Technologies

Motorola’s 2026 Razr Ultra Needs These Features to Win Me Over

Last year’s Razr Ultra was a strong foldable pick, but there are ways to make that $1,300 phone more enticing.

Foldable phones may be niche, but Motorola’s Razr lineup stands out as a leader in the category. With fun colors, varied textures and that satisfying flip-phone snap, clamshell phones are a popular choice for people looking to get away from more predictable mobile designs. It’s likely we’ll see the next generation of Razr phones later this month, hopefully with some key upgrades that could help the devices stand out even more.

The Razr Ultra is Motorola’s most premium clamshell offering. Last year’s model had a 4-inch cover display and a 7-inch internal display, two 50-megapixel rear cameras (as well as a 50-megapixel selfie camera) and a generous 4,700-mAh battery. As CNET’s Patrick Holland put it, the 2025 Ultra was also «flipping expensive,» at $1,300. But those first-rate features make it a worthy rival to Samsung’s $1,100 Galaxy Z Flip 7, another popular choice in the foldable phones space.

Motorola is doubling down on foldables with the imminent release of its first book-style phone, the Razr Fold. With a sleek design and an impressive 6,000-mAh battery, it’s likely to give Samsung a run for its money in another foldable sector as comparisons with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 inevitably pour in. The Razr Fold is slated to launch in North America this summer.

In the meantime, we’ll likely learn more about the 2026 Razr Ultra as the anticipated springtime release date looms. That gives me some time to dream up what I’d like to see Motorola add to its premium flip phone to make it an even stronger contender in an increasingly competitive space.

A lower price would be great

Phones are expensive, and foldable phones are even more so — which is why many people avoid getting one in the first place.

The 2025 Razr Ultra’s $1,300 price is prohibitive, even if it is a great phone that comes with an impressive 512GB of storage. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 isn’t much better at $1,100 for 256GB of storage, but that still shaves off several hundred dollars. (Motorola has now discounted last year’s Razr Ultra to $800, presumably as it clears stock ahead of upcoming releases.)

It would be great if Motorola made the Razr Ultra’s pricing a little more competitive not only against the Z Flip 7, but compared to other premium slab phones. That might entice more people to dip their toe into foldable waters if they’re on the fence. Yes, there are more affordable options such as the 2025 baseline Razr and the Razr Plus, but the Razr Ultra being priced the same as Samsung’s top-of-the-line S26 Ultra powerhouse is hard to justify.

As phones become more advanced, they’re also getting pricier — and that’s without a RAM shortage that threatens to hike prices as well. The Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus start at $100 more than last year’s, though the baseline model now comes with a higher 256GB base storage level. I hope Motorola steers clear from finding reasons to up the cost of its phones, too.

More years of software and security updates, please

Part of why the Razr Ultra’s $1,300 price tag was so hard to swallow last year is that the phone only comes with three years of software updates and four years of security updates. Compare that to the Galaxy Z Flip 7’s seven years of software and security updates and it’s hard not to feel a little shortchanged with the Razr Ultra.

Most premium Android phones, foldable or otherwise, come with seven years of support. In fact, even Motorola’s upcoming Razr Fold will have that extended support timeline. It’s time the clamshell Razr phones hop on the bandwagon. That’s especially true for the ultra-pricey Razr Ultra.

Bring back the thin design of the OG Razr

OK, this one’s a bit of a pipe dream, but with the thin phone craze gripping the mobile industry, it’s not totally impossible. What made the original, non-smartphone Razr stand out most was its sleekness, and it would be great to see the Razr Ultra adopt a similarly thin design.

Samsung only slimmed down its book-style Galaxy Z Fold 7 last year, but I’d like to think clamshell phones such as the Z Flip 7 and Motorola Razr will someday experience a similar evolution. It may not happen this year, but I’d be thrilled if it did. Notably, Motorola released the Edge 70 in international markets last year to compete with other thin phones including the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and Apple iPhone Air, so it’s possible that general blueprint could show up in future clamshell Razr phones.

I’m not getting my hopes up, though. OnLeaks and XpertPick reportedly got access to CAD renders of this year’s Razr Ultra, which looks to be slightly thicker than last year’s phone. While the 2025 Razr Ultra was around 15.7mm thick folded and 7.2mm thick unfolded, the renders suggest the upcoming phone could measure 15.8mm folded and 7.8mm unfolded — a difference people would admittedly hardly notice. But that’s still not the direction I’d ideally like to see.

The slightly larger dimensions could be the result of more camera hardware or a larger battery. Those would be welcome updates, so a thicker phone isn’t so bad a tradeoff. But it would be great if we could have it all: improved battery life, more powerful cameras and a thinner phone. I’ll keep dreaming until it (hopefully) comes true.

Technologies

Apple Reportedly Plans to Send Siri Engineers to AI Coding Bootcamp

The move comes just weeks before the company is expected to unveil a new Siri.

Apple plans to send dozens of Siri engineers to a multiweek AI coding bootcamp, The Information reported Wednesday. The move comes less than two months before the company is widely expected to unveil a new Siri experience as part of a broader AI reboot.

A group of fewer than 200 engineers will be sent to the bootcamp, leaving approximately 60 members of the core Siri development team behind to continue working on Siri, while another 60 will evaluate Siri’s performance, according to The Information. The outlet also reported that AI has grown in popularity in some Apple divisions, prompting some teams within the company to allocate large parts of their budgets to Claude Code.

