, so you get controls on the bottom and a viewer up top. Now, that ridged hinge makes the Z Flip harder to open, like a Starfleet Communicator, than the Razr, but the trade off is absolutely worth it.

And finally, the battery size does make a difference. While I only had 24 hours with the Z Flip review sample, I used the two phones side by side and did the exact same things on them for most of that day and the Z Flip maintained an average of about a 10% advantage over the Razr throughout the test period, which probably means the Samsung will outlast the Moto by about an hour. But follow me @theMrMobile on Twitter and I'll report the ultimate dying time of each of these at the end of the shooting day. As you know, I don't like declaring winners and losers in my comparisons. Look, the Razr will still be a better fit for those who are on the same nostalgia train as me.

- Hello, Moto. - Or those who find value in its more aggressive design, its almost-creaseless screen, and its very usable external display. But the Razr is exclusive to Verizon, while you can get the Z Flip at Sprint, AT&T, or unlocked. And anyway, most folks will be better served by the more future-proof spec sheet and the more mature feature set of the Galaxy Z Flip. Unlike in 2006, it's Samsung that has the brand cache, wider availability, and the sheer inertia to dominate the new flip phone conversation.

Personally, I'm still a fan of the Razr but professionally, it's the Z Flip I'd recommend to most people. Folks, let me know which model you'd go for in the comments. This comparison was made possible by review samples provided by Samsung and Motorola but MrMobile does not produce paid reviews. Neither company was given copy approval or advanced preview of this video and they're seeing it for the first time, right alongside you. Please share this video and subscribe to the channel on YouTube if you'd like to see more videos like it.

Until next time, thanks for watching and stay mobile, my friends.

Source : MrMobile [Michael Fisher]