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Aug 28, 2023

Forget Apple iPhone SE, iPhone 13 Mini, This Is The Perfect Rival

The Motorola Razr Plus / Razr 40 Ultra is the ultimate small phone alternative. When the iPhone joined the big screen trend, a lot of people baulked at being sized-out from using future Apple

The Motorola Razr Plus / Razr 40 Ultra is the ultimate small phone alternative.

When the iPhone joined the big screen trend, a lot of people baulked at being sized-out from using future Apple handsets. Apple found a compromise, the 4-inch, mid-range iPhone SE, which stands alone as the small phone for shorter fingers. As the world adjusted to a new, bigger, reality, some small-handed users were left with software tricks to make their phones accessible.

Tiny bags and shallow pockets haven’t fully adjusted either. Having a $1,199 Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra half hanging out of my shorts pocket doesn’t fill me with confidence. I now recommend a cross body bag when I review foldable phones because the only thing more daunting than breaking a $1000 device is cracking a $2000 one. The one, perfect, solution to all of this: clamshell phones.

July 23rd update below. This post was first published on July 22nd 2023.

Specifically, the Motorola Razr Plus (or Razr 40 Ultra), which is perfectly designed for both small hands and small pockets. Not just because it folds in half, but because it has a very functional 3.6-inch second outer display, which gives it an advantage over the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s 1.9-inch notification screen. The Razr is the first phone to properly bring back some of that small display magic.

I have been testing the Razr Plus for the the last two weeks and I am surprised at how much the 3.6-inch second screen has supplanted the main display. Sub four-inch phones are really rare, Apple's iPhone SE stands alone. The Razr Plus joins it and it comes with a built-in normal sized handset. A true two-in-one.

To get you up to speed, the second screen allows a selection of full apps that work as they do on the larger display. That includes TikTok, YouTube Music, the camera, most other Google apps, some Motorola software and....Booking.com for some reason. It is limited, but these are core smartphone apps (and Booking.com). What quickly became clear after a couple of days of use is that I spend a lot more time on the second screen than I expected.

Flex View mode adds more functionality to the Razr Plus.

Lets take Spotify, for example. On a standard slab-shaped phone I will glance at the lock screen to skip a track when I’m out and about. On the Razr I often search for a new song, switch playlist and use all of Spotify’s functionality without unfolding the device. Yes, it’s a bit cramped but for people who want a smaller phone this is a boon. It is a second way of using the device that doesn't impact battery life because the screen is smaller, it doesn't work the hinge and there are fewer accessibility problems.

It is the same with messaging, note taking, maps and phone calls. That second screen almost takes on the role of a smartwatch by providing information at a glance, just in a more detailed way. The placing of the fingerprint reader, inside the power button on the side of the device, helps this. The natural position of your thumb, or index finger if you're left-handed, sits on the reader, so the phone is unlocked without any additional steps and access to your content is quick.

Elsewhere, like Samsung’s Fold line, the Razr gives your subject previews when taking a picture. Or the phone can hold itself up for a stable selfie. But one way I have used it a lot is propped up like a tent, next to my laptop, while it plays podcasts, music or counts down a timer.

I am a huge fan of bigger, better, faster and stronger - but I have also missed small screens. The increasing complexity of smartphones and their importance in life means a bigger display is necessary. But smaller devices have a place at the tech high table. People who struggle to reach all corners of a display will have some respite with the Razr and I honestly think this is a perfect alternative to the and SE, which compromises on specifications to stay short. That is less the case with the Razr Plus.

It's not all rosey. The second screen is first generation technology and that is obvious in some places. Not all apps are available and I have to wonder if Android developers will bother rejigging their software to fit screens on phones that few people use. Users also have to add and remove apps from the second screen app drawer, not all apps are instantly available. It's not a big issue, but any and all time savings are lost the second you start chopping and changing your app loadout.

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July 23rd update. A YouTuber may have found a concerning issue with the Motorola Razr Plus' second display. Jerry Rig Everything put the Razr Plus through his now infamous durability test, which includes a bend test. The main, foldable, screen doesn't fair well when it is scracted with a sharp point and the hinge doesn't seem to suffer too much when covered in grit—both largely predictable results. But during the bend test, the second screen unexpectedly fails.

When bent backwards, the external display snaps in Jerry Rig Everything's bend test. The YouTuber thinks this is down to the fact that there is a gap behind the display, so when enough pressure is applied, there’s nothing supporting the glass and it caves in. The main display survives the assault, however, which is good news.

Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) is obviously designed to bend, so it should be flexible both ways. The second screen is a concern, though. As I say in the main story, this is first generation technology and there will be hiccups as the tech develops—this might be one. The YouTuber’s endurance tests are designed to put phones through the most extreme worst-case scenarios, but I am slightly concerned about how seemingly easily the second display snapped with an amount of pressure I wouldn't consider overly excessive.

Motorola's warranty policy states that "broken screens or other physical damage are not covered under our standard warranty, so you will have to pay for the repair separately." There doesn't seem to be any information on out of warranty repair prices, or if there are exceptions for its foldable line. This isn't great news.

Motorola has had separate policies for its foldable line before. Owners of Razr 5G had access to fast turnaround repairs if the screen broke. The policy stated. "In the event that device or display failures occur, all razr customers are offered 24-hour turnaround and free advanced exchange support with free next day freight under Motorola’s standard warranty." Out of warranty fixes cost $299. I have reached out to Motorola for details on its repair policy for broken Razr Plus displays.

Samsung's Galaxy Flip 5 will launch soon, with rumours suggesting that there will be a large external display like the Razr Plus. We will have to see if it breaks in the same way, which might suggest that this is a first generation technology issue, or if it is specifically a Razr Plus quirk. Samsung has a slightly more straightforward process for finding out display repair prices, with the Flip 4's inner screen costing $219 to replace. There are also options for home pickup, mail-in or in-store repairs and extended warranty after the device has been fixed.

This is the other side of buying a foldable phone from larger, more dominant companies like Samsung, which has the infrastructure to better manage any potential issues buyers face. We will have to see how Motorola builds out its warranty program for devices that are more prone to injury than standard handsets. With that said, prices for the Flip 5 will likely be different because of the new, larger, second screen and rumoured improved inner-display. Stay tuned for more information as I get it.

The rest of the phone is good, if a bit unremarkable. The camera has vastly improved over previous Razr generations. But it is easily outgunned by cheaper phones like the Pixel 7 Pro. The Razr's Android support policy—three years of Android updates and four years of bi-monthly security updates—is less than Samsung’s Flip 4 (four years), Google’s Pixel 7 series (five years) and Apple’s tech, which offers six years of OS support.

Also, the Razr is still expensive at $999. It is a nice phone, but a more technically accomplished device, such as the Pixel 7 Pro, is $100 cheaper. Whereas the iPhone SE starts at $429. They are vastly different devices, but if your primary concern is a more reachable display, an extra $570 is a lot to spend for better ergonomics.

This really is the biggest issue: the price needs to come down. At some point the wow-factor of a folding display wears off and you are left with a different type of hole in your pocket. If more companies join the foldable phone game then that price will eventually become competitive. For now, people with small hands will need to make sure they at least have deep pockets.