Flipping from an iPhone to Razr was a mind warp. Going from a flat to a flip phone is one thing; relearning Android after living with iOS is another. But certain things about the Razr’s hardware unexpectedly carpet-bombed my brain, and they underscore a huge reason why I’ve always liked Android phones.
Unlocked and loaded
I had been locked into Apple’s ecosystem and intended to stick with it. So while Moto’s flip-phone was a beautifully tempting orange, it was also an Android – a non-starter. But surprise! After receiving the Razr for my birthday in October, I simply jumped into using it to discover first-hand what it can do. I hadn’t researched it before, and the most I knew was A) it had an awesome orange design and B) reviews were very favorable of it. But its specs and feature-set were unknown to me.
The Razr easily exceeded my expectations (or lack thereof). As I set up and mined the phone’s settings, fitting it into my daily routine, I was truly surprised and delighted. As if the beautiful vibrant color and the flip-ability weren’t enough, I began to realize the Razr had ALL the features I was missing in an iPhone. Suddenly, here they were – wrapped in flippin’ orange!
Many more things
The Razr’s hardware features re-opened my eyes to Android phones that are not talked about within the echo chamber of Apple’s garden walls. These “flagship” features are often exclusive to higher-priced Plus, Pro, or Max iPhones. I had missed out on these (thanks, frugal budget) when I had previously just gone from a iPhone 12 mini to a 12 Pro:
Macro lens (iPhone 13 Pro)
“Promotion” display (iPhone 13 Pro)
All-day battery (iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Plus)
Always-On display (iPhone 14 Pro)
USB-C port (iPhone 15)
8GB RAM (iPhone 15 Pro)
AI (iPhone 15 Pro)
6.9” display (iPhone 16 Pro Max)
These cool features were out of my thrifty reach; I couldn’t compromise my budget. Yet now they’re all in my Razr, which was on sale – new, not refurbished – for only $450. And added to that same price are unique standout features:
It’s a flip phone, doubling as a “mini” phone with its large cover display (that also has a high-refresh rate)
It’s radiantly orange
It omits a display notch
Incredible. Is there a catch? Well:
To use an Android phone is to give your personal data to Google, risking some privacy and security. But how bad is that really? And isn’t Apple a giant, corporate, for-profit, capitalistic entity just like Google?
I must be a “green bubble” in iMessage. But now RCS works across iPhone and Android; it’s really no big deal.
The Razr won’t be supported as long as an iPhone (years of software updates). But that’s not necessarily a deal-breaker.
There’s the switching-cost. But that’s manageable.
There’s a risk in relying on an app or service from Google, known to sometimes kill them off. But there’s advance notice, decent alternatives, and Google’s core apps are likely to endure (heck, even Blogger hasn’t been killed…)
The Razr’s MSRP is $700, which reduces its feature-set value. But even when not $450, it’s often on sale for well under the list price.
More for less
I love finally having all these nice, practical touches. The large, expandable keyboard and all-day battery totally resolved my iPhone 12 mini issues for sure. Better still, it’s not a fluke. If you check phone reviews and sales online, you’ll find that Androids generally feature more hardware for less money than iPhones. For example, the Moto G Power:
5,000mAh battery (talk about all-day charge and then some)
120Hz high-refresh screen (albeit LCD not OLED)
microSD card slot to expand storage (something no iPhone has ever had)
3.5mm headphone jack (something iPhones had)
8GB of RAM
All that for just $300, new and unlocked. No kidding. Heck, sometimes it’s on sale for just $200!
That said, check reviews to gauge performance of the CPU and quality of the camera system. Those likely won’t be as high-caliber as on an iPhone, but given the more wallet-friendly price tag and your needs, they may be good enough.
If you want more quality or reliability and trust the Samsung brand, then your budget might like to explore the Samsung Galaxy A series. The A15 is often $200 or less and packs a surprisingly good set of features like the Moto G Power. It’s kind of remarkable.
Finally, for the most stock Android experience without spending a flagship-fortune, the Google Pixel 8A looks like a great option too. Its price tag is $500 but I think it dips lower on sale sometimes.
The point
I was happily stuck – at least content to be stuck – with Apple‘s iPhones for years. They’re great, reliable devices, no doubt. But given my frugal budget and gadget enthusiasm, I love how Android phones (...and Chromebooks…) bring tech and thrift together, typically offering more for less.
Bonus: I can buy new Android phones for around the same cost of old refurbished iPhones and avoid the risk of losing the refurb-lottery like I did in September.
I’ve only been using my new flip phone for a few weeks, so maybe I’ll stumble on some gross issues soon enough. Maybe I’ll hit a brick wall, realizing what I miss from the iPhone (though I still have and use it for certain Apple things). The novelty will wear off in time.
That said, my gorgeous Moto Razr 2024 birthday present flipped my eyelids wide open to what I’ve known but had ignored or forgotten. What a gift.
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