Unlike traditional computing that uses binary bits, quantum computing uses quantum bits or ‘qubits’, enabling simultaneous processing of vast amounts of data, potentially solving complex problems much faster than conventional computers.
In a major step forward for quantum computing, Microsoft and Quantinuum have unveiled the most reliable logical qubits to date, boasting an error rate 800 times lower than physical qubits.
This groundbreaking achievement involved running over 14,000 individual experiments without a single error, which could make quantum computing a viable technology for various industries.
Azure Quantum Elements platform
Microsoft says the successful demonstration was made possible by applying its innovative qubit-virtualization system (coupled with error diagnostics and correction) to Quantinuum’s ion-trap hardware. Jason Zander, EVP of Strategic Missions and Technologies at Microsoft, says, “This finally moves us out of the current noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) level to Level 2 Resilient quantum computing.”
The potential of this advancement is enormous. As Zander says, “With a hybrid supercomputer powered by 100 reliable logical qubits, organizations would start to see the scientific advantage, while scaling closer to 1,000 reliable logical qubits would unlock commercial advantage.”
Quantum computing holds enormous promise for solving some of society’s most daunting challenges, including climate change, food shortages, and the energy crisis. These issues often boil down to complex chemistry and materials science problems, which classical computing struggles to handle but which would be far easier for Quantum computers to manage.
The task now, Microsoft says, is to continue improving the fidelity of qubits and enable fault-tolerant quantum computing. This will involve transitioning to reliable logical qubits, a feat achieved by merging multiple physical qubits to protect against noise and sustain resilient computation.
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
While the technology’s potential is immense, its widespread adoption will depend on its accessibility and cost-effectiveness. For now, though, Microsoft and Quantinuum’s breakthrough marks a significant step towards making quantum computing a practical reality.
The Motorola Razr knocked my socks off when I first saw it last year, and it’s remained one of my top three phone designs of the past year (the other two being OnePlus phones). I love the color options, I dig the feel of the ‘vegan leather’ finish, and I show off the amazing clamshell design. If you haven’t seen this phone go from a truly huge smartphone to a tiny, pocketable communicator, you need to get your hands on one for a look.
Compared to the Motorola Razr Plus, I missed the larger display but the smaller screen on the cover of the Motorola Razr was still sharp and very usable. You can get a preview of your selfies and videos on this phone, just like on the more expensive clamshell foldables, which means you can use the main camera as your selfie cam.
Unfortunately, the camera is the perennial compromise with foldable phones, and none moreso than on this Razr. The Razr Plus had disappointing cameras, but the Moto Razr cameras just feel a bit cheap compared to other options in this price range. For $500, you can get a Google Pixel 7 or a OnePlus 12R, and both of those have much, much better cameras than this phone.
What those phones, and any other phone in this price lacks is the cool factor of the Razr. You can snap it shut to hang up on a phone call. Heck, you can hang up on TikTok or Snapchat the same way. It’s a very satisfying way to put your phone away and focus what’s in front of you, and that is part of what makes the Razr so cool.
The Motorola Razr dares you to put away your phone. You can take photos without the distraction of a big screen. You can check messages with a quick glance. You can snap it shut and show off the look instead of looking at the show. That’s cool. Being hundreds cheaper than other clamshell phones? Maybe the coolest part of all.
Motorola Razr 2023 review: price & availability
Launched at a higher price and immediately went on sale
Cheaper than every other new clamshell
Don’t buy it when it’s not on sale
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Storage
US Price
UK Price
AU Price
128GB (US) / 256GB (UK, AU)
$499.99
£799.99
$999.99
The Motorola Razr had a staggered launch across the globe, in the shadow of the more exciting Motorola Razr Plus. This phone snuck into US stores at a price close to $700 at launch, after sitting on shelves in the UK for months prior. It quickly went on sale, dropping $100 then another $100, settling at its current price point.
Except Motorola hasn’t changed the price, it’s just kept the phone on sale for months. Not one sale, either, but different sales that tend to run concurrently. As I write this there is a “Spring Break” sale offering $200 off. I’m sure there will soon be an “April Showers” sale offering $200 off, followed by a Mother’s Day $200 sale. Don’t worry about that sale expiration date, but don’t buy this phone if it’s not on sale.
