Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Motorola Razr Plus: Which should you buy?

Can you still win a race if you give your opponent the world’s biggest head start? Motorola hopes so. It’s released a fully redesigned Razr Plus to challenge the dominance of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip series. Motorola’s latest Razr beat Samsung to the foldable punch with a more extensive cover display and a gapless hinge, but are the upgrades a case of too little, too late, or could this be a case of the tortoise and the hare? Let’s compare the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Motorola Razr Plus.

While the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Razr Plus share — or almost share — quite a few features, there’s one that truly sets them apart: their chipsets. In some ways, it would be more appropriate to compare Motorola’s latest Razr to Samsung’s previous Galaxy Z Flip 4, as both carry Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 under the hood. On the other hand, the newer Galaxy Z Flip 5 has Samsung’s special, overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy to work with.

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 benefits from slightly newer materials, too. While the Razr Plus is no slouch with an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Victus on the cover display (and sometimes the back panel), the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is a little tougher with Gorilla Glass Victus 2. Samsung’s latest clamshell handles water resistance better with an IPX8 rating, though the Razr Plus is the first to achieve dust resistance with an IP52 rating.

After a few years of hoping and wishing for the next step in clamshell-style foldable Android phones, Samsung and Motorola finally listened. Motorola jumped first, launching its Razr Plus with a 3.6-inch AMOLED cover display with a blistering 144Hz refresh rate and crisp 1,056 x 1,066 resolution. The Razr’s nearly square panel stretches around the cameras, pairing three slim bezels with a thicker bar next to the hinge.

On the other hand, Samsung opted to keep its cameras separated, adopting a folder-shaped Gorilla Glass Victus 2 display called the Flex Window. It’s an AMOLED panel, like the Razr Plus, though the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s panel isn’t as bright or sharp and doesn’t refresh as quickly. The Flex Window measures 3.4 inches and packs a 720 x 748 resolution.

The Razr Plus still has the larger internal panel, measuring 6.9 inches to the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s 6.7-inch display, but the phones have identical resolutions. Both panels measure 1,080 x 2,460, giving the Galaxy Z Flip 5 a denser 425 pixels-per-inch to Motorola’s 413. Samsung’s panel is brighter, too, achieving 1,750 nits of peak brightness to the Razr Plus’ 1,400, but both support HDR10+, and Motorola’s 165Hz refresh rate runs circles around Samsung’s 120Hz mark.

The next thing you might be wondering about is the display crease. Both clamshells still have creases, but one is much more noticeable than the other. Sorry, Samsung. Despite its revamped hinge, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 still has a noticeable crease running across the middle of the display. It’s a narrow but deep groove compared to Motorola’s relatively wide but flat crease. You might not even notice the Razr Plus’ crease from some angles, but it’s tough to escape how the light bounces off the Galaxy Z Flip 5.

Perhaps the most interesting point of comparison between the Motorola Razr Plus and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 isn’t even their cover displays — it’s their frames. These two clamshell-style foldables are the same thickness (15.1mm) when closed, yet they feel entirely different in hand. Motorola’s rounded sides make the Razr Plus feel significantly thinner in hand, even though it’s technically a hair thicker at 7mm to the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s 6.9mm. The Razr Plus is taller and wider, too, measuring 74 x 170.8mm to Samsung’s 71.9 x 165.1mm. Even still, the rounded sides give the illusion of the Razr being much smaller, as seen below. Of course, if you add in the bulk of a Galaxy Z Flip 5 case, the difference might be even less noticeable.

Although it’s not a size comparison, we should mention the color options for the Razr Plus and Galaxy Z Flip 5. Motorola’s Razr Plus comes in just three colors, but if you opt for the Viva Magenta version, you’ll get a vegan leather back, while the Infinite Black and Glacier Blue versions use Gorilla Glass Victus on both sides.

Samsung has two sets of colors — some that you can get from carriers and retailers and others that you can only get from Samsung. The widely available Galaxy Z Flip 5 colors include Mint, Cream, Graphite, and Lavender, but the exclusives (which have matte black frames) are Gray, Blue, Green, and Yellow. Unfortunately, Samsung doesn’t plan to offer bespoke versions of the Galaxy Z Flip 5.

The wide and ultrawide camera phone pairing — or the clamshell special — is back again on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola Razr Plus. Both phones tuck their rear cameras in the bottom right corner of the cover display, though Samsung’s occupy a small cutout while Motorola’s are embedded in the display itself.

The Razr Plus and Galaxy Z Flip 5 share the 12MP resolution of their wide cameras, though Samsung has the overall advantage with a much larger sensor. It uses a 1/1.76-inch sensor to the Razr’s 1/2.55-inch option, meaning that the Galaxy Z Flip 5 has larger individual pixels, making it the better bet for low-light performance. As for the ultrawide lenses, it appears that the clamshells are closer to a draw. Motorola offers 13 megapixels to Samsung’s 12, though the size of the pixels themselves is identical. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 offers a slightly wider field of view, topping out at 123 degrees to the Razr’s 108.

