Motorola recently launched the Razr 50 in India, aiming to make clamshell foldable smartphones accessible to a wider audience. The device sports a significantly larger cover screen compared to previous models and peers, IPX8 water resistance, and Google Gemini AI integration on the external display. Powered by a midrange system-on-chip from MediaTek, the Motorola Razr 50 is not a performance powerhouse. Does that mean compromising experience? Let us find out:
Design
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The Motorola Razr 50 exudes a premium feel right out of the box, with its nearly edge-to-edge cover display glass seamlessly surrounding the dual camera islands. The rounded aluminium frame and soft-touch vegan leather finish further enhance the premium experience when holding the device. Rather than cutting the cover screen around the cameras, Motorola has made an interesting design choice by incorporating a strip of vegan leather above the cover screen, preventing the front from having an all-glass finish.
When closed, the hinge snaps flat, leaving little room for dust to accumulate on the main display. Flipping open the Razr 50 is smooth and easy, though it requires some effort, but not enough to be discouraging. The hinge allows the phone to open completely flat and holds the upper lid at most orientations, except at very acute angles. Overall, the hinge feels sturdy, though there is slight side-to-side movement between the two halves when closed, indicating possible cost-cutting in this area.
Upon opening, the Razr 50 reveals a 6.9-inch main display, with most of its bezels hidden beneath a glossy plastic bracket that surrounds the screen on all sides, except near the hinge. The smartphone is sleek at 7.25mm when open, and although it doubles in thickness when closed, I found no issues with holding or carrying it in my pocket. Weighing just 188g, it is also lightweight. Additionally, its well-balanced weight distribution makes it comfortable to use with one hand, despite the extended 22:9 aspect ratio of the main display.
Display
While the front of the smartphone appears mostly glass, the actual display is framed by noticeable bezels on all sides. Nevertheless, the 3.63-inch cover screen is a significant upgrade from last year’s 1.5-inch version. The cover display is a vibrant FHD+ resolution pOLED panel that looks stunning and provides ample space for scrolling through social media or watching videos, with support for third-party apps. Additionally, its 90Hz refresh rate ensures smooth and responsive performance.
The elongated 6.9-inch main display may feel slightly unusual for users transitioning from traditional smartphones due to the increased vertical space for content. However, it does not take long to adjust. Like the external screen, the flexible inner pOLED panel offers FHD+ resolution with crisp, vibrant colours. It also supports a higher 120Hz refresh rate, allowing for smoother scrolling and transitions. The main display is brighter than the cover screen, which becomes evident under direct sunlight. Even so, the cover screen remains adequately functional outdoors.
For content streaming, both displays support HDR viewing on YouTube. However, neither supports HDR for streaming platforms like Netflix. While the absence of HDR on the cover screen is understandable, its lack on the main display is somewhat disappointing.
Performance
The Motorola Razr 50 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300X chip, an unusual choice for a smartphone priced over Rs 60,000. However, this decision clearly reflects Motorola’s focus on making the foldable form factor more affordable and accessible.
For its purpose, the processor, paired with 8GB of RAM, handles everyday tasks efficiently and manages multiple displays well, delivering a mostly smooth experience. However, even light-intensive tasks such as split-screen multitasking can cause occasional stutters. While the device generally stays cool, it tends to heat up quickly when recording high-resolution videos or playing graphically demanding games, though it never becomes excessively warm during these activities.
Camera
The Razr 50 features a 50MP primary camera with optical image stabilisation. While the sensor appears identical to the one on the Ultra model, Motorola may have employed different processing techniques due to the vanilla model’s relatively lower processing power. Daylight shots from the main camera are vibrant, with good colour reproduction and minimal overprocessing. However, it heavily sharpens details using software, which can appear somewhat artificial in extremely bright conditions. Low-light shots are generally appealing but lack finer details.
The standout feature of the Razr 50’s camera system is its portrait mode, offering 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm options. I mostly used the 24mm and 35mm modes, both producing impressive portraits with accurate edge detection, skin tones, and a natural background blur effect.
The 13MP ultra-wide camera is somewhat underwhelming. While it delivers decent colour in daylight, it struggles with white balance under artificial lighting. However, its autofocus feature is useful for macro shots.
The 32MP front-facing camera on the main inner display takes decent photos and selfies for social media. However, I preferred using the primary camera with the cover display for selfies, as it consistently delivered better results in all lighting conditions.
For video recording, the Razr 50 supports up to 4K resolution at 30 frames per second on all its cameras. For 60fps recording, you must drop to Full HD. 4K recording in daylight is impressive, with vibrant colours and adequate detail. The adaptive stabilisation also works well to reduce jitter during motion. One of my favourite features is the camcorder mode, which activates automatically when recording with the rear cameras at a 90-degree fold. The preview appears on half of the screen, while the other half transforms into a touchpad for camera controls.
The Razr 50 also includes features that take advantage of its foldable design, such as cover screen preview, dual screen preview, and a Camera Cartoon feature. The latter displays animated faces on the cover screen while taking photos or recording videos to capture the attention of subjects—an especially handy feature for those photographing children or animals.
Software and experience
One of the key strengths of the Motorola Razr 50 is its optimisation for the cover screen, allowing it to function almost like a full smartphone display. You can run most third-party apps on the cover screen, including popular social media platforms like Instagram and X, as well as video streaming apps like YouTube and Netflix, and they perform quite well. These apps, along with other functions like Weather, quick contacts, and calendar, are accessible through widget-like panels that can be swiped through on the cover screen. The phone also comes preloaded with games designed for the cover screen, such as Marble Mayhem and RetroDrift, which can be surprisingly addictive.
The cover screen also supports the Google Gemini AI app, which has been optimised for the smaller display, enabling smooth interaction with the AI chatbot. I even tested the new Gemini Live feature on the cover screen, and the experience was comparable to using it on a full-sized display.
Motorola has optimised app transitions between the main and cover displays. In the settings, you can choose which apps can run on the cover screen and whether you want the app to transition between screens automatically, manually, or not at all. This transition works in both directions, from the main screen to the cover screen and vice-versa.
As for the user interface, Motorola’s HelloUI is as clean as it is on the company’s flagship devices. It has almost no bloatware or intrusive notifications and includes a few extra features that enhance the stock Android experience, such as the option for AI-generated wallpapers and Smart Connect for connecting to other devices or external displays.
Battery and charging
As with any foldable, the battery life of the Motorola Razr 50 is significantly impacted by how you use the displays. During my testing, where I primarily used the cover screen for quick tasks like replying to messages, checking notifications, and getting updates, the battery lasted a full day, leaving me with a single-digit percentage of charge by the end.
In terms of charging speed, I was able to charge the device to 60 per cent in just half an hour using the included 33W charging brick. A full charge took slightly over an hour.
Verdict
Priced at Rs 64,999, the Motorola Razr 50 is one of the most affordable foldable smartphones of the current generation. The company has not compromised on the software experience, offering a well-optimised foldable interface at a lower price point. Additionally, the larger cover screen enhances usability with support for third-party apps, dedicated apps, and widgets. That said, and despite the compromises that have been made in performance and camera departments, the Razr 50 is a solid option for those wanting to experience a foldable device. However, if you seek a more well-rounded package, the Razr 50 Ultra would be a better choice.
