Technologies
Motorola’s $1,300 Razr Ultra Adds Luxury to the 2025 Foldable Phone Line
The new three-tier Razr series comes with Motorola’s biggest AI push yet. One of the flip phones even has a wooden back like the old Moto X from a decade ago.
Motorola’s hoping that good things can come in threes for its newly announced Razr 2025 line. Specifically, there are three Razr models, with a $1,300 Ultra edition debuting alongside updated versions of the base $700 Razr and the $1,000 Razr Plus.
I spent a little time with the new Motorola Razr phones, and it was hard to notice their differences side by side. The design tweaks and spec changes between the three are slight. I found it easy to mix up the Plus and Ultra models when they’re folded shut, as they both have a 4-inch cover screen. The base Razr uses a 3.6-inch cover display adorned with a colorful bezel. Unfolded, all three phones look tall because each has an interior screen with a narrow aspect ratio compared to a regular smartphone. The Ultra folds out to an expansive 7-inch display, while the Razr and Razr Plus have slightly smaller 6.9-inch screens.
Motorola’s also using the new Razr line to showcase Moto AI and fashionable materials like Alcantara fabric. The new lineup marks Motorola’s largest push into AI — cleverly named Moto AI. Motorola has partnerships with Perplexity, Meta’s Llama AI, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini.
It’s quite an aggressive push to expand both Motorola’s Razr line and its AI ambitions, but it makes a lot of sense since Apple, Google and Samsung have also expanded their AI plans while releasing flagship phones at different prices. During a press preview event, Motorola noted that 25% of its Razr customers upgraded from an iPhone. Having a third higher-end Razr option should appeal stronger to customers abandoning the iPhone Pro Max. The Razr Ultra could also tempt someone considering the $1,300 Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. While AI features still aren’t the main appeal for customers, the expanded suite of Moto AI tools makes this year’s Razrs more competitive against Apple and Samsung’s AI offerings.
However, the 2025 Motorola Razr line has a noticeable disadvantage against competing foldable phones: they will receive only three years of major software upgrades and four years of security updates. Compared with Google and Samsung’s seven-year commitment to both, it’s about half as long. But with that expectation set, there are a lot of unique design elements to the new Razr line that make it stand out from other phone makers. And that’s worth keeping in mind too.
Motorola’s new Razr line will go on preorder May 7 ahead of a May 15 release date.
Motorola Razr Ultra
The Motorola Razr Ultra is the newest and most powerful member of the family. It has the same Snapdragon 8 Elite chip found in other flagship phones like the OnePlus 13 and Xiaomi 15 Ultra. It also has a wood back option — known as Pantone Mountain Trail. The Razr Ultra is the first Motorola phone to get a wooden back since the Moto X line from a decade ago.
My favorite model, though, is the Pantone Scarab, which is made from velvety black Alcantara fabric — think faux suede or micro suede. The Ultra also comes in magenta-like Pantone Cabaret and Pantone Rio Red.
The phone supports 68-watt wired charging, which is faster than most other flagships, and 30-watt wireless charging. The Ultra also has three 50-megapixel cameras, with a wide and ultrawide lenses on the back and the selfie camera on the interior display.
That 7-inch interior display looks tall and could be a two-handed device for many people when unfolded. The Ultra model I tested did not have an internet connection, but I could easily see how the wider space would be useful for gaming and movie-watching.
On the other hand, the 4-inch cover display feels just right for quick texts and photography. I almost want this smaller display to be a hair taller, as its wider ratio makes it more challenging for viewing content. Both displays have an adaptive refresh rate of up to 165Hz, which makes animations, gameplay play and scrolling social feeds look ridiculously smooth.
The Ultra also has 16GB of memory and comes with either 512GB or 1TB of storage.
Motorola Razr Plus (2025)
Motorola’s Razr Plus gets a smaller revamp compared with last year’s model, and it has many of the same specs from the 2024 version (which earned it a CNET Editor’s Choice award). It has the same Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 processor, 6.9-inch interior screen, 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage. Cameras are also similar. There’s a 50-megapixel wide camera and a 50-megapixel telephoto on the cover display and a 32-megapixel selfie camera on the interior screen.
