Motorola Razr Fold vs Samsung Galaxy S23+

Motorola Razr Fold

Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 with 16GB RAM — fast for everyday use and surprisingly good in long sessions, but the choice of the non-Elite chip in a $1,899 phone is the headline criticism.

• Motorola stuck Qualcomm's excellent Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 (16GB RAM, 512GB) inside its first full-fold flagship.
• With a phone this expensive it is a bit disappointing Motorola couldn't go all the way with the Elite chip.
• In a 20-minute stress test the Z Fold 7's 8 Elite was ~10% better on the first loop, but the Razr Fold ran better through the 20 minutes and ended ~20% ahead on sustained performance with similar thermals.
• Recording 4K120 for a long time makes the Snapdragon CPU run quite hot, though it cools down fairly fast.
• The non-Elite chip, 243g weight and IP49 dust rating could be causes for concern, even if the experience is smooth.

Samsung Galaxy S23+

The bespoke Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy and 8GB RAM make it indistinguishable from the Ultra for everyday use — much cooler than the Exynos S22+ and still smooth in 2026.

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy at 3.36GHz with 8GB RAM and 256GB UFS 4.0 base — same chip as the Ultra, runs the global market without Exynos split.
• No overheating even with sustained gaming and 4K video editing — a clear improvement on the Exynos S22+'s thermal issues.
• Three years in (2026), the chip 'still handles everything' — app opening, multitasking and games like Apex still smooth.
• Light Mode performance profile clocks down the X3 core slightly to preserve power without noticeably impacting performance — free extra battery life.

Motorola Razr Fold

The standout: the largest battery in the book-foldable space delivering class-leading endurance, plus 80W wired charging — three times faster than the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

• Lasting an impressive 14 hours 31 minutes, the Razr Fold is officially the best notebook-style foldable for battery life (16h10m with refresh-rate optimized).
• The Galaxy Z Fold 7 managed only 10h44m in the same test, with a 4,400mAh battery versus the Razr Fold's 6,000mAh cell.
• I found the battery basically impossible to kill in a single day, even with the Fold's hotspot supplying an entire office internet connection over 12 days.
• It charges at 80W wired — over three times as fast as the Galaxy Z Fold 7's 25W — plus 50W wireless and 5W reverse, with a 90W charger and a case included in the box.
• The 6,000mAh cell is colossal — about 20% larger than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's — though there's also more display to power.
• If you use the camera a lot or run games, the battery does drain quite quickly and you may need an afternoon top-up.

Samsung Galaxy S23+

4,700mAh paired with the efficient chip delivers excellent real-world endurance — owners regularly hit 5-8 hours SOT and full days with 40% to spare. Charging is 45W rated (the standard S23 is only 25W) but caps out at ~1h6m to full and needs the correct PPS cable.

• 4,700mAh battery (up 200mAh from S22+) and 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy give a measured 14h Active Use score and a 111h GSMArena endurance rating — beating the S22+'s 97h.
• Real-world: 5-8 hours of SOT typical, with one owner reporting 12 hours of mixed use (YouTube, gaming, Bluetooth, texting) and still 40% left.
• After 2.5 years, moderate use still gets 2 days of battery — long-term efficiency holds up well.
• 45W wired charging: 21% in 10 min, 39% in 20 min, 55% in 30 min, 79% in 45 min, full in ~1h9m.
• ChargerLAB confirmed: peak charging is ~40W (drops to 33W after 6 min); a PPS-capable charger is needed — without it the rate caps at 27W.

Motorola Razr Fold

At $1,899 it undercuts the Z Fold 7 and is the only premium book foldable many US buyers can actually purchase — value hinges on whether the non-Elite chip and update questions matter to you.

• At $1,899.99 / £1,799.99 it undercuts the Galaxy Z Fold 7 by about $100/£100, and the pre-order Moto Pen Ultra bundle adds real value — the sum of its parts is the best foldable on the market.
• If you're tired of Samsung-only or have no interest in the Pixel Fold, this may be the best folding phone you can get in the US right now — the Oppo Find N6 and Honor Magic V6 aren't available there.
• It could be called a disappointment, especially compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and Honor Magic V5 — it should have offered something more compelling to stand out.
• If Motorola drops the price by even two or three hundred dollars within the first few weeks, this phone suddenly becomes a much stronger contender.
• It competes fairly well with the Oppo Find N6, which is amazing to see.

Samsung Galaxy S23+

Launched at $999, now $400-500 used / refurbished — strong value for the chip + charging combo, but the standard S23 ($799) and the Ultra ($1,199) overshadow it inside Samsung's own lineup.

• Launched at $999 — middle of the S23 lineup; now ~$400-500 used and increasingly seen at refurbished discounts.
• Phone Arena: 'awkward middle child position, failing to stand out in any meaningful way when compared to its siblings while delivering excellent value of its own at these latest discounts'.
• Matthew Moniz: 'Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus Review - The Best Galaxy S23!' — gets the Ultra's chip and 45W charging at $200 less, without the Ultra's bulk.
• Counter: TechOdyssey would recommend 'zero people' buy the S23+ over a Pixel 7 Pro that's hundreds cheaper with similar cameras.
• vs OnePlus 11 ($699 launch with 80W charging): the S23+ wins on software support and the 3x telephoto; OnePlus wins on charging and price.