The exterior screen is still large enough to see widgets, notifications, and even to look at a few apps without opening the whole thing up. Flip phones are great because they'll feel like normal handsets once opened up, but they fold down to be super compact. There are some slight improvements to durability on this Razr, and you get a nice, bright screen with battery life that lasts a full day with average use.
The cameras can take some decent photos, but they're not a strong point of the base Razr (for better cameras, look at the Razr Ultra). Still, the ultrawide is handy for taking group shots, and you can use the external screen as a viewfinder so everyone can make sure they're in the frame.
Specs External display: 3.6-inch pOLED, LTPS, 90 Hz Internal display: 6.9-inch AMOLED, LTPO, 120 Hz Processor and RAM: MediaTek Dimensity 7400X with 8 GB Storage: 256 GB Battery: 4,500 mAh Cameras: 50-MP main camera, 13-MP ultrawide, 32-MP selfie camera Updates (from date of manufacture): Three OS upgrades, 4 years of security updates Extras: Wireless charging, IP48, fingerprint sensor Carrier compatibility: Works on all three major US networks
Other Cheap Phones to Consider
We highly recommend you stick with the phones above, but here are some alternatives worth considering.
Samsung Galaxy A36 (left) and Galaxy A26 (right). Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Samsung Galaxy A26 for $300: If you want a Samsung phone but don't want to spend much, I think the Galaxy A26 (6/10, WIRED Review) is the best bang for your buck. Performance is solid, battery life lasts a full day, there's an IP67 water resistance rating, and the camera is OK. It even has expandable storage (though no headphone jack), and Samsung promises six years of software updates, which is unparalleled at this price. If you can wait, Samsung may unveil a successor in the next month or two.
Samsung Galaxy A36 for $400: With a higher price, you'd think the A36 would be even better than the A26, right? Wrong. The Galaxy A36 (6/10, WIRED Review) hits many highs, including a brighter display, good battery life, and solid cameras, but storage is not expandable, and performance was bizarrely more choppy. The six years of software support is nice, but if the phone is already annoying to operate, I can't imagine what it'll be like in six years. It's an OK phone, but you can do better. (It's a better buy at its sale price of $230.)
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
TCL 60 XE Nxtpaper 5G for $200: TCL's 60 XE (7/10, WIRED Recommends) has an anti-reflective matte screen called Nxtpaper to limit the blue light entering your eyes for better sleep and reduced eye fatigue. There's no evidence to suggest that blue-light blockers work, but if you ignore those claims, this is still a great budget phone with a pleasing matte screen. There is a switch on the side that lets you flip between different display modes that turn the screen closer to a monochrome or color E Ink experience, great for fans of e-readers. Performance is good, the camera is decent, and there are extras like a headphone jack and microSD card slot. The only problem is that the screen is hard to read in direct sunlight.
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