Outside of the US, this phone ships with 256GB of storage, but Americans only get 128GB. We all get 8GB of RAM on this phone, though a 12GB variant may be available in other regions.
Motorola Razr 2023 review: specs
The Motorola Razr 40 isn’t a very powerful phone, but it can handle any apps, web pages, and games you throw its way. It lacks the high-end camera specs you’ll find on other bargain phones like the OnePlus 12R, and even the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra has slightly better cameras. That said, you still get a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset, a respectable engine that is capable enough, as well as 8GB of RAM and just enough storage, 256GB if you live outside the US (sorry Americans, only 128GB for us).
It’s hard to compare specs directly, because the Motorola Razr 40 bends in half. The OnePlus 12R may have better cameras, but the Motorola Razr weighs 20g less, and it folds up to a pocketable shape that is half the length of the OnePlus phone. If size and style are meaningful, that’s worth a lot more than a little spec bump.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Dimensions:
Open: 170.8 x 74 x 7.4mm; Closed: 88.2 x 74 x 15.8mm
External display is much more useful than anticipated
Very thin whether open or closed
At a glance, the Motorola Razr Plus seems to borrow heavily from Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip design while ditching some signature Razr design elements, notably the chin. Motorola wouldn’t come right out and say it ditched the chin because it was downright ugly, but let’s face it – it was ugly.
When folded, the two halves of the phone smack together like pursed lips, with a gentle curve around the edges that still manages to cleave together in a sealed crease. Perhaps it’s the Viva Magenta hue of my review unit that adds to this impression. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, by comparison, seems boxy and square. The Razr Plus shows no visible gap when closed, unlike every competing flip phone so far.
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
When you open the Razr Plus, the crease disappears more completely than on any flip phone I’ve used. It’s there, and you can feel it, but it’s so unnoticeable that my dad, upon seeing the phone unfold, exclaimed “Wow, the crease just disappears!” Folding phones are new to him, but he was enamored enough by the Razr Plus to look ruefully at the Galaxy S23 he’d just purchased.
Those rounded edges also come together very nicely when the phone is unfolded, creating a seamless curved edge that makes the flexible glass seem even more impossible. The fingerprint scanner is embedded in the power button, which doesn’t stick out as much as the volume rockers, which are the only protruding buttons.
When you close the Razr Plus, the external display lights up and wraps around the dual camera lenses and the small flashlight. Rather than looking odd or compromised, it makes the phone look ultramodern. It doesn’t say “we’ve cut up our display,” it says “our display doesn’t stop for camera lenses.”
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
It was absolutely the right choice (apologies to the rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 cover display camera corner cutout), and Motorola has even designed games that have you drop marbles into the holes created by the lenses, embracing the design. I’ll talk more about what this screen can do later, but suffice to say, for now, that it’s very big for a second screen on a flip phone, and it makes a huge difference.
As mentioned, my review unit is in the Viva Magenta finish, which also uses a so-called ‘vegan leather’ material. It may be plastic, but it feels great. Also, the phone never slipped off a surface, even in my car when I left it sitting on my center console while in stop-and-go traffic.
Motorola should seriously consider launching more (read: all) color options in this vegan leather finish. It feels more durable than glass, it weighs a few grams less, and it looks great. I’m tired of glass. As long as Moto is shaking up the phone world, let’s shake off the glass back as well.
Motorola Razr Plus review: display
Bigger and brighter than competing flip phones
External display is a real game changer
Cover screen is bigger than the original iPhone’s screen
If the Motorola Razr Plus didn’t have the great external display it would still be a standout for its big folding internal screen, which is great news if you’re holding out for the Motorola Razr 2023, which will have the exact same internal screen (though the slower chipset will run it at ‘only’ 144Hz).
Motorola’s display has the same ‘FHD+’ resolution as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, at 2640 x 1080 pixels. It unfurls to a majestic 6.9 inches, which really is a marvel of modern technology when you think about it. When the first tablets were launched, that compact models had a 7-inch display, and now that same display size – and a higher-quality display too – is available on a thin smartphone that folds up to fit in your pocket.
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
For comparison, the iPhone 14 Pro gives you around 2.5 inches less screen area, even though it weighs more. No matter what phone you’re used to using, when you open up the Motorola Razr Plus you’re going to be amazed by just how much screen you can fold up and stow in your pocket.
