When the iPhone joined the big screen trend, a lot of people baulked at being sized-out from using future Apple handsets. Apple found a compromise, the 4-inch, mid-range iPhone SE, which stands alone as the small phone for shorter fingers. As the world adjusted to a new, bigger, reality, some small-handed users were left with software tricks to make their phones accessible.
Tiny bags and shallow pockets haven’t fully adjusted either. Having a $1,199 Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra half hanging out of my shorts pocket doesn’t fill me with confidence. I now recommend a cross body bag when I review foldable phones because the only thing more daunting than breaking a $1000 device is cracking a $2000 one. The one, perfect, solution to all of this: clamshell phones.
Specifically, the Motorola Razr Plus (or Razr 40 Ultra), which is perfectly designed for both small hands and small pockets. Not just because it folds in half, but because it has a very functional 3.6-inch second outer display, which gives it an advantage over the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s 1.9-inch notification screen. The Razr is the first phone to properly bring back some of that small display magic.
I have been testing the Razr Plus for the the last two weeks and I am surprised at how much the 3.6-inch second screen has supplanted the main display. Sub four-inch phones are really rare, Apple’s iPhone SE stands alone. The Razr Plus joins it and it comes with a built-in normal sized handset. A true two-in-one.
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To get you up to speed, the second screen allows a selection of full apps that work as they do on the larger display. That includes TikTok, YouTube Music, the camera, most other Google apps, some Motorola software and….Booking.com for some reason. It is limited, but these are core smartphone apps (and Booking.com). What quickly became clear after a couple of days of use is that I spend a lot more time on the second screen than I expected.
Lets take Spotify, for example. On a standard slab-shaped phone I will glance at the lock screen to skip a track when I’m out and about. On the Razr I often search for a new song, switch playlist and use all of Spotify’s functionality without unfolding the device. Yes, it’s a bit cramped but for people who want a smaller phone this is a boon. It is a second way of using the device that doesn’t impact battery life because the screen is smaller, it doesn’t work the hinge and there are fewer accessibility problems.
It is the same with messaging, note taking, maps and phone calls. That second screen almost takes on the role of a smartwatch by providing information at a glance, just in a more detailed way. The placing of the fingerprint reader, inside the power button on the side of the device, helps this. The natural position of your thumb, or index finger if you’re left-handed, sits on the reader, so the phone is unlocked without any additional steps and access to your content is quick.
Elsewhere, like Samsung’s Fold line, the Razr gives your subject previews when taking a picture. Or the phone can hold itself up for a stable selfie. But one way I have used it a lot is propped up like a tent, next to my laptop, while it plays podcasts, music or counts down a timer.
I am a huge fan of bigger, better, faster and stronger – but I have also missed small screens. The increasing complexity of smartphones and their importance in life means a bigger display is necessary. But smaller devices have a place at the tech high table. People who struggle to reach all corners of a display will have some respite with the Razr and I honestly think this is a perfect alternative to the and SE, which compromises on specifications to stay short. That is less the case with the Razr Plus.
Innovation comes at a price
It’s not all rosey. The second screen is first generation technology and that is obvious in some places. Not all apps are available and I have to wonder if Android developers will bother rejigging their software to fit screens on phones that few people use. Users also have to add and remove apps from the second screen app drawer, not all apps are instantly available. It’s not a big issue, but any and all time savings are lost the second you start chopping and changing your app loadout.
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The rest of the phone is good, if a bit unremarkable. The camera has vastly improved over previous Razr generations. But it is easily outgunned by cheaper phones like the Pixel 7 Pro. The Razr’s Android support policy—three years of Android updates and four years of bi-monthly security updates—is less than Samsung’s Flip 4 (four years), Google’s Pixel 7 series (five years) and Apple’s tech, which offers six years of OS support.
Also, the Razr is still expensive at $999. It is a nice phone, but a more technically accomplished device, such as the Pixel 7 Pro, is $100 cheaper. Whereas the iPhone SE starts at $429. They are vastly different devices, but if your primary concern is a more reachable display, an extra $570 is a lot to spend for better ergonomics.
This really is the biggest issue: the price needs to come down. At some point the wow-factor of a folding display wears off and you are left with a different type of hole in your pocket. If more companies join the foldable phone game then that price will eventually become competitive. For now, people with small hands will need to make sure they at least have deep pockets.
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