Apple representatives didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Siri, once a pioneer, has lagged behind its rivals in voice assistants. Apple had planned to roll out a smarter, AI-driven Siri in 2025 as part of its Apple Intelligence initiative, but executives delayed the launch until spring 2026, admitting the early version wasn’t reliable enough to ship.

For Apple, the move would mark another attempt to reset expectations around its AI strategy after repeated delays to its more advanced Siri ambitions. The news also comes as John Giannandrea, Apple’s former AI chief, is reportedly leaving the company this week after stepping down from that role in December.

The new Siri experience is expected to be introduced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8 and would arrive as part of iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and MacOS 27 later this year, according to a Bloomberg report in March. The report says Apple is testing out a new Siri that would make the assistant feel more like a standalone AI chatbot — think ChatGPT or Claude — rather than the current built-in tool.

Technologies

Google Will Pay $135M to Android Phone Owners. Learn Who’s Eligible and How to Get Paid

If you used an Android phone with cell service in the last nine years, you could be eligible for compensation.

For years, Google has been accused of harvesting data from Android phones without users’ consent. A California lawsuit was settled for $314 million last year, and another class action lawsuit recently reached a resolution that could mean payouts for another 100 million people.

While not admitting fault, Google reached a preliminary settlement in the class action lawsuit Taylor v. Google LLC in January, agreeing to pay $135 million, and the official settlement website for the lawsuit is now live.

The final approval hearing won’t occur until June 23, when the court will hear objections and consider whether Google’s settlement is fair. After that, the court will decide whether to approve the $135 million settlement.

In the meantime, if you qualify and want to be paid as part of the settlement, you can select your preferred payment method on the official website. There, you can find information on speaking at the June 23 court hearing and on how to exclude yourself or write to the court to object by May 29.

As part of the settlement, Google will update its Google Play terms of service to clarify that certain data transfers do occur passively even when you’re not using your Android device, and that cellular data may be relied upon when not connected to Wi-Fi. This can’t always be disabled, but users will be asked to consent to it when setting up their device.

Google will also fully stop collecting data when its «allow background data usage» option is toggled off.

Who can be part of the Google data settlement?

In order to join the Taylor v. Google LLC settlement, you must meet four qualifications:

Be a living, individual human being in the US.
Have used an Android mobile device with a cellular data plan.
Have used the aforementioned device at any time from Nov. 12, 2017, to the date when the settlement receives final approval.
You’re not a class member in the Csupo v. Google LLC lawsuit, which is similar but specifically for California residents.

The final approval hearing is on June 23, so you can add your payment method until then. The hearing’s date and time may change, and any updates will be posted on the settlement website.

If you choose to do nothing, you will still be issued a settlement payment, but you may not receive it if you don’t select a payment method.

How much could I get paid by Google?

It’s not currently known exactly how much each settlement class member will receive, but the cap is $100. Payments will be distributed after final court approval and after any appeals are resolved.

After all administrative, tax and attorney costs are paid, the settlement administrator will attempt to pay each member an equal amount. If any funds remain after payments are sent, and it’s economically feasible, they will be redistributed to members who were previously and successfully paid. If it’s not economically feasible, the funds will go to an organization approved by the court.

Technologies

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, Squirrel With a Gun and More Are Coming to PlayStation Plus in April

Some other games might be fun, but Squirrel With a Gun has my full attention.

Sometimes when I play a game, I want a deep story that makes me feel connected to the characters. Other times, I want a nonsensical romp that allows me to shut my brain off and laugh for a minute. Squirrel with a Gun seems to be that kind of game. And good news, PlayStation Plus subscribers can play that game and others starting on April 21.

PlayStation Plus is Sony’s version of Xbox Game Pass, offering subscribers a large and constantly expanding library of games. PlayStation Plus has three tiers — Essential ($10 a month), Extra ($15 a month) and Premium ($18 a month) — which each give subscribers access to games. But only Extra and Premium tier subscribers can access the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, while Essential subscribers can access only the monthly games.

Here are all the games Sony is adding to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog in April. You can also check out the games all PS Plus subscribers can play until May 4.

Squirrel With a Gun

What more do I need to say about this game? You’re a squirrel, and you have a gun, making you potentially the most American woodland critter behind a bald eagle. After escaping a secret facility, you’re on the hunt for some acorns while you try to evade and defeat the Agents in this sandbox puzzle platformer game. You’ll find out how far our furry friend is willing to go to get their nut — acorns are nuts, get your mind out of the gutter.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered

Huge robotic dinosaur-looking machines are the dominant force in this award-winning action roleplaying game. You play as Aloy, a huntress who was cast out of the mountain-dwelling Nora tribe. In your search for answers about your past, you’ll encounter machine and human enemies, beautiful landscapes and a plan to reclaim the land once and for all.

Monster Train

Hell has frozen over, the celestial forces of heaven are coming to extinguish the last burning pyre, and it’s up to you to stop them. Monster Train is a unique roguelike deck builder that adds a twist by spreading your playing field out to three vertical areas. With over 250 cards to use and six different monster clans to call on, you’ll have plenty of ways to ward off your enemies and take back your home.