New Motorola Razr 40 is a compact foldable that emphasises minimal screen time

One of our favourite foldables has been revised and updated for 2023. Motorola’s Razr 2022 becomes the Razr 40, with a new tactile case, a generous 256GB of on-board storage, new colours and – in a surprising departure from the usual smartphone arms race – a small external screen. 

The latter decision came about partly to save money and keep the price down, but also because Motorola is pitching the device at so-called ‘digital minimalists’. Despite its 1.5in size, the external display is perfectly adequate for checking weather, scrolling through notifications, or shuffling songs; anything you need to do without opening up the device. Unfolded, the Razr 40 offers a 6.9in pOLED screen (an iPhone 14 Plus has a 6.7in screen), along with the usual high-quality cameras front and rear.  

The new Razr comes in three colours developed in collaboration with Pantone – Sage Green, Summer Lilac and Vanilla Cream – along with what the company calls a ‘luxury vegan leather back’, giving it more of a jewel-like, powder-compact feel than ever before. The jury is out on whether Razr buyers skew in any particular gender direction, but the compact size and textured feel are a welcome change from a regular plus-sized slippery smartphone, let alone a full-size foldable. 

The phone runs Android 13, lightly customised by Motorola to make the most of the its ability to be its own stand, either as a tent-style alarm clock or recorder, or as a mini keyboard and screen for video calling, along with gesture recognition that allows you to signal the phone to take a selfie. The company is also pushing its focus on sustainability, with plastic-free packaging. 

Finally, there’s a specific ‘Razr scent’ impregnated on the box, an element of ‘surprise and delight’ that shows how far brands are going to find lasting synergies with their customers. 

Motorola razr 40, £799.99, Motorola.co.uk