Here’s another mind-blowing iPhone comparison. The original iPhone had a 3.5-inch display (with a 480 x 320 resolution), with just over 5.6 inches of screen area. On the Moto Razr Plus you get almost 6.5 square inches of screen space on the external 3.6-inch square display, and it runs at a stunning 1056 x 1066 resolution, which means it has the same sharpness (pixel density) as the internal screen.
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
In other words, this is the first flip phone that isn’t paying lip service to the cover screen. This isn’t a screen that’s just for checking the weather or simple notifications, and neither is it there to just show cute animations. This is the real deal. You can run full apps on this display, as I’ll explain in the Software section below. Apps aren’t always drawn properly, but you can run almost anything, unlike on previous external displays, which could run almost nothing.
I wish both displays were much brighter, but that’s because I was using them a lot for taking outdoor photos, and from unusual angles, making them harder to see. The internal screen can go just a bit brighter than the one on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4, but the external screen needs a real boost. Neither display comes close to the brightness you’ll get from an iPhone 14 Pro.
Motorola Razr Plus review: cameras
The weakest link in the Razr Plus’ chain
Image processing is terrible
Better for selfies than most competitors
Ugh… why Motorola? Why does everything have to fall apart when it comes to the cameras? I have reviewed and previewed quite a few Motorola phones in the past year, and none of them have impressed me with their photography capabilities. The Motorola Razr Plus sadly continues Moto’s problematic tradition of phones that take bad photos.
How bad? Pretty bad. I relied on this phone for my kid’s 8th grade graduation, and it was a big mistake. I won’t make that mistake again for the High School finale (the one that matters). Zoomed photos look blurry and oversharpened, and even basic portrait shots need help.
Image 1 of 6
I’ve blurred the kids that aren’t mine, but mine is still too blurry(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
A low-light night selfie that should look much better(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
Where is the Chrysler building?! Blown out by terrible exposure(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
This is an unacceptable shot, no matter the zoom(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
All around, this phone has all the hallmarks of a low-quality camera. In photos of flowers, the camera blew out red tones until the details were mostly gone. Taking photos in the woods, stems and leaves in the background were either unnaturally blurry or digitally oversharpened, with deep black lines dividing objects.
Image 1 of 6
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
The one saving grace is that this low-quality main camera is still better quality than most selfie cameras, and the Motorola Razr Plus is made for using the main lens as your selfie shooter. You can easily use the external display as your viewfinder, and there are a couple tricks that let take a shot even if you aren’t holding the Razr. You can smile or wave your hand, with both options selectable as shortcuts in the camera settings.
Can I forgive bad photos if the process of taking photos is so much better? They say the best camera is the one you have with you, and more often than not that’s going to be one of the best camera phones. I always carry a smartphone, but I found myself taking more photos with the Razr Plus – more selfies, and more unusual shots taking advantage of the angled flex of the display.
I also took more group shots, because people love seeing themselves in the external display viewfinder. It was one of the most delightful things about this phone when I was showing it off to friends. Foldable 6.9-inch display? Not impressed. Want to see yourself while I take your picture? OMG, YES!!!
Image 1 of 14
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
I want better cameras, though. Even Samsung skimps on the cameras in its Galaxy Z Flip 4, but I was especially disappointed here. The main camera uses a wide aperture lens, wider than any flip phone competitor and most other smartphones. It should be great at low-light photos, and it should produce a smoothly blurred backgrounds with attractive bokeh.
If it actually makes a difference, I couldn’t see it. I put the Motorola Razr Plus up against my iPhone 14 Pro, and there wasn’t a single photo from the main camera that was better, unless I was comparing it to one from the selfie camera on the iPhone.
I can forgive most of the Razr Plus’ faults, but the poor camera performance is hard to swallow. I enjoyed taking more selfies and delighting friends with the external display camera tricks, but I need at least a partly competent zoom lens for school functions and the occasional bird sighting. The Motorola Razr Plus 2023 is great for selfies, but otherwise getting great shots will be a matter of luck, not technical advantage.
Motorola Razr Plus review: software
Useful clocks and widgets for the external screen
Most apps will run on both displays
Useful Motorola gestures and shortcuts
I can tell you the exact moment that I realized the Motorola Razr Plus was something entirely new. I was out hiking with my dog, expecting to use the Razr for photos and fitness tracking. I downloaded my maps to AllTrails as I always do, and as I hiked I checked my maps and recorded my progress.
