Huawei’s response to the Moto Razr Ultra 2025 makes me question who’s correct.

      If you're in the market for a clamshell folding phone, the latest models generally share a similar design. They feature a sizable front display that functions like a compact phone and unfold to reveal a large screen with the same aspect ratio as leading smartphones.

      Motorola has introduced its latest flagship flip phone, the Razr Ultra 2025, which boasts a significant battery, quick charging, and an impressive Cover Display experience.

      Globally, while some earlier designs had smaller front screens and triple camera arrangements, most flip phones follow a similar pattern. An exception is the new Huawei Pura X, which alters the aspect ratio of both displays to accommodate better cameras and other flagship specifications.

      I’m a fan of the new Motorola Razr Ultra 2025, but after experiencing the Huawei Pura X, I'm starting to think Huawei may have a compelling alternative. Here’s why.

      Key distinctions between the Razr Ultra 2025 and Huawei Pura X

      Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

      The Razr Ultra 2025 is equipped with a 4-inch Cover Display shielded by Gorilla Glass Ceramic, boasting a 165Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The front is primarily taken up by the Cover Display, which seamlessly integrates with the dual camera setup for a comprehensive display experience.

      When unfolded, the Razr Ultra 2025 reveals a 7-inch display with the same features, but it achieves a higher peak brightness of 4,500 nits. The Cover Display has an almost square aspect ratio, whereas the main display features a 22:9 aspect ratio, which is taller and narrower compared to most conventional smartphones that typically have a 19:9 aspect ratio.

      Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

      Conversely, the Huawei Pura X opts for a different strategy. Its Cover Display measures 3.5 inches and is nearly square, similar to the Razr Ultra, but unfolding it offers something truly unique. The 6.3-inch display is smaller than the Razr Ultra 2025 and has a 16:10 aspect ratio, which is a first for smartphones and is usually found in tablets.

      Huawei’s Cover Display is independent of its cameras, enabling it to incorporate a quad-camera setup. The camera performance is certainly superior to that of the Razr Ultra 2025, raising the question of which company is doing it right.

      How the Razr Ultra 2025 excels

      Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

      The Razr Plus 2024 was last year’s best flip phone for various reasons, primarily due to Motorola’s innovative approach to the front screen. It was designed to be the best compact phone, and after almost a year of use, I found that I relied on the front display as much as the main display.

      The Razr Ultra continues to build on this concept, enhancing brightness, adding an AI key to easily launch Google Gemini on the front screen (a first for flip phones), and introducing additional software features tailored to maximize the utility of the front screen.

      Britta O’Boyle / Digital Trends

      The Razr Ultra 2025 includes two cameras, featuring a 50MP ultrawide camera alongside a 50MP main camera that utilizes in-sensor cropping for a 2x optical zoom. The Cover Display is also optimized for light gaming, with several games specifically designed for use on the front screen.

      How the Pura X also excels

      Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

      Huawei’s choice to adopt a tablet-style aspect ratio for its main display makes the Pura X one of the most unique flip phones available. While most flip phones aim to downsize smartphones, the Pura X focuses on condensing a tablet experience into a more compact form.

      The Huawei Pura X operates on the in-house HarmonyOS, which is sleek, fluid, and combines elements from both iOS and Android. After installing Google Play Services, which takes about 10-15 minutes, users can enjoy a seamless experience that integrates the best features of popular folding phones.

      Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

      The Square Cover Display provides several shortcuts to key applications, and swiping up grants access to the complete phone interface, including all your apps. It offers the feel of a 7-inch tablet experience shrunk down to half the size; that’s the Huawei Pura X Cover Display.

      Two distinct perspectives on what defines a flip phone

      Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

      Both companies merit recognition for creating flip phones that offer distinct differences. The Razr Ultra 2025 continues Motorola’s trend of advancing the capabilities of the flip phone Cover Display. Notably, Motorola has developed software experiences specifically to enhance the effectiveness of the cover display.

      On the other hand, Huawei has taken a divergent approach with interesting outcomes. Unlike its competitors, Huawei opted for a tablet-like experience, and it functions remarkably