Motorola Razr 50 Ultra – raises the flip smartphone bar yet again (review)
The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra Flip takes everything that made the Razr 40 Ultra our pick in 2023 and substantially improves on it. It is easily the Flip for 2024.
That is not to take anything away from the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 – it is a great phone (review coming in August) but to let you know that you should consider the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra because it has a few unique features. (Samsung in brackets)
- Qualcomm SD8S Gen 3 (SD 8 Gen 3 – slightly faster)
- Wi-Fi 7/BT 5.4 (Wi-Fi 6E/BT 5.2)
- 50+50+32MP 4K@60 cameras (50+12+10MP/same)
- IPX8 (IP48)
- 12GB/512GB standard (12/256GB)
- 6.9” 165Hz, 10-bit/1.07 billion colour flexible OLED (6.7”, 120Hz, 8-bit/16.7m colour)
- Almost imperceptible screen crease (still obvious)
- Gorilla Glass Victus (GGV2)
- 4” 1080p, 120Hz, 10-bit/1.07 billion colour OLED (3.4” 720p, 60Hz, 8-bit/16.7 million colour)
- 2+3+4 warranty/OS/security patch (2+7+7 – Samsung has longer upgrade/patch support)
- Almost pure Android and light Hello UI (Samsung One UI and ecosystem)
- 4000mAh battery, 45W charge, 15W Qi, 68W charger inbox (25W charge, 15W Qi, no charger)
- Google Gemini AI with the promise of more (Google Gemini)
- $1699 12/512GB including charger and bumper cover ($1999 plus charger and cover)
At least on paper, it presents a compelling argument and saves over $300 for what most reviewers call a Samsung Flip6 killer.
Warning – do not buy grey market
Only Motorola-approved resellers (Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, Telstra, Officeworks) sell the Australian-certified version for Telco networks, which comes with an Australian warranty.
Do not buy the version with a Qualcomm SD6 gen 1 or 8/128GB RAM/Storage.
Read Don’t buy a grey market smartphone.
New review format
We are experimenting with our review format. Where we used to put all the raw data in tables at the end, we will now break them up and briefly comment on the various parts. Why? Readers who want to know more will paw over the tables. Readers who wish to see if it’s a good phone can just read the comments. Of course, we still have CyberShack’s’ View and rating explanation at the end – do make sure you read that.
We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed. You can click on most images for an enlargement.
We are also tightening up on grading. From now on, Pass, for example, means meeting expectations for the price bracket. We consider a Pass mark to be 70+/100 with extra points added for class-leading and excellence.
![](https://cybershack.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Motorola-R50U-colours-1.jpg)
Flip is not a flop – first impression – Exceed
The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra 2023 – it is finally flipping right was almost enough to make me swap from a glass slab. But I need the best camera, and 12+13+32 did not suit my needs.
What did suit were the largest external and internal screens with 10-bit/1.07 billion colours for accurate photo preview (Samsung Flip5 is 8-bit/126.7M colours, has poor photo preview, and has a far less usable external widget-driven screen). The Razr 40 Ultra felt better in my hand, use, and pocket.
The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra has addressed the camera issue in spades. It has an even larger, more usable external and internal screen with almost perfect video and still image previews.
It is the flip to covet and, at the price, should tempt the hell out of most users.
It has two potential deal breakers for power users.
If you are a point-and-shoot photographer, please ignore this. The dual camera (Wide and Telephoto) is not class-leading and cannot beat some flagships’ tri-camera setups (Wide, Ultra-wide and Telephoto/Periscope).
It missed a major opportunity to implement USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps with Alt DP and mountable drives. Power users want cable screen mirror, Android (Ready-For) desktops, and live mountable external storage.
But hey – 98 out of 100 is pretty good.