Normally I obsessively check my phone maps to make sure I’m on track, finding the best and easiest routes to keep the dog and kiddo interested. Every time, I feel like I’m interrupting my hike with my technology – but not with the Razr Plus. Using the external display, I could simply glance at my AllTrails map without opening the phone. Everything worked, including the high-definition map, the progress tracking, and all of the other apps I had running at the same time.
It wasn’t like having a phone on my hike; it was like having a pocket-sized map device. And while I’ve never had a pocket-sized map device, this was much nicer and more convenient than a big smartphone. In this context it becomes a whole new device, and a whole new experience.
Image 1 of 6
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
When I go to the grocery store, I’m not lighting up my smartphone every time I need to check my list; I can just keep my list on the external display. Now I have a pocket-sized shopping list device too. A smartphone is big and obnoxious and distracting; this is quick and unobtrusive. I check the box on my Google Keep Notes shopping list, then flip to Spotify or Apple Music (yes, on Android). It all works great on the external display, and I don’t need to open my phone.
For almost every app on the phone, you can set how it behaves when you close the display. An app can do nothing, or it can appear automatically on the external screen. You can also have apps ‘tap to transition’ giving you agency over whether they become available on the cover screen on an ad-hoc basis with a single button press. Every app can be set with its own behavior.
Not every app works perfectly. I tried to play Marvel Snap, a game that’s designed for portrait mode. It ran just fine on the square external display, but the text was too small (though legible), and the layout was weird. It worked, it just wasn’t optimal.
More apps work well and look good than not, though. I had no trouble scrolling my feeds in Slack, Facebook, Instagram, and other social apps. I could read web pages in Chrome, or browse Yelp with the display shut. There’s a keyboard if you really need to type, but that’s obviously easier with the screen open.
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
Other than on the external screen, Motorola’s software hews very close to Google’s own designs for Android, as you’ll find on the Pixel 7 Pro, for instance. There aren’t many new tweaks or improvements for this new Razr, but that’s fine. I’d like to see some aspects of the experience improved, but it’s already mature, and doesn’t overload you with features or pop-up windows.
I like Motorola’s gestures and use them frequently. On Moto phones you can twist your hand back and forth to open the camera, and on the Razr Plus this works even when the display is closed. You can make a couple of quick karate-chop motions to turn the flashlight on and off. These gestures work well, and I used them often once I’d committed them to memory.
The Motorola Razr Plus comes with Android 13 preloaded, and we expect three major OS updates for this phone, which should take it to Android 16. Google is launching its own folding phone this month, the Google Pixel Fold, so it’s an interesting time for folding phones, and hopefully Google’s own improvements will trickle down to other Android foldables.
Motorola Razr Plus review: performance
Fast performance for games and running both displays
Improved performance over last year
Same chipset as the Razr 2022 and Galaxy Z Flip 4
If all you care about are benchmark scores, the Motorola Razr Plus won’t be the phone to pick. Thankfully, real-world performance tells a different story than I expected from the specs, and even though this phone uses the same platform as last year (or perhaps because it does), it performs better than the previous Razr, and better than I expected.
Inside, the Razr Plus is nearly identical to the Motorola Razr 2022. They both use the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, and 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and in the year since the Razr 2022 was launched, Moto has clearly done some work to optimize its software. We complained in our Razr 2022 review that it stuttered while playing games or switching to the external display, but I had no performance complaints at all during my review period with the Razr Plus. It ran smoothly no matter what I was doing, whether playing new games like the highly-detailed Marvel Snap or shooting video with the flex mode video camera.
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
The Razr Plus was impressively responsive. When I used the camera, I set the phone to snap when it detected a smile, and it responded almost instantaneously whenever anyone so much as smirked. When I clapped the phone shut, the external display lit up with no delay, and apps switched smoothly from one screen to the other without hesitation.
It’s likely that the Motorola Razr base model will see more of a sacrifice performance-wise, as it relies on a mid-level Snapdragon 7 chipset. The Razr Plus uses a flagship platform, and the fact that there’s been a Snapdragon update since it was launched doesn’t diminish its performance. It’s a very fast chipset, and Motorola has clearly learned how to make the best use of it.
