iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Motorola razr ultra (2026)

Do you want a phone that folds in half? Answer that first. On almost everything else, the spec sheets lean toward the iPhone.

I'd buy the iPhone 18 Pro Max. If a flip is the reason you're shopping, the razr ultra (2026) is Motorola's top one, and I'd still want you to read the water rating and update sections before you order. I haven't used either phone. The iPhone specs come from Apple's spec page, the razr specs and lab numbers from Notebookcheck's review, and the iPhone battery result from Tom's Guide. The picks are mine.

What they cost

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is $1,299Not verifiedNot verified for the base 256GB model (checked November 1, 2026). The razr ultra (2026) is $1,499.99Not verifiedNot verified (checked November 1, 2026). Notebookcheck reviewed the 512 GB version.

Notebookcheck puts the price on the razr's list of cons. Its summary is that this flip brings only small changes over last year's razr ultra. If you own the 2025 model, that alone is a reason to keep it.

Battery

Apple rates the Pro Max at up to 30 hours and doesn't publish a capacity in mAh. Notebookcheck lists the razr at 5,000 mAh.

In Tom's Guide's battery test, the iPhone 18 Pro Max lasted 18 hours 27 minutes, up from 17 hours 54 minutes for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Notebookcheck's Wi-Fi browsing test got 16 hours 14 minutes out of the razr, 28 hours 46 minutes idle and 5 hours 9 minutes under load at maximum brightness.

Two labs, two different tests. I read the gap of about 2 hours as a lean toward the iPhone, not a head-to-head result.

Charging

The razr takes 68W wired and 30W wireless, per Notebookcheck, and can push 5W to another device over a cable. Notebookcheck didn't time a full charge, only noting that it charges quickly.

Apple publishes a time: up to 50% in around 15 minutes with a 60W-capable adapter or higher. MagSafe wireless charging tops out at 25W. Motorola wins on watts. Without a timed run for the razr, that's all it wins on paper.

Size, weight and screens

Unfolded, the razr's screen is 6.96 inches, 2992 x 1224, at 165 Hz, per Notebookcheck. The iPhone's OLED is 6.9 inches. Close enough to call it a tie on paper.

The razr weighs 199 g. The iPhone weighs 249 g, 50 g more. If that weight puts you off but you want an iPhone, Apple lists the iPhone 18 Pro at 211 g with a 6.3-inch screen.

The razr also has a 4.0-inch cover screen for checking things without opening it. Notebookcheck measured 1,436 nits peak on the main screen and 1,002 nits on the cover screen.

Water rating

This is the razr's dumbest problem. It's IP48. The iPhone is IP68.

Spend your days around a pool or a toddler with a cup? I'd take the iPhone.

Cameras

Apple lists a 48MP Fusion main camera with a variable aperture (ƒ/1.48, ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.8 and ƒ/4.0), plus 8x optical-quality zoom in, 2x optical zoom out and a 16x optical-quality zoom range.

Motorola's US product page shows menus and no spec text, which is a bold way to sell a phone. If photos are why you're upgrading, the iPhone is the one with numbers behind it.

Chips, memory and updates

The iPhone runs Apple's A20 Pro, and Apple doesn't list its RAM. Storage goes 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB.

The razr has a Snapdragon 8 Elite, 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of UFS 4.0 storage, per Notebookcheck.

Updates bother me more. Notebookcheck says the razr's security updates are scheduled until February 2030. It also points out that the EU's EPREL database lists 6 years of update availability, and that Motorola doesn't read that as a promise of current updates. Notebookcheck counts the uncertain update situation as a con, and I agree with it. Apple's spec page gives no update period at all.

Who should buy which

Buy the iPhone 18 Pro Max if you want the longer measured battery run, IP68 and a camera with a published zoom range. That covers most people.

Buy the razr ultra (2026) if you want a flip on Android, a 4-inch cover screen and 30W wireless charging in a 199 g phone. Notebookcheck scored it 85%. Motorola announced it in late April 2026, opened pre-orders on May 14 and started shipping on May 21, according to TechRadar and Notebookcheck.

Every other phone I cover is in phones.