Motorola Flip Phone Icon Reborn: Razr vs. Edge in a 5G Face-Off

Hello friend! With over 90 years experience crafting innovative communications tech, Motorola has ushered two striking new 5G-enabled smartphones into the fold in 2020 – the reimagined, foldable Razr flip phone and the modern, affordable Edge. As veteran Motorola phone fans debate which model marks the pinnacle of their revived smartphone ambitions, let‘s explore what each unique device brings to the table.

The Resurgence of a Mobile Pioneer

While Google now oversees their smartphone division, Motorola holds an unmatched reputation for reshaping mobile communications over the decades. The rich heritage of the RAZR flip phone dominates the 2000s over 130 million units strong before Apple‘s touchscreen revolution.

After years filling the budget niche, Motorola is re-entering the premium phone fray with a twin-pronged approach…

On the one hand, the new Razr radically transforms their best-selling flip phone into a cutting-edge, foldable display smartphone banking on nostalgia. On the other, the Edge debuts an ambitious effort to contend with high-end rivals on performance and features without the lofty price tag.

Both push the boundaries of design while incorporating next-gen 5G connectivity. But which phone should you flip open your wallet for? Let‘s dig in!

Foldable Display Nostalgia vs Sleek Modern Styling

Razr: Evoking stylish 2000‘s vibes, the neo-retro Razr modernizes the iconic flip form factor with a continuous flexible 6.2” plastic OLED screen that bends in half. This enables a pocket- and palm-friendly footprint reminiscent of the game-changing original. Folded shut, a 2.7” Quick View display provides at-a-glance notifications. The glass and metal body looks slick in Noir Black, Blush Gold or the signature Mercury White shade with metal red chin.

However, moving parts invite skepticism around long-term resilience where the complex hinge mechanism is concerned. And the lack of any dust/water protection raises eyebrows given its $1399 price.

Edge: Whereas the Razr keeps one foot in the past, the Edge plants both firmly in the future with its expansive 6.7” curved OLED and modern industrial design. The aluminum and glass body minimizes bezels with a 90Hz display rated at over 1 billion colors. A vibrant palette offers Smoke Gray, Solar Black or Midnight Magenta colors to stand out from the Curved crowd.

While slim at just under 9mm thick, the Edge isn’t winning any awards for distinctive looks though. And despite glass front and back, it equally lacks reassurances of waterproofing or dust protection at this price point.

The Razr clearly channels nostalgic allure and a compact footprint when folded. But for sheer display real estate and quality for viewing content, the Edge can’t be beat. Let’s call design a draw based on personal styling preferences.

Battle of Internals: Specs and Hardware Compared

Despite divergent approaches to form factor, both phones share the same internal engine…

Processor & Memory: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G mobile chipset provides substantial power for the price with integrated 5G connectivity. This octa-core SoC is built on 7nm process technology, with CPU clock speeds up to 2.4Ghz. While not top-tier flagship class, it handles demanding apps and games smoothly combined with ample RAM.

The Edge model utilizes the standard 765 paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Meanwhile the Razr gets a welcome spec bump to the 765G with 8GB RAM and 256GB onboard, besting many flagship rivals. Both offer microSD expansion up to 1TB though.

5G & Sensor Support: In terms of wireless connectivity, both deliver ultra-fast 5G network support for the next generation of mobile broadband. This includes the key 600 and 700 MHz bands prized for better building penetration and range. But only the Razr covers the higher frequency mmWave spectrum ideal for dense urban areas.

And accelerometers, gyroscopes and even a magnetometer make the cut in both devices to empower advanced implementation of AR, gaming and navigation applications.

While performance should prove very similar in real world use, the Razr deserves kudos for the minor spec edge at this price tier. But let’s take a closer look at more than just the spec sheet…

(See Table: Key specs comparison between Motorola Edge vs Razr phones side-by-side)

Let‘s break down other pivotal categories beyond the spec sheet details to see how these Motorola phones stack up…

Quad Camera Array vs Foldable Photography

The Edge brings some serious photography firepower for a mid-range device with its quad camera system:

Cameras: The 64MP high res primary lens captures abundant detail in bright lighting with a respectable f/1.8 aperture for its class. This combines with an 8MP f/2.4 telephoto module providing 3x lossless zoom and 16MP f/2.2 ultrawide angle shooter packing a 117° field of view for expansive landscapes. And a specialized Time of Flight sensor maps scenes for improved depth and portrait effects.