Australian review: Motorola Razr 50 Ultra, 12/512GB, single SIM plus eSIM, Model XT2451-3
Brand | Motorola |
Model | Motorola Razr 50 Ultra |
Model Number | XT2451-3 |
RAM/Storage Base | 12/512GB |
Price base | 1699 |
Warranty months | 24-months ACL |
Tier | Premium Flip |
Website | Product Page |
From | Motorola online, Harvey Norman, Domayne, JB Hi-Fi |
Country of Origin | China |
Company | It is owned by Lenovo (Est 1984) – a multinational technology company with its primary operational headquarters in Beijing and Morrisville, North Carolina. It is the world’s largest PC maker. It purchased Motorola Mobility from Google in 2014. Most of Lenovo’s smartphone business is now under the Motorola brand, with grand plans to become a ‘top five’ smartphone maker. |
More | CyberShack Motorola news and reviews CyberShack Smartphone news and reviews |
Test date | 10-20 July 2024 |
Ambient temp | 8-17° |
Release | 1/07/2024 |
Other models not for Australia (Don’t buy) | Motorola makes models for markets that are not for Australian Telco networks or carry an Australian warranty. It required AU certification for Wi-Fi 7 and 5G bands. Do not buy Motorola Razr 50+ (US only)Model XT2451-4 (China and HK only and government-approved OS)Model XT2451 with any number than -3Any version with 12/256GBAny version with a non-AU plug. Check R-NZ C-Tick under Settings, About Phone, Legal and Regulatory, Regulatory Labels Read Don’t buy a grey market smartphone |
Screen – both – Exceed/Pass+
We will refer to the internal screen first and the external screen after a ‘/’ or in (brackets).
Both screens are 10-bit/1.07 billion colours (Samsung Fold5 and 6 are 8-bit/16.7m colours). The key advantages are:
- Photo/video preview is colour-accurate
- When playing HDR10+/Dolby Vision (DV), you don’t get colour banding (All Samsung downmixes DV to the vastly inferior HDR10)
Read 8-bit versus 10-bit screen colours. What is the big deal?
No Flip (or Fold) maker gives the expected life of the screen fold anymore, as Samsung’s earlier claim of 400,000 made it a target for Australian Consumer Law.
We can only say that Motorola has a unique stainless-steel hinge that makes the fold imperceptible and flat. It should last as long as any Flip—expect five years of constant use.
And that brings us to the raison d’etre of the external screen – you should not need to open the Flip as much as you can do an awful lot on that screen. It is vastly more useful and has a friction hinge for any angle. At a minimum, you can (Razr has an extensive external screen tips section)
- Control media player
- Camera preview (accurate colours) and controls
- Camcorder mode
- Read notifications
- Read mail and send quick replies
- Access contacts
- Load widgets like weather and app folders
- See quick settings
- Digital photo screen
- AOD display
- Maps/navigation display
- Transition between external and internal displays
- Run most Android apps
This is far more sensible than the competition’s widget-based external screen.
![](https://cybershack.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Motorola-R50U-ext-screen.jpg)
Key points: It is daylight readable, accurate in colour, large, and useful. It is the best internal and external flip screen, bar none. It can be used as a desk tent, camcorder, etc.
Screen stats
Screen | Inside/Cover |
Size | 6.9″/4″ |
Type | Foldable LTPO p-OLED/LPTO OLED |
Flat, Curve, 2D, 3D | Foldable/flat with two camera and one flash o-holes |
Resolution | 2640 x 1080/1272 x 1080 (both are 1080p and that suits Android apps) |
PPI | 413/417 |
Ratio | 22:9/squarish |
Screen to Body % | 85.33/??? |
Colours bits | 10-bit 1.07 billion colours/same |
Refresh Hz, adaptive. | Internal High: 1-165Hz – this is extremely smooth but can shorten battery life. Internal Standard: 1-60Hz Cover High: 1-120Hz Cover Standard: 90-120Hz |
Response 120Hz | 240Hz and 360Hz Game mode/120Hz and 165Hz game mode. |
Nits typical, test | Not claimed Internal: Tested 540 full screen and 1285 auto max External: 475 full screen and 1200 auto max |
Nits max, test | Internal Claim Peak: 3000/2400 External Claim Peak: 2200/2188 |
Contrast | Infinite |
sRGB | Claim 100% (99%) |
DCI-P3 | Claim 120%/100% Test 102%/84% DCI-P3 is lower than expected but better than 100% of 16.7 million colours. |
Rec.2020 or other | N/A |
Delta E (<4 is excellent) | 2.2 |
HDR Level | HDR10+ and Dolby Vision/same |
SDR Upscale | No |
Blue Light Control | Yes |
PWM if known | It has 100Hz PWM dimming and high-brightness DC dimming. PWM-sensitive people should avoid any OLED screen without testing it first. |
Daylight readable | Yes |
Always on Display | Yes |
Edge display | Edge Lights alert you to calls and notifications when the screen faces down. |
Accessibility | All Android 14 features |
DRM | L1 for FHD SDR playback. YouTube streams HDR. |
Gaming | We are going out on a limb here and stating that you should not play games on a flip or fold. While the SoC has gaming power, the screen must be used carefully to avoid damage. |
Screen protection | Gorilla Glass Victus |
Comment | Excellent 10-bit colour screens. The internal screen has an imperceptible crease. The external screen is 1080p, which means wider compatibility with Apps instead of just widgets. |
Processor – Pass+
It probably should be Exceed but it is one of the new value ‘S’ series.
