Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 Review: $200 More for One New Sensor

The 2026 Motorola Razr Ultra keeps the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and the chassis from last year’s model, and Motorola is asking $1,500 for the new release. That is $200 more than the predecessor, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 starts at around $1,100. Engadget’s Sam Rutherford, in a review that scored the phone 8.5 out of 10, described the $200 premium as too steep for what the upgrade delivers.

The $200 Premium Hanging Over the 2026 Ultra

Motorola priced the 2026 Razr Ultra $200 higher than the model it replaces. The new release starts at $1,500, while the 2025 Razr Ultra is currently listed for as little as $800 direct from Motorola. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, the closest direct rival and detailed on the Galaxy Z Flip 7 product page, starts at around $1,100, a price the review describes as a significant saving over the new Ultra.

Motorola follows a multi-year design cycle that only sees a full chassis refresh every 24 to 36 months. A buyer paying full price in 2026 is therefore paying for the same body, the same Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, and the same IP48 dust and water resistance rating that the 2025 model already carried. The headline changes are a new 50MP main camera sensor, a 5,000mAh battery replacing the 4,700mAh cell, and a handful of cover-screen software tricks. None of those touch the industrial design.

Engadget’s Sam Rutherford scored the 2026 Razr Ultra 8.5 out of 10 in the full Razr Ultra 2026 review, with pros that include the compact chassis, the upgraded main camera, and the improved cover screen. His cons list is shorter and sharper: the $200 price hike, a design that is essentially unchanged, and a charging system that requires Motorola’s proprietary TurboPower adapter to hit peak speed. The 8.5 score gives Motorola credit for the small upgrades, then docks the result for the price.

What’s Carried Over From Last Year

Motorola did not change the Razr Ultra’s processor for 2026. The phone runs the same Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, paired with 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. Engadget’s testing found the chip is more than fast enough for apps and games, with the displays, not the silicon, usually setting the limit. Motorola’s bigger Razr Fold, a book-style foldable, has stylus support and more advanced multitasking that the flip phone does not get.

The body is also unchanged. The 4-inch exterior display, the 7-inch interior screen, and the IP48 dust and water resistance rating all carry over from last year, and the faint crease where the hinge folds is still visible. Brightness is strong on both panels: the cover screen reaches 3,000 nits, the interior display tops out at 5,000 nits, and the Razr Ultra is still slightly thicker than Samsung’s Z Flip 7 when closed, at 15.7mm.

The Three Changes That Define the 2026 Ultra

Motorola did find room for a bigger battery in the unchanged body. The 2026 Razr Ultra packs a 5,000mAh cell, up from 4,700mAh in the model it replaces, without making the chassis any larger. Engadget’s local video rundown test stretched that capacity to 31 hours flat. Beyond the battery, the 2026 Razr Ultra’s other hardware change is the main camera.

The main camera is the other meaningful hardware change. Motorola equipped the 2026 Razr Ultra with a new 50MP LOFIC sensor, replacing the older 50MP main shooter on the 2025 model. On paper, the new sensor captures higher dynamic range and a stronger signal-to-noise ratio, which should mean cleaner shots with better contrast.

• 5,000mAh battery (up from 4,700mAh) in the same chassis
• New 50MP LOFIC main camera sensor for higher dynamic range and a stronger signal-to-noise ratio
• Live Updates on the cover screen for tracking deliveries, ride progress, and similar notifications
• New Orient Blue colorway with a textured Alcantara back and paint-matched buttons

The cover screen also picks up a few new tricks. Live Updates now run on the 4-inch outer panel, so users can track incoming food deliveries and ride progress without opening the phone. An updated Quick Settings menu brings resizable tiles. Video wallpapers are also new. As before, users can open nearly any app on the smaller display, with games and programs locked to a specific resolution or aspect ratio being the main exceptions.

What the new model did not change is just as informative. The 50MP ultra-wide camera, the 50MP selfie shooter, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor all carry over from the 2025 Razr Ultra. On the mechanical side, the cover-screen additions and the Orient Blue finish are software and color, while the chassis and internals match the 2025 model.

How the 31-Hour Battery Holds Up Against the Field

The Razr Ultra’s 5,000mAh battery ran for 31 hours flat in Engadget’s local video rundown test. That beats the Pixel 10a (28:04) and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (30:03) in the same test. Only the OnePlus 15 and 15R lasted longer in the publication’s broader phone testing. Both OnePlus phones use higher capacity silicon-carbon cells to achieve those longer runtimes.

