Year after year I’ve been praising the Motorola Razr series, and with the launch of the 2026 lineup, I still am. Not too long ago flips felt like niche tech experiments, but Motorola has officially turned them into beautifully polished, mainstream flagships.
The absolute star of the show this year is the Motorola Razr Ultra. Let’s address the elephant in the room first. At $1,499, the flagship is more expensive than ever, and that price tag is going to scare some people away. But look at it this way – an iPhone Pro Max can easily run you up to $1,500, and the Razr Ultra is a true flagship that actually folds and is way more attractive than a typical slab.
A Masterpiece in the Hand
There is no other flip phone on the market that comes close to the Razr series in terms of pure design and style. Particularly, the Orient Blue design of the Ultra is, quite frankly, a masterpiece.
Motorola sent over the Orient Blue model, and while the name says blue, in reality, it’s a gorgeous, dark purple. It features an Italian-made Alcantara finish with a delicate micro-lattice texture. Honestly, holding this phone makes you feel like you are cradling something finely crafted by an artisan, rather than just another cold piece of tech.
The external display is still excellent. It’s a spacious, ultra-responsive 4.0-inch panel that lets you control full apps and reply to messages without ever flipping the device open. You can even wave your hand over it to silence an alarm or wake it up. When you do unfold it, you’re greeted by a massive 7.0-inch Extreme AMOLED display. My only design wish for next year is to see an even thinner and lighter frame, but it’s certainly not a deal-breaker for us.
The Camera is a Massive, Flagship-Level Leap
If last year’s model had an Achilles’ heel, it was the camera. It was solid, but it didn’t quite hit top-tier flagship expectations. Motorola clearly listened, because the camera system on the 2026 Ultra is the best ever – finally crossing the threshold into true flagship territory.
Instead of forcing a third lens onto the back cover, Motorola went with a powerhouse dual-sensor array on the main housing: a 50MP main sensor with OIS and a versatile 50MP Ultrawide + Macro lens. Flip the device open, and you’re greeted by an equally massive 50MP internal selfie camera. The main shooter is also bolstered by a new LOFIC sensor, which is a first for a flip phone. While it lacks a dedicated hardware periscope lens, the digital zoom is surprisingly good.
The improvement over last year’s shooter is immediately obvious in practice. Photos come out significantly more vibrant, incredibly sharp, and packed with a professional, colorful polish that the previous generation just couldn’t match. Portraits are excellent, managing up to 5x enhanced dynamic range via Ultra HDR. Plus, it is fully optimized for Instagram, meaning your photos retain their lifelike brilliance whether you shoot in the native app or directly inside Instagram.
That said, this is hardly one of one of the best flagship camera systems out there, but for the first time in the Razr series, it’s quite good.
For content creators, the new “Rotate to Zoom” feature uses AI to translate subtle wrist tilts into smooth camcorder-style zooms. It’s incredibly fun to use.
Battery Life and Performance
Under the hood, the Ultra absolutely flies thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. But the real accomplishment here is the battery life. Flip phones usually struggle to make it to dinner time, but the Ultra gets a very noticeable battery upgrade. Unlike its predecessor, it easily lasts over a full day of heavy use without needing to be tethered to a wall. When you do run low, the 68W TurboPower charging fuels you up fast.
The Razr+ and the standard Razr
Motorola also refreshed the rest of the family, and I’m happy to report that performance and camera quality on the non-Ultra models are also really good this year. However, if you are torn between the intermediate Razr+ and the entry-level standard Razr, there are a few significant differences to keep in mind.
The Razr+ ($1,099) targets users who want a near-flagship experience without the Ultra price tag. It features a similarly large 4.0-inch external display and a 6.9-inch main screen. It’s driven by the very capable Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 mobile platform and sports a capable dual 50MP main camera system with OIS. It also charges remarkably fast, giving you a full day’s power in just 11 minutes via 45W TurboPower charging.
Curiously, the + model only comes in one color choice this year – PANTONE Mountain View, which is a deep forest green with a woven jacquard texture. It’s a bit of a strange limitation, and while the green is nice, I find myself missing the iconic Hot Pink colorway option from the lineup.
By contrast, the standard Razr ($799) is built for the mainstream and maximum value. To hit that lower price point, it scales down to a slightly smaller 3.6-inch cover display, though it retains the same gorgeous 6.9-inch main internal screen as the Plus model. On the camera front, you still get a very impressive dual 50MP system with OIS, but it uses a 32MP selfie camera instead of the higher-res 50MP found on the Ultra.
It also throttles charging down to a still-respectable 30W. Where it beats the Plus, however, is battery life—boasting over 36 hours of battery—and it also beats the Plus in terms of style options. To that effect, it comes in several eye-catching curated Pantone finishes, including a sleek Acetate finish called Bright White, a woven-inspired Hematite, and leather-inspired textures like Violet Ice and Sporting Green. Personally, I absolutely love the PANTONE Sporting Green option. Daily performance on the standard model feels incredibly snappy and responsive, despite being the most affordable option in the lineup.
The reality is that even the basic Razr model is a stellar device. It’s the phone that the vast majority of everyday users will be absolutely thrilled with. Most people simply don’t need the premium extras of the Ultra or even the Plus.
The Verdict
The 2026 Razr series is once again, flipping fantastic.
Both the 2026 Razr+ and the standard Razr models are superb flip phones that look, feel, and work like premium flagships in their own right. They deliver incredible value, and truly, the vast majority of users will be absolutely thrilled with everything even the standard Razr has to offer.
As for the 2026 Motorola Razr Ultra it’s a superb, practically perfect flip phone. People still stop me in public with awe whenever I flip it open or closed.
However if you already own the great 2025 Razr Ultra, there simply isn’t enough of a revolutionary reason to upgrade. But if you are on an older device and looking for the absolute best flip foldable on the market today, the 2026 Razr Ultra is it.
If the $1,499 price tag stings, remember that Motorola has a great track record for running sales throughout the year – so if you can wait a few months, the Ultra will likely come down to a more palatable price point.
If you’re looking for a bigger foldable, check out our Motorola Razr Fold review.
Launch Deals
If you are looking to pull the trigger on these new flips, T-Mobile is releasing the standard Motorola Razr starting May 28, with the Razr+ rolling out in the months ahead. For a limited time, new and existing customers can score the standard Motorola Razr On Us (or get up to $800 off eligible Motorola devices) with absolutely no trade-in required. The deal is available across multiple plans, including Experience Beyond and Experience More, making it the perfect excuse to skip the flagship premium and get an incredible folding phone for free.
If you’re not a T-Mobile customer, the 2026 Motorola Razr Ultra is currently available for pre-order unlocked from Motorola where there is a special promotion running – you can get a free Moto Watch and an extra year of extended service protection. You can also get up to $400 in credit with a trade-in.