I have had a lot of different phones over the years. I’ve tried Android and Apple and even had a Windows phone when that was a thing. I had settled back into iOS and for the last few years I was happy with my iPhone but after seeing a friends foldable, I decided to make the switch.
Ryan Hartman has one of the new Samsung Folds and while I was at the office a few weeks ago I got my hands on it. I wasn’t a fan of the form factor (folding like a book) but I was very impressed with the screen tech. I did some research and decided to buy the Razr+ as I preferred the old flip phone design.
I’ve had the phone for about a week now and I love it but I’m also worried about it in a way I never was about my iPhone.
It’s an incredibly cool piece of technology that feels straight out of the future. The interior screen is gorgeous without any real noticeable crease while looking straight at it. You can certainly “feel” the hinge along the center of the screen when touching it and it’s a bit disconcerting at first. The foldling motion is smooth and satisfying. I have to say I forgot how great it feels to open a phone to answer it and close the phone to hang up. This physical interaction is probably my favorite thing about the Razr+. You can even skin it like the old Razr flip phone if you want to be super retro.
The front screen is sharp and covers the entire front of the phone when folded. You can run pretty much all your apps here if you want to. So far I’ve found it useful for texting, emails and even reading reddit or my Kindle app. Folded up the Razr reminds me of the old Nintendo SP but slimmer. Between open or folded, it’s sort of like having two different devices and I like it alot.
I tried a couple case options for the Razr but wasn’t a fan of any of them. Aside from feeling bulky they kept the phone from being able to charge wirelessly which is a feature I wanted to take advantage of. The phone itself is built well and feels solid enough but I can’t shake the feeling that folding and unfolding it is causing some detrimental stress to the device. There is a very soft sound that accompanies each fold that reminds me of the sound my knees make when I get up after sitting too long. The phone works great and this could all be in my head because it’s still so new. I suppose only time will tell how well the Razr+ holds up to continual everyday use.
I love having a device that feels so futuristic and I understand that reliability issues come hand in hand with trying out new tech. My iPhone might have felt indestructible, but it also felt boring. I’m loving the versatility and functionality of the Razr+, I just hope I don’t drop it.
-Gabe out