Performance score: 4.5 / 5
Motorola Razr Plus review: battery
Slightly larger battery than Galaxy Z Flip 4
Battery life could be better
Using two displays drains the battery faster, go figure
Motorola has done the best it could in fitting a large battery inside the thin folding shell of the Razr Plus. It’s even managed to fit a larger battery into the folding frame than you’ll find in the iPhone 14 Pro, though Apple manages power slightly better. I couldn’t quite make it through a full day on a full charge with the Motorola Razr Plus, though that’s probably because the phone was just so much fun to use.
Having a dynamic and useful external display meant that I used the phone a lot more than I would a flip phone that’s dark and motionless when it’s shut. Even when I wasn’t checking my hiking trails or keeping up with Slack chats, I just liked having the clock and screen saver active. It looks cute, and I don’t mind charging my phone a little more often as a trade-off for a bit of cuteness.
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
That said, the Razr Plus would benefit from faster charging. The 30W charging capability is fine, though Moto doesn’t give you a charger in the box (they sent one with my review unit). You can charge the phone wirelessly if you have a lot of spare time, as the Razr Plus charges at a trickling 5W, a fraction of the 15W wireless you’ll find as standard on the best smartphones.
If you need extra power, you might want to wait until the base model Motorola Razr shows up. It will have a slightly larger battery inside, a benefit of foregoing the cool external display in favor of a smaller display strip. Having used the Razr Plus for a while, though, I’d rather have the external screen and charge more often.
If I’d wanted the Moto Razr Plus to last longer I could have turned off the screensaver clocks and engaged power management, but I didn’t do that, I let it drain. I was having too much fun.
Should you buy the Motorola Razr Plus?
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Motorola Razr Plus / Razr 40 Ultra score card
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
Same price as last year’s model, with an extra half-screen more
4 / 5
Design
Most refined and tight-fitting flip phone ever, with a game-changing external screen
5 / 5
Display
Big on the outside, bigger on the inside, and the external display is much more than an afterthought
5 / 5
Cameras
Not the best cameras, but great design makes it easy to get unique shots that other phones can’t manage
3 / 5
Software
Some apps are optimized, but everything kind of works with the external screen, making it endlessly useful
4 / 5
Performance
Good enough to keep up with every task, but it could get warm when pushed with video recording or gaming
4 / 5
Battery
Battery life could be better, and using that external display (or both at once!) means using more power
4 / 5
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Motorola Razr Plus review: also consider
Note that this chart is going to change when Samsung launches the Galaxy Z Flip 5, and I’d also expect the Z Flip 4 to stay on the market for a while at a lower price.
If you’re looking for other flip phones to consider alongside the Motorola Razr Plus, here are a few of options.
How I tested the Motorola Razr Plus
I’ve had the Motorola Razr Plus for two full weeks of testing
This was the only phone I used for the review period
I use benchmarking software, developer tools, and internal data collection
I used the Motorola Razr Plus as my primary phone for both business and personal use for a few weeks while writing this review. I used the Razr Plus in every way I imagined a typical user would want to use it. I took photos, played games, and used it for all of my social networking and communication needs. I used productivity apps and tools, mindfulness and health apps, and fitness apps on the phone.
I also used the Razr Plus with wearable devices, including the Pixel Buds Pro earbuds and my Pixel Watch. I used it with an Xbox gaming controller, my Honda and Kia cars, and numerous Bluetooth accessories.
We benchmark all the phones we test using standard benchmarking software, and we also perform internal testing on the phone’s performance and battery life. I used GFX Benchmark, PhoneTester Pro, and Geekbench, among other testing apps. I also access the developer options on Android phones for direct feedback on performance from the device itself.
During my review time with the Motorola Razr Plus I loaded all of the apps I normally use with my smartphone. I used it for maps and navigation, music and video playback, as well as for calls and messaging. I took lots of photos and videos, played games, and used the phone to take photos at special occasions, including my kid’s middle school graduation.
As environmental, social and humanitarian crises escalate, the world can no longer afford two things: first, the costs of economic inequality; and second, the rich. Between 2020 and 2022, the world’s most affluent 1% of people captured nearly twice as much of the new global wealth created as did the other 99% of individuals put together1, and in 2019 they emitted as much carbon dioxide as the poorest two-thirds of humanity2. In the decade to 2022, the world’s billionaires more than doubled their wealth, to almost US$12 trillion.
