Foldable smartphones for gaming – Compromise or advantage?

Motorola is deliberately positioning its Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 (Razr 70 Ultra) (approximately US$ 1,500 on amazon.com), equipped with the 2024 Snapdragon 8 Elite, between the latest top-of-the-line hardware and proven performance. Given the complex hinge mechanism, there likely isn’t much budget available for a state-of-the-art processor, despite the premium price.

Heat during actual use

Motorola has made improvements to this model: The Snapdragon 8 Elite no longer generates quite as high of a case temperature in our tests.

This improvement became necessary after we provided critical feedback regarding the temperatures of previous generations during intensive use. Cooler operation means more stable power and a more comfortable feel during extended use.

Performance stability is also significantly better in the 3DMark stress tests.

Storage space vs. speed

The phone offers 16 GB of RAM to meet current multitasking demands. Additionally, 512 GB of storage is available for apps, photos, and media.

This combination allows for comfortable work and gaming without having to frequently clear storage space. For the typical user, this capacity should be sufficient for several years.

Gaming at 165 Hz?

Both screens support up to 165 Hz, which would ensure lightning-fast response times in games. This can be particularly crucial for action games played against other people.

However, most games only support 60 Hz or, at most, 90 Hz, and even on the phone itself, it’s difficult to find a mode to manually activate the highest refresh rate.

When gaming, most titles run very smoothly—even more demanding ones like Genshin Impact—and are easy to control.

Conclusion on performance

If you prioritize absolute top-tier performance, there are currently more affordable alternatives without a foldable feature. The Razr 70 Ultra excels with stable everyday performance and good thermal management rather than record-breaking benchmarks.

Further technical details and comparative measurements can be found in the detailed original review on Notebookcheck.