The Razr Plus gets a few new hardware enhancements that are coming to all three phones. It has a new titanium-reinforced hinge that Motorola says will help its extend its lifespan: 35% more folds than last year’s model. The Razr Plus has IP48 protection for submersion in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. This makes the phone, along with the other 2025 Razr models, one of the only foldables that has some level of dust resistance.
The Plus is available in three colors: Pantone Mocha Mousse, Midnight Blue and Hot Pink.
Motorola Razr (2025)
Motorola’s standard Razr also got a small spec bump compared with last year’s standard Razr. It does move up to MediaTek’s Dimensity 7400X processor, which is slightly newer than the 7300 included in the 2024 model. It also keeps the 3.6-inch 90Hz cover display and the 6.9-inch 120Hz interior screen.
Cameras are also largely similar: a 50-megapixel main camera and a 13-megapixel ultrawide on the cover screen and a 32-megapixel selfie camera on the interior display.
The Razr (2025) comes in four Pantone-branded colors: Spring Bud (green), Gibraltar Sea Blue, Parfait Pink and Lightest Sky (white).
Moto AI
Moto AI debuted last year on the 2024 Razr and Razr Plus. Motorola will partner with several AI companies to significantly upgrade Moto AI in 2025. Moto AI features can be activated with a dedicated button or by looking and speaking directly at the phone.
Motorola says that Moto AI, along with integrated services like Perplexity, Copilot and Gemin, will complement each other. For instance, Perplexity can help with research-based tasks like vacation planning and will partly power Moto AI’s Next Move feature that offers suggestions based on what’s happening on your screen. Llama AI can summarize notifications for Moto’s Catch Me Up. Moto’s Pay Attention and Remember This are meant to help organize notes, audio transcriptions, contextual photos and screenshots. Other general queries can be fielded by either Copilot or Gemini.
Motorola’s own AI will also pitch in for a variety of photography enhancement features. These include Signature Style for customizing the look of your photos as well as a Group Shot feature that can merge multiple photos together to ensure one where no one is blinking.
Motorola’s earbuds get crystals and Bose
Motorola’s fashion-forward ambitions didn’t stop at just the Pantone-colored Razr line. The company also unveiled the Moto Buds Loop open-style earbuds, which include Swarovski crystals along with a Sound by Bose badge. Pricing and availability weren’t announced yet, but the earbuds look like small earrings and hook across the ear. Motorola says that the open style lets in ambient noise (which can be good for staying alert in public places). The buds have a dual-microphone system and AI for voice calls and reducing background noise.
Motorola Razr (2025) specs vs. Motorola Razr Plus (2025), Motorola Razr Ultra
| Motorola Razr (2025) | Motorola Razr Plus (2025) | Motorola Razr Ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cover display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 3.6-inch pOLED; up to 90Hz variable refresh rate | 4-inch pOLED; 1,272 x 1,080 pixels; up to 165Hz variable refresh rate | 4-inch pOLED; up to 165Hz variable refresh rate |
| Internal display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 6.9-inch AMOLED; FHD+; up to 120Hz variable refresh rate | 6.9-inch pOLED; FHD+; 2,640 x 1,080 pixels; up to 165Hz variable refresh rate | 7-inch AMOLED; up to 165Hz variable refresh rate |
| Pixel density | Cover: 413 ppi; Internal: 413 ppi | Cover: 417 ppi; Internal: 413 ppi | Cover: 417 ppi; 464 ppi |
| Dimensions (inches) | Open: 2.91 x 6.74 x 0.29 inches Closed: 2.91 x 3.47 x 0.62 inches | Open: 2.91 x 6.75 x 0.28 inches Closed: 2.91 x 3.47 x 0.6 inches | Open: 2.91 x 6.75 x 0.28 inches Closed: 2.91 x 3.47 x 0.62 inches |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | Open: 73.99 x 171.30 x 7.25mm Closed: 73.99 x 88.08 x 15.85mm | Open: 73.99 x 171.42 x 7.09mm Closed: 73.99 x 88.09 x 15.32mm | Open: 73.99 x 171.48 x 7.19mm Closed: 73.99 x 88.12 x 15.69mm |
| Weight (grams, ounces) | 188g (6.63 oz) | 189g (6.67 oz) | 199g (7 oz) |
| Mobile software | Android 15 | Android 15 | Android 15 |
| Cameras | 50-megapixel (wide), 13-megapixel (ultrawide) | 50-megapixel (wide), 50-megapixel telephoto | 50-megapixel (wide), 50-megapixel (ultrawide) |
| Internal screen camera | 32-megapixel | 32-megapixel | 50-megapixel |
| Video capture | 4K | 4K | 4K |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 7400X | Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| RAM/storage | 8GB + 256GB | 12GB + 256GB | 16GB + 512GB, 1TB |
| Expandable storage | None | None | None |
| Battery | 4500 mAh | 4,000 mAh | 4,700 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | Side | Side | Side |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | None | None | None |
