Foldable smartphones are the biggest innovation of 2019 alongside 5G. Several companies tried to develop a foldable phone, but only three of them were able to launch a finished product in the market. And just two of them are mainstream brands: Samsung and Huawei which came up with the Galaxy Fold and the Mate X. A few hours ago, even Motorola announced a new foldable phone: it is the new Motorola Razr 2019 and it is a revisited version of the iconic clamshell phone Motorola Razr which made the success of the company during the age of feature phones. Here, we compared the new Motorola Razr 2019 with the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X since they are currently the only smartphones with foldable displays released by mainstream companies.
Motorola Razr vs Samsung Galaxy Fold vs Huawei Mate X
| Samsung Galaxy Fold | Huawei Mate X | Motorola Razr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 160.9 x 117.9 x 6.9 mm, 263 g | 161.3 x 78.3 x 11 mm, 295 g | 172 x 72 x 6.9 mm, 205 g |
| DISPLAY | 7.3 inches, 1536 x 2152p (Quad HD+), Dynamic AMOLED External display 4.6 inches, 720 x 1680 pixels, Super AMOLED |
Folded: 6.6 inches, 1148 x 2480p (Quad HD+), OLED Unfolded: 8 inches, 2200 x 2480p (Quad HD+), OLED |
6.2 inches, 876 x 2142p (HD+), AMOLED |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.84 GHz | Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 980, octa-core 2.6 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 710, octa-core 2.2 GHz |
| MEMORY | 12 GB RAM, 512 GB | 8 GB RAM, 512 GB – Nano Memory card slot | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie | Android 9 Pie, EMUI | Android 9 Pie |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS |
| CAMERA | Triple 12 + 12 + 16 MP, f/1.5-2.4, f/2.4 and f/2.2 Dual 10 + 8 MP, f/2.2 and f/1.9 front camera + cover camera 10 MP f/2.2 |
Triple 40 + 8 + 16 MP, f/1.8, f/2.4 and f/2.2 | 16 MP f/1.7 5 MP f/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 4380 mAh, fast charging 15W and fast wireless charging 15W | 4500 mAh, fast charging with SuperCharge 55W | 2510 mAh, fast charging 15W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Stereo speakers, reverse wireless charging | Hybrid Dual SIM slot | eSIM |
Design
In terms of compactness, Motorola Razr 2019 has the most interesting form factor. Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X, it is not a smartphone that becomes a tablet. It is a clamshell phone with a foldable display and the panel we are talking about has a similar size as classic smartphone displays. This means that when you fold it, you get a really small device. Motorola Razr 2019 also comes with an external display you can use to do the important tasks such as checking notifications, answering calls, sending messages and change the settings. Samsung Galaxy Fold has a design that folds internally, with a smaller smartphone-like external display and a big internal display transforming it into a tablet. Huawei Mate X has the foldable display externally so that when it is folded there are two external displays belonging to the same panel.
Display
The most stunning panel is the foldable internal display of the Samsung Galaxy Fold since it shows better colors and it delivers a richer image quality thanks to the HDR10+ technology. However, there is to note that Huawei Mate X has a bigger 8-inch display which splits into two external displays above 6 inches while it is folded. When the Samsung Galaxy Fold is folded you can not use its internal display but you can only use a small 4.6-inch external one with an HD+ resolution. Both the displays of the Motorola Razr 2019 are OLED but their quality is inferior to the Samsung Galaxy Fold. Further, it does not turn into a table but it goes from being a small clamshell phone to a classic smartphone.
Hardware/Software
The Samsung Galaxy Fold wins the hardware comparison since it has both a better chipset and the best memory configuration. Both Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X feature 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal storage, but the Samsung Galaxy Fold has a more powerful Snapdragon 855 chipset, while Huawei Mate X mounts a Kirin 980 SoC which is still a flagship-class chipset but less powerful. Motorola Razr 2019 is just a midrange device since it mounts a Snapdragon 710 chipset, as well as an inferior 6/128 GB memory configuration. Note that Motorola Razr does not support a SIM Card but it relies on eSIM. On the other hand, both Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X have a 5G variant.
Camera
Even when it comes to cameras, Motorola Razr 2019 is a bit disappointing, it just has one rear camera, the sensor is nice, but nothing special. The most interesting is the Samsung Galaxy Fold as it features several sensors on both the front and rear sides, and it clicks amazing photos. If we only consider normal photos, Huawei Mate X is more or less at the same level with a 40 MP quad camera which can also be used to click selfies.
Battery
The battery life mostly depends on the usage with foldable smartphones. Both Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X have a huge battery with more than 4000 mAh. Huawei Mate X’s battery is slightly bigger, but if you only use the external display of the Samsung Galaxy Fold it lasts more since it is a more efficient panel. Huawei Mate X features a very fast charging technology: it goes from 0 to 85 percent in just 30 minutes. Motorola Razr 2019 has a pretty small 2510 mAh battery, so it loses this comparison.
Price
The real best foldable phone battle is between the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X and there is not a clear winner: the former has better performance but a form factor that is not for everyone, while the second may be more comfortable for a lot of users, as polls proved. Overall, Motorola Razr 2019 is better for people who want to save for money and get the most compact phones, but not for advanced users. Samsung Galaxy Fold costs about €2086/$2300 globally, Huawei Mate X has a €2150/$2370 price tag, and Motorola Razr 2019 will debut in the U.S. with a €1360/$1500 price.
Motorola Razr vs Samsung Galaxy Fold vs Huawei Mate X: PRO and CONS
Huawei Mate X
PROS
- External foldable display
- Great connectivity
- Big battery
- Good cameras
CONS
- Expensive
Motorola Razr
PROS
- Compact clamshell design
- More affordable
- Splashproof
- Useful external display
CONS
- Midrange specifications
Samsung Galaxy Fold
PROS
- Very nice display
- Compact external display
- Stereo speakers
- Reverse wireless charging
- High performance
CONS
- Price
