Motorola Razr 50 Ultra: A Nostalgic Hands-On Reflection

When I was in junior school, I used to have a hobby where I’d circle my dream purchases in the Argos catalogue of the season – even if my parents had no intention of buying them. These would include Furbies, Lego sets and humongous inflatable pools about twice the size of our garden.

But one item I continued to visit over and over was the original Motorola Razr V3, in all its hot pink glory.

From Doctor Who to The Devil Wears Prada, this iconic flip phone – magenta or otherwise – was in all my favourite TV shows and films, and was a staple for all the popular kids. I desperately wanted one, as its iconic build stood out from the crowd.

Unfortunately, the high price tag at the time (cries in inflation) meant I never got to live the dream of using a Motorola Razr flip phone… until now.

Motorola revived the legendary model in 2019, and the fifth-generation line of this series has just launched in the US and UK with two models, the Razr 50 and Razr 50 Ultra (the latter will be known as the Razr 50+ in America). I’ve got my hands on the more premium model for review, on behalf of Tech Advisor.

Users can grab that bold and bright hot pink colourway in this 2024 reimagined flip model

Motorola

Users can grab that bold and bright hot pink colourway in this 2024 reimagined flip model (last year’s Razr 40 came in a purple hue), but there are three other options available: Forest Green, Peach Fuzz and Midnight Blue, the version I’m testing. All start from £999/$999.

We’ve come a long way from the noughties with tech advancements. The external display on the 50 Ultra is the largest ever on a flip phone at 4-inch and can be used for many purposes, with support for apps such as Google Maps, Gmail, Slack and more – including a dedicated page for Spotify playback.

It’s not just for fancy wallpapers, like the original Razr V3 used to be.

Having the display closed feels much more secure when walking about in public, as I have a firm grip on the phone and can still read notifications and reply to messages without unfolding anything. Plus, there are customisation options such as fonts, colours and wallpapers to give this phone personality.

Just the act of unfolding the 6.9-inch pOLED display to answer a phone call gives me a little hit of nostalgic dopamine

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Despite these advancements, there are still plenty of throwback nods with this latest phone. The new camcorder mode can be activated by folding the phone 90 degrees horizontally, automatically starting up stabilised video recording when the camera app is open.

The matching strap with the leather case also feels like a refreshed take on the phone charms we’d see people attach to the classic Razr model. The press team mentioned wearing this like a lanyard, but I enjoyed carrying it around the house like a dinky cross-body bag. Even without the strap, the folded size means I can tuck it away in my pocket neatly.

Just the act of unfolding the 6.9-inch pOLED display to answer a phone call gives me a little hit of nostalgic dopamine, especially when paired with the iconic ‘Hello Moto’ ringtone that accompanied the old adverts from the tech brand.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Motorola has revamped the hinge for this phone and claims that it makes it easier to open the phone one-handed. It is possible, but still not as simple as you’d find with the old model – maybe give it a few generations.

Of course, the Razr 50 series aren’t the only clamshell phones on the market. There’s the Oppo Find N2 Flip, the Nubia Flip 5G and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip series, which is expecting a new instalment in the next few weeks.

But none of those phones have the brand recognition of the original Motorola Razr V3. It’s arguably one of the biggest tech symbols of the 2000s, except for the Blackberry (RIP). And that, my friends, is something that cannot be bested by great camera tech or AI software.

I’ll always continue to champion what I supported when I was younger: I’ll still buy Sonic games (whether they’re bad or not) because those were the titles I’d play on my Gameboy Advance SP. I watched every episode of the Gladiators reboot on BBC One because reruns of the 90s classic were always on our telly when I was growing up.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

That same type of enthusiasm runs through me for this particular phone series. While I’ll be getting into the nitty-gritty of the tech specs over the next few weeks for a full review, I’m allowing that inner young girl in me permission to be giddy that she finally got her hands on a real, physical Razr, rather than a printed version scruffily marked with ink.

The Razr 50 Ultra will be on sale from tomorrow, 26 June, at £999 from sites such as Motorola’s official store, John Lewis, Argos and Amazon in the UK. You’ll get a free pair of Motobuds+.

It will be followed by the regular Razr 50 which will arrive in the UK ‘early July’ at £799, again with a free pair of Motobuds+ from Motorola, Carphone Warehouse, Currys, Vodafone, John Lewis, Argos and Amazon.

American readers can pre-order the Razr 50 (from $699) and 50+ (from $999) from 10 July, with the phones hitting shelves on 24 July.