Motorola Razr 5G | Unlocked | Made for US | 8/256GB | 48MP Camera | 2020 | Polished Graphite

Supremely pocketable, with lots of other tradeoffs. From the original MicroTAC, I’ve had a thing for Motorola flip phones. I upgraded from the MicroTAC to the StarTAC, the original RAZR, a KRZR… it wasn’t until the iPhone that I abandoned poor Motorola. So, seeing an Android resurrection that not only looked like a RAZR but also had 5G was something I couldn’t pass up. Especially after parting with my Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, because I was sick of needing to adjust my pocket every time I got in to my car.After a few days in though, I might have to pass it up.The phone itself is beautiful, though my wife noticed it charging and asked what I was doing with a new Blackberry. Indignant, I told her it was a RAZR, and she laughed. Be cautious if you think you’re making a fashion statement with this phone.I was apparently blessed with a phone that doesn’t creak. The only noise you hear when opening or shutting it is the “clap” when the phone shuts. I had forgotten how much I missed hanging up by closing the phone.The internal display has surprisingly vivid color reproduction, and you don’t really notice the curve or underlying bumps after a few seconds. However, you definitely notice the tactile differences when using the screen, and I found that some areas of the screen need a slightly forceful push where most glass screen phones are tappable. You’re not going to mistake the screen for the 120Hz 4K OLED / AMOLED planks on flagship phones, but unless you’re the type to constantly scroll back and forth through your apps to behold the majesty of your refresh rate, you probably won’t feel like you’re missing out.On the other hand, the narrow display does feel like a bit of a throwback. I’ve grown used to setting Chrome and Edge to request desktop versions of sites, and found things like news sites to be unreadable without constantly zooming in and out. When I changed the setting to fetch mobile sites by default, the RAZR 2020 felt a lot like the RAZR V3 pulling WAP sites from the long, long ago.The camera is… well, you get a camera. It isn’t potato-cam bad. It’s good enough that Surface Duo owners would be rightfully jealous. It’s fine for simple snapshots that you’re never going to crop and enlarge. I could get by with it, and if I had to choose between Samsung’s beautify filters that can’t be turned off and a comparatively low-res RAZR photo that looks normal (if a bit grainy), I’d probably go the RAZR route. But if I was looking for something as a content creator or had any photographer inclinations, I’d be sad with what the RAZR’s camera is capable of.A bright spot is the 5G connectivity. I’m on AT&T, and they’ve chosen to whitelist devices for 5G access. Fortunately, that includes the RAZR. I’m not sure if it’s materials or antenna placement, but the RAZR pulls a much stronger 5G signal with higher bandwidth than my Note 20 Ultra or S20+. And because 5G isn’t fully built out in the places I usually go, I definitely appreciated how the RAZR will give up on a bad 5G connection and flip to 4G where the Samsung phones will cling on to 5G for dear life — so much so that I regularly use an app on the Samsung phones to disable 5G (for anyone not on AT&T, the built-in function for this is disabled on unlocked Samsung phones when you use an AT&T SIM).But for as good as that 5G/4G management is, Motorola (er… Lenovo, since it’s really Lenovo now?) chose not to bake that intelligence into the wi-fi management. Most devices I have will happily find and use whatever the strongest signal is, but the RAZR doesn’t want to let go of a wi-fi network until it disappears from rangeNow… let’s talk about the processor. I really went back and forth on the RAZR because it’s a very expensive phone for something packing a Snapdragon 765G. Even when Amazon discounts the phone by hundreds of dollars (as they have at the time of this writing), I’m not sure you can find a phone teetering on the edge of four figures that doesn’t have an 865 or 865+ SoC. And while Google has managed to squeeze every single drop of performance they can out of the 765G in the Pixel 5, the RAZR still feels pokey even when compared to the Pixel 3 and the 845 SoC it contains.I don’t know if that’s because Android 11 makes better use of the 765G, or if it’s just good old Google magic that makes the Pixel 5 seem mostly as good as a current-gen phone, but