It’s peak summer time, which means prime time for the foldable phone season. This summer gave us new clamshell flip phones from both Samsung and Motorola with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Motorola Razr Plus 2024, respectively.
But if you’re in the market for a clamshell-style foldable, which one should you go for? Here’s where we break it all down for you so you can make the most informed decision before purchasing.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Motorola Razr Plus 2024: specs
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 | Motorola Razr Plus 2024 | |
Size | 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9mm (unfolded)
85.1 x 71.9 x 14.9mm (folded) |
171.4 x 74 x 7.1mm (unfolded)
88.1 x 74 x 15.3mm (folded) |
Weight | 187 grams (6.60 ounces) | 189 grams (6.67 ounces) |
Colors | Yellow
Silver Shadow Blue Mint Peach (online exclusive) White (online exclusive) Crafted Black (online exclusive) |
Midnight Blue
Hot Pink Spring Green Peach Fuzz |
Price | Starts at $1,100 | $1,000 |
Cover display | 3.4-inch Super AMOLED
720 x 748 resolution at 306 ppi 1,600 nits brightness 60Hz refresh rate |
4-inch pOLED
1272 x 1080 resolution at 417 ppi 2,400 nits brightness 165Hz refresh rate
|
Main display | 6.7-inch Foldable Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X
1080 x 2640 resolution at 426 ppi 2,600 nits brightness 120Hz refresh rate |
6.9-inch Foldable LTPO AMOLED
1080 x 2640 resolution at 413 ppi 3,000 nits brightness 165Hz refresh rate |
Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy | Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 |
RAM | 12GB | 12GB |
Storage | 256GB
512GB |
256GB |
Rear cameras | 50-megapixel main camera with f/1.8 aperture, PDAF, OIS
12MP ultrawide camera with f/2.2 aperture and 123-degree FOV |
50MP main camera with f/1.7 aperture, PDAF, OIS
50MP telephoto with 2x optical zoom, f/2.0 aperture |
Selfie camera | 10MP with f/2.2 aperture | 32MP with f/2.4 aperture |
Battery | 4,000mAh | 4,000mAh |
Charging | 25W wired
15W wireless 4.5W reverse wireless |
45W wired
15W wireless 5W reverse wireless |
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Motorola Razr Plus 2024: design
Both the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Razr Plus 2024 are clamshell-style foldables, so they’re small and compact when closed, but expand into a large slab when opened. They also both have large cover displays on the outside, but there are some nuances to differentiate between them.
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 looks pretty identical to its predecessor, the Z Flip 5, with a few minor differences. The Z Flip 6 now has a matte finish on the frame rather than glossy like before.
The new dual-rail hinge is also built well, with fluid movements and the ability to hold firm at any angle, and it can easily snap open and shut. It has an IP48 rating for dust and water resistance. The crease on the inner display is also reduced thanks to the new hinge.
Samsung put a 3.4-inch cover display on the front of the Galaxy Z Flip 6, which still has a folder-like design due to the cameras in the corner. This display design makes sure the cameras don’t get in the way of what you see on the screen, but it looks a little aesthetically odd.
There are plenty of colors to choose from for the Galaxy Z Flip 6: yellow, mint, blue, and gray. Those are the “standard” color offerings. There are three more exclusive colors that can be found if you purchase directly from Samsung’s website: peach, white, and “Crafted Black.” There’s a colored ring around the cameras that matches the phone color you choose.
Motorola made some changes to the Razr Plus this year, and they’re rather nice. Though it looks very much like its predecessor, the Razr Plus 2024 has some nuances of its own too.
For one, all colors now feature a vegan leather back panel — there are no longer any glass offerings. The vegan leather is soft, supple, and adds nice grip to the device. The leather comes in four colors, all of which look fantastic: Midnight Blue, Hot Pink, Peach Fuzz, and Spring Green. The aluminum frame is glossy.
Like Samsung, Motorola made some changes to the hinge to make it smaller than before and more durable. From our experience, it feels great to open and close, and the crease is pretty much nonexistent. It also has an IPX8 rating for even better water resistance over last year.
The cover display is also changed from its predecessor. Rather than stick with the 3.6-inch cover display, Motorola bumped it all the way up to a 4-inch display that takes up all the available space on the cover, unlike Samsung.
There isn’t really a way to pronounce a winner here. Both are beautiful devices, and the choice between them is largely going to be personal.
Winner: Tie
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Motorola Razr Plus 2024: displays
As foldable devices, you’re going to care about the screens. After all, you get two of them with these phones.
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 has a 3.4-inch AMOLED cover display that has been unchanged from last year. It has 720 by 748 pixel resolution and a measly 60Hz refresh rate. You can access various widgets and even full apps on the cover display, though the latter needs some setup.
On the inside, you have a gorgeous 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with 2640 by 1080 resolution and up to 120Hz refresh rate, with maximum brightness of up to 2,600 nits. Honestly, it’s a better display than what you have on the cover.