The SD8S Gen 3 does not miss out on much, but it has reduced AI TOPs and performs about 30% less than the non-S version.
Brand, Model | Benchmarks Similar to SD8 Gen 2. SD8 Gen 3 is about 30% faster – comparison here |
nm | 4nm TSMC N4P |
Cores | 1 x 3GHz, 4 x 2.8GHz + 2 x 2.3GHz |
Modem | X70 4×4 MIMO Sub-6 DSDA (Dual SIM, Dual Active) use both simultaneously. |
AI TOPS OR Multi-thread Integer Operations Per Second (INOPS) GINOPS = billion | NPU 10 TOPS – no speculative decoding 11.59 GFLOPS 15.05 GINOPS |
Geekbench 6 Single-core | 1895 – like SD8 Gen 2 |
Geekbench 6 multi-core | 4693 – like SD8 Gen 2 |
Like | Benchmarks Similar to SD8 Gen 2. SD8 Gen 3 is about 30% faster – comparison here |
GPU | Adreno 735 |
GPU Test | |
Open CL | 8973 |
Like | SD8 Gen 2 |
Vulcan | 10189 – way faster than SD8 Gen 2 |
RAM, type | 12GB LPDDRX5 plus virtual RAM boost |
Storage, free, type | 512GB UFS 4.0 (436MB Free) |
micro-SD | no |
CPDT internal seq. Read MBps sustained | 1180 Jazz (maximum) 1861 |
CPDT internal seq. write MBps sustained | 541 Jazz (maximum) 683.58 |
CPDT microSD read, write MBps | N/A |
CPDT external (mountable?) MBps | 33/29Mbps mountable |
Comment | It has fast internal storage but slow USB-C 2.0 external storage. It is a shame that it implemented USB-C 2.0 instead of the 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps Alt DP that the SoC supports. |
Throttle Test – Pass
Max GIPS | 335845 |
Average GIPS | 259272 |
Minimum GIPS | 185386 |
% Throttle | 30% |
CPU Temp | 50° |
Comment | Thermal management is more complex in a Flip format, and while this appears extreme, it is far better than Samsung Flip5 at 50% throttle. This is yet another reason gamers should ignore this device. |
![](https://cybershack.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Motorola-R50U-throttle.jpg)
Comms – Pass+
Wi-Fi 7 is expected in a premium device. Its speeds are good, indicating support for MLO band aggregation and 320Hz width 6GHz band.
It would have rated an Exceed except for the USB-C 2.0 480Mbps port, which does not support Alt DP (video, audio, data) to enable a USB-C to HDMI cable connection to a TV or monitor. This means unusable data transfer rates to an external SSD, precluding videographers and vloggers. The Samsung Flip5 has USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 5Gbps.
Wi-Fi Type, model | Wi-Fi 7 triband 2.4/5/6GHz supports MLO and 320MHz channel. |
Test 2m -dBm, Rx/Tx Mbps | -32/5200/4480 – Excellent |
Test 5m | -44/2402/2242 – good |
Test 10m | -55/1922/1858 – as expected |
BT Type | 5.4 |
GPS single, dual | Triple 3m suitable for car navigation |
USB type | USB-C 2.0 480Mbps – No display port audio/video data stream support. Shame as the SoC supports 3.2 Gen 2 |
ALT DP, DeX, Ready For | Only over Miracast |
NFC | Yes |
Ultra-wideband | No |
Sensors | |
Accelerometer | Yes combo |
Gyro | Yes combo |
e-Compass | Yes |
Barometer | |
Gravity | |
Pedometer | |
Ambient light | Yes |
Hall sensor | Yes |
Proximity | Yes |
Other | |
Comment | Wi-Fi 7 signals are good, but the test duration has quite a speed variance. |
4/5G – Pass+
The very good is a single SIM and eSIM—two can be simultaneously active and have separate ring tones.
