WIRED has updated its guide to the best Motorola phones 2026, naming the $1,500 Motorola Razr Ultra as the top pick after adding the new Razr lineup, Moto G Stylus 2026 and Motorola Edge 2026 in July.
The guide, based on WIRED’s testing of nearly all current Motorola models, frames the company as a credible third option behind Samsung and Google in Android phones. WIRED says Motorola is among the fastest-growing mobile companies globally and that Razr devices are the most popular folding smartphones in the US.
That does not mean buyers should treat every Moto as a bargain. WIRED’s blunt advice is to avoid paying launch price because Motorola phones often get discounted within weeks or months. Sensible, because MSRP is a tax on impatience.
What are the best Motorola phones in 2026?
WIRED’s top overall recommendation is the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026, a compact flip foldable with a 4-inch external OLED display and a 7-inch internal AMOLED screen. The external display supports widgets for quick information without opening the phone, while the main screen runs at a 165-Hz refresh rate.
The Razr Ultra uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. WIRED says it did not encounter performance problems in apps or games, though it also notes the phone does not change much from the 2025 Razr Ultra on core silicon, memory and storage.
The major upgrade is battery life. The Razr Ultra has a 5,000-mAh silicon-carbon battery, and WIRED says it lasted two full days without trouble, sometimes reaching a third day with average use. For a foldable flip phone, that is the spec sheet doing actual work rather than cosplay.
WIRED also lists the $800 Motorola Razr 2026 as the best cheaper folding phone. It uses a MediaTek chipset, has less expensive materials and weaker cameras than the Ultra, but WIRED says performance was adequate and battery life reached a full day, sometimes two, with light to average use.
Other named picks in the guide include the Moto G Stylus 2026 as the best Moto G phone, the Motorola Razr Fold 2026 as a larger foldable option and the Moto G Power 2026 as the best Motorola phone under $300.
Where Motorola still cuts corners
WIRED praises Motorola’s mostly clean Android interface, broad US carrier support and generous storage. Many models ship with 256 GB as standard, some include microSD card slots, and Moto G phones keep the headphone jack. WIRED says Motorola phones work on T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon, though it recommends buying unlocked models.
The weak points are familiar: updates and cameras. WIRED says Motorola has improved its policy on high-end phones to three Android OS upgrades and five years of bimonthly security updates, while the expensive Razr Fold gets seven years. Most Moto G phones get two Android updates and three years of security updates.
WIRED says Motorola still trails Samsung, Apple and Google on camera quality. The Razr Ultra has Motorola’s best camera system to date, according to the guide, including 50-megapixel main, ultrawide and selfie cameras, but WIRED says it still does not match rivals at the same price.
The buying advice is timing-dependent. WIRED says Moto G phones usually arrive around January, often after December announcements, while Razr foldables arrived in spring. The practical recommendation is less ceremonial: wait for a major sale before buying.
This story draws on original reporting from WIRED.