even three year-old games like Sonic Forces: Speed Battle choke the RAZR. Even with all other apps killed and Gaming Mode enabled. Not a gamer? Okay, Outlook absolutely chokes if you have multiple large inboxes. I don’t really consider myself a “power user” compared to people who are making and editing 4K videos on their devices in between CoD matches, and I’m telling you for basic games and heavy-ish business use, the RAZR feels underpowered relative to midrange phones from two or three years ago.On a similar tangent, I’m a little concerned about getting updates from Motorola. We’re coming into the middle of November, and my RAZR is happily plugging along on the August 2020 security patch. No updates came out of the box. No updates have been offered when I’ve done manual checks. No updates on wi-fi, no updates when plugged in. No updates after rebooting, changing the calendar, or slowly chanting “Hello, Moto…” Even stranger, the carrier-branded versions seem to have updates as recently as October.Not surprisingly, battery life on the RAZR isn’t awesome, either. The first day I got it, I wasn’t very surprised that it wanted to be charged after about 6 – 7 hours. I’d been installing everything, doing lots of stuff with the internal display, and testing everything I could. But even on days when I’m just checking mail and making a few calls, getting a full day out of the RAZR is about the best I can do. If I was going on a road trip or had an emergency pop up at like 10:00 p.m., I’d be pretty nervous if I didn’t have a car charger or power bank at the ready. You expect that with a phone this size, but that kind of battery life was what prompted me to replace my Pixel 3 XL after two years of heavy use had diminished the battery life.Would I recommend this? Probably not to most people — especially anyone who does more than simple phone calls and texting. Yes, the pocketability is a straight up joy that I’ve missed for a very long time. Yes, the external display works really well for banging out quick messages and checking your texts and notifications. But once you ask the RAZR for more, it just can’t deliver.

I was hopeful. This went on sale and I really wanted to try it. It’s smaller which was my biggest reason for buying it, but the battery gets so hot. I’ve done research on this and it’s within normal operating temperature, but it’s constantly over 112° which makes the phone annoying to hold for long.The battery life isn’t terrible like everyone says. It’s a smaller battery than most phones, so of course the battery life isn’t as long as the Samsung Galaxy’s or iphones. That’s a non issue if you’re not stuck to your phone most of the day.Camera is decent and the front screen is the best part for me. It’s so usable and why I didn’t go with the Samsung ZFold.

Great phone. Do NOT buy from Motorola. My first cell phone was an original razr – worked well, did it’s job, felt solid, stowed easily in a pocket, heavy, durable, a sensitive radio, and almost 2 months on a charge. That was followed by a v3 razr (only a couple weeks on a charge) when everybody went to 3g. I moved to a rural place that at&t (the last provider with 3g) did not cover, so I got an android phone (LG). It was ok but the radio wasn’t sensitive enough. I put a booster on the house which helped at home but it was annoying at other places to not get a signal when others around me from the same provider were getting 2 bars. I really liked flip phones for easy storage, so when gen 2 of this phone showed up I was interested.I waited until gen 2 because the reviews of gen 1 indicated it needed some engineering refinement. I waited until the 2022 version came out so the price would drop to what I’m willing to pay for a smartphone. I read a lot of reviews and decided I would go for this one – the big draw was Motorola hardware. I’ve been a ham radio operator for decades and Motorola has always made top notch radios for many industries. They’re usually commercial units and too expensive for hams, even second hand. They have a long standing reputation for producing sensitive, low noise radios.BUT, my big mistake was reading a few reviews about not buying from a third party, as they came used, so I bought one directly from Motorola instead. Their web site is the worst I’ve ever experienced for buying from a desktop computer. As you progress through the steps of personal info, shipping address, payment, etc, sometimes the site gets stuck and won’t progress. It