As expected, the Qualcomm X70 DSDA modem performed very well, with great signal strength over all four towers. It even got a 5G signal (albeit weak) in a known blackspot area.
It should be great for city, suburban and regional areas and suitable for rural areas as long as it has Band 28 coverage.
SIM | Single SIM and eSIM |
Active | DSDA – dual sim/dual active simultaneously. |
Ring tone single, dual | Dual ring tones – excellent |
VoLTE | Carrier dependent |
Wi-Fi calling | Carrier dependent |
4G Bands | B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/32/34/38/39/40/41/42/43/48/66/71 |
Comment | All Australian and most world bands |
5G sub-6Ghz | N1/2/3/5/7/8/20/26/28/38/40/41/66/71/75/77/78 |
Comment | All Australian 5G sub-6 and low bands |
mmWave | No |
Test Boost Mobile, Telstra | |
DL/UL, ms | 45/47/27ms |
Tower 1 -dBm, fW or pW | -77 to -84 and 4 to 20pW |
Tower 2 | -86 to -89 and 1.3 to 2pW |
Tower 3 | -84 to -84 and 4 to 10pW |
Tower 4 | -101 to -105 ad 31.6 to 71.4 fW (just usable) |
Comment | These are excellent signal strengths, and they should be good for cities, suburbs, and major regional towns. Rural areas with some Band 28 signal are probably OK. |
Battery – Pass+
It has two batteries totalling 4000mAh. This design means they can charge simultaneously, cutting charge time to 55 minutes with the supplied 65W charger (it only uses a maximum of 45W).
It has Qi v1 charging for a maximum of 15W (tested Belkin Roost Charge 5V/2A/10W). I suspect it requires the Motorola TurboPower 15W Wireless Charging Stand, which appears only available in the USA.
The video loop time was spectacular, at a shade under 24 hours. Similarly, the PC Mark Modern Office Battery Test is impressive at over 17 hours. However, it gets 4.5 hours under full load, so gamers should avoid this.
Batteries are replaceable – see the tear-down under BUILD.
Motorola Razr 50 Ultra battery specs
mAh | 4000mAh (2 batteries) Main: 3.88/2.832A/10.99W (rated 2950) Second: 3.88V/1.05A/4.08W (rated 1050) Total 3882mAh |
Charger, type, supplied | 68W 5V/3A/15W, 9V/3A/27W, 15V/3A/45W, 20V/3.4/68W OR 11V/6.2A/68.2W Charges up to 45W |
PD, QC level | PD 3 and QC 5 |
Qi, wattage | 15W Qi 1 |
Reverse Qi or cable | 5W |
Test (60Hz or adaptive screen) | Adaptive |
Charge % 30mins | Claim 12 minutes for 12 hours. |
Charge 0-100% | Claim 30 minutes (dual battery) 55 minutes (68W charger) |
Charge Qi, W Using Belkin Boost Charge 15W fast wireless charge | Estimate 4 hours (25% per hour) Charges at 5V/2A/10W |
Charge 5V, 2A | Over 5 hours |
Video loop 50%, aeroplane | 23 hours 45 minutes |
PC Mark 3 battery | 17 hours 10 minutes Accubattery: 18 hours |
GFX Bench Manhattan battery | Did not run |
GFX Bench T-Rex | 405 minutes 6.75 hours) 4452 frames |
Drain 100-0% full load screen on | 4 hours 29 minutes Accubattery: 5 hours |
mA Full load screen on | 1400-1500mA |
mA Watt idle Screen on | 200-250mA |
Estimate loss at max refresh | Tested on adaptive |
Estimate typical use | It uses two batteries totalling 4000mAh and can charge them simultaneously to reduce the time. |
Comment | These are excellent results from quite a powerful SoC, but they really reflect the Flip’s flexibility —if you mainly use the external screen, you will get an even longer life. Typical users will get 24 hours of use. |
Sound hardware – Pass+
It has the standard Qualcomm Aqstic setup, and that is fine. However, the teardown shows a much larger bottom speaker and a smaller top speaker, which creates a definite bias towards the bottom speaker.
