So you want to buy a flip phone. Let's look at your two best options

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Flip phones are probably the most interesting types of smartphones on the market right now. Traditional smartphones look remarkably similar — if not a little bigger — than that first generation of iPhone Steve Jobs unveiled back in 2007.

Of course, when you consider that before the iPhone, the hottest mobile phone was the flippable Moto RAZR, then the issue of interesting design becomes a little more convoluted.

Let’s just agree that most phones are pretty boring to look at, but at least you can do occupy your hands with a flip phone.

As luck would have it, both Motorola and Samsung sent me their new flip phones recently, and I was able to test them side by side. I have full reviews for both the Galaxy Z Flip6 and the RAZR 50 Ultra, but if you’re debating which one to get, here are some of the key things I noticed while reviewing them.

The external screen isn’t just for selfies

Probably the number one reason I would pick the Motorola over the Samsung every day of the week is the external screen.

Sure, the Moto looks a little weird as it wraps around the camera lenses, but at four inches you can do stuff with it.

Samsung’s 3.4-inch screen looks like a manila folder, with a tab missing where the cameras are.

That’s fine — I don’t think it’s necessarily about the size here. But Samsung’s external display is limited to taking selfies, scrolling through widgets, and some minor messaging capabilities.

Motorola, on the other hand, can let you tackle a whole heap of apps. I scrolled through LinkedIn, wasted far too much time on TikTok, and browsed BTTR all on the Moto’s external display.

That additional functionality is so important. Sure, not everything works well on the smaller screen. But why even bother having that external display if you can’t use it?

Zoom or Ultra-wide?

Both the Motorola and Samsung have a 50MP main camera array. The RAZR 50 Ultra has an f/1.7 aperture, while the Flip6 offers f/1.8.

For most people, that main camera is effectively the same. We could argue about the minute specs, but the truth is that both take good pictures about the same size, and same focal length. 

It’s the other camera on these phones that you need to think about.

Motorola has packed in a 50 MP f/2.0 2x optical zoom telephoto lens. 2x is pretty minor when it comes to zoom lenses on smartphones, but it’s also a pretty minor camera bump, on a literal folding phone, so I’ll let that slide.

Samsung, meanwhile, opted to go the other way with a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle lens. Not that there’s anything wrong with a 12MP sensor, but that is, I believe, the same as the Flip 5’s ultra-wide lens.

It’s important to note that the camera options are limited on the external screen for both phones. You can’t control the zoom level while shooting from the external screen on the RAZR, for example.

Still, from my testing, I think the telephoto is a better option. I do think this is probably very subjective, though, so consider the types of photos you want to take before you decide.

More power to you 

Both of these phones are new, so it would be shocking if they didn’t perform well. But give it a few years of adding more powerful apps, a few software updates and maybe a few accidental drops, and the processing power difference will start to show.

With this in mind, Motorola’s decision to use the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform rather than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the Flip6 seems like a mistake. 

I might be old-fashioned, but I believe flagship phones should have flagship processors. 

And the difference when it comes to benchmark scores is notable:

I think if you intend to replace your phone in a couple of years, the Motorola will be fine. But if you intend to keep it for longer, that slower processor may come back to haunt you down the line.

The OS software promise

A big thing to look at when choosing an Android phone these days is the software promise. Or to be a bit clearer: how many core OS updates can you expect before you need to get a new phone?

Historically, that number has been hidden or not communicated, but we’re seeing a real push recently to not only share the information, but celebrate it.

Samsung loves promising years of software updates. The Galaxy Z Flip6 will get seven OS updates, taking it all the way through to Android version 21.

Motorola, meanwhile, is limiting its software promise to just three years, though it will throw in a fourth year of security updates. 

That means you’ll get over double the number of software updates with the Samsung. Though there’s no guarantee that the Flip6 will be singing sweetly when you load up Android 21 in seven years’ time.

What about price?

I try not to focus too much on price when reviewing phones because everyone has a different relationship with money.

But I do like to consider value.

These two phones are pretty similar. Each has strengths over the other.

From an RRP standpoint, this is what you can expect to pay for these two phones:

• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6: $1,799
• Motorola RAZR 50 Ultra: $1,699

Now, I’d argue that current features and performance are probably more important than things like the software promise. Motorola’s external screen functionality is a huge usability boon over the Samsung.

So when you see the RAZR priced $100 cheaper than Samsung’s offerings, it becomes, in my opinion, the obvious choice.

Obviously, you should prioritise your considerations when deciding. If you have a Galaxy Watch Ultra, then the Flip6 makes a lot more sense, for example.

But in a direct head to head, I’d pick the Motorola over the Samsung this year. The Flip6 is a really good phone, but the RAZR 50 Ultra is a great one.