The new Razr 70 doesn't exactly redefine the familiar Razr design language. On the contrary, the phone basically looks identical to its predecessor. So much so, in fact, that the two appear to be a match down to the mm size-wise and also weigh exactly the same. In fact, cases and other accessories are most likely interchangeable between the two generations.
While the overall design might be the same, thanks to its long-standing Pantone partnership, Motorola is never one to miss an opportunity to play around with a new color palette. The phone is available in Hematite, Sporting Green, Bright White and Rose color options.
Color options
Our Sporting Green review unit has an eco-leather back, but looking at the official product photos, that doesn't seem to be the case with all of the color options. We certainly appreciate and like the texture. It feels quite rugged and almost rubbery to the touch. It also doesn't seem to gather too much dust or fingerprints.
Speaking of materials, the rest of the back side is covered in Gorilla Glass (generation unknown). Last year's Razr 60 got Gorilla Glass Victus, but unfortunately, this year, Motorola does not specify the exact variant. The middle frame is made of aluminum, presumably the same 6000 series as last year, though again, we don't have specific details. One thing that has seen an upgrade is the hinge, which is now made of titanium instead of stainless steel. The front bezels, surrounding the foldable display and keeping it in place, are still plastic, though.
The Razr 70 feels very well constructed with practically no flex to the chassis or hollowness to the back. Just like last year, the Razr 70 has an IP48 official ingress protection. That means it can survive up to 30 minutes in up to 1.5 meters of fresh water, and there is some dust protection. Though you can't expect much from a clamshell with its hinge mechanism. This year, Motorola has also gone through the extra effort to get MIL-STD-810H compliance for the phone.
There is nothing particularly weird or odd about the control layout. Well, perhaps, other than the fact that the power button and volume rocker are positioned quite high on the frame, since Motorola clearly wanted both to end up in a reasonable spot when the phone is closed as well.
The power button has a built-in capacitive fingerprint reader. It is both snappy and reliable, so we have no complaints with it.
The left side of the frame is mostly empty, except for the SIM tray. There are a couple of holes in the top frame, but both are small. The earpiece above the display actually acts as a second speaker, and you don't get a top-facing sound outlet. The bottom has the main speaker, a couple of microphones and the Type-C port.
Besides the front-facing earpiece/speaker, which is sort of integrated inside the display bezel, there are no actual visible sensors up front. Everything is nicely hidden away underneath the foldable panel.
If we have to be totally objective here, not only are the display bezels plastic, but they are also quite big. The Razr 70 has an 84.9% screen-to-body ratio.
On a more positive note, we still enjoy the particular aesthetics of the cover display and how it wraps around the cameras. It definitely gives the Razr line its signature look.