Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 vs. Moto Razr Ultra: I've spent time with both, here's what I prefer

Moto Razr Ultra (left) vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 (right)

Cesar Cadenas/Kerry Wan/ZDNET

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If you're the retro type, oregon you conscionable privation a small, pocketable device, a flip telephone is the mode to go. In the U.S., you tin bargain a flip telephone from 2 smartphone makers: Motorola and Samsung. Samsung conscionable launched the Galaxy Z Flip 8 astatine its Unpacked event, and Motorola precocious launched the Razr Ultra (2026). Sure, determination are different flip phones retired there, but these are your 2 apical choices. 

Also: I turned my Moto Razr into a tiny workstation - and wrote this full communicative connected it

Motorola besides has 2 smaller devices: the Moto Razr and the Moto Razr Plus, but to level the playing field, we'll focusing connected the flagships. Wondering whether to spell with Samung's caller offering oregon Motorola's? Let's interruption it down. 

Specifications

Choose the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 if…

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 successful pink 

Adam Doud / ZDNET

1. You privation the champion specs

Funny enough, neither of these phones truly upgraded their specifications this year, relying alternatively mostly connected bundle experiences to warrant the caller model. That said, Samsung was already starting from a presumption of strength, and it upgraded the 1 specification that radical mostly look for: the processor. 

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 comes with the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, portion the Moto Razr Ultra stood pat with past year's Snapdragon 8 Elite. Don't fto the names fool you; technically the 8 Elite is the 4th generation, truthful it's lone 1 procreation down the Gen 5 version. However, that's not large for aboriginal proofing and earthy power.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

It's not that the latest processor volition get you a ton of noticeable benefits connected time one. But your videos volition export a small quicker, your apps volition load a small faster. Going forward, you mightiness announcement the Razr struggling to support up, particularly arsenic much and much AI-powered features get integrated into your workflow.  

2. You privation to prevention immoderate money, without compromise

The Razr Ultra costs $400 much than the basal Galaxy Z Flip 8. If you privation a amended parallel, the 512GB Flip 8 is $1,399.99 which is inactive $100 little than the Razr Ultra. Considering the Razr Ultra is utilizing older parts, this is conscionable silly. Though to beryllium fair, the Razr Ultra has much representation astatine 16GB. This 1 isn't arsenic cut-and-dry, but the information of the substance is you tin bargain an equivalent telephone for little wealth if it has Samsung connected the label.

Also: I went hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8, but it's not the upgrade I expected

This each comes with a elephantine caveat though -- Motorola pricing. It's the company's M.O. to commencement a terms precocious and bring it down aft respective months. The Moto Razr ultra is inactive priced astatine $1,499 arsenic of this writing, astir 2 months aft its archetypal release, truthful it's apt the terms volition commencement to autumn successful the adjacent future. I'm talking arsenic aboriginal arsenic the adjacent Amazon Prime Day oregon Black Friday. So, if you don't request to unreserved retired to the store close now, a small patience mightiness beryllium successful order.

3. You worth the Samsung ecosystem

Samsung has a immense ecosystem of devices, adjacent beyond mobile. If you person a Samsung TV, you tin power it with your Samsung phone. If you person a Samsung laptop, you tin usage your Samsung telephone arsenic a webcam. The Samsung Galaxy Ring works champion with a Samsung instrumentality connected the different end. The Samsung ticker tin enactment arsenic a shutter fastener for your phone's camera. It's each interconnected, and a ton of fun.

Also: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Motorola Razr Ultra: This 1 is the amended value

Motorola is moving with a much constricted ecosystem, which includes Lenovo laptops, which is great, but different accessories are mobile accessories. There aren't immoderate TVs oregon refrigerators, oregon washer/dryers with Motorola's logo connected them. Motorola besides doesn't person a astute ring, and its astute ticker is not WearOS, truthful its capabilities are constricted (though the Moto ticker is importantly cheaper than Samsung's). All that being said, if you person already bought into the Samsung ecosystem, you'll beryllium amended disconnected with a Samsung phone.

You should bargain the Moto Razr Ultra if…

The Moto Razr Ultra 2026 is Motorola's latest flagship foldable

Adam Doud / ZDNET

1. You privation the champion software… with a caveat

Motorola bundle is famously cleanable and casual to use. Motorola was erstwhile the spot of Google, and the 2 proceed to person a adjacent narration to this day. In fact, its bundle runs precise adjacent to banal Android successful galore respects. Motorola besides has intuitive gestures built into the telephone with the chop-chop motion to crook connected the flashlight, and the twist motion to crook connected the camera. I genuinely miss those erstwhile I don't usage a Motorola phone.

Also: I've tested each Motorola foldable telephone successful 2026 truthful acold - however to prime betwixt Fold and Ultra

Plus, Motorola treats the screen surface arsenic a playground and let's you determine what to enactment connected it. Samsung to this time has a roadblock that prevents you from utilizing immoderate app you privation connected the screen surface without jumping done a hoop. It has gotten amended with the software, but I'd similar to spot Samsung conscionable get escaped of that restriction. 

The large caveat is that Motorola is famously atrocious astatine shipping bundle and information updates. It has gotten amended implicit the years, but it inactive lags days, weeks, and adjacent months down fundamentally everyone other erstwhile it comes to timely updates. Whether oregon not you attraction astir that is up to you, of course.

2. You privation the champion cameras

Motorola was historically not known for its cameras, but it has truly righted the vessel successful that respect with the latest generations. Now, the cameras are connected par with immoderate different flagship connected the market, and surely conscionable arsenic bully arsenic immoderate foldable. There are immoderate complaints that video prime lags behind, and that's fair, but the wide prime you'll get retired of a Razr camera volition mostly beryllium amended than Samsung's.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

Megapixels aren't everything, but Motorola ships 3 50-megapixel cameras for Wide, UltraWide, and selfie cameras, making them the lone flip foldables with triple 50-megapixel cameras. That's chiefly a fig for the advertisers, but it inactive points to a camera prime you tin beryllium on.

3. You attraction astir artillery and charging

Samsung introduced silicon c batteries successful its foldables this year, but it's inactive taking a precise blimpish approach. The Samsung telephone has a 4,300 mAh compartment portion the Motorola Razr Ultra has a 5,000 mAh battery. That means the Motorola telephone volition past longer, and its versatility with the screen show volition conserve artillery that overmuch more. Once you leap done Samsung's hoops to instal immoderate app you privation connected the screen screen, that vantage gets zeroed out.

Also: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs. Z Flip 8: I compared some models, and here's the 1 to buy

However, the Moto Razr Ultra charged faster with some wired and wireless charging arsenic good astatine 68W and 30W respectively. Not lone volition your telephone past longer, but it volition apical up faster, which tin beryllium a large woody if you're headed retired for an evening aft a agelong day. It's 1 of those "have it and not request it" things that you truly miss erstwhile you bash request it.

Writer's choice

This is simply a genuinely hard choice. You would bash good with either option. While the Samsung Z Flip 8 offers a superior hardware experience, it's hard to discount Motorola's bundle features. Motorola conscionable level retired knows what it's doing with software, and to beryllium honest, a deficiency of updates doesn't truly fuss me. Plus, arsenic overmuch arsenic I pointed retired that Samsung's ecosystem acquisition is better, I similar however astute link works with a PC, truthful I person to springiness the motion to Motorola connected this 1 and spell with the Razr Ultra. But judge maine erstwhile I archer you: it's a precise adjacent race.