Being Qualcomm-based, Bluetooth 5.4 has most aptX codecs, LDAC, and LHDCV (low latency and high-definition audio codec that is beginning to see support from headphones, etc).
Hands-free is excellent, with an above-average volume from the top speaker.
Sound | DA Smart Audio and Spatial Sound enabled |
Speakers | Top forward, up-firing and bottom down-firing stereo. Large bottom speaker. |
Tuning | N/A |
AMP | Qualcomm Aqstic DAC and Amplifier |
Dolby Atmos decode | Yes, downmix to 2.0, but more effective with headphones |
Hi-Res | 24-bit/48000Hz |
3.5mm | No |
BT Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX TWS, aptX Adaptive, LDAC, LHDCV2/3/5 |
Multipoint | Yes |
Dolby Atmos (DA) | Decode to 2.0 and earphones |
EQ | The new DA EQ includes Spatial Audio. The remainder are 2.0 only: Smart Audio, Music, Movies, Games, Podcasts, and Custom. |
Mics | 3 – two for stereo recording and one for noise cancelling and use with CrystalTalk AI NR. |
Test dB – all on EQ flat DA off | |
Volume max | 83 |
Media (music) | 82 |
Ring | 82.2 |
Alarm | 82.3 |
Notifications | 78.6 |
Earpiece | 70 |
Hands-free | Decent noise reduction and volume levels were quite good and clear. |
BT headphones | Excellent left-right separation and DA makes quite a difference with DA content. |
Sound Quality – Passable
It has a late mid signature, which is good for clear voice but not much else. It has no low bass (not expected), very slowly builds mid-bass (bottom speaker only), and a lazy, slow climb to mid (1-4kHz clear voice), then basically drops off a treble cliff.
Very few phones micro speakers can achieve much more.
![Motorola Razr 50 Ultra](https://cybershack.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MR50U-Fr.jpg)
Deep Bass 20-40Hz | Nil |
Middle Bass 40-100Hz | Starting at 65Hz with a long slow build to 1kHz |
High Bass 100-200Hz | Building |
Low Mid 200-400Hz | Building |
Mid 400-1000Hz | Building |
High-Mid 1-2kHz | Flat |
Low Treble 2-4kHz | Flat |
Mid Treble 4-6kHz | Starting decline to 8kHz |
High Treble 6-10kHz | Flat to 12kHz |
Dog Whistle 10-20kHz | Off the cliff |
Sound Signature type | This is a mid signature (bass recessed, mid boosted, treble recessed) for clear voice. It is not easy listening as it lacks bass (low notes are muddy or absent), and the high treble is choppy and harsh. |
Soundstage | Definite bias to the bottom impairs left/right separation. DA sound stage is wider and has some 3D height. |
Comment | The sound signature is average, helped with a bit of high-bass. Use headphones |
Build – Exceed
The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra is very well-made. Its hinge seems superior to others, and the fold crease is almost imperceptible. Gorilla Glass Victus is perfect for the external screen, and the vegan leather back is textured and grippy. IPX8 is excellent for a Flip device.
Size (H X W x D) | Open: 171.4 x 73.99 x 7.09mm Closed: 88.09 x 73.99 x 15.32 mm |
Weight grams | 189 |
Front glass | Gorilla Glass Victus |
Rear material | PMMA or vegan leather |
Frame | Aluminium 6000 Stainless steel hinge supports a wide range of opening angles. |
IP rating | IPX8 1.5m for 30 minutes Liquid damage is not covered by warranty. |
Colours | Midnight Blue Spring Green Peach Fuzz |
Teardown | Repairable 5.5/10 but used lots of glue on the batteries. |
In the box | |
Charger | 68W |
USB cable | USB-C to USB-C 3W cable |
Buds | No |
Bumper cover | Yes |
Comment | Has colour matched cover and charger inbox – excellent |
OS – Pass+
It has three OS upgrades (to V17) and four years of quarterly security patches. While Samsung offers 7+7 years, we see no issue with Motorola’s shorter support time, as you will likely have a new phone by then.
Motorola has the free version of Google Gemini (was Bard), an AI-powered chatbot. It uses machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) to provide humanlike responses to text, image, and audio prompts. Read What is Google Gemini. There is Google Gemini Advanced at extra cost.