The evidence gathered by social epidemiologists, including us, shows that large differences in income are a powerful social stressor that is increasingly rendering societies dysfunctional. For example, bigger gaps between rich and poor are accompanied by higher rates of homicide and imprisonment. They also correspond to more infant mortality, obesity, drug abuse and COVID-19 deaths, as well as higher rates of teenage pregnancy and lower levels of child well-being, social mobility and public trust3,4. The homicide rate in the United States — the most unequal Western democracy — is more than 11 times that in Norway (see go.nature.com/49fuujr). Imprisonment rates are ten times as high, and infant mortality and obesity rates twice as high.
Reducing inequality benefits everyone — so why isn’t it happening?
These problems don’t just hit the poorest individuals, although the poorest are most badly affected. Even affluent people would enjoy a better quality of life if they lived in a country with a more equal distribution of wealth, similar to a Scandinavian nation. They might see improvements in their mental health and have a reduced chance of becoming victims of violence; their children might do better at school and be less likely to take dangerous drugs.
The costs of inequality are also excruciatingly high for governments. For example, the Equality Trust, a charity based in London (of which we are patrons and co-founders), estimated that the United Kingdom alone could save more than £100 billion ($126 billion) per year if it reduced its inequalities to the average of those in the five countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that have the smallest income differentials — Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Norway and the Netherlands5. And that is considering just four areas: greater number of years lived in full health, better mental health, reduced homicide rates and lower imprisonment rates.
Many commentators have drawn attention to the environmental need to limit economic growth and instead prioritize sustainability and well-being6,7. Here we argue that tackling inequality is the foremost task of that transformation. Greater equality will reduce unhealthy and excess consumption, and will increase the solidarity and cohesion that are needed to make societies more adaptable in the face of climate and other emergencies.
Social anxieties drive stress
The underlying reasons for inequality having such profound and wide-ranging impacts are psychosocial. By accentuating differences in status and social class — for example, through the type of car someone drives, their clothing or where they live — inequality increases feelings of superiority and of inferiority. The view that some people are worth more than others can undermine people’s confidence and feelings of self-worth8. And, as studies of cortisol responses show, worry about how others see us is a powerful stressor9.
People queue for food parcels in Lagos, Nigeria.Credit: Temilade Adelaja/Reuters
Rates of ‘status anxiety’ have been found to be increased in all income groups in more-unequal societies10. Chronic stress has well-documented effects on mortality — it can double death rates11. Health-related behaviours are also affected by stress. Diet, exercise and smoking all show social gradients, but people are least likely to adopt healthy lifestyles when they feel stressed.
Violence and bullying are also linked to competition for social status. Aggression is frequently triggered by disrespect, humiliation and loss of face. Bullying among schoolchildren is around six times as common in more-unequal countries12. In the United States, homicide rates were five times as high in states with higher levels of inequality as in those with a more even distribution of wealth13.
Status compels consumption
Inequality also increases consumerism. Perceived links between wealth and self-worth drive people to buy goods associated with high social status and thus enhance how they appear to others — as US economist Thorstein Veblen set out more than a century ago in his book The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899). Studies show that people who live in more-unequal societies spend more on status goods14.
Our work has shown that the amount spent on advertising as a proportion of gross domestic product is higher in countries with greater inequality. The well-publicized lifestyles of the rich promote standards and ways of living that others seek to emulate, triggering cascades of expenditure for holiday homes, swimming pools, travel, clothes and expensive cars.
The ‘Bill Gates problem’: do billionaire philanthropists skew global health research?
Oxfam reports that, on average, each of the richest 1% of people in the world produces 100 times the emissions of the average person in the poorest half of the world’s population15. That is the scale of the injustice. As poorer countries raise their material standards, the rich will have to lower theirs.
Inequality also makes it harder to implement environmental policies. Changes are resisted if people feel that the burden is not being shared fairly. For example, in 2018, the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) protests erupted across France in response to President Emmanuel Macron’s attempt to implement an ‘eco-tax’ on fuel by adding a few percentage points to pump prices. The proposed tax was seen widely as unfair — particularly for the rural poor, for whom diesel and petrol are necessities. By 2019, the government had dropped the idea. Similarly, Brazilian truck drivers protested against rises in fuel tax in 2018, disrupting roads and supply chains.