On top of similar camera hardware, the software experience on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Razr Plus is nearly identical. Both foldables imitate their slab-style cousins with tabs for Portrait and Video modes along the bottom edge of the interface. Motorola also has tabs for Slow Motion and Pro mode and more specific shooting options under the More tab. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 tucks its Pro and Pro Video modes in its own More tab, but the lack of a telephoto lens means you won’t get access to Samsung’s Expert RAW interface.

Of course, the camera experience opens up when you fold either device to 90 degrees. Both the Razr Plus and Galaxy Z Flip 5 push the viewfinder above their respective creases while the controls go below. You can also trigger a remote timer by waving your hand at the phone and using the cover screen as a preview to ensure everyone is in the frame. The cover screen preview is active by default, so you may want to turn it off if you’re just using the rear cameras to take photos while on vacation — not everyone needs to see a preview of your shot.

Although both the Razr Plus and Galaxy Z Flip 5 have internal punch hole selfie cameras — Motorola with a 32MP sensor and Samsung with 10MP — using the external cameras for selfies is the way to go. The image preview mentioned above means you can easily line up selfies and tap on the cover screen to trigger the shutter. You might just need a little practice to get your fingers out of the edges of the frame.

Clamshell-style foldables are still bound by their compact hardware, especially regarding battery and charging options. Both batteries come in at under 4,000mAh, so you’ll have to be careful with how you use power throughout the day. Motorola has a slight advantage with a 3,800mAh cell to Samsung’s 3,700mAh option, though there are enough factors at work that battery life comes out to a draw.

Battery life comes out to a draw because Motorola’s cover display needs a little more juice to keep going than Samsung’s does. It’s brighter and has a faster refresh rate and sharper resolution than the Galaxy Z Flip 5, meaning it burns through the battery just a bit faster. Even still, I managed right around a day of usage with both foldables, hitting somewhere in the neighborhood of four hours of screen-on time with mixed use.

There is, however, a bit of a caveat to mention in the fact that Motorola doesn’t include the cover display in its screen-on calculation. My actual usage may have been higher or lower while using the cover display, but there’s no way to know without manually timing your activity.

On the bright side, once you drain either clamshell’s battery — which you’ll do every day — it doesn’t take long to get back on your feet. The Razr Plus supports 30W wired charging, which is quick enough to fill its cell in about 80 minutes, or 5W wired charging if you’re in less of a rush. Samsung, on the other hand, pushes 25W wired speeds or 15W wireless speeds on the Galaxy Z Flip 5. The Galaxy is also more convenient if you need to charge your smartwatch or earbuds, thanks to 4.5W reverse wireless charging. In my testing, it took about 75 minutes to refill the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s battery with a compatible USB PD PPS charger, so it’s not a significant advantage over the Razr Plus.

If there’s one thing we can’t use to differentiate the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 from the Motorola Razr Plus, it’s the cost of entry. Floating around $1,000 seems to be the going rate for a premium clamshell-style foldable right now, with the Razr Plus and Galaxy Z Flip 5 landing at $999 for 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. If you need more storage, Samsung is your only option, as it offers a 512GB version of its latest Galaxy Z Flip, while Motorola sticks to a single configuration in the US.

Perhaps the only way to use pricing as a factor is to trade in your current device. Samsung is always ready to offer a sizable discount when you send in a recent device from Google, Apple, or otherwise, while the easiest way to save on Motorola’s Razr Plus is to shop through your carrier. The pre-order deals have come and gone for both devices, so you’ll mostly have to weigh whether you want a long-term contract or have your heart set on one of Samsung’s exclusive colors.

When the dust has settled, deciding which clamshell-style foldable broke the tape at the finish line is tough. The Motorola Razr Plus and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 have their strengths, but they’re not without weaknesses. They’re so similar in day-to-day use, yet the software, frames, and camera experiences are often as different as can be. Choosing between them might come down to going with your head or following your heart.

Samsung has a sturdier hinge, longer update commitment, more onboard storage options, and slightly more consistent cameras. However, Motorola’s software is cleaner, it’s easier to access apps and multitask on the cover display, and the rounded edges make the Razr Plus feel much better in hand. Both battery life and price come out to a draw, and the foldables earn decent marks for durability thanks to the Razr Plus’ IP52 rating and the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s IPX8 rating. The clamshells offer two different versions of a foldable future, but the future is certainly bright. If you still haven’t reached a decision, check out our Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola Razr Plus reviews for the finer details.

Which is a better buy in the battle of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Motorola Razr Plus? Let us know in the poll, and check out the current prices for both phones at the widgets below.