The new Razr Ultra isn't your average phone - for better and worse

The Razr Ultra stands out with an orient blue option featuring a soft woven Alcantara fabric back panel. The phone’s appearance and feel draw attention from many people, and the surface has resisted visible dirt during testing. The price is $1,499, which reflects the hinge and premium design rather than top-tier smartphone features. Some expected upgrades are missing, including a telephoto camera, embedded Qi2 magnets, and full dust resistance. A key improvement is a 5,000mAh battery, enabled by silicon-carbon technology that fits higher capacity despite the hinge. Real-world use includes hotspot use outdoors, skipping nightly charging, and using tent mode with the front screen.

"The Razr Ultra is not your average phone. I got the orient blue color option to test, which has a soft, woven back panel made of Alcantara fabric - which you're more likely to find on the seats of a fancy car. I can't stop petting it. I'm worried about how it'll look after spending years in and out of dusty tote bags and my kid's grubby hands, but after a couple of weeks of testing it hasn't picked up any gunk or dirt that I haven't been able to brush off."

"Then there's the above-average price. The Razr Ultra costs $1,499, which buys a well-equipped flip phone. I still think calling this phone an "Ultra" is a little too strong. You won't get all of the trappings of a regular top-tier phone, like a telephoto camera, embedded magnets for Qi2 charging (just plain wireless charging), and full dust resistance. You pay for the privilege of the hinge and a seriously nice-looking (and -feeling) phone."

"The pettable back panel isn't even my favorite upgraded feature on the 2026 Ultra, which surprised me. It's the battery. It has a 5,000mAh capacity, up from 4,700mAh on last year's model. It manages to accommodate a battery with a capacity usually found on the biggest of big slab phones, even though it has to make room for a whole-ass hinge. Motorola can pull this off because it's using silicon-carbon batteries, which provide higher capacity in the same amount of space a traditional lithium-ion battery takes up."

"In practice, this meant I got comfortable committing battery crimes that I'd normally avoid with a flip phone. Using it as a hotspot while working outdoors on an 80-degree day? Forgoing a nightly recharge simply because the charger is across the room? Setting it up in tent mode and using the front screen as a Pomodoro timer? I did it all with the Razr Ultra."

Read at The Verge