• 31 hours flat on Engadget’s local video rundown test
• 5,000mAh battery capacity, up from 4,700mAh
• 68W wired charging via Motorola’s TurboPower protocol
• 30W max on wireless charging
• No power adapter in the box for buyers who want peak charging speed

Charging speed is also strong, with the wired ceiling at 68W and wireless at 30W. Motorola’s proprietary TurboPower protocol is the only way to hit those peak rates. The phone ships without a power adapter, so users who want top speed need to buy Motorola’s TurboPower 68W charger separately.

Motorola’s own data, published on the Razr Ultra 2026 product page, says median users can recover roughly 12 hours of battery life in about 8 minutes of charge under controlled conditions. That is a useful mid-day top-up for a phone that lasts more than a day on a full charge. The catch is that the missing adapter and the proprietary protocol made the list of cons in Engadget’s review. Third-party adapters will charge the phone, just not at the 68W headline rate.

Real-World Camera Results

In real-world shooting, the new 50MP LOFIC main sensor mostly delivers. Photos come out with bright colors and crisp details, and the new sensor holds up well in mixed lighting. Closer inspection surfaces small flaws: halos around some objects in bright light, and noise patterns at 100 percent zoom that the Pixel 10 Pro avoids. Engadget’s reviewer is not sure whether the sensor or Moto’s image processing is to blame, and the gap is narrow but real. The Pixel 10 Pro, the comparison phone, still produces cleaner images at 100 percent zoom.

Low light is where the gap widens. Motorola has improved its night-time processing over the years, but the Razr Ultra still falls short of Google’s Night Sight on the Pixel 10 Pro, where the photos are consistently brighter and sharper. Engadget frames this as part of a wider pattern. Foldable phones have always trailed traditional glass slabs on photo quality, so the Razr Ultra’s results are not a surprise even if they are a disappointment.

What the Verdict Comes Down To

Engadget’s bottom line on the 2026 Razr Ultra is that it sits in an awkward position. The phone has excellent battery life, a solid chassis, a responsive Snapdragon 8 Elite, and a genuinely improved main camera, all of which add up to a top-tier flip phone. What it does not quite deliver, the review concludes, is enough for the money.

The math is the problem. Last year’s Razr Ultra had the same strengths and is now going for as little as $800 direct from Motorola. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 7 starts at around $1,100, and Engadget describes that price as a significant saving over the new Ultra. Buyers who ignore those comparisons still face a $200 premium for a better camera sensor, a slightly bigger battery, and a few cover-screen software features.

It’s a good phone, I just wish it cost less.

Sam Rutherford, the Engadget reviewer, also flags the timing. He notes that Samsung is expected to announce a new Z Flip before the end of the summer, which would put a successor in stores just as the 2026 Razr Ultra hits its first full retail quarter. Buying a Razr Ultra right now at full price, in the reviewer’s words, feels like a bit of a trap.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is new in the 2026 Motorola Razr Ultra?

The new Razr Ultra adds three meaningful pieces: a 5,000mAh battery (up from 4,700mAh), a new 50MP LOFIC main camera sensor designed to capture higher dynamic range, and cover-screen support for Live Updates, resizable Quick Settings tiles, and video wallpapers. The Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, the 50MP ultra-wide and selfie cameras, the 4-inch cover screen, and the chassis itself all carry over from the 2025 model.

How much does the 2026 Razr Ultra cost?

Motorola is asking $1,500 for the 2026 Razr Ultra. The 2025 Razr Ultra is currently available for as little as $800 direct from Motorola, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 starts at around $1,100.

How does the Razr Ultra 2026 compare to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7?

The Z Flip 7 starts at around $1,100, less than the new Razr Ultra at $1,500. Both flip phones pair a 50MP main camera with a compact cover screen and an IP48 dust and water resistance rating, according to the Razr Ultra review and the Z Flip 7 product page.

Should I buy the 2026 Razr Ultra or wait?

Engadget’s review suggests waiting. Last year’s Razr Ultra delivers the same Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, the same chassis, and the same IP48 rating at a much lower retail price, and Samsung is expected to announce a new Z Flip before the end of summer.

How long does the Razr Ultra 2026 battery last?

Engadget’s local video rundown test stretched the 5,000mAh cell to 31 hours flat, longer than the Pixel 10a (28:04) and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (30:03). Only the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 15R have tested longer for the publication.