Will Samsung flip the switch on Motorola?
Samsung has announced the Galaxy Z Flip 5, the latest version of its trailblazing compact foldable phone. It arrives to a newly competitive foldable market, in which the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra (known as the Motorola Razr Plus in the US) has arguably one-upped it.
We love the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, but the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra clearly does a few things better. So what chance does the new and improved Flip 5 have to steal back some of that thunder?
That’s what we’re here to try and find out. We can’t offer a definitive winner as yet, because while we’ve spent a lot of time with Motorola’s foldable, we can’t yet say the same for Samsung’s ahead of a full review (we’ve already done a brief Galaxy Z Flip 5 review). We can make some educated guesses based on that experience and the official specs Samsung has shared post-Unpacked.
Here, then, is how the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 shapes up against the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra.Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Motorola Razr 40 Ultra: specs comparisonSamsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Motorola Razr 40 Ultra: price and availability
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 was announced on July 26, with availability coming August 11 at the second major Samsung Galaxy Unpacked of 2023.
Pricing doesn’t change all that much between generations but a little extra perspective is required considering the reworked storage configurations for the Flip 5. US customers are paying the same this year for the baseline 256GB model as they would have for baseline 128GB Z Flip 4 last year: $999.99, while the 512GB SKU comes priced at $1,119.99.
In the UK, consumers are paying £10 less than they would have for the same storage last year: £1,049 for the 256GB model and £1,149 for the 512GB build, while Australian pricing is unchanged, relative to storage capacity: AU$1,649 (256GB), AU$1,849 (512GB).
The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, for its part, hit shops on June 5, 2023. It costs $999.99 / £1,049.99 / AU$1,499 for a model with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage. One thing that looks likely to go in Samsung’s favor, is the provision of more storage options, which we always approve of.Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Motorola Razr 40 Ultra: Design
Broadly speaking, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra have the same design. Both are clamshell phones, offering a regular smartphone form factor that folds in half for easy portability.
Their dimensions are similar too, although the Motorola’s 0.2-inch larger screen means it reaches fractionally further in all dimensions (saved for thickness when closed, which is the same across both phones at 15.1mm). The Razr 40 Ultra distinguished itself from the Flip 4 by offering a completely flush folding mechanism, but that advantage went away with the Flip 5’s revised ‘waterdrop’ hinge design.
That system should also even things out in terms of the display crease. Motorola won a lot of fans with its smaller dip, but the Flip 5 looks to follow suit.
We’ll talk about displays in more detail in the next bit, but there’s an important design angle with these external displays. While the Razr 40 Ultra swallows up that dual camera module with its outer panel, Samsung shaved the corner off at an angle to avoid doing so, giving it an L-shaped appearance. We’ll have to say right off the bat that Motorola’s approach is preferable.
As for colors, Samsung didn’t dare go anywhere as bold as Motorola with its Viva Magenta color option in vegan leather. It brought the Z Flip 5 mint, graphite, cream, lavender, gray, blue, green, and yellow options, all of which are exceptionally muted by comparison.
