What you need to know

• Motorola has confirmed 50+ devices for the stable Android 17 update.
• Newer Razr and Edge models are expected to receive Android 17 before older devices.
• Several Moto G models, including the G Stylus 2026, G Power 2026, G87, G86, G77, G67, G57, G47, and G37, are eligible.

Motorola has just announced a massive list of more than 50 devices that will be getting the stable Android 17 update, and the rollout has already started. But before you start clicking the "Check for updates" button, you need to know who gets it first and who’s stuck waiting.

The stable rollout has already begun with the Motorola Edge 2025, with newer premium devices like the Razr 70 series and Edge 70 lineup likely to be given priority, as per the company's announcement on its Spanish website. Motorola says the update will roll out gradually to other eligible models in the coming weeks and months.

Interestingly, this rollout has been in the works for months. Motorola’s Android 17 beta program started just days after Google released Android 17 Beta 1 in February, putting it ahead of a few rival Android brands. This was notable as Motorola was still working on rolling out Android 16, with some eligible phones still waiting months for the last big update.

The confirmed Android 17 roster is a massive one. It includes the Motorola Signature and a long list of Razr models, as follows:

• Motorola Razr 70 Ultra
• Motorola Razr 70 Plus
• Motorola Razr 70
• Motorola Razr Ultra 2026
• Motorola Razr+ 2026
• Motorola Razr 2026
• Motorola Razr Fold 2026
• Motorola Razr Fold 2025
• Motorola Razr 60 Ultra
• Motorola Razr 60s
• Motorola Razr 60d
• Motorola Razr 60
• Motorola Razr Ultra 2025
• Motorola Razr+ 2025
• Motorola Razr 2025
• Motorola Razr 50 Ultra
• Motorola Razr+ 2024

The Edge series also gets the same treatment, covering the Edge 70 family, Edge 2026, Edge 2025, Edge 60 series, and Edge 50 Ultra.

• Motorola Edge 2026
• Motorola Edge 70 Pro+
• Motorola Edge 70 Pro
• Motorola Edge 70 Max
• Motorola Edge 70 Neo
• Motorola Edge 70 Plus
• Motorola Edge 70 Fusion+
• Motorola Edge 70 Fusion
• Motorola Edge 70
• Motorola Edge 2025
• Motorola Edge 60 Stylus
• Motorola Edge 60 Pro
• Motorola Edge 60 Fusion
• Motorola Edge 60
• Motorola Edge 50 Ultra
• Motorola Edge 60

Even the cheaper Moto G phones from Motorola aren’t being left behind. The list also includes:

• Moto G Stylus 2026
• Moto G Power 2026
• Moto G Play 2026
• Moto G 2026
• Moto G 2025
• Moto G Power 2025
• Moto G Stylus 2025
• Moto G Max
• Moto G87
• Moto G86
• Moto G86 Power
• Moto G77
• Moto G77 Power
• Moto G67
• Moto G57
• Moto G57 Power
• Moto G47
• Moto G37
• Moto G37 Power

Motorola’s Android 17-based HelloUI update introduces Live Updates in a Dynamic Island style, the Qira Moto AI assistant, lock-screen customization options, resizable Quick Settings tiles, refreshed haptics, tinted icons, and a redesigned volume panel.

Remember, rollouts will differ by region and carrier. If your Motorola is on the list, you should eventually see the update pop up under Settings > System > System updates.

Qualcomm is making major strides in mobile processing by introducing custom Oryon cores in a smartphone processor. Now, the generational improvements have made their way across Qualcomm's chip portfolio — even to processors that don't bear the "Elite" branding.

This makes it tricky to compare the performance capabilities across smartphone models and chip generations. For instance, Motorola's new Razr Ultra 2026 is powered by the last-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. By comparison, the Razr Fold runs on a newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 mobile platform, just the non-Elite version.

I wanted to see whether an older Elite chip or a newer "base" chip offered better performance, so I put the Razr Ultra 2026 and the Razr Fold through a six-text benchmark gauntlet. The results weren't what I expected.

How I tested the Razr flagships

I put the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 and the Motorola Razr Fold through a series of six tests, each designed to gauge a specific aspect of device performance. To test CPU performance, which affects how snappy your device feels when opening apps and during basic use, I used both Geekbench 6 and Geekbench 7. For on-device AI testing, I ran Geekbench AI and its TensorFlow Lite framework. To see how the phones handled gaming and graphics-based tests, I ran 3DMark's Wild Life Extreme benchmark and stress test.

I ran each benchmark test three times, starting the next run immediately after the first one finished. This provides a clean average of the results that is more representative of real-world performance than a single run. Running the benchmark trials in quick succession hints at how the Razr Ultra 2026 and the Motorola Razr Fold handle sustained loads, and whether the phones experience major thermal throttling.

After completing three runs of each benchmark test, I allowed the phones to cool down before beginning the next test. This ensures the strain of former tests isn't impacting the performance of a current test.

