My favourite Razr Extremely (2025) function is one I did not see coming

I’ve at all times thought clamshell foldable smartphones are cool (there’s simply one thing satisfying about snapping them shut), however it’s by no means felt like their design has a really helpful function. Certain, it is nice that they fold up and turn into smaller, making them simpler to slip right into a pocket in comparison with a normal smartphone. I’ve additionally loved leaving Motorola’s Razr Ultra (2025) open to look at YouTube movies whereas doing the dishes, and although I am not a selfie particular person, the front-facing digicam is able to snapping some really cool, very handy photographs of myself.

Past that, the Razr Extremely (2025) options strong build-quality, a wonderful array of top-tier cameras, a foldable show crease I can barely see and really feel, and a sturdy titanium hinge, making it an simple blast to snap the telephone shut. This yr, Motorola’s flagship additionally comes outfitted with Qualcomm’s highly effective Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, giving it loads of energy. I’ve even discovered its outer show to be helpful for shortly checking notifications (extra on this later) and taking part in one explicit pre-installed sport (Marble Mayhem is implausible and feels prefer it was designed for the Razr).

Nonetheless, not like book-style foldables just like the Galaxy Z Fold 7, clamshell foldables do not provide an even bigger, tablet-like display once they’re open. Actually, they will usually really feel downright awkward when unfolded, given their tall measurement and weighty higher half. With this in thoughts, over the previous few weeks I’ve spent with the Razr Extremely (2025), I’ve tried to discover a option to match the foldable’s distinctive design into my life.

In almost each approach, Motorola’s newest flagship clamshell is an absolute unit throughout the board, however my favourite function has truly shocked me.

Model

Motorola

SoC

Snapdragon 8 Elite

Show

7-inch foldable OLED (165Hz, 2992 x 1224 pixel decision), 4-inch exterior (165Hz, 1272 x 1080 pixel decision)

RAM

16GB

The Motorola Razr Extremely (2025) is a strong all-around clamshell foldable due to its sturdy design, Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, and expansive cowl show. 

It is doubles as a flexible, very costly desktop clock

This retains me plugged into notifications, with out diving too deeply into the telephone

Together with being my major telephone, I have been utilizing the Razr Extremely (2025) as a desk-side clock and notification machine. You are able to do this by opening the Razr Extremely (2025) and inserting it in a triangle place or by opening it and pointing its inside display in direction of you (I want the tent angle). The setting to show this function on is underneath Settings > Exterior Show and both Sleep Show or Desk Show. It might sound a bit foolish, however I’ve grown to actually respect this function over the previous few weeks.

Once I’m at my desk, the surprisingly expansive 3.6-inch 90Hz display is in its blacked-out, always-on mode the place it shows the present time and an array of notification symbols throughout the underside (how the time seems could be custom-made in enjoyable methods, too). Once I need to use the quilt display to verify a notification, I simply faucet the show to mild it up with the brilliant inexperienced background I set, and I am routinely logged in due to the magic facial recognition.

At one level, I assumed possibly the quilt display could be good for testing the climate, however so far as I can inform, I can not get it to alter to Celsius from Fahrenheit. 

I can then faucet on notifications and shortly scroll by means of them. If I see one which I want to reply to, I press on it and open the telephone. This permits me to simply hold tabs on my rising mountain of notifications with out getting distracted by the siren name of scrolling Instagram or TikTok as a result of I am not truly opening the Razr Extremely (2025) and utilizing its inside display.

I’ve additionally began checking my every day schedule with the surprisingly helpful Google Calendar Panel that is accessible by swiping proper after unlocking the telephone. This has given me a targeted option to hold tabs on what conferences I’ve arising all through the day.

I am trying ahead to determining if different cowl display Panels and apps work for me

I have not discovered any extra but, although

Shortly glancing on the Razr Extremely (2025)’s show has turn into my go-to option to keep on prime of notifications.

The expertise is not excellent, although. Generally facial recognition would not work, and I am pressured to place in my PIN, which may get irritating, particularly should you’re making an attempt simply shortly to verify a notification. I’ve additionally discovered that opening apps on the quilt display that are not official panels generally is a cumbersome, irritating course of that does not really feel value it.

For instance, Gmail and Google Maps really feel cramped, and I shortly discovered myself opening the Razr Extremely (2025) to make use of the apps on the inside show.

It is like a really costly sandwich.

Nonetheless, it has been enjoyable to mess around with the foldable smartphone’s cowl display, and I am trying ahead to uncovering extra methods to make it work for me.

This gadget was supplied to Pocket-lint by Motorola.