Android | Android 14 |
Security patch date | 1 June 2024 |
UI | Now Hello UX. |
OS upgrade policy | 3 |
Security patch policy | Quarterly for four years |
Bloatware | Pure Android – all Google Apps. You can uninstall Facebook, TikTok, etc. |
Other | Google Gemini app |
Comment | Motorola Experience: Personalise: Themes, Fonts, Colours, Icon shape, Lock screen, External Display, Display size and text, Layout, Sounds, Dark mode Gestures: Quick launch, Sidebar, Quick capture, Fast torch, Three-finger screenshot, Lift to unlock, Flip for DND, Pick up to silence, Swipe to split Moto Secure: Secure folder, Network protection, Phishing detection, Auto-lock, Lock network and security, PIN pad scramble, Security & Privacy Display: Lock screen, Attentive display Play: Games, Dolby Atmos, Media controls, Creator toolkit Tips: Razr basics, Personalize, Media, Call & replies, Camera, Unique features, Settings |
Security | |
Fingerprint sensor location, type | Side power button |
Face ID | Yes 2D only |
Other | Moto Secure – Manage network security, control app permissions, and even create a secret folder for your most sensitive data. |
Comment | Moto Secure – Manage network security, control app permissions, and even create a secret folder for your most sensitive data. |
Motorola Razr 50 Ultra rear camera – Pass
It has 50+50MP (both bin to 12.6MP) Wide and Telephoto 2X optical/30X Hybrid sensors. Many would think it unusual that it has a telephoto instead of a wide-angle/macro sensor, but I like the setup for point-and-shoot photography and portraits.
In general, the photos are pretty good point-and-shoot, but not great. They lack a little dynamic range but present nice images overall. The 2x/30X zoom is good to 10X.
The Samsung sensors are both older generations. The Wide is an S5KGN8 with OIS found in the mid-range Samsung A35. There are no sensor details online. The A35 was rated 104 or 125th in DXOMARK camera sensor tests, and our A35 review noted the same lack of dynamic range.
The Telephoto is an S5KJN1, used as a wide primary sensor in the Motorola G32/52/62/82 and Samsung A23.
Motorola is banking on the Qualcomm SD8S Gen 3 AI to produce better photos and videos, but this needs more work. Hopefully, a firmware update will cure these issues.
Videos (max 4K@60fps) from the primary sensor were pleasing, although OIS and EIS only work at 1080p@30fps. The stereo recording was excellent. The Telephoto does not take video. The Selfie 4K@60fps video was OK, but the colours were washed out, and the fixed focus is more for video conference use, where 1080/720p is more appropriate.
Summary: It’s a decent point-and-shoot, but it could be better.
Motorola Razr 50 Ultra test photos
![Motorola Razr 50 Ultra](https://cybershack.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Motorola-R50U-1x.jpg)
![Motorola Razr 50 Ultra](https://cybershack.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Motorola-R50U-2x.jpg)
![Motorola Razr 50 Ultra](https://cybershack.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Motorola-R50U-4x.jpg)
![Motorola Razr 50 Ultra](https://cybershack.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Motorola-R50U-10x.jpg)
![Motorola Razr 50 Ultra](https://cybershack.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Motorola-R50U-30X-scaled.jpg)
![](https://cybershack.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Motorola-R50U-Dog.jpg)
![](https://cybershack.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Motorola-R50U-bokeh.jpg)
![](https://cybershack.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Motorola-R50U-dark-1024x354.jpg)
![](https://cybershack.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Motorola-R50U-night.jpg)
Rear Primary | Primary (Rear on Cover) |
MP | 50MP bins to 12.6MP |
Sensor | Samsung GN8 (same as on the Samsung A35) |
Focus | PDAF all-pixel focus |
f-stop | 1.7 |
um | .8 bins to 1.6 |
FOV° (stated, actual) | 79 to 82.4 |
Stabilisation | OIS (and Qualcomm EIS) |
Zoom | 10X digital |
Video | 4K@60fps |
Rear 2 | Telephoto |
MP | 50MP bins to 12.6MP |
Sensor | Samsung JN1 |
Focus | PDAF |
f-stop | 2 |
um | .64 bins to 1.28 |
