Motorola has been making headlines for all the right reasons in the past year.
The Motorola Razr brand, previously seen as a doomed attempt to restore its most iconic phone to the mainstream, has now cornered 50% of the foldable market in the US.
Motorola has taken the spotlight away from Samsung with its excellent midrange phones. And apparently, its phones smell pretty good too.
Motorola is arguably the top Android smartphone maker in the world right now. It’s not because of sales (Samsung will hold onto that title for many more years) but because of quality.
It’s all the more fascinating, as a few years ago, the same statement would have met with laughs, not nods of approval.
But while this is great for Motorola’s bottom line, what does it mean for us, the lowly consumer, actually using these phones?
I’ve got a new Motorola phone, and all I can think about is how good it smells
I love the smell of an Android phone in the morning
Motorola is the competitor to Samsung that we needed
Excellent midrange phones are everywhere
I have plenty of friends who couldn’t care whether Apple, Google, or McDonald’s made their phones. All they want is a device that works without breaking the bank.
Historically, I’ve pushed them towards Samsung’s budget range for a brand-new phone, as the Google Pixel A-series has always been a touch too expensive for the wallet-conscious Luddite.
But I was never particularly happy about this situation, as, despite their claim that they couldn’t care less, I think every phone should have a serious alternative.
Motorola has quietly been improving its budget phones over the years, culminating in devices like the Moto G Play 2024 ($150) and the Moto G 2025 ($250) that offer phenomenal value for money.
Admittedly, Motorola is now raising prices on its budget phones, but they’re still impressively affordable and capable of everything you need a modern smartphone to do.
On the other end of the spectrum, Motorola is dominating the foldable market.
The Motorola Razr Fold looks to be the best alternative to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series yet. Yes, there are other excellent foldables, but the Razr Fold could push Samsung to innovate again.
Motorola’s not making flagships, and that’s ok
We don’t need more unnecessarily powerful phones
The one phone that Motorola hasn’t made yet is a true flagship.
Flagships like the Google Pixel 10 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra are the devices that headline each year’s releases, and Motorola is notably lacking in this department. However, I don’t think that’s a problem.
Modern flagships are little more than marketing gimmicks in 2026. We no longer see significant technological advancements with each new phone.
The days of yearly upgrades to stay on top of the latest Android developments are gone. Midrange phones are extraordinarily capable, so paying $1,000+ for a Pro or Ultra name feels like a waste of money.
Motorola is not trying to compete in this area, and that’s a breath of fresh air.
At the time of writing, its most expensive non-foldable smartphone (The Moto Edge 2025) is available for $499 (on sale from $549) and ships with a free Moto Watch and Moto Buds 2 Plus.
Samsung and Google are well established at making top-tier flagships, and competitors like OnePlus offer powerful alternatives.
I do not doubt that Motorola is capable of making a good flagship phone, but it wouldn’t be able to compete. Instead, it’s focusing on creating midrange phones that matter, and it’s not trying to distract us with flashy and overpriced devices.
Motorola still isn’t perfect
The software support situation is getting ridiculous
If there’s one glaring issue that plagues Motorola’s devices, it’s software support.
The Motorola Razr 2025, which is essentially the company’s de facto flagship device, ships with a paltry three years of OS updates and four years of security updates.
When seven years is now the established standard by Google and Samsung, it’s disappointing to see Motorola fail to match.
A modern smartphone should last you at least three years, but ideally longer than that.
Motorola is doing a disservice to its devices and customers by refusing to support its devices for longer. And when its phones are becoming more expensive, it would be nice to receive something substantial in return.
Motorola is the Android manufacturer to keep an eye on this year
The Motorola Razr Fold is the first real test of Motorola’s new image.
A book-style foldable is an entirely different beast from clamshell flip phones, so there’s no guarantee the manufacturer’s expertise in the latter will translate effectively.
Nevertheless, early reviews have pointed out that it should be a serious consideration for anyone lugging around a Galaxy Z Fold 7. It’ll be expensive in the US, but that’s par for the course for foldables.
If Motorola makes it to the end of 2026 with its newly minted reputation intact, I think we can safely say that Motorola is back and ready to provide another serious alternative to Google and Samsung.
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- SoC
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MediaTek Dimensity 7400X
- RAM
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8GB
- Storage
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256GB UFS 2.2
- Battery
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4500mAh
- Ports
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USB-C
- Operating System
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Android 15
Motorola’s most affordable Razr gets a glow-up for 2025. With new colors, a more powerful processor, and all sorts of AI tools, this might be the most exciting $700 folding phone you’ve ever seen.
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- SoC
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Mediatek Dimensity 7400
- RAM
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8GB
- Storage
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256GB
- Battery
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5200 mAh
- Operating System
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Android 15
- Front camera
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50MP
Moto Edge (2025) is the company’s latest Android mid-ranger, packing serious specs like the MediaTek 7400 chipset, a large 5200mAh battery with 68W fast charging, and solid durability with IP68 and IP69 ratings. The Edge 2025 also includes several built-in AI features and boasts a 6.7-inch Super HD pOLED display.