Do unequal societies perform worse when it comes to the environment, then? Yes. For rich, developed countries for which data were available, we found a strong correlation between levels of equality and a score on an index we created of performance in five environmental areas: air pollution; recycling of waste materials; the carbon emissions of the rich; progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; and international cooperation (UN treaties ratified and avoidance of unilateral coercive measures).
That correlation clearly holds when social and health problems are also factored in (see ‘Unequal outcomes’). To show this, we combined our environmental performance index with another that we developed previously that considers ten health and social problems: infant mortality, life expectancy, mental illness, obesity, educational attainment, teenage births, homicides, imprisonment, social mobility and trust. There’s a clear trend, with more-unequal societies having worse scores.
Source: Analysis by R. G. Wilkinson & K. E. Pickett
Other studies have also shown that more-equal societies are more cohesive, with higher levels of trust and participation in local groups16. And, compared with less-equal rich countries, another 10–20% of the populations of more-equal countries think that environmental protection should be prioritized over economic growth17. More-equal societies also perform better on the Global Peace Index (which ranks states on their levels of peacefulness), and provide more foreign aid. The UN target is for countries to spend 0.7% of their gross national income (GNI) on foreign aid; Sweden and Norway each give around 1% of their GNI, whereas the United Kingdom gives 0.5% and the United States only 0.2%.
Policymakers must act
The scientific evidence is stark that reducing inequality is a fundamental precondition for addressing the environmental, health and social crises the world is facing. It’s essential that policymakers act quickly to reverse decades of rising inequality and curb the highest incomes.
First, governments should choose progressive forms of taxation, which shift economic burdens from people with low incomes to those with high earnings, to reduce inequality and to pay for the infrastructure that the world needs to transition to carbon neutrality and sustainability. Although governments might baulk at this suggestion, there’s plenty of headroom. For example, tax rates on the highest incomes in the United States were well above 70% for about half of the twentieth century — much higher than today’s top rate of 37%. To shore up public support, governments need to make a strong case that the whole of society should contribute to funding the clean energy transition and good health.
To build a better world, stop chasing economic growth
International agreements to close tax havens and loopholes must be made. Corporate tax avoidance is estimated to cost poor countries $100 billion per year — enough to educate an extra 124 million children and prevent perhaps 8 million maternal and infant deaths annually. OECD member countries are responsible for more than two-thirds of these tax losses, according to the Tax Justice Network, an advocacy group in Bristol, UK. The OECD estimates that low- or middle-income countries lose three times as much to tax havens as they receive in foreign aid.
Although not yet tried, the merits of a consumption tax — calculated on the basis of personal income minus savings — to restrain consumption should also be considered. Unlike value-added and sales taxes, such a tax could be made very progressive. Bans on advertising tobacco, alcohol, gambling and prescription drugs are common internationally, but taxes to restrict advertising more generally would help to reduce consumption. Energy costs might also be made progressive by charging more per unit at higher levels of consumption.
Legislation and incentives will also be needed to ensure that large companies — which dominate the global economy — are run more fairly. For example, business practices such as employee ownership, representation on company boards and share ownership, as well as mutuals and cooperatives, tend to reduce the scale of income and wealth inequality. In contrast to the 200:1 ratio reported by one analyst for the top to the bottom pay rates among the 100 largest-worth companies listed on the FTSE 100 stock-market index (see go.nature.com/3p9cdbv), the Mondragon group of Spanish cooperatives has an agreed maximum ratio of 9:1. And such companies perform well in ethical and sustainability terms. The Mondragon group came 11th in Fortune magazine’s 2020 ‘Change the World’ list, which recognizes companies for implementing innovative business strategies with a positive global impact.
Reducing economic inequality is not a panacea for health, social and environmental problems, but it is central to solving them all. Greater equality confers the same benefits on a society however it is achieved. Countries that adopt multifaceted approaches will go furthest and fastest.
Smartphones have become an extension of ourselves, and the importance of mobile internet usage is undeniable. As businesses strive to make their mark in the digital world, having a mobile-friendly website is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity. This article aims to shed light on why a mobile-friendly website is crucial for your digital marketing efforts and offers actionable advice on how to optimize your site for mobile users.