CPU and AI benchmark performance

The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip inside the Razr Ultra 2026 features two prime CPU cores that can be clocked up to 4.32GHz, plus six more performance CPU cores that can reach 3.53GHz. Meanwhile, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip inside the Razr Fold is built on newer Oryon Gen 3 prime CPU cores, but they are only clocked at up to 3.8GHz. The processor's six performance CPU cores can hit up to 3.32GHz.

So, the older Elite chip offers higher clock speeds, and the base Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip has newer prime cores. Since the two chips have the same number of prime and performance CPU cores, the Razr Ultra 2026 and the Razr Fold's benchmark results should be in the same ballpark. Let's see how they turned out.

In Geekbench 6, the older Snapdragon 8 Elite chip consistently beat the newer base Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor by a few hundred points in single-core CPU performance. The Razr Fold averaged a 2,593 single-core score, whereas the Razr Ultra 2026 averaged a 2,791 single-core score. This kind of performance is what makes your phone feel fast when opening apps, loading webpages, or navigating the UI. Despite the Razr Ultra 2026's older chip and constrained form factor, the Elite processor still wins here.

As for multi-core performance, the Razr Fold manages to pull more out of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5's eight CPU cores. The newer, base chip's best benchmark run resulted in a multi-core score of 8,809, and an average of 8,559. The Razr Ultra 2026 was notably behind, putting up an 8,268 multi-core score. Essentially, this means the Razr Fold's non-Elite chip will be better for multitasking and parallel workloads than the Razr Ultra 2026's older Elite chip — at least as configured here.

In terms of performance trends, each phone unsurprisingly posted its best result on the first try. However, the three CPU tests didn't cause either phone to noticeably throttle. The results for the second and third trials weren't too far off what we saw in the first run.

Geekbench 6 is widely used for smartphone comparisons and chip benchmarking, but Geekbench 7 is here. This updated test offers "both new and improved workloads to measure the performance of your CPUs and GPUs." In other words, it's better built to test how phones and chips will handle the demanding AI and media workflows used in 2026.

The results painted a different picture. While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip in the Razr Fold was better at multi-core performance in the Geekbench 6 test, the opposite was true using the Geekbench 7 benchmark. The older Snapdragon 8 Elite processor in the Razr Ultra 2026 posted multi-core scores as much as over 1,000 points higher than the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip in the Razr Fold.

Single-core performance was about the same across the two phones and chips. The shift in multi-core performance does beg the question: Is the older Elite chip actually better-positioned for modern multitasking?

If you care about on-device AI performance, it seems having a newer chip is more important than having an "Elite" one. The base Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 averaged a Geekbench AI quantized score of 3,932, whereas the Snapdragon 8 Elite was further behind with an average score of 3,245.

GPU benchmark performance

Perhaps the most surprising part of this test was seeing the difference in GPU performance between the two Motorola flagships. I used 3D Mark's Wild Life Extreme, a 4K UHD gaming benchmark, to push each phone and processor to its limits in a one-minute test. The results were clear: the older Elite chip in the Razr Ultra 2026 is better for gaming and graphics-heavy tasks.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite processor in the Razr Ultra 2026 averaged 32.36 frames per second across the three minute-long trials. Meanwhile, the Razr Fold could only muster a 25.04 average FPS. The final scores showed the same result: the Razr Ultra 2026 averaged a 5,404 overall score, while the Razr Fold averaged a 4,181 overall score. I should note that I ran every test on the Razr Fold's cover display, so the foldable wasn't being penalized for having a larger internal screen.

Keen-eyed readers will notice that the Razr Ultra 2026's graphics performance really started to tail off in the third trial. Frame rates dipped under 30FPS, and the overall score was nearly 1,000 points lower than the first trial. This is a sign of thermal throttling, and it's a foreshadowing of what happened in our final test.

Before that, though, we have the Geekbench 7 GPU benchmark results. Oddly, each phone performed at its worst in the first trial run. Performance stabilized in the second and third runs, which is the opposite of what we're used to seeing. The Razr Fold had the highest-scoring trial, but the Razr Ultra 2026 finished with a higher average score.

Stress test results

My final test was 3DMark's Wild Life Extreme stress test. It's one of my favorite tests to run on phones, because it's excellent at showing how they will perform under sustained heavy loads.

Specifically, the Wild Life Extreme stress test forces phones to render high-resolution 4K UHD game visuals for 20 minutes. Rather than providing a single score at the end, the stress test shows how performance and temperature changed over time throughout the 20-minute test.

I planned to make a big chart showing how the Razr Fold and Razr Ultra 2026 performed under heavy loads, but I couldn't. That's because the Razr Ultra 2026 couldn't finish the stress test without overheating, and it didn't even come close.

Just a few minutes into each stress test attempt, the Razr Ultra 2026 overheated and force-stopped the Wild Life Extreme stress test. This is certainly a bad result, and it's a sign that the Elite chip might be a tad bit too powerful for the small form factor of a clamshell foldable.

