My favourite Razr Extremely (2025) characteristic 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), nevertheless it’s by no means felt like their design has a really helpful objective. Certain, it is nice that they fold up and change into smaller, making them simpler to slip right into a pocket in comparison with an ordinary 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 digital camera is able to snapping some really cool, very handy photographs of myself.

Past that, the Razr Extremely (2025) options stable build-quality, a superb array of top-tier cameras, a foldable show crease I can barely see and really feel, and a sturdy titanium hinge, making it an plain blast to snap the telephone shut. This 12 months, Motorola’s flagship additionally comes geared up 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 enjoying one specific pre-installed recreation (Marble Mayhem is improbable and feels prefer it was designed for the Razr).

Nonetheless, in contrast to book-style foldables just like the Galaxy Z Fold 7, clamshell foldables do not supply a much bigger, tablet-like display screen once they’re open. Actually, they’ll typically 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 practically each manner, Motorola’s newest flagship clamshell is an absolute unit throughout the board, however my favourite characteristic has really 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 stable all-around clamshell foldable because of 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 putting it in a triangle place or by opening it and pointing its inside display screen in direction of you (I choose the tent angle). The setting to show this characteristic on is underneath Settings > Exterior Show and both Sleep Show or Desk Show. It could sound a bit foolish, however I’ve grown to essentially respect this characteristic over the previous few weeks.

After I’m at my desk, the surprisingly expansive 3.6-inch 90Hz display screen 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 might be custom-made in enjoyable methods, too). After I need to use the duvet display screen to examine a notification, I simply faucet the show to gentle it up with the brilliant inexperienced background I set, and I am routinely logged in because of the magic facial recognition.

At one level, I assumed possibly the duvet display screen could be good for trying out the climate, however so far as I can inform, I can not get it to vary to Celsius from Fahrenheit. 

I can then faucet on notifications and shortly scroll via them. If I see one which I would like 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 really opening the Razr Extremely (2025) and utilizing its inner display screen.

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 screen Panels and apps work for me

I have never discovered any extra but, although

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

The expertise is not good, although. Typically facial recognition would not work, and I am compelled to place in my PIN, which may get irritating, particularly for those who’re making an attempt simply shortly to examine a notification. I’ve additionally discovered that opening apps on the duvet display screen that are not official panels could be a cumbersome, irritating course of that does not really feel price 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 screen, and I am trying ahead to uncovering extra methods to make it work for me.

This gadget was offered to Pocket-lint by Motorola.