Motorola’s latest Razr lineup has finally been announced. Will Sattelberg, APs phone editor, spent time with the phones last month and walked away with mixed reactions. Nevertheless, there’s a lot to love about these devices, especially the “budget” model.
The flaw in question is the underwhelming software support that places the most expensive Razr (2025) in an odd spot. Why spend $1300 on a phone that has less than half the software lifespan of similarly priced phones? However, don’t let this dissuade you from some of the most interesting devices Motorola has made in years.
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Motorola nailed the Razr (2025)’s hardware
Durability, feel, and appearance are its best features
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Jules Wang / AP
Before we dive into its lackluster software support and what that means, let’s examine just what makes the Razr (2025) a worthwhile phone to buy. No, it’s not the AI features that Motorola has crammed into the phones in a slightly pathetic attempt to show that yes, it is cool and with the times. It’s that Motorola has nailed what makes a phone exciting to use.
A frustrating element of shopping for a new phone in 2025 is that it’s a boring experience. Google’s removal of the Pixel’s iconic camera bar on the Pixel 9a might have been a practical change, but it’s telling when the removal of an interesting feature makes a phone somehow more interesting. Nothing continues to produce unique and fantastic phones, but you don’t want to buy one if you live in the US.
Motorola has bucked the trend with its new lineup of Razr phones. While I’ll be the first to admit that the wood grain effect on the Razr Ultra (2025) is borderline tacky, it’s still an eye-catching look that’ll make your friends want to pick up your phone. I love that you can’t buy any of the phones in black or white, you have to pick a colour.
The beauty of the Razr (2025) is more than skin deep. Motorola has improved the durability and added a premium-feeling matte coating on every model. The IP48 certification is also a crucial improvement that the older Razr phones sorely needed.
On the specs side, the phones are a little more boring, but in a good way. The specs of the Razr and Razr+ are nearly identical to last year’s model, which is overall good, if underwhelming news.
What’s most important here is that these are interesting phones. Yes, Samsung might offer the best performance in its Galaxy devices, and Google’s software tricks are unparalleled, but they won’t excite you. The Motorola Razr (2025) phones are exciting devices that prove that you can still buy a phone that’s simultaneously interesting and practical in 2025. Even the miserable software support shouldn’t discourage you.
Motorola, sort out your software support
Motorola misses out on the biggest improvement it could make with its new phones
Every year, we write about how Motorola has failed to improve its phone’s software support in any meaningful way. It’s what we expect at this point, but this isn’t a good thing. When Samsung and Google offer seven years of OS and security updates on their phones, Motorola is looking distinctly behind the times. Ironically, the 2025 Razr phones are its most durable yet, but you still won’t want to hold on to them any longer than the previous models.
Nevertheless, I don’t think this should dissuade you from seriously considering the cheapest Motorola Razr (2025) model. For $700, you get one of the coolest phones we’ve seen in years. While I would recommend trading in the phone in four years when the security updates stop, that’s four years with a phone that our expert reviewer uses as his daily driver.
Software support is arguably the most important element to consider when buying a new phone. While three years of OS updates and four years of bi-monthly patches are pitiful next to Google and Samsung’s offerings, they are reasonable when applied to the $700 Razr (2025). That’s a reasonable price to pay for four years of a phone that you’ll enjoy taking out of your pocket countless times a day.
Cheaper is better when considering a Motorola phone in 2025
The one device that I wouldn’t touch is the $1299 Motorola Razr Ultra (2025). That’s an extortionate amount of money for any phone, especially one you’ll want to chuck after three or four years. It feels like Motorola doesn’t want us to buy its most expensive phone. Even the pointless AI features are shared across all three devices.
If you’re tired of boring phones, but value practicality as well as excitement, the Razr (2025) is a great choice for a new phone in 2025. Even a critical feature like software support must be put into context, and if there’s one phone I would buy with three years of software support, it’s the Motorola Razr (2025).