The Razr Fold and its Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip did complete the stress test with 56.5% stability. This isn't the best I've seen, but it isn't the worst either. The phone's highest stress test loop score was 4,946, and the lowest was 2,801, so there's a lot of fluctuation. It does thermal throttle, but hey, it finished.

The stress test results (or lack thereof) show why we can't just stop at classic benchmarks when evaluating phones and chips. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip in the Razr Ultra 2026 is better in benchmarks, but the stress test failure proves you'll never be able to maximize it in sustained loads.

Verdict

Overall, it's clear that whether a phone has an Elite chip or not shouldn't factor highly into your purchasing decision. It's true that the older Snapdragon 8 Elite chip did outperform the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chips on a few occasions. However, the newer design of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 helped it come out ahead in on-device AI performance. If anything, the takeaway here is that a base Snapdragon chip is better than an Elite chip that runs too hot for your phone to handle.

What you need to know

• Leaked renders suggest Motorola is preparing a premium Moto Watch Ultra to rival Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra.
• The Moto Watch Ultra is rumored to feature a 46mm stainless steel case with a rotating crown and LTE support.
• The smartwatch is also expected to offer built-in GPS, Wi-Fi, IP68 protection, and 5ATM water resistance.
• It's still unclear whether the Moto Watch Ultra will run Wear OS or Motorola's own smartwatch platform.

Motorola could be cooking up a proper Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra competitor.

Samsung launched the Galaxy Watch Ultra back in 2024 as its answer to the Apple Watch Ultra. Since then, the smartwatch has received a couple of meaningful upgrades and has established itself as one of the best premium Android smartwatches you can buy. Now, though, it looks like Samsung could soon have another competitor on its hands.

As revealed by The Mac Observer, the Moto Watch Ultra has leaked in a series of renders, giving us our first look at Motorola's upcoming flagship smartwatch.

From the leaked images, the Moto Watch Ultra looks very much like an upgraded version of the Moto Watch (2026), but with a much more premium design. It features a large circular display surrounded by a numbered bezel, similar to what we've seen on Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra.

The watch is also expected to feature a 46mm stainless steel case, giving it a noticeably more premium finish than Motorola's current smartwatch lineup. You can also spot a rotating crown on the side alongside an additional hardware button.

Similar to Samsung's flagship smartwatch, the Moto Watch Ultra is expected to offer LTE connectivity, built-in GPS, and Wi-Fi. The leaked specifications also point to an IP68 rating along with 5ATM water resistance.

The renders show the watch paired with a black leather-style strap featuring red stitching, although Motorola will likely offer additional color options at launch.

One big question still remains, though. Motorola moved away from Wear OS earlier this year, and it's currently unclear whether the Moto Watch Ultra will return to Google's smartwatch platform or continue using the non-Wear OS software.

Personally, though, I think launching a direct Galaxy Watch Ultra competitor without Wear OS would be a risky move, especially if Motorola plans to position it in the premium smartwatch segment.

What you need to know

• Motorola is allegedly preparing another Swarovski crystal edition phone, and it looks like the Razr 2026 is being fitted.
• The device is highlighted with a deep black colorway with shimmering crystals, diverging from Moto's previous white variants.
• The Razr 2025 had its crystal edition debut in August last year, and there's a chance this could happen again.

Motorola's latest flip foldable, the Razr 2026, finds itself in leaks late this week that claim it's getting the Swarovski crystals treatment.

The folks at The Mac Observer pointed this out to us, highlighting a few alleged renders of a Moto Razr 2026 rocking a set of Swarovski crystals. Typically, Motorola's collaboration with Swarovski delivers a quilted design, studded with clear crystals. This will reportedly continue with the Razr 2026; however, there's a change: the special edition's gone dark.

The Razr 2026 could feature a black quilted back panel covered with crystals. The bar right above the phone's cover display is said to feature three crystals, while the rear panel offers 31. Everything else about the phone is rumored to remain the same, which would be the norm for this Moto x Swarovski collaboration. The Razr 2026 features a 6.9-inch Extreme AMOLED internal screen and a 3.6-inch cover display.

The publication surprises with more, offering a glimpse into the box's contents. Rumors claim Moto's Swarovski collaboration will include the Razr 2026, a clear phone case, a USB-C cable, and a 33W adapter. Nothing's been pinned down about a release date, but we have last year's to look back on.

Shine bright

Motorola has even created a Swarovski Edition variant of the Edge 70. The design language remains the same: a quilted back, studded with crystals. One major difference is that this collaboration is usually done in white. Now, as we've seen alleged for the Razr 2026, Moto's changing it up to black. For history's sake, the Razr 2025 had its Crystal Edition debut in August last year. Again, this was in a PANTONE Ice Melt color.

Swarovski and Motorola announced the phone together, stating consumers would find "35 precisely hand-positioned Swarovski crystals, including a larger one with 26 facets on the hinge." Paired with this brilliant phone was a premium crossbody case. The rumors for the Razr 2026 don't mention a crossbody case, only the clear case and other items inside the box. If Motorola is doing anything extra, perhaps we'll hear about it soon.