Motorola recently introduced the 2024 version of their Razr flip phone, the Motorola razr 50 ultra and after using it for a week I can comfortably say that it is an improvement on what I thought was the best flip phone on the market.

As of today, the Motorola razr 50 series is available, all you need to do is head on into JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, OfficeWorks, The Good Guys, Mobileciti, Amazon, and motorola.com.au to grab yours now.  Priced at RRP $1,699 it is not cheap but if you want a phone that will fit into the smallest pocket or handbag with two great displays then this is for you.

I’ve only been using the Razr 50 Ultra for a week now so the full EFTM review is not quite ready to push out to the public, I certainly have some initial thoughts that I thought I’d share with you.

The razr 50 ultra has a focus on AI with access to Google’s Gemini app, from either display to make your life easier and when you purchase a razr 50 ultra you get Gemini Advanced access for 3 months for free which includes 2TB of cloud storage.  For me, Gemini still seems unfinished and needs an upgrade or 12, so I wouldn’t be buying the razr for how good Gemini is now, I’d buy it for other reasons and for how good it hopefully is in the future.

Let’s discuss the things that make this device great, even better than last years razr 40 ultra (as an aside, last year I was so impressed with it I went out and purchased my own with my own hard-earned cash and didn’;t regret it – I only sold it when I went on my honeymoon and wanted a Pixel 8 Pro to take the best photos possible.  

For the razr 50 ultra though, guess what?  The camera has seen a significant upgrade this year and it is certainly noticeable.  While you still won’t get a flagship quality image, you will still get some great pictures.  I’m saving those for the review though.  My only gripe with the camera though is the lack of an ultrawide camera, so you can go widescreen or zoom out at all.  Next year?

Onto the hinge and displays.  The hinge has more give than last year which makes it easier to open and close it with a single flick of the wrist.  I don’t mind this but not a massive fan as sometimes I’ve tried to twist my hand to open the camera and the phone has started to close on me.

The visibility and feel of the hinge is also improved with it still visible but only barely.  You will barely notice it there, as with many other foldables on the market, but it is there still.

The displays are where the Motorola razr 50 ultra excels.  I loved the outside display on the razr 40 ultra, with the size of it making it entirely usable by itself, and this year, the outer display on the razr 50 ultra is even bigger at 4-inch.  

The external display now basically fills the entire outer portion of the phone and is able to be used as a standalone display with the full functionality of an inner display.  Not only that, the external display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus to protect it from drops and scratches.

Inside is the massive 6.9-inch pOLED display which looks great.  Now don’t go expecting it to look as good as a normal flagship smartphone OLED display but it is not far from it.  It is bright, colourful and easily visible under bright light.

I personally use the external display all the time, actually, most of the time, and doing so ensures the battery life of the phone is incredible.  I open the display and use the inner display only to expand on what I’m viewing on the external display.  

My only issue with going from internal to external or back the other way, once you open the app on the external display or the internal display it will no longer appear in the recents on the original display.  

Eg. Open a pdf file on the internal display, close the phone and it will open (either automatically or with a swipe on an icon, depending on how you have it set up) on the external display.  The pdf file will then appear in your recents display on the external display but if you open the phone again from a different app (or no app/launcher), the pdf file will not be open in recents there.  It’s like Motorola moves the app from one display’s memory to the other and it cannot exist in both apps at the same time without going and opening it twice, once on each display.

The Motorola razr 50 ultra is available in some strange colours – different colours I suppose you would say.  There is no black, no white, but instead Midnight Blue, Spring Green and Pantone Color of the Year 2024, Peach Fuzz.  

I received the Peach Fuzz colour and it is not for me.  With rose gold highlights/edgings and an orange colour elsewhere it is certainly different, not for me but you can be sure there are plenty of people who will love the rose gold and orange phone.  

When (yes I said when) I buy my 2024 Motorola razr 50 ultra I will be looking at getting the more basic Midnight Blue.

The Motorola razr 50 ultra is available for purchase now from JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, OfficeWorks, The Good Guys, Mobileciti, Amazon, and motorola.com.au for RRP $1,699.  If you are in the market for  a flip phone, go and check this one out today.