The second age of the flip phone has arrived with Motorola’s new Razr combining a futuristic folding screen with a distinctly retro form. Not to be outdone, Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy Z Flip at its Unpacked event on February 11. Though we don’t know all of the particulars just yet, we’ve seen some renders and a video leak already, so we have an idea of what Samsung’s new flip phone is going to look like. We’re relying on rumors and guesswork for the Galaxy Z Flip specs here, so take them with a pinch of salt, but this is how we think it will measure up against the Motorola Razr.
Specs
Galaxy Z Flip
(rumored specs)
Motorola Razr
Size
Unfolded: 168 by 74 by 7.2 mm, Folded: 87 by 74 by 17 mm
Unfolded: 172 by 72 by 6.9 mm, folded: 94 by 72 by 14 mm
Weight
183 grams (6.46 ounces)
205 grams (7.2 ounces)
Screen size
6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED and 1.06-inch Super AMOLED
6.2-inch POLED and 2.7-inch GOLED
Screen resolution
2636 x 1080 pixels and 300 x 116 pixels
2142 x 876 pixels and 800 x 600 pixels
Operating system
Android 10
Android 9.0 Pie
Storage
256GB
128GB
MicroSD card slot
No
No
Tap-to-pay services
Samsung Pay, Google Pay
Google Pay
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 710
RAM
8GB
6GB
Camera
12-megapixel and 12MP ultrawide rear, 10MP front
16-megapixel rear, 5MP front
Video
2160p at 60fps
2160p at 30fps, 1080p at 30fps
Bluetooth version
5.0
5.0
Ports
USB-C
USB-C
Fingerprint sensor
Yes, side
Yes, front
Water resistance
TBA
Splash-resistant nano-coating
Battery
3,300mAh
Fast charging (15W)
Qi wireless charging
2,510mAh
Fast charging (15W)
App marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store
Network support
TBA
Verizon
Colors
Gold, Black, Purple, Silver
Noir Black
Price
$1,400
$1,500
Buy from
Samsung
Motorola
Review score
Hands-on
Hands-on
Design, display, and durability
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is a little shorter, wider, and thicker than the Motorola Razr and it folds open to reveal a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen that is rumored to be finished with thin glass for a familiar feel. The Motorola Razr is a little smaller but has a chin on the bottom that houses the fingerprint sensor — the Z Flip is rumored to have a fingerprint sensor on the side. The Razr’s screen is a half-inch smaller on the diagonal and it’s plastic. Not only does Samsung’s Z Flip have a bigger screen, but it also boasts a higher resolution. The secondary display on the Z Flip is very small and just for notifications. The Razr has a much larger outer display, but again it’s mostly intended for notifications and you’ll be opening these phones to get things done.
Durability is a bit of an unknown for these phones, but there have been some early reports of the Motorola Razr screen creaking when it’s folded. The Razr is splash resistant, so rain shouldn’t present a problem. We’re not sure what water-resistance if any, the Z Flip will have. The Razr offers some nostalgia with a design that reminds us of the popular Razr flip phone series that came out in 2004. The Galaxy Z Flip has a different look that’s less emotive, and it has a smaller external display, but it seems likely that it will have a superior main screen. We’re calling this category a tie.
Winner: Tie
Performance, battery life, and charging
Riley Young / Digital Trends
Things are much more straightforward here if the rumors pan out. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is packing a much more powerful processor in the shape of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus, backed by 8GB of RAM. The Motorola Razr makes do with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 and 6GB of RAM. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip also has 256GB of storage, while the Motorola Razr has 128GB and neither has room for a MicroSD card. The Z Flip is more capable and should be significantly faster than the Razr in most tasks. It will also handle multitasking better.
The Z Flip also wins on battery life and charging, if the rumors prove true, with a much bigger 3,300mAh battery and support for wireless charging. The Razr has a 2,510mAh battery and will likely struggle to last as long as the Z Flip in normal use. As far as we know, neither of these phones is going to support 5G.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
Cameras
Riley Young / Digital Trends
It’s another big win for the Z Flip here as the rumors suggest it will have a dual-lens main camera pairing a 12-megapixel sensor with a second ultrawide 12-megapixel lens. It will also have a 10-megapixel front-facing camera at the top of the screen when you open it up. The Motorola Razr, by contrast, has a single-lens 16-megapixel main camera with a time-of-flight sensor and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It looks as though the Z Flip will have a more versatile camera and we usually prefer Samsung’s image processing to Motorola’s, so we’re giving the Z Flip the nod here.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
Software and updates
With Android 10 out of the box and Samsung’s One UI 2.0 over the top, which is optimized for folding phones, the Z Flip should offer a pretty slick, feature-packed software experience. The Motorola Razr has Android 9.0 Pie out of the box, but it is set to get an Android 10 update swiftly. Neither of these manufacturers has a great record for swift software updates.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
Price and availability
You can buy the Motorola Razr now, but it’s a Verizon exclusive in the U.S. and it will cost you $1,500. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip has no firm release date or price, but rumors are suggesting that it may undercut the Razr and be offered at around $1,400.
Overall winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
Based on what we know so far, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is going to be the better buy for most people. With a superior screen, more processing power, longer battery life, and a better camera all coming in at a potentially lower price, the Z Flip is the clear winner. Naturally, we will update this article when we have more solid details on Samsung’s new flip phone. In the meantime, here’s how to watch Samsung’s Unpacked event.