I will choose only one

I love foldable phones. They’re an ideal form factor for casual users looking to try a foldable for the first time. You’re not asking people to change the way they use their phones. You just open it up, do everything you’ve done on your traditional slab smartphone for the last 15 years, and fold it up when you’re done.

I’ve been testing everyone I can and I was excited at the prospect of competing this year. Motorola Razr Ultra against Galaxy Z Flip 7. Motorola’s price hikes make the debate difficult, but even if I only really want one in my pocket, there are solid reasons to buy both.

The Motorola Razr Ultra was my favorite smartphone of 2025, so I had high expectations for what it would be, and I wasn’t disappointed. Motorola’s transformation into a lifestyle brand is on full display with the stunning Orient Blue Razr Ultra color scheme. The Alcantara finish feels fantastic and when I’m out and about people will literally stop me and ask what phone it is.

It’s just a fun phone to use, something I can’t always say about current flagships. It is sleek and stylish and has the most appeal of any phone in the market. I don’t mind the Galaxy Z Flip 7’s design. It just feels industrial and utilitarian. I’m sure it’s built to be solid and last the course, but it just doesn’t do anything for me.

Yes, Motorola didn’t significantly improve the specs for the 2026 Razr Ultra, but that bothers me less the more I use it. The Snapdragon 8 Elite is plenty powerful, and the 16GB of RAM gives me enough power for everything I want to do (and then some).

Motorola has upgraded the battery for 2026, making the Razr Ultra a 5000 mAh silicon-carbon celland you can see the difference. I get almost two days of use on a single charge and enjoy the 68W wired charging when it’s time to charge. I’d still argue that significantly better battery life is a more important quality-of-life boost than anything a chipset boost can provide.

Samsung has worked to improve the flip screen experience on the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but I still prefer what Motorola has to offer. I understand that this is a small item for enthusiasts who are used to loading a lot of apps, but I love that I don’t need Good Lock or Multistar to get all the apps I want on the Razr Ultra’s external screen.

While I prefer Samsung’s overall software experience, Motorola has done a great job of making the transition between screens smooth. I don’t run into many compatibility issues, and when I do, they are easily fixed by adjusting the overlay display to work around the camera lens. I don’t consider the Razr Ultra a disconnect device, but quickly scratching the Instagram scrolling itch on an external display is better than a 30-minute doomsday book.

As I mentioned earlier, the Snapdragon 8 Elite does the job. I’m not buying a clamshell phone to play AAA mobile games all day or do heavy work in Adobe Lightroom – this isn’t that kind of phone.

Motorola’s software experience isn’t offensive, if uninspired. Moto promises three years of OS upgrades and five years of security patches, which is non-standard in this price range. It doesn’t help that I don’t know what form these upgrades will take or when, as Motorola is notorious for making users wait a long time for Android version upgrades. Still, it never detracts from my enjoyment of the phone, and maybe that’s the point.

I even enjoy the cameras on the Razr Ultra 2026. I’d never mistake it for the versatility you get on other flagship phones, but the dual 50MP sensors on the Razr Ultra do the trick. Photos are detailed and saturated, exactly what I want from a point and shoot. I consistently get a social media-ready photo that fits the Razr Ultra’s theme well. It’s not a perfect phone by any means, and while the price is scary, it’s an attractive package.

If real estate is about location, then choosing the Z Flip 7 over the Razr Ultra is about software. Samsung offers a more reliable and better software experience between the two phones. My Galaxy Z Flip 7 already has One UI 8.5 and it works fine. Unlike Motorola, I have a better idea of ​​what expanded software support will look like.

Samsung offers a full seven years of support for both OS upgrades and security updates on the Z Flip 7, and has (mostly) done a good job of providing them on time. I can’t say I’m a giant Galaxy A.I user, but if you want to get the latest Android features, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is a foldable to consider.

While I still prefer the overlay screen experience on the Razr Ultra, Samsung has done a decent job of improving it. Icons and notifications are no longer a disaster, even if you have to tweak a few settings to get them right. I don’t like having to download extra software to get all the apps I want to work on the external display, but after spending some time with it, the overall experience is nice. The Razr Ultra is still smoother and more enjoyable, but the gap between the two isn’t as wide as it once was.

Just as I’m not knocking the Razr Ultra for having a Snapdragon 8 Elite, I don’t mind the Z Flip 7 being powered by an Exynos 2500. I would have preferred more than 12GB of RAM, but performance has not been an issue. The Exynos 2500 does not suffer from the overheating and poor battery performance of previous years’ chipsets. Although the Z Flip 7 lacks the silicon-carbon element of the Razr Ultra, I get all-day battery life.

I don’t think people can fold a hood for raw horsepower, and while enthusiasts may be upset, they’re not the target market.

Of course, price is a major factor. The Z Flip 7 is hundreds less than the Razr Ultra, and that’s before factoring in sales at this point in its lifecycle. I’m sure we’ll see aggressive discounts from Motorola throughout the year, as usual, but you’ll still be paying more for the Razr Ultra. And while I believe it’s worth it for a phone I enjoy more, I can see buyers opting for the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and saving some money in the process.

It is important to know that both phones are solid. I prefer the Motorola Razr Ultra for the reasons I mentioned, but if you choose the Z Flip 7, you’re not getting a bad device. It is well built with lots of software support and features. Its displays are stylish and take good photos.

However, if you want a little more capability with your flip phone, I recommend the Razr Ultra. Yes, the price is annoying, and Motorola has a lot to prove with its software, but I can’t put a price on actually enjoying a phone in my pocket – which is rarer than I’d like to admit in 2026.