Motorola Razr 70 Ultra review: Still the best flip phone?

Motorola's flagship flip phone in 2026 is the Razr 70 Ultra (or simply Razr Ultra 2026 if you're in the US), looking to maintain its position as the folding phone of choice for many.

Its main competitor, Samsung, has been focusing on driving down the weight and thickness of its flip phone line, the Z Flip. Motorola's approach with the Razr, however, is all about creating a sense of style.

Looking to let the tech slip into the background, in essence, Motorola leans into its continuing partnership with Pantone for interesting colourways, while its ambassador of choice is Paris Hilton. Sliving.

That might give you more than an inkling of who the Razr is aimed at. It's less about tech geeks and more about those wanting a replacement for an iPhone that they're bored with.

Cue Pantone Cocoa (as seen here in this review) or Pantone Orient Blue (which I shared previously) to give a fresh aesthetic lick.

Spec wise? Things haven't moved on that much from 2025. But even without much of a boost, is this still a case of 'Hello, Moto', or 'Thanks, but no'?

Price & Availability

The Razr 70 Ultra is now available and priced at £1,199.99, which gets you the 16/512GB model direct from Motorola. That includes free Moto Buds Loop, worth £130.

In the USA the Razr Ultra 2026 is offered at $1,499.99, but comes with Moto Buds Loop and Moto Watch free when buying from Motorola.com.

Those following the Motorola story will know that this is £100/$200 more expensive than the previous model (although it's actually cheaper than Samsung's Z Flip 7 in the UK).

Motorola Razr 70 Ultra vs Razr 60 Ultra: What's new?

• Brighter main display
• Higher battery capacity
• New main camera sensor

The short answer is that not a lot is new, which is one of the barriers that the Razr 70 Ultra faces, especially with the higher price.

Another issue is that there are fewer colours (thus far) for the 2026 model. The previous version has four colours on offer, while the newer one only has two.

But there are a couple of key differences: there's a new main camera, for starters, which moves to a 'LOFIC' sensor (that's a "Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor" type), said to offer wider dynamic range to boost performance. There are a couple of additional features, like Frame Match and zooming in Camcorder Mode, to aid with more practical shooting scenarios too.

The main display is also marginally brighter than the previous version, although the external display remains the very same.

The biggest meaningful change, therefore, is the increased battery capacity. This bumps the battery to 5000mAh – up from 4700mAh previously – and considering that the new phone is the same size and weight as the previous model, that's a big gain.

Design & displays

• Main display: 6.96-inch Extreme AMOLED
  • Ultra Thin Glass
  • 2992 x 1224 pixel resolution
  • 165Hz maximum refresh rate
• Cover display: 4.0-inch Extreme AMOLED
  • Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic
  • 1272 x 1080 resolution
  • 165Hz refresh max
• Aluminium frame, titanium hinge, with Alcantara or wood veneer rear
  • IP48 protection
  • 199g; 7.19mm thick (open), 15.96mm thick (closed)

Motorola divides its Razr flip phones into two types: the Ultra and the Plus have a cover screen that fills the entire exterior, while the regular Razr 70 doesn't – it has a little 'chin' so it's not as large. The Ultra, therefore, has the more premium look.

In this regard, however, nothing has really changed in the design language since the Razr 60 Ultra (and indeed the Razr 50 Ultra) – which look nigh-on identical. It's an established form that Motorola is contently sticking with.

The big change comes through updated Pantone colours and material finishes, with Motorola using a wood veneer called Cocoa, or the Orient Blue Alcantara option. These unique rear panels get matched to the frames for a result that's far from boring. Yes, there's little to tempt you to upgrade year on year, but these definitely look good.

As I've been using the Pantone Cocoa, I've grown fond of the veneer and bronzed frame. It lends a retro charm to a phone at the cutting edge – and I like that juxtaposition.

The Razr 70 Ultra is nice and thin when unfolded, too. Sure, in real terms it's bigger than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 – and heavier too – so Samsung's alternative definitely wins if you're looking for the most compact device.