The Rise of Mobile Internet Usage
Did you know that over half of all web traffic comes from mobile devices? The shift from desktop to mobile browsing is not just a trend; it’s a behavioral change that’s here to stay. Ignoring this shift can cost businesses valuable customer engagement and, ultimately, revenue. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile, you’re essentially turning away a large portion of your potential audience.
User Experience: The Heart of Mobile-Friendly Design
User experience (UX) is a term that gets thrown around a lot in the digital marketing world, but what does it really mean? In simple terms, UX is about how easy and enjoyable it is for users to interact with your website. For mobile users, this means fast load times, responsive design, and intuitive navigation. A good mobile UX is not just a scaled-down version of your desktop site; it’s a carefully crafted interface that prioritizes the mobile user’s needs and limitations.
The Impact on SEO
Search engines like Google have taken note of the mobile browsing trend and adjusted their algorithms accordingly. Websites that are not mobile-friendly are likely to suffer in search rankings, making them less visible to potential customers. On the flip side, a mobile-optimized website can give you a significant SEO boost, increasing your visibility and driving more organic traffic to your site.
Conversion Rates and Customer Trust
A mobile-friendly website doesn’t just look good; it performs well, too. Studies have shown that mobile-optimized sites have higher conversion rates compared to non-optimized sites. Why? Because a seamless mobile experience instills confidence in your users. If your website is easy to navigate and quick to load, customers are more likely to trust your brand and, consequently, more likely to make a purchase.
Practical Steps to Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
Creating a mobile-friendly website might seem like a daunting task, but it’s more achievable than you might think. One of the first things you should focus on is implementing a responsive design. A responsive design ensures that your website’s layout adjusts automatically to fit the screen size of the device it’s being viewed on. This is crucial for providing a seamless user experience across smartphones, tablets, and desktops.
Another key aspect to focus on is the optimization of images and videos. Heavy media files can significantly slow down your website’s load time, which is a big no-no, especially for mobile users who are often on the go. Compressing images and using optimized video formats can make a world of difference in speeding up your site.
Navigation is the backbone of user experience. On a mobile device, screen real estate is limited, so it’s essential to simplify your navigation as much as possible. Make sure that buttons are easily clickable and that users can find what they’re looking for without having to dig through complicated menus. The easier you make it for users to take action, the better your conversion rates will be.
Testing is another crucial step in the optimization process. Don’t just assume that your website looks good on your own device; test it on multiple types of devices and browsers to ensure that it’s universally compatible. There are various tools available that can simulate how your website appears on different devices, but nothing beats real-world testing.
Lastly, make use of available tools to gauge your website’s mobile-friendliness. Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test is an excellent resource that can identify areas where your website might be falling short. It provides actionable insights that you can use to make immediate improvements.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
While you’re in the process of optimizing your website for mobile, it’s easy to fall into some common traps. One such mistake is overcomplicating your layout or using too much text. Mobile screens are small, and users typically want to get information quickly. A cluttered layout or walls of text can be off-putting and counterproductive.
Another common mistake is ignoring load times by using heavy media files. As mentioned earlier, mobile users are often on the go, and they won’t wait around for a slow website to load. Always optimize your images and videos, and consider using lazy loading techniques to improve page speed.
Failing to test your website on multiple devices is another pitfall to avoid. Just because your website looks good on your smartphone doesn’t mean it will render well on all devices. Take the time to test thoroughly to ensure you’re providing a universally good user experience.
Lastly, don’t underestimate the importance of easy navigation. It can be tempting to include all the bells and whistles in your mobile navigation, but simplicity is usually the best policy. Make it easy for users to find what they’re looking for, and you’ll be rewarded with higher engagement and conversion rates.
By avoiding these common mistakes and following the practical steps outlined above, you’ll be well on your way to creating a mobile-friendly website that not only ranks well in search engines but also provides a stellar user experience.
Investing in Mobile-Friendly Design is Non-Negotiable!
Having a mobile-friendly website is not just a good practice; it’s a critical component of your digital marketing strategy. By focusing on providing an excellent mobile user experience, you’re not just catering to a trend; you’re investing in the future success of your business. As part of your comprehensive digital marketing solutions, a mobile-friendly website is not an option — it’s a necessity. By taking the steps outlined in this article, you’re setting your business up for long-term digital success.