Motorola Razr 2026 vs. Razr 2025: A few steps forward, one big step back - United States News Beep

The latest budget Razr

The Razr 2026 is the latest and (almost) greatest budget flip phone from Motorola. It’s more expensive than its predecessor, and it has half the storage. Looking past those two drawbacks, the Razr 2026 is a surprisingly complete phone. It has an upgraded processor, ultrawide camera, and battery.

ProsImproved MediaTek Dimension 7450XLarger 4,800mAh battery capacityUpgraded 50MP ultrawide lensAndroid 16 with three years of Android OS upgradesCons$100 more expensive than Razr 2025Half the storage as Razr 2025Same primary camera sensorSame displays, thickness, and weight

The cheaper pick

The Motorola Razr 2025 is even cheaper today than it was a year ago. Its specs won’t wow you on paper, but getting a modern foldable for around $500 or less is still impressive. It has quite a bit in common with the newer Razr 2026, including the displays and main camera.

ProsSolid 50MP main camera sensor3.6-inch pOLED cover screen is usable for basic tasks4,500mAh battery is solid for the sizeCheaperConsMediaTek Dimension 7400X chip occasionally lags behindLimited software support with just two years of Android OS upgrades remainingWeaker 13MP ultrawide lens

Motorola made a name for itself selling budget foldables as part of the Razr lineup, with recent models starting at as little as $699. Amid the smartphone component shortage, hitting that price point just isn’t possible anymore. So, the Motorola Razr 2026 is here with a price tag that’s $100 more expensive and with half the storage. Believe it or not, the Razr 2026 got the most upgrades out of any model in the new series despite that key downgrade.

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The design and displays of the Motorola Razr 2026 and Razr 2025 are extremely similar. That shouldn’t be too surprising, since this is a tried-and-true Razr form factor that usually stays the same to enable an affordable price. From the outside, these two budget Razrs are identical. They have the same 15.85mm thickness when shut and weigh exactly 188 grams each.

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(Image credit: Brady Snyder / Android Central)

Finally, we have the cameras. Both phones utilize a 50MP rear primary camera and a 32MP front-facing camera on the inside. However, the Razr 2026 upgrades the ultrawide camera to use a 50MP sensor and a wider 122-degree field of view. The Razr 2025’s ultrawide lens is only 13MP and has a slightly narrower 120-degree field of view. If you care about the quality and detail of your wide shots, the Razr 2026 will offer a noticeable improvement.

There are software tweaks and new features to the Razr 2026 camera system, too. You get a Frame Match feature that uses software to add a stencil-like overlay to the camera viewfinder. So, you’d take a picture of the angle you want, hand the Razr 2026 over to your photographer, and they’ll match the viewfinder with the outline to take the perfect photo of you. It all but eliminates bad photos, even with inexperienced photographers.

the Razr 2025 does have camcorder mode, it’s unclear whether these new features will come to the older model.

It’s rare that I compare two smartphones and end up at the conclusion that both phones are solid values at their respective price point, but that’s where the Razr 2026 and Razr 2025 have left me. I wish the Motorola Razr 2026 either kept its $699 price point or retained its 256GB of storage. However, with rising smartphone prices industry-wide, the Razr 2026 is still a decent value even with only 128GB of storage. It launches with Android 16 and three years of Android OS upgrades to follow, so it’ll be able to last.

Meanwhile, the Razr 2025 only has two Android OS upgrades remaining, and it has weaker hardware overall (excluding that coveted 256GB storage). The price reflects the hardware, though, since you can find brand-new Razr 2025 phones for around $500. It’s a win-win scenario, because you can take the weaker hardware and shorter software support window to save, or you can pay more for the upgrades and longer support.

If you can wait, my recommendation would be to be patient and let Razr 2026 discounts come to you. In a few months, we’ll probably see Motorola and partner retailers take $100 or $200 off the price of a Razr 2026. That would certainly sweeten the deal, and make the Razr 2026 just as good of a value as the cheaper models that came before it.

The battery pick

There are a handful of Razr 2026 upgrades to consider, but the biggest one is battery life. With a larger 4,800mAh capacity, the Razr 2026 will last longer than its predecessor. Throw in a new chip and upgraded ultrawide camera, and it’s easy to justify splurging for the latest model.

The budget pick

The Motorola Razr 2025 doesn’t have as new a chip or as big of a battery as the Razr 2026, but it does have double the onboard storage. It also comes in at around $300 cheaper when accounting for current discounts. If you can live with only two more years of Android OS upgrades, it’s a compelling alternative to the newer model.