Motorola surprises when it comes to the displays on the Razr 70 Ultra – and this is where its real strengths lie.

Let's start with the negative though: the folding screen has a noticeable crease, is prone to fingerprints, and despite its high brightness, still suffers from reflections in bright conditions – partly because of the immovable plastic layer that covers the screen. In the same breath: that's par for the course in folding phones.

The main display offers a high resolution with a 165Hz refresh rate, 5000 nits peak brightness and plenty of colour and vibrancy. It's Pantone certified, too, suggesting that it will accurately reproduce colours – although you're also free to adjust the saturation to suit your preference.

Those other high figures are impressive, although 165Hz only really works with beta apps and games right now – and folding phones aren't the best for playing games because the screen doesn't handle touch controls as well as regular devices. There's a strong chance that you'll never use the 165Hz, so it's one of the few tech 'headline grabs' here.

Motorola is putting out phones with bright displays right now, meaning they have the potential to really shine. But that peak brightness figure is reserved for HDR (high dynamic range) content, only appearing in very small areas, like brilliant stars in the night sky. It supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, but neither format currently outputs at 5000 nits, so you're unlikely to ever actually see its maximum potential.

The cover display doesn't scrimp on such spec either. Wrapping itself around the cameras and stretching across the whole of the top of the phone, it's better than Samsung's equivalent offering, both technically and in functionality.

Motorola lets you access apps and tap open notifications, so it offers a fuller experience that's useful on the front, whereas Samsung's widget-based offering is a little lacking for what most people might expect.

So there might be few changes, but Motorola's flippable flagship is still one of the best folding phone experiences you can buy when it comes to displays and design.

Performance & Battery

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor
• 5000mAh battery
  • 68W wired charging
  • 30W wireless charging

Perhaps the biggest point of contention for power users is that the Razr 70 Ultra doesn't have new hardware in 2026.

Instead, it's using hardware that was first announced in 2024. That's not as devastating as it may read – but it is the same hardware under the hood as it was the previous year.

Considering the increase in price for the 2026 model, the lack of corresponding hardware upgrade won't sit well with tech fans. But, then again, as outlined up front – this is a fashion phone.

However, many of the benefits of Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 come thanks to its higher clock speed and boosted graphics handling, which arguably don't matter on a phone of this type. Certainly, I'd rather have the bigger battery that Motorola put in rather a more powerful chip.

Nonetheless, I've found the Razr 70 Ultra to run really smoothly. I tested it with some light gaming and it does get a little warm, but this isn't a phone for hardcore gaming anyway. If you want to play casual games, though, then it will happily do so.

The 5000mAh battery is based on silicon-carbon technology and it matches the size that you'll get in many mainstream flagship phones – it's just physically smaller as a benefit. That means there's no longevity compromise for choosing a folding phone.

While some flagships are now pushing 7000mAh, the Moto Razr 70 Ultra offers all-day battery life from this cell. I've never been concerned about running out of power during my testing – and that fast-charging rate means that even if it is running low, it's quick to top up at the plug.

Whichever way you look at it, Motorola's offering here is better than Samsung's equivalent Z Flip 7. It's a higher capacity, it lasts longer, and it recharges faster. But it does cost more, too.

Cameras

• Double rear camera:
  • Main: 50-megapixels, f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.54in LOFIC sensor, autofocus (AF), stabilisation (OIS)
  • Ultrawide: 50-megapixels, f/2.0 aperture, 1/2.93in sensor
• Front: 50-megapixels, f/2.0

Now that we're into the sixth generation of folding phones from Motorola, we're beyond the stage where the folding screen is enough of a novelty to carry a weak camera.

In the Razr 70 Ultra there's a trio of 50-megapixel cameras, with the main camera moving to that 'LOFIC' sensor – designed to boost the dynamic range of the sensor. That ought to mean better shadow and highlight detail within any one image.