gets stuck if you 1) use autofill, 2) tab to go to the next field, 3) select the ship to same address checkbox. I tried this on a windows 10 box, Linux Mint box, and Linux Raspian box (please don’t laugh). All problematic and no success.I tried once again on a windows 10 laptop and typed every character, used the pad to move the mouse pointer to each field each time, double entered my address and the shipping address, then discovered my credit card was denied. Why? Because even though I never finished my purchase, they tried to put 4 pending charges of the same amount on the card, so my credit card company sensed a scam and disabled the card. I tried one more time with another card and it went through. The next day I had fun on the phone getting the first card re-enabled.The phone arrived quickly but it was the wrong color. I didn’t even open it. Their customer service is in India and I had language issues when I explained I wanted to return it for the correct one. I was passed from department to department with no resolution. 2 days later I was contacted by an American agent who took an hour to determine that yes, they were able to do an exchange but he had to check inventory.I called customer service the next day (in India) and arranged for a return and a refund – something they had a “path” for. They sent me a mailing label via email and I mailed it back the next day.I then bought one from Amazon. It arrived 3 days later. It’s operation is a little different than other android phones and if you’re used to a glass screen it will seem a little odd, but functionally it’s exactly the same. What other reviewers said about it being slippery is true. Never ever set it down on a non level slick surface like wood or plastic or glass, because it will start to slide, guaranteed. It’s sturdy and survives drops, like an original razr. The flip feature is really great because it’s easy to stow in a pocket without being damaged. I do not use a case. What do I like best? The RADIO. I now get 3 or 4 bars where others get 2 bars. Motorola also is known for robust hardware, and this phone is heavy and solid. The sensitive part – the touch screen – is protected when folded. The front screen and back are glass. I still have to learn the front screen well, but it does indicate who is calling so I know before I flip it open to answer. I could go on – it’s a great phone for making phone calls, texting, pics, etc. Don’t know about gaming. It’s not the most bang for the buck you can get but the build and radio make it worth it for me.Now, back to the plot: a day later I get a call from Motorola customer service saying they don’t have one in inventory but would offer me 10% off to keep it. I ignore it. Two weeks later I get an email from Motorola saying my case was closed. What? I call, and after a long phone tree/wait/have one agent call another wait/for almost 2 hours, they find out that whoever logged it in copied the number wrong and it wasn’t linked to my account. Don’t they have a scanner? I was still being charged on the second card. They finally figured it out, and it took them another hour to make it right. The charge was cancelled just 2 days shy of when the bill was due.Although their customer service agents are always polite and helpful, the processes they have to follow really suck. It must be a terribly frustrating job for them. One hand doesn’t know what the other is doing at Motorola. Great engineering. Don’t have a clue how to handle the customer experience. This is not the fault of the workers or the divisions, this problem belongs to the CEO. That person has not set up the organization so there is a person/department responsible for the customer experience. Maybe all they are good for is the dealer experience. Seems like they make mountains out of mole hills.A couple days ago I got another email saying my case was closed. They always ask me to reply if there’s a problem or concern, but it’s subject line includes “no-reply” Sheesh!Long winded, yes. Don’t make my mistake. DO NOT BUY FROM MOTOROLA DIRECTLY. Buy it here. If you don’t like it send it back. No hassle, no problem. Mine arrived in perfect condition and I really like it. Folded, yes, but that’s factory. Protects the plastic touch screen. The box is made for it to be shipped that way. No crooked label on front. Obviously new. Yes, I can see a little hinge fold and non flat lines as others have complained about. Doesn’t mean a thing for me. Operates the same.

