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No need to open? How the Motorola Razr 70 Ultra’s 4‑inch cover screen and Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset change the rules of the flip phone
Shopping for a flip phone in 2026? Here’s why Motorola’s innovative Razr 70 Ultra deserves your consideration
Some 7 years into the re-emergence of flip‑style phones, the category has developed a bit of a reputation for prioritising style over substance; of being charming but slightly dysfunctional devices — the kind people buy for nostalgia or aesthetics rather than practical capability. Motorola’s Razr series has consistently pushed back against that idea, and the new Motorola Razr 70 Ultra is no exception, delivering flagship performance and refinement — and doing so without any of the usual compromises people have come to expect from flip phones.
As detailed in our Tom’s Guide review, the Razr 70 Ultra (known as the Razr Ultra 2026 in the US) offers class-leading battery life, stunningly bright displays, cameras that have significantly improved over last year’s model, and a premium build. The Razr 70 Ultra is a foldable that aims to subvert your expectations — instead of adapting to the form factor, you get a device that adapts to you — and does so with more practical usability, endurance and polish than any Razr flip phone before it. But that’s just the start of what Motorola’s Razr 70 Ultra brings to the table.
Full app control via the 4‑inch external screen
So what does full app control on a 4‑inch cover screen actually mean for everyday use? In our in-depth review, we found that you can treat the external display like a primary display rather than a notification window. Motorola’s 4‑inch Extreme AMOLED panel runs at 1272 x 1080 and supports full Android app access, letting you navigate maps, reply to messages, check email, scroll social feeds and manage Live Notifications without opening the phone.
We also found the outer display’s wide viewing angles and vivid colour reproduction make it especially useful for photography. When taking selfies or group shots, propping the phone on a table and using the cover screen as a live preview is so much easier than trying to hold up and frame your subjects on a traditional phone, and lining up shots or checking focus feels quicker because you’re working with a full, bright panel on the outside of the device. When you’ve got an external screen that can handle most daily tasks comfortably, the flip form factor proves itself as a smart way to carry a flagship.
Next‑gen performance & practical AI integrations
The Motorola Razr 70 Ultra boasts flagship-level specs, but how does that translate into real‑world power? For starters, its Snapdragon 8 Elite processor gives the Razr 70 Ultra the grunt it needs to make Moto AI feel genuinely useful day‑to‑day. In our testing, the phone hit 2,886 single‑core and 8,982 multi‑core in Geekbench 6, plus 146fps in 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited — the strongest results we’ve recorded for a flip‑style foldable. That headroom matters because Moto AI leans on both on‑device processing and cloud support for things like quick message summaries, voice‑driven actions, camera optimisation and real‑time suggestions. With 12GB of RAM, those interactions stay snappy, and the ability to access them from the outer screen makes them feel more like part of your normal workflow rather than something buried in a menu.
That performance is also backed by incredible battery life — the Razr 70 Ultra’s 5,000mAh silicon‑carbon cell lasted 16 hours and 20 minutes in our intensive testing — the longest runtime we’ve measured on any foldable. It also charged super fast, reaching 42% in 15 minutes and 74% in 30 minutes with a 68W charger. That kind of endurance means you don’t have to ration your use — you can lean on Moto AI throughout the day while using the external screen heavily and running more demanding tasks without worrying about running out of battery.
Innovation meets premium craftsmanship
What makes the Razr 70 Ultra feel genuinely premium rather than just innovative? Our review points to the Alcantara‑finished Pantone ‘Orient Blue’ model, which adds a textured, fashion‑forward (and pleasantly scented) grip that stands out in a market dominated by slippery glass. Its titanium‑reinforced hinge provides firm, confident movement whether you’re snapping the phone shut or propping it open, and its IP48 durability rating offers meaningful water resistance without compromising the Razr 70 Ultra’s slim profile.
Both displays support variable refresh rates up to 165Hz, and the main 7‑inch Extreme AMOLED panel reached an impressive peak brightness of 2,322 nits in our testing. Outdoor visibility, colour accuracy and viewing angles are also excellent across both screens, proving that Motorola hasn’t compromised on quality — either inside or outside — when building the Razr 70 Ultra.
A flip phone that takes the form factor confidently forward
The Razr 70 Ultra’s biggest achievement is perhaps how naturally it breaks the old assumptions about flip phones. With a cover screen that behaves like a full display, a chipset capable of powering modern AI experiences and a build that feels genuinely luxurious, it delivers the kind of all‑day usability that defines a true flagship. It proves that a flip phone can be a powerhouse, and with the right mix of practicality, performance and craftsmanship, it sets a new benchmark for the form factor.
Find out more about the innovative Razr 70 Ultra at Motorola Australia.
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