Motorola Razr 40 Ultra cover screen fails durability tests like no other

Last updated: July 20th, 2023 at 17:36 UTC+02:00

Motorola’s Razr series appears to have gained some durability ever since the original 2019 foldable flip phone was introduced. But even though Motorola kept honing its foldable device every year to compete with the Galaxy Z Flip series, the new and glitzy Razr 40 Ultra still seems to cut some corners, which can lead to unexpected failures in durability tests.

A JerryRigEverything stress test starring the Razr 40 Ultra, a.k.a. the Razr+, has revealed what seems to be a new weakness in Motorola’s design and engineering. Although the new foldable flip phone has a 7000-series aluminum frame, a stainless steel hinge, and Gorilla Glass Victus protection for the cover screen, the latter component appears prone to fail in a very unexpected way.

Moto Razr 40 Ultra cover screen is its biggest weakness

The durability test video reveals Motorola may have built the Razr 40 Ultra cover screen on a weak foundation. Quite literally. And it’s hard to tell if Motorola never realized its error or was hoping that nobody would notice.

The cover screen, covered in Gorilla Glass Victus, is missing a structural backplate and has a void behind it, particularly around the hinge area. The hinge and foldable display survived the bend test, but the cover screen caved in under pressure. There’s nothing behind the display to keep the glass from breaking if more pressure than usual is applied.

Ironically, the foldable display performed better than the same cover screen that gained so much attention from the media for its sheer size. Quite unfortunate that Motorola appears to have taken some build quality shortcuts, given that the cover screen is more or less the only upgrade the Razr 40 Ultra is supposed to be flaunting against Samsung and its Galaxy Z Flip series.