Features & Modes: Motorola’s clutter-free camera interface offers the photography essentials like HDR, portrait mode and night vision. Plus rarer options on mid-range devices like shooting 8K video at 30fps or 4K video at up to 60fps across all rear cameras. And the dedicated Macro Vision mode highlights the Edge‘s focus talents.

The resurrected Razr keeps camera hardware simpler with a lone 48MP f/1.7 rear lens augmented by laser autofocus, OIS and phase detection capabilities. While respectably sharp in good light, low light photography suffers more without the dedicated night mode or exposure balancing of the Edge. The foldable form factor also curtails more creative shooting perspectives.

Razr shot vs Edge shot showcasing superior dynamic range and detail

While the Razr holds its own for casual shooting, shutterbugs benefit greatly from the richness, flexibility and shooting control afforded by the Edge’s quad camera setup.

Battery & Charging: Endurance Race

The laws of physics seem to give the Edge an unfair advantage in cramming a 50% larger 4500 mAh battery within its modern chassis compared to the 2800 mAh cell tucked into the Razr’s foldable frame.

However Motorola manages to eke out slightly better than expected endurance from the Razr’s smaller battery, aided no doubt by the more modest display. Still, in real world testing, the Edge easily outpaces its sister phone by 3-5 hours of active usage depending on tasks. For comparison, that’s the difference between requiring a top up mid evening rather than lasting into the next morning.

Both employ Motorola’s TurboPower standard for wired charging promising 8 hours use from 30 minutes plugged in. But the Edge offers 18 watt fast charging while the Razr remains stuck at 15 watts. So not only does the Edge better retain its charge, it can gain it back more quickly as well when you do need to juice up. While no speed demons by 2020 norms, these charging rates are reasonable given the mid-range positioning.

For shoppers focused on all-day battery life span over portability and style, the Edge clearly delivers. Let’s call this round a decisive victory for the Edge.

Pure Android Software Showdown

As fellow Android cohort, the Edge and Razr offer minimally skinned “stock” builds of Android 10 straight from Google running the show…

Interface & Features: Both provide nearly identical software experiences aside from some exclusive tweaks taking advantage of form factors like Peek Display on the Razr. This unfettered Android environment stays true to Google’s vision with Motorola’s extremely light touch largely limited to their signature gestures to quickly launch phone actions.

Updates & Security: Motorola promises two major OS update cycles for both models along with two years of security patch support. This lags behind Samsung’s 3 years but matches Google’s own Pixel phone policy. And Motorola’s historic speed issuing the latest Android patches instills confidence.

With effectively equivalent software, there’s no clear differentiation to be made here. It‘s down to personal preference for the minor exclusive features tailored to Razr’s foldability versus the Edge’s curved display. Both deliver a clean and simple Pure Android 10 experience.

Conclusion: Flip Back to The Future or Modern Value?

In closing, let‘s sum up the key pros and cons as you weight this retro-futuristic foldable Razr revival against the feature-packed value play Edge…

Motorola Razr

Pros:

• Iconic flip phone reborn
• Compact folded size
• Fully specc‘d with 8GB RAM & 256GB storage
• Faster Snapdragon 765G chip

Cons:

• Smaller 6.2” display
• Just 15 hour average battery life
• Single 48MP camera
• Much pricier for weaker overall specs

Motorola Edge

Pros:

• Immersive 6.7" OLED 90Hz display
• 50% better battery life
• Versatile quad camera array
• Higher performance-to-price ratio

Cons:

• Polarizing "industrial" design
• Base 128GB storage seems limiting
• No IP rating

With its foldable display and revamped flip form factor, the Razr certainly establishes a bold new chapter for Motorola’s storied phone legacy. But beyond the nostalgia factor, the standard Edge delivers superior display quality, better cameras, faster charging and even 5G support for literally half the price. Unless compact portability overrides all other aspects, the feature-packed Edge seems to give buyers simply… more phone for their dollar.

Either way, it‘s terrific seeing Motorola back doing what it does best – pushing the bleeding edge of phone design. But based on overall user value alone, I have to recommend the Motorola Edge as the winner in this 2020 smartphone face-off.

Let me know if you have any other questions!