Let us take you back to the year 2000. Maybelline's Dream Matte Mousse was flying off the shelves and statement necklaces with ostentatious owl motifs were more coveted than a Tiffany’s diamond. Boys wore t-shirts with V-necks deeper than Marianna’s Trench, and the only news that mattered pertained to top friends on Myspace.
You reach for your Motorola Razr which is clipped precariously onto the pocket of your skinny jeans, though you struggle to do so without a wrist full of saucy silicone bracelets and Livestrong bands getting in the way. Unlike Kelly Rowland in the Dilemma music video, you know not to check for texts on Microsoft Excel – either way, your crush still hasn’t hit you back.
Of the multiple symbols that have come to define the early Y2K zeitgeist, the one that stands out the most is the Motorola phone. First launched in 2004, the Razr quickly became the coolest technological accessory money could buy – second only to the Sidekick.
Yet even though the Razr served as the introduction to Motorola for the vast majority of consumers, the American-born company has a surprisingly storied history dating all the way back to its inception in 1928. Over forty years ago in 1977, Voyager 1’s photographs of Saturn were transmitted to Earth via Motorola communications equipment. In 2001, the Timeport 7382i was the first cellular phone to offer GPRS, which meant that users could access the World Wide Web at all times.
From producing a pen-sized pager in 1982 and the world’s lightest mobile phone in 1992, the launch and subsequent popularity of the iconic Razr flip-phone was just another success for Motorola to add to their growing list of achievements. Likewise, it wasn’t the only popular Moto phone on the market, though it certainly had the most airtime.
The classic Motorola V60, which came before the Razr in 2001, was the phone used by our favourite characters in shows like The OC and One Tree Hill. The Moto SLVR of early 2005 was a sleek and sophisticated candy bar phone beloved by the masses, while the Moto Q Business Phone served as a popular alternative for the iconic Blackberry in the 2010s.
Since being bought out by Lenovo in 2014 for $6.91 billion, Motorola phones have become even more advanced. Embracing nostalgia with a modern edge and the demand for smartphones above all else, a spanking new Motorola might just be the piece of tech you never knew you needed.
We’ve rounded up a selection of the best Motorola phones on the market. Shop our top picks below.
Motorola Razr 50 Ultra
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The Razr 50 Ultra is equipped with impressive IPXA underwater protection which allows the use of the touch screen even when the phone is wet. The hinge on this foldable phone is extra small which provides a creaseless internal display, even when you’ve had your phone in standing ‘flex view’ for a while.
Thanks to the fact that the outside of the phone is made from smooth vegan leather and the glass is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, you can be sure that your expensive piece of tech won’t smash and splinter if dropped.
The ‘camcorder’ mode offers anachronistic brilliance. When you shake the Razr 50 it immediately enters camera mode. Then, when you fold the device and hold it like a traditional, old-school camcorder, the device provides a countdown before starting video recording. I loved how this meant I’d never again have to struggle with understanding whether my phone was actually capturing video or not, meaning I’d never miss a moment.
The Razr 50 Ultra is also powered by Moto and Gemini AI. The former works to improve the content-capturing experience through features including photo enhancement and adaptive stabilisation, while the latter functions as a kind of built-in Chat GPT to help users with everyday tasks and queries.
Buy now £746.25, John Lewis
Motorola Razr 40 Ultra - 256 GB, Infinite black
As much as we’d love to offer you an easy-to-buy, brand-new Motorola V3, they simply don’t exist beyond the realms of eBay and second-hand sellers. Nevertheless, Motorola has continued to impress the world with top-notch flip phones, with their most recent smartphone model intriguing flip-fanatics everywhere.
The Razr 40 Ultra features a whopping 3.5-inch cover screen which stretches across the entire phone, moulding perfectly around the dual cameras. This opens up into a 6.9-inch OLED display screen, which – paired with Dolby Atmos speakers – ensures the brightest of colours and an eye-wateringly HD experience.
Plus, for the gamers among us, the Razr 40 Ultra is powered by. Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Processor and functions with a 165Hz refresh rate. This means that you’ll get the smoothest interaction with your favourite mobile games.
Buy now £749.00, Amazon
Motorola Edge 30 Ultra Smartphone, Android, 12GB RAM, 6.67”, 5G, SIM Free, 256GB, Interstellar Black
Of all the Motorola Edge models – the newer 40 included – the Edge 30 is by far the best version. Striking the perfect balance between cutting-edge features and decent battery life, perhaps the most impressive element of this smartphone is the 200ML lens, which allows you to capture 8K and 4K video as well as photos.
The next-gen 8+ processor is powered by Snapdragon and enhanced through AI to deliver even faster speeds and image processing powers than ever before, while the 155Hx refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling at lightning speeds. The Edge 30 additionally supports TurboPower charging for when the battery eventually begins to run low, charging at an impressive 125W.
Buy now £680.00, Amazon
Motorola Moto G32 - 64 GB, Satin Silver
Another long-lasting option equipped with a 5000mAh battery, the Moto G32 is our top pick of the G family Motorola phones due to its fantastically affordable price. Featuring a mighty Snapdragon 680 processor, a 50 MP triple camera system and stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support – there’s not much this sub £100 phone can’t do.
What’s more, rather than battling with the ever-confusing iCloud monthly storage plan, you can add up to 1TB of extra storage to your Moto G32 with the help of a microSD memory card.
Buy now £157.33, Amazon
Motorola Moto G9 Play
The colourful Moto G9 Play is a brilliant budget-friendly phone with an even better battery life. It is worth noting though: to come equipped with two days' worth of battery, the display power of this phone is nowhere near the level of the Razr 40 Ultra or Motorola Edge 30.
This makes the G9 a great smartphone alternative for older members of the population looking for a touchscreen phone which is a little bit easier on the eyes. Equipped with 4G and a 48MP triple camera system for capturing memories, the G9 is further supported by AI-enabled performance.
Buy now £149.99, Amazon
Motorola ThinkPhone 256GB 5G SIM Free Smartphone
All the modern trappings of a smartphone - touch screen, great design, fast refresh rate - paired with a high volume level make this a great option for our list. It's high on calls as well as while listening to music, the radio and podcasts. It has a decent battery life too, which means you won’t have to constantly keep charging it.
Was: £899.99
Buy now £599.99, Amazon
Verdict
For an unbeatable combination of early 2000s nostalgia and cutting-edge technology, look no further than the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra.
