Motorola Razr 40 Ultra may miss out on this useful Galaxy Flip 4 feature

Motorola Razr 2022 review Huawei P50 Pocket Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 unfolded
The Razr 2022 between the Huawei P50 Pocket and Galaxy Z Flip 4 (Image credit: Future / Alex Walker-Todd)

Motorola is expected to debut the Motorola Razr 40 and Razr 40 Ultra in the first week of June, and a new leak reveals something that could be lacking compared to the market-leading Galaxy Z Flip 4. According to the report, the Razr 40 Ultra may lack IP68 water and dust resistance, offering more modest IP52 splash resistance instead.

The report comes from tipster Snoopy Tech, citing a leaked official Motorola spec sheet. According to the sheet, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra will be IP52 rated. An IP52 rating means that the device is protected from limited dust ingress and splash damage but can’t be submerged – typically found on some of the best cheap phones. In short, the new Razr’s water resistance falls short of what is now its predecessor’s rival. This gels with a retail listing which went up prematurely in May, listing the Razr 40 Ultra as not being waterproof.

Motorola is expected to launch its new Razrs at a June 1 event, but the company’s partners have already spoiled the reveal, with early retail listings and even billboards in some parts of Europe.

Missing or irrelevant?

An IP68 rating is standard on the vast majority of the best smartphones, whether from Apple, Samsung, and even Motorola’s own Edge 40 Pro sports this level of certification. This qualifies as substantial protection against dust and means the phone can be considered water resistant (testing in up to a meter of fresh water for up to 30 minutes). However, when it comes to foldables, it’s not yet the norm. Foldables have a lot more moving parts than conventional smartphones, so water and dust proofing is naturally harder. Our breakdown on ‘what is an IP rating’ should offer more insight.

For those looking for a robust Motorola experience, the obvious solution would be to buy the Motorola Edge 40 or Edge 40 Pro, both of which are rated IP68, as already mentioned. For those who want foldables specifically, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 remains the standard bearer for the clamshell form factor at this time. While there’s no denying water resistance is a useful feature, it’s hard to argue it can be a significant sales factor. Unless Motorola is targeting its new Razrs specifically at swimmers, we suspect that these foldables will stand and fall on more prominent metrics, like pricing.

Michael Allison
Staff Writer, Phones

A UK-based tech journalist for TechRadar, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a primary focus on mobile phones, tablets, and wearables.


When not writing on TechRadar, I can often be found reading fiction, writing for fun, or working out.