For years, Motorola did what Samsung could not — it provided flip telephones with expansive and unrestricted cowl screens full with flagship-caliber specs. Flip telephones are Motorola’s factor, even with the Moto Fold on the way in which, and it confirmed. Whereas Samsung may’ve been inclined to avoid wasting its greatest tech for the Galaxy Z Fold or Galaxy S Extremely fashions, Motorola is incentivized to make the Razr lineup nearly as good because it could possibly be.
That culminated within the Motorola Razr Extremely 2025, a flagship flip telephone in each sense of the time period. It had Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite cell platform, 16GB of reminiscence, and 512GB of storage. There have been two high-quality OLED screens and a trio of 50MP cameras. The value level of $1,299 was excessive, however the Razr Extremely 2025 commanded it as essentially the most highly effective flip telephone you would purchase within the U.S.
Now, the Razr Extremely 2026 is right here, and solely a few of that’s nonetheless true. I need to be honest right here, so I am going to emphasize {that a} world part scarcity is forcing prices to skyrocket industry-wide — this is not completely a Motorola downside. Nonetheless, the provision chain strains seem to have hit the Razr Extremely 2026 significantly onerous. It is $200 costlier than its already-pricey predecessor whereas missing a brand new processor and main upgrades usually.
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The Razr Extremely 2026’s value is barely half the issue
Rising part pricing are going to have some impact on shoppers in 2026. The releases we have already seen to date, even excluding the newest from Motorola, is proof of that. Smartphone manufacturers have taken numerous approaches to dealing with the market circumstances. Samsung merely raised costs on the Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26 Plus this yr, whereas Google selected to maintain the Pixel 10a’s $499 value level intact by reusing the identical chip from final yr.
Elevating costs, making minimal upgrades, or skipping releases totally are all methods of approaching the unstable market. Selecting one out of the three choices is inevitable, however selecting two is problematic. Motorola did not simply increase the worth — it additionally reused the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor from the Razr Extremely 2025 within the Razr Extremely 2026.
To be clear, the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor carrying over to the Razr Extremely 2026 is not the issue. Qualcomm’s last-gen cell platform is greater than succesful sufficient to energy a flagship flip telephone. The newer Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip won’t have made a lot of an impression, and as a result of overheating considerations within the foldable kind issue, Motorola may’ve needed to underclock it anyway.
Motorola instructed us that the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip remains to be adequate for the Razr Extremely 2026 and that there have been few causes to improve to Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip. Once more, this makes full sense. The troubling half is asking consumers to pay $200 extra for a similar chip that was within the Razr Extremely 2025 a yr in the past. It is a powerful worth proposition irrespective of the way you sugarcoat it.
Motorola had different choices apart from a chip improve
The opposite factor value noting is that Motorola might’ve tried to justify the Razr Extremely 2026’s larger value by making different adjustments. I’d’ve been capable of give the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip a cross if, say, the Razr Extremely 2026 was thinner or lighter. Samsung is aggressively thinning and lightening its foldable telephones, however the Razr Extremely 2026 matches the size of its predecessor.
It is nonetheless 15.7mm thick and it nonetheless weighs 199 grams. The IP48 score is stable, though Google set the brand new normal with IP68 on the Pixel 10 Professional Fold. The purpose is, there have been upgrades to be made apart from throwing in a brand new chip only for the sake of it. The Motorola Razr Extremely 2026 simply does not make them.
I went hands-on with the Motorola Razr Extremely 2026, and to be clear, there are some adjustments I completely love about it. The brand new 50MP LOFIC (Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor) major shooter ought to enhance dynamic vary, add element, and convey sooner shutter speeds to the Razr Extremely 2026. Adopting a silicon-carbon 5,000mAh battery is a groundbreaking transfer that each different US smartphone model must be watching carefully.
There are enhancements right here, they simply do not come near justifying the $1,500 value level in my guide.
Is the Motorola Razr Extremely 2026 definitely worth the excessive value?
Motorola, particularly, is thought for providing attractive reductions, trade-in offers, and promotions for its smartphones. I would not be shocked if in a couple of weeks or months, the Razr Extremely 2026 is discounted by a pair hundred {dollars}, and Motorola is throwing in freebies like a smartwatch or earbuds for good measure. If that proves to be the case — which is unconfirmed for the time being — the worth proposition across the Razr Extremely 2026 adjustments utterly.
This can be a “wait and see” launch for the Razr Extremely 2026. As soon as reductions and offers inevitably convey the Razr Extremely 2026 to the outdated $1,299 value level, the 512GB flip telephone will really feel like a aggressive worth once more. Till then, $1,500 seems like an excessive amount of to pay for a small foldable, particularly when massive fashions just like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Pixel 10 Professional Fold are discounted to roughly the identical value proper now.
I do not blame Motorola for the Razr Extremely 2026’s value downside. It is a reflection of market circumstances greater than anything. Nonetheless, I’m wondering if one smartphone model can have the braveness to press pause on an annual launch sooner or later. If there was ever a time for Motorola to take a niche yr on releasing a brand new mannequin, it could in all probability 2026 and the Razr Extremely.
Hopefully, the state of affairs improves for 2027, and the Razr Extremely’s value level might be lowered to the place it belongs.
Coming quickly
The Motorola Razr Extremely 2026 is on the market for pre-order Might 14, with normal availability to comply with on Might 21, 2026. The telephone is similar to its predecessor, all the way down to the chip inside, however there are key upgrades. A brand new 50MP LOFIC sensor and a 5,000mAh silicon-carbon battery are the highlights.