FOV (stated, actual) | ??? |
Stabilisation | No |
Zoom | 2X Optical, 30X Hybrid |
Video | No |
Flash | Rear cover – single |
Auto-HDR | Yes |
Rear main camera Shooting modes: Portrait (24 mm/35 mm/50 mm/85 mm) Long Exposure Dual Capture Ultra-Res Night Vision Tilt-Shift Pro Scan (powered by Adobe Scan) 360° Panorama Spot Colour 50 MP Ultra Resolution Photo Booth Artificial intelligence: Photo Enhancement Engine Action Shot Auto Smile Capture Gesture Capture Google Lens integration Colour Optimisation Style Sync | Other features: Google Photos Auto Enhance Ultra HDR (10-bit format) Burst Shot Timer Assistive Grid Leveller Metering Mode Watermark Live Filters Selfie Photo Mirror Selfie Stick Support RAW Photo Output QR/Barcode Scanner Quick Capture |
QR code reader | Via Google Lens |
Night mode | AI |
Motorola Razr 50 Ultra Selfie camera
Front | Selfie (main screen) |
MP | 32MP bins to 8MP |
Sensor | OmniVision OV32B |
Focus | Fixed |
f-stop | 2.4 |
um | .7 bins to 1.4 |
FOV (stated, actual) | 70.1 to 82.6 |
Stabilisation | OIS (and Qualcomm EIS) |
Flash | Screen fill |
Zoom | |
Video max | 4K@60fps |
Front 32 MP camera Shooting modes: Portrait Photo Booth Pro Dual Capture Spot Colour Face Beauty Live Filters Artificial intelligence: Photo Enhancement Engine Auto Night Vision Auto Smile Capture Gesture Capture Google Photos Auto Enhance Other features: Burst Shot Timer Assistive Grid Leveller Google Lens Selfie Photo Mirror Selfie Stick Support RAW Photo Output Quick Capture (twist-twist) Tap anywhere to capture Rear cameras on external display | |
Comment | Decent single selfie camera. |
CyberShack’s comment – Motorola Razr 50 Ultra raises the Flipping bar
Listen carefully—if you want a Flip, this is the one to buy. OK, it is not quite as powerful as the Samsung Flip6 or does not quite have the AI power. Unless that is vital to you, Motorola has better Throttle/heat management, vastly superior screens, and its battery life is fantastic.
If you don’t need a Flip, you should look at the $999 Motorola Edge 50 Pro – an excellent upper-mid-range smartphone that blew us away for performance and value—not to mention the 22-minute charge.
We will be reviewing the new Samsung Flip6 and Fold6 in August.
Motorola Razr 50 Ultra ratings
Features | 80 |
It uses a Qualcomm value ‘S’ processor, which performs more like an SD8 Gen 2. Frankly, a flip does not need more power and would create the heat and throttling issues we have seen with the Samsung Flip6. It has terrific screens (vastly better than the Flip6) and only lost points for not having USB-C 3.2. | |
Value | 85 |
It is $300 lower cost than the Flip5 (512GB) and includes a charger worth >$50—value king with no compromises. | |
Performance | 80 |
The SS8S Gen 3 has heaps of performance. Its AI capabilities are scaled back to photos and video, but it has Gemini (and a three-month trial of Gemini Advanced) for search. | |
Ease of Use | 85 |
The two-year warranty is excellent. Add three OS upgrades and four years of security patch upgrades; this is a keeper. As most will not keep a phone this long, we regard Samsung’s 2+7+7 as nice but unnecessary. | |
Design | 85 |
This has it all over the Flip5 with an almost imperceptible crease, a larger 10-bit screen, an excellent hinge, and the external screen is far more useful. | |
Rating out of 10 | 82 |
Final comment | The Moto Razr 40 Ultra almost had me, and the Moto Razr 50 edged closer to the ideal phone. Two possible deal-breakers for me are: USB-C 3.2 is mandatory to use Desktop Android/Screen Mirror. While the cameras are good for point and shot they don’t meet my needs the way a tri-camera can – wide, Ultra-wide, macro, and Periscope telephoto. But for most, this is pretty perfect. |
Motorola Razr 50 Ultra
$1699 includes 68W charger and casePros
- For the price, it is the class leader in almost every field and includes the 68W charger and cover.
- City, suburbs and regional phone use
- 12/5612GB is class-leading
- The camera good-for-point-and-shoot
- Internal and external screens are 10-bit and larger than the Flip5 - outstanding.
Cons
- USB-C 3.1 is expected at this price. USB-C 2.0 precludes Alt DP screen mirror.