Great phone. Do NOT buy from Motorola. My first cell phone was an original razr – worked well, did it’s job, felt solid, stowed easily in a pocket, heavy, durable, a sensitive radio, and almost 2 months on a charge. That was followed by a v3 razr (only a couple weeks on a charge) when everybody went to 3g. I moved to a rural place that at&t (the last provider with 3g) did not cover, so I got an android phone (LG). It was ok but the radio wasn’t sensitive enough. I put a booster on the house which helped at home but it was annoying at other places to not get a signal when others around me from the same provider were getting 2 bars. I really liked flip phones for easy storage, so when gen 2 of this phone showed up I was interested.I waited until gen 2 because the reviews of gen 1 indicated it needed some engineering refinement. I waited until the 2022 version came out so the price would drop to what I’m willing to pay for a smartphone. I read a lot of reviews and decided I would go for this one – the big draw was Motorola hardware. I’ve been a ham radio operator for decades and Motorola has always made top notch radios for many industries. They’re usually commercial units and too expensive for hams, even second hand. They have a long standing reputation for producing sensitive, low noise radios.BUT, my big mistake was reading a few reviews about not buying from a third party, as they came used, so I bought one directly from Motorola instead. Their web site is the worst I’ve ever experienced for buying from a desktop computer. As you progress through the steps of personal info, shipping address, payment, etc, sometimes the site gets stuck and won’t progress. It gets stuck if you 1) use autofill, 2) tab to go to the next field, 3) select the ship to same address checkbox. I tried this on a windows 10 box, Linux Mint box, and Linux Raspian box (please don’t laugh). All problematic and no success.I tried once again on a windows 10 laptop and typed every character, used the pad to move the mouse pointer to each field each time, double entered my address and the shipping address, then discovered my credit card was denied. Why? Because even though I never finished my purchase, they tried to put 4 pending charges of the same amount on the card, so my credit card company sensed a scam and disabled the card. I tried one more time with another card and it went through. The next day I had fun on the phone getting the first card re-enabled.The phone arrived quickly but it was the wrong color. I didn’t even open it. Their customer service is in India and I had language issues when I explained I wanted to return it for the correct one. I was passed from department to department with no resolution. 2 days later I was contacted by an American agent who took an hour to determine that yes, they were able to do an exchange but he had to check inventory.I called customer service the next day (in India) and arranged for a return and a refund – something they had a “path” for. They sent me a mailing label via email and I mailed it back the next day.I then bought one from Amazon. It arrived 3 days later. It’s operation is a little different than other android phones and if you’re used to a glass screen it will seem a little odd, but functionally it’s exactly the same. What other reviewers said about it being slippery is true. Never ever set it down on a non level slick surface like wood or plastic or glass, because it will start to slide, guaranteed. It’s sturdy and survives drops, like an original razr. The flip feature is really great because it’s easy to stow in a pocket without being damaged. I do not use a case. What do I like best? The RADIO. I now get 3 or 4 bars where others get 2 bars. Motorola also is known for robust hardware, and this phone is heavy and solid. The sensitive part – the touch screen – is protected when folded. The front screen and back are glass. I still have to learn the front screen well, but it does indicate who is calling so I know before I flip it open to answer. I could go on – it’s a great phone for making phone calls, texting, pics, etc. Don’t know about gaming. It’s not the most bang for the buck you can get but the build and radio make it worth it for me.Now, back to the plot: a day later I get a call from Motorola customer service saying they don’t have one in inventory but would offer me 10% off to keep it. I ignore it. Two weeks later I get an email from Motorola saying my case was closed. What? I call, and after a long phone tree/wait/have one agent call another wait/for almost 2 hours, they find out that whoever logged it in copied the number wrong and it wasn’t linked to my account. Don’t they have a scanner? I was still being charged on the second card. They finally figured it out, and it took them another hour to make it right. The charge was cancelled just 2 days shy of when the bill was due.Although their customer service agents are always polite and helpful, the processes they have to follow really suck. It must be a terribly frustrating job for them. One hand doesn’t know what the other is doing at Motorola. Great engineering. Don’t have a clue how to handle the customer experience. This is not the fault of the workers or the divisions, this problem belongs to the CEO. That person has not set up the organization so there is a person/department responsible for the customer experience. Maybe all they are good for is the dealer experience. Seems like they make mountains out of mole hills.A couple days ago I got another email saying my case was closed. They always ask me to reply if there’s a problem or concern, but it’s subject line includes “no-reply” Sheesh!Long winded, yes. Don’t make my mistake. DO NOT BUY FROM MOTOROLA DIRECTLY. Buy it here. If you don’t like it send it back. No hassle, no problem. Mine arrived in perfect condition and I really like it. Folded, yes, but that’s factory. Protects the plastic touch screen. The box is made for it to be shipped that way. No crooked label on front. Obviously new. Yes, I can see a little hinge fold and non flat lines as others have complained about. Doesn’t mean a thing for me. Operates the same.

La pantalla está más resistente de lo que esperaba y su diseño compacto me encanta, lo malo es que sin funda el celular es muy liso y se resbala de cualquier superficie donde lo dejes

La pantalla está más resistente de lo que esperaba y su diseño compacto me encanta, lo malo es que sin funda el celular es muy liso y se resbala de cualquier superficie donde lo dejes