| Special features | IP48 rating, dual stereo speakers, 30-watt wired charging, 15-watt wireless charging, 1,700 nit peak brightness on cover display, 3,000 nit peak brightness on main display, 5G. | IP48 rating, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on front, titanium-reinforced hinge, 2,400 peak brightness on cover display; 3,000 nit peak brightness on main display, 5G, Wi-Fi 6/6E, Wi-Fi 7, 45-watt wired charging, 15-watt wireless charging, 5-watt reverse charging. | IP48 rating, 68-watt wired charging, 30-watt wireless charging, 5-watt reverse charging, dual stereo speakers, Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic cover dispaly, 3,000 nits peak brightness on cover display, 4,500 nits peak brightness on main display, 5G. |
| US price starts at | $700 | $1,000 | $1,300 |
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 15, #888
Here are some hints — and the answers — for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 15, #888.
Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s NYT Connections puzzle includes some tricky words. If you need help sorting them into groups, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.
The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.
Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time
Hints for today’s Connections groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Yum!
Green group hint: Grammar time.
Blue group hint: They win Oscars and Tonys.
Purple group hint: Think DMZ.
Answers for today’s Connections groups
Yellow group: Enhance the taste of.
Green group: Punctuation marks.
Blue group: Kinds of actors.
Purple group: ____ zone.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is enhance the taste of. The four answers are flavor, salt, season and spice.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is punctuation marks. The four answers are colon, dash, period and slash.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is kinds of actors. The four answers are character, film, method and stage.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is ____ zone. The four answers are buffer, comfort, time and twilight.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 15, #418
Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle No. 418 for Saturday, Nov. 15.
Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a fun one. Not really sure what the yellow category has to do with sports, but OK, whatever. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Keeps your head warm.
Green group hint: Nothing but net!
Blue group hint: College signal-callers.
Purple group hint: It’s a bird! It’s a plane!
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Headgear.
Green group: A score in basketball.
Blue group: First names of SEC QBs.
Purple group: Super ____.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is headgear. The four answers are balaclava, cap, hat and visor.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is a score in basketball. The four answers are basket, bucket, field goal and make.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is first names of SEC QBs. The four answers are Arch, Diego, Trinidad and Ty.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is super ____. The four answers are flex, Sonics, speedway and star.
Technologies
Older Pixel Phones Score a Handy New Feature: Call Recording
Google says the feature is also coming to non-Pixel phones, though the specific models are unclear.
There are some times when you need to record a phone call — whether it’s for school or for legal purposes — and Google now offers this to more Pixel users. Google is rolling out call recording to older Pixel phones, and even some non-Pixel phones which use the Google Phone app.
Both Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 phones already include the AI-powered Call Notes function to generate summaries of your conversations. According to Google, the ability to record calls is now coming to Pixel 6 devices and up.
Read more: Best Pixel Phones of 2025
Pixel users with Android 14 software or later, and the latest version of the Google Phone app, can access Call Recording settings by going to Phone > Settings > Call Recording. Users can set up the ability to always record calls, as well as record from certain numbers.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
When in a call, users can press the record button at the bottom of the screen. The other party will then hear a message saying that the call will be recorded. Recordings will be kept indefinitely or you can choose to delete them after seven, 14, or 30 days.
While Google’s support page says the feature is available to non-Pixel phones with Android 9 and up, the feature does appear to be device-dependent. I attempted to use the feature on two recent Samsung Galaxy phones — one with AT&T and one on T-Mobile — and confirmed that the «Call Recording» option doesn’t appear.
A representative for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Apple iPhone users can also record calls.
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