Editor’s Desk
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Motorola just unveiled its new Razr 2025 series, and the company is taking a page out of Samsung’s book in North America by launching a trio of devices. After the previous two generations only came with two phones, I think Motorola was smart to tweak its lineup for a more aggressive strategy, and Samsung may want to take note.
The Razr 2025 series comprises the base Razr 2025, the Razr Plus 2025, and the Razr Ultra 2025. The latter is the newest addition to the lineup, offering premium specs with a premium price tag. The entire lineup spans a wide range of prices, starting at $699 and ranging up to $ 1,299. By contrast, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series, which comprises a base S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra, ranges from $799 to $1,299 as the starting prices for each model.
When I asked Motorola why it decided on three Razr devices for 2025, it said that it’s “expanding the family to provide consumers with more options at various price points.”
This makes sense as Motorola is known for offering devices with plenty of value at a lower price point (Razr 2025) while the company is also trying to better establish itself in the premium Android market (Razr Ultra 2025). This gives Motorola a broad reach with consumers, something Samsung has capitalized on with its flagship series.
Three’s company
By now, we’re accustomed to Samsung offering three flagship models (excluding the upcoming Edge), a trend it has maintained for several generations. Apparently, it works out well for the company; otherwise, it would have ditched the strategy long ago. In fact, including the Galaxy S25 Edge, Samsung appears poised to double down on this strategy, highlighting how more choice is indeed better.
Yet, despite the similar naming strategy, Motorola isn’t copying Samsung completely. The Razr 2025 phones offer different specs, from the chipset to the camera setup, which is how Motorola has been able to bring the price lower than the Galaxy S25. After all, we are dealing with foldable phones here, which often cost more than traditional candybar phones.
Motorola updated the Razr 2025 chip with the AI-ready Dimensity 7400X, which isn’t an expensive flagship chip, but a more cost-effective midrange chip that should be more than capable for a $700 phone.
Anshel Sag, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, agrees, noting that Motorola now has the sales volume to support a three-product lineup.
“They are also moving up market with a true flagship model that beats the competition in every spec while still offering more affordable alternatives, creating the halo effect,” Sag tells me in an email.
That “true flagship model” costs a whopping $1,299, which is a $300 premium over last year’s Razr Plus 2024 and $200 more than the already-expensive Galaxy Z Flip 6. It also costs the same as the Galaxy S25 Ultra, despite offering significantly better specs, including more RAM, increased base storage, and faster charging, among other advantages.
That’s a pretty penny that could give some consumers pause. However, this may not be as much of a deterrent as I initially thought it would be.
“I don’t think it will be much of a problem since the company is offering a sliding scale of capabilities and for those who care for the specs, the Ultra is the perfect model,” Sag explains. “The Ultra is very competitive as a flagship, and I think [it] will get the brand a lot of attention.”
Like Samsung, Motorola clearly wants you to buy its premium offering, while still making it easy for you to get a similar experience with two cheaper models based on what you can afford and what you want out of your phone. Even if that means making meager changes with the Razr and Razr Plus.
Middle child syndrome
The Razr 2025 introduced a few notable changes, including a larger battery and an updated chipset. However, the Razr Plus 2025 is largely the same as last year’s Plus model in terms of specs. Just by looking at it, you’d think they were the same phone (because they almost are).
This was the biggest question mark for me with Razr’s new strategy. We’ve definitely complained about companies making very few changes with their new phones, and this kinda takes the cake. That’s not to say it isn’t a good phone; I still love my Razr Plus 2024.
Motorola made sure to point out to me how this 2025 model is still an upgrade from its predecessor.
“The key improvements include the suite of new Moto AI experiences, the redesigned titanium-reinforced hinge, the first flip phones with Pantone validated color and skin tones, and robust IP48 dust and underwater protection.”
That’s not nothing, and the Pantone-enhanced display and cameras actually sound pretty good to me. However, like Samsung’s Galaxy S Plus devices, I worry that the new Razr Plus will fall into that same awkward middle child situation.
Sag says that while this is true to a lesser extent, “the Razr Plus is far more differentiated from the Ultra than the Samsung models are.” Basically, for anyone who still want a flagship-esque experience without paying more than $1,000, this is the phone for you.
On the other hand, Sag notes that Galaxy Plus phones, such as the Galaxy S24 Plus, are probably a better deal, as they typically utilize the same chipset as their Ultra counterparts, rather than a less powerful version, which allows for price reductions in other areas.
Now it’s Samsung’s turn
Sag believes that Motorola’s new Razr 2025 series still offers great value in regions like China, and “especially in the US market where foldable competition is weak.”
This gives me hope that Motorola may execute this three-product strategy successfully, leveraging its strengths as a company that still knows how to undercut the competition while also proving it can truly compete with the big boys.
This is something I think Samsung needs to emulate with its foldable phones. Every year, the company launches one large-screened foldable and a smaller flip phone, and both have done well for the company. However, with last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 6 price hike and the expected price increase for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung will need to continue to offer options that are within reach for consumers.
We’ve written about how Samsung needs to launch a Galaxy Z Flip FE, and we may finally get one this year, with Samsung rumored to use a less powerful chipset (among other changes) to achieve a cheaper price tag.
That’s definitely a start, and we would love to see something similar with the Fold series, with an option that costs a few hundred dollars less to help drive adoption. And just like last year’s Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition, the company could offer some type of ultra-premium model for both Flip and Fold devices for the people who are willing to spend more on the latest and greatest.
With foldables becoming more mainstream, offering consumers more choices feels like the best option for companies, especially in the U.S., where there are already so few when compared to other regions. So, where Motorola is doing the smart thing by emulating Samsung, Samsung and others need to follow suit and give us more, and not limit us to just one foldable model a year.