ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Motorola Edge (2023) is a step beneath the Edge Plus mannequin however nonetheless manages to drag off a stable smartphone expertise.
- It has one of many nicest shows you may discover for below $600 with an OLED panel, a 144Hz refresh fee, and 1,200 nits of brightness.
- The cameras and efficiency might be higher, however for $600 (or $350, because it’s on sale on the time of writing), it is easy to forgive the shortcomings.
The Motorola Edge has flown below the radar since its launch a few months in the past, principally as a result of it being overshadowed by the foldable Motorola Razr that was launched on the identical time. It additionally did not assist that the telephones had related worth factors: at $699 for the Razr and $599 for the brand new Edge, the entire focus went to the one which bends in half by reviewers and customers alike.
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However I am right here to say that the Edge deserves your consideration. It is not a mind-blowingly whole lot or the cellphone everybody can purchase, nevertheless it checks loads of bins for fundamental smartphone customers and even impresses in key areas. And for its present sale price of $349, that makes it compelling sufficient to suggest, so long as you may reside with a couple of of its quirks.
ZDNET RECOMMENDS
Motorola Edge (2023)
Motorola’s latest smartphone offers a sharp design, a beautiful display, and all-day battery life. If you can deal with camera and performance hiccups, it’s worth your consideration, especially at its holiday price of $349.
The very first thing that grabs your consideration is the design. Motorola stored the profile of the Edge extremely glossy and minimal, with curved edges to assist it really feel thinner than its 7.6mm thickness lets on. Decide this factor up and you may instantly be shocked by how light-weight it’s; I child you not, I believed my unit was a dummy mannequin once I first obtained it. At 168 grams, it is easy to overlook you are holding it after some time. This is likely one of the most comfy large-format smartphones I’ve ever held.
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It helps that the Edge is backed by a vegan leather-based exterior that feels grippy and distinctive within the hand (though it is solely out there in Eclipse Black), an IP68 certification for water resistance (which is way stronger than Motorola’s typical IP52 ranking), clicky buttons, and matte aluminum rails unscathed by fingerprints. You additionally get twin stereo audio system like with most telephones, however they don’t seem to be the very best I’ve heard; you may need to decide up some earbuds in case you plan on listening to music or watching films.
Talking of which, it is a cellphone I would don’t have any drawback watching a film on. Not solely is the show giant at 6.6 inches, nevertheless it’s additionally stunning. The P-OLED panel Motorola makes use of is vibrant, vibrant, and vigorous, with inky blacks and wonderful distinction. From the brilliant orange hues in Oppenheimer to the shadowy streets of New York in Spider-Man: No Manner House, this show is constructed to point out all of it. The Full HD+ decision retains issues sharp for studying textual content, and the 1,200 nits of peak brightness is ample for many direct-sunlight viewing.
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Oh, and it refreshes at 144Hz. That is virtually unparalleled for smartphones below $600, but Motorola was in a position to embody it right here. Granted, out of the field, it is set to hover between 60Hz and 120Hz, however in case you dig into the settings, you may improve it to 144Hz for the smoothest expertise potential.
Beneath the hood, Motorola contains the MediaTek Dimensity 7030, an higher mid-range chipset that rivals different chips just like the Snapdragon 778G. Daily, the chip was completely wonderful for unusual duties, though I did discover some choppiness whereas taking part in video games like Asphalt 9. Paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, the Edge is provided with loads of energy for regular utilization like e-mail and social media, whereas heavier issues like gaming get a bit tougher to drag off.
Captured with the 50MP f/1.4 most important shooter on the Motorola Edge (2023). Max Buondonno/ZDNET
You will discover a few cameras on the again of the Edge, and so they is likely to be the weakest hyperlink in your complete story of this machine. The 50MP f/1.4 most important shooter is first rate in good lighting, nevertheless it struggles in post-processing with unusual artifacts round sharp edges. It is also not superb at capturing element; as an alternative, it mushes related colours collectively to create a watercolor impact when zoomed in. The identical will be mentioned for the 13MP f/2.2 ultra-wide digicam; whereas the 120-degree lens is useful, it is certainly not an important digicam as a result of its points with lighting and sharpness.
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On a lighter notice, battery life was typically good. I used to be in a position to get by full 16-hour days of combined use with the machine’s 4,400mAh cell. I could not get it to stretch to 2 days because it typically solely had about 10 p.c within the tank once I went to mattress, however hey, at the least you may take into account this all-day endurance.
The very best half? When it comes time to recharge, you have obtained 68W quick wired charging together with 15W wi-fi charging. Sadly, you may have to BYOC — that is Deliver Your Personal Charger — since there is no energy brick within the field. Regardless, at the least you will have really quick charging on this cellphone, which may’t be mentioned for many modern flagships.
I’ve at all times loved Motorola’s software program expertise on its telephones, and that did not change with the Edge. I am a sucker for vanilla Android, and that is simply what you get on this cellphone with a couple of neat enhancements. Plus, you get three years of OS upgrades and 4 years of safety patches, which is fairly first rate for a $600 cellphone.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
At $600, it is arduous to choose the appropriate cellphone since competitors is so stiff these days. However the Motorola Edge, regardless of its common cameras and efficiency, can maintain its personal with its stunning show high quality, clear software program expertise, all-day battery life, and a design that makes this cellphone really feel manner smaller than it truly is.
In fact, in case you want quicker efficiency, higher cameras, or a cellphone that is smaller than the remainder, you may discover that in units just like the Pixel 7a, Galaxy S23 FE, or Nothing Phone (2) which can be all priced equally to the Edge. However so long as you may reside with its downsides, the Edge is a real drive to be reckoned with at below $600. It helps that the machine is often on sale for a lot much less, even going for $350 through the vacation season.