Generally, the Razr 70 Ultra takes good photos in daylight with vibrant colours. There are filters you can apply, too, but I stuck to natural – which has a saturation that's not quite natural, but certainly isn't offensive. There's respectable colour consistency between the main and ultrawide camera, too.

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That ultrawide camera shows some blurring towards the edges where the quality also drops out, so you're more likely to find mottled shadow areas as the camera scrabbles to find detail. But this is typical of ultrawide cameras.

There's no telephoto camera on the Razr 70 Ultra, which is the shortcoming of this system. Everything is digital-based for zoom, which is fine – but only fine. There's a 2x option in the viewfinder and up to 30x digital zoom. However, I wouldn't go too much beyond that 2x, because even at 5x signs of AI processing are obvious.

The low-light performance is reasonable, with the main camera offering the best overall performance. The ultrawide is quick to add image noise, so it not the best low-light camera performer by comparison. It's good enough, though.

I struggled with the front camera here, which produced middling results. Firstly, because of the plastic top layer to the screen it's more prone to hanging onto greasy marks. But even when cleaned, I found it struggles to produce decent images.

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But there are some nice features, like Frame Match, which allows you to take a preview image and then hand your phone to someone else while you step into the picture.

They then line up the preview with you now in the scene and then snap the image. It isn't combining these images, it just provides guidance for the second photo. I was hoping it could be used to create some retro double exposure images, but alas, it can't. It's just not quite as clever as Pixel's Add Me feature.

I do like the twist-to-zoom option in Camcorder mode though. It's easy to use and just works, as long as you don't twist the phone too far. Like other Motorola phones, there's also the option to lock the horizon, but it does limit the video quality.

Software & AI

• Android 16 with Hello UI
  • 3 years OS updates, 5 years security updates

Motorola has been treading a different path with Hello UI recently, looking for ways to insert AI. That results in a number of places where it recommends apps or services. I find it intrusive, though, which if you've read any of my Motorola phone reviews from the last two years, you'll already know.

My biggest gripes are app recommendations in the apps tray and in the Gametime companion, the addition of Newsfeed into the apps tray, and changing the search into a universal AI interaction. Then there's a number of preinstalled apps, all of which can be removed, but that you can't avoid during the installation process.

These are the worst things about the Razr 70 Ultra experience, because they don't make a good first impression. If you're familiar with Android or Motorola phones, you can quickly customise what you want to turn off, but those less familiar will likely see this as intrusive rather than adding value.

Fortunately, as this is an Android phone, Google's Gemini is present and correct, although you can't reassign the AI button – it's Moto AI or nothing. I chose nothing.

One area where there's been a slight improvement is that now you get 5 years of security updates, which is great. But limiting the OS updates to 3 years is miserly – especially on a flagship-grade phone. Motorola does list it as 3+ years, but Samsung offers 7 years, so Motorola just isn't keeping up in this regard.

Step around all that and I found the software to run perfectly smoothly. Once tamed it makes for a great experience, you just have to step carefully while you get to know the software.

Motorola Razr 70 Ultra review: Verdict

The Motorola Edge 70 Ultra bests the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in battery life and charging, with larger screens and a much more usable cover display.

The unique design adds appeal for those who want to make a statement, while much of what the camera offers is good enough.

While the screen is good, it still suffers from reflections and never looks as good as a classic flagship phone. But you're trading absolute quality for novelty and convenience – as this folds into your pocket, offering a more compact package.

Ultimately, although this phone hasn’t changed much since the earlier Razr 60 Ultra, it still looks good and folde screen experience is unrivalled. Indeed, it's one of the best folding phones you can buy.

Alternatives

The natural rival to the Razr 70 Ultra is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7. I've previously compared these two devices and Samsung's phone is thinner and lighter with a cleaner interface in One UI.

Alternatively, there are lower-grade folding phones from Motorola, with the Razr 70 Plus and Razr 70 both offering a similar experience, but coming in at slightly lower price points.