For the Motorola Razr Plus 2024, things look even better. It has a 4-inch pOLED cover display with 1272 by 1080 resolution, 2,400 nits of peak brightness, and up to 165Hz refresh rate. It’s definitely a bit much for a small cover screen, but it looks fantastic. And Motorola finally added always-on capabilities to the cover display too.
The inner main display is also great. It’s a large 6.9-inch pOLED panel with Full HD+ 2640 by 1080 resolution, up to 3,000 nits peak brightness, and also 165Hz refresh rate.
If you care at all about having the best display, then clearly the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 is the one to get.
Winner: Motorola Razr Plus 2024
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Motorola Razr Plus 2024: cameras
Both the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Razr Plus 2024 have dual camera systems. Unlike the larger foldable phablet form factor, compromises need to be made as clamshell foldables typically don’t have the space for more than two camera systems on the rear.
On the Galaxy Z Flip 6, we have a dual camera system that consists of a 50-megapixel primary camera alongside a 12MP ultrawide lens with a 123-degree field of view. There’s also a 10MP selfie camera on the inner display. The Motorola Razr Plus 2024 sports a 50MP main camera, as well as a 50MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom, which replaced the ultrawide lens from last year’s model. The inner display has a 32MP selfie camera.
While the Galaxy Z Flip 6 takes good photos, the Razr Plus 2024 definitely beats it when you look at the specs. Plus, having a 50MP telephoto lens is a bit more useful than a 13MP ultrawide camera, especially if you need to zoom in to your subjects at events or even wildlife.
It really just comes down to whether you want an ultrawide lens or a telephoto camera. Both phones do take relatively good photos overall, but Motorola does edge out Samsung with higher megapixels and a more versatile lens.
Winner: Motorola Razr Plus 2024
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Motorola Razr Plus 2024: performance and battery
Both the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Razr Plus 2024 have similar performance and battery life.
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is equipped with Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset, along with 12GB RAM and either 256GB or 512GB storage. It also has a 4,000mAh battery with 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless.
On the other hand, the Razr Plus 2024 uses Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor, which is just a step below the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. While some may think that’s not great for a phone that costs $1,000, it’s actually on par with what one would consider a flagship chip. It’s plenty fast for what you need it to do, especially when paired with the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. Unfortunately, the Razr Plus only has one storage size.
The Razr Plus 2024 also has a 4,000mAh battery, just like the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Plus, it has great stamina to get you through the day. Motorola also provides faster charging speeds than the Galaxy Z Flip 6, as the Razr Plus has 45W wired charging, along with 15W wireless and 5W reverse wireless.
Winner: Motorola Razr Plus 2024
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Motorola Razr Plus 2024: software and updates
Both phones come equipped with Android 14, but each phone has a different look to it due to brand customizations.
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 runs Samsung’s One UI 6.1.1 out of the box. If you’ve used a Samsung phone in the past couple of years, then you know what to expect here. One UI has had some updates that let you run full-size widgets on the cover display, and you can even have pages with multiple smaller widgets. It also has all of Samsung’s Galaxy AI tools, which include Circle to Search, Interpreter, Chat Assist, and more.
Samsung promises seven years of OS upgrades and security patches. So the Galaxy Z Flip 6 will last through to Android 21.
Meanwhile, the Razr Plus 2024 uses a version of Motorola’s Android skin that is much cleaner than some of the other phones it has come out with this year. That means not as much bloatware, and a pretty simple UI that’s free of clutter. The Razr Plus 2024 does have those cool Motorola gestures we love, such as chopping the phone to turn on the flashlight, and twisting your hand to quickly launch the camera.
However, the biggest flaw of Motorola as a whole is the support for software upgrades and security patches. The Razr Plus 2024 is slated to only get three years of OS upgrades and four years of bimonthly security patches. Compared to Samsung’s and Google’s seven-year upgrade policy, this is very lacking.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Motorola Razr Plus 2024: verdict
As we said in our review, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is one of the laziest hardware updates we’ve seen. It’s almost identical to its predecessor in terms of looks, aside from the colored camera ring. And the most disappointing thing is that Samsung took no opportunity to improve the cover display, as it remains the same size and has a low refresh rate. And to charge $1,100 for a super-iterative update? Definitely ballsy.
The Motorola Razr Plus 2024 is the better clamshell foldable between these two. While the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is a step below the flagship Qualcomm chip, it still has fast and snappy performance, especially with 12GB RAM. The colors are bold and fun, the vegan leather back feels great, and the cover display is even bigger and has a refresh rate higher than most other phones out there.
Plus, with the redesigned hinge, the crease on the inner display is almost nonexistent, and the telephoto camera is more versatile than an ultrawide lens.
The only real disappointment with the Razr Plus 2024 is the fact that Motorola only has three OS upgrades and four years of security support for it. But if you can get past that, then the Razr Plus 2024 is a far better phone than the Galaxy Z Flip 6.