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Camera7
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Operating System9
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Design7
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Performance9
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Display8
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Battery9
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Value For Money8
Last week, Motorola announced three new devices in their flagship smartphone range: the Edge 50 Ultra, Edge 50 Pro, and Edge 50 Fusion (listed in order of flagship-ness).
Retaining Motorola’s “Beyond Device” approach, the Edge 50 series introduces new materials, AI trickery, upgraded camera systems, and continued strategic partnerships with the likes of Bose, Pantone, and Corning.
Today, I’ll be focusing on the Edge 50 Pro, mainly because that’s the one I was handed during the press briefing in London, but also because it’s the most compelling of the three devices.
The big question is – should you pay attention to this relatively well-priced mid-range smartphone if you’re in the market for a new Android device?
Specs, pricing, and the rest of the range
The Edge 50 Pro comes in three finishes – Luxe Lavender (the one I was given), Moonlight Pearl, and Black Beauty.
Inside, there’s a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chip powering everything, alongside 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage (you don’t get to choose any other configuration). The display is a 6.7inch Super HD screen with a 144Hz variable refresh rate and 2,000 nits of peak brightness.
On battery duties, we have a 4,500mAh unit with 125W TurboPower charging (you get a wall plug in the box) and 50W wireless charging. There’s also IP68 water resistance, Snapdragon Sound, and Dolby Atmos compatibility.
If you’re wondering how the Edge 50 Pro sits alongside the rest of the range, the Edge 50 Ultra has a brighter display, the latest Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, more RAM, more storage, and a slightly better camera system – along with a different design. That comes in at £849. At the bottom of the range is the Edge 50 Fusion, which features the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, and a lesser camera system, all for a budget-friendly £349.
Motorola Edge 50 Pro design
The Edge 50 Pro is made from sandblasted aluminium. The result is a frame which feels reassuringly robust, but not too heavy. The rear of the phone is covered in vegan-friendly leather, and, as a result, is nice and grippy – although it does feel more rubberised than leathery.
Onto the display – and this is where I feel the room might be divided somewhat. It’s curved around the edges (because of course it is – remember the name of this thing). This isn’t for everyone – and I did find myself running into a few issues with it by inadvertently touching the display while typing. You get used to it, though, and it is very immersive.
Motorola also uses the edges as a way to indicate incoming calls, alarms, and new notifications by lighting it up in a colour of your choosing. That feels a little gimmicky, but certainly not as all-out gimmicky as the Nothing devices.
The Edge 50 Pro is a nice size. Most of us are wrestling with big phones these days, and the decision to keep the display relatively small by today’s standards but still big enough to be immersive is a smart one.
Overall, the Edge 50 Pro is understated but smart. It’s a good-looking, well-built device, but your preference for a curved display or otherwise will probably swing your decision.
Performance, battery, usability
Ok, right – performance. Where do we start with this?
I’ve reached the point with smartphone reviews where the performance of any given modern device is practically a moot point. They are all incredibly speedy and smooth for daily use. As I always say, I don’t push my smartphones at all, and I genuinely have no idea how to. If you do, you probably won’t even be thinking about the Edge 50 Pro.
That’s fine, because for most other people (and that’s a large percentage of users), this phone will perform brilliantly. Sure, it’s using last season’s Snapdragon chip, but it really doesn’t matter. The inability to push beyond 512GB of storage might bother some, but that’s why the Edge Ultra exists.
The display is lovely. If we look past the curved edges, it’s super bright, ultra sharp, and incredibly vibrant. I’m a big fan (although, again, it does feel like we’re reaching ‘peak display’ with smartphones). It’s also bolstered by stereo speakers, which I know is a big deal for some of you.
Battery performance is on par with every other recent Android smartphone I’ve tested – i.e. it is biblically good on standby, and you’ll get two days out of it with normal use. The option of 125W super charging which will gain you a day’s worth of power with just a four-minute charge is a huge plus – as is 50W wireless charging.
Lastly, a quick shout-out to whoever came up with the Motorola gestures. If you weren’t aware, you can tap the display with three fingers to take a screenshot, ‘chop’ the phone twice to turn the flashlight on, twist twice to open the camera from any screen, and swipe back and forth to enter split-screen multitasking.
I know you can access similar features on other phones, but this is the first time I’ve found such gestures genuinely useful.
Motorola Edge 50 Pro camera specs and performance
The camera specs for the Edge 50 Pro are impressive:
- Main Rear Camera: 50MP, f/1.4 aperture, Quad Pixel Technology, Optical Image Stabilisation
- Ultrawide/Macro Camera: 13MP, f/2.2 aperture
- Telephoto Camera: 10MP, 3x Optical Zoom, f/2.0 aperture, Optical Image Stabilisation
- Front Camera: 50MP, f/1.9 aperture, Quad Pixel Technology
- Video Capture: Up to 4K UHD in various modes, including HDR10+
It also includes some of the Moto Ai-powered features that now comes with all of Motorola’s flagship devices, including Photo Enhancement Engine, Adaptive Stabilization, Auto Focus Tracking, and Style Sync.
I think the photos produced by this phone are reliable (important), sharp, detailed, and vibrant – everything you’d want from a mid-range smartphone.
There are some nice focal lengths included, too.
As always, this is the most subjective part of any phone review, therefore I’ll let you be the judge, in the comments!
The ability to take photos of your clothes and have the resulting image AI-ified into a wallpaper is fun for anyone who likes that kind of thing (you’ll have to watch my YouTube review to see that feature in action!).
A nice surprise: Moto Buds+
The Edge 50 range wasn’t the only thing Bose introduced last week – there were two new earbuds in tow, too.
The first is the Moto Buds+, which I’ve been using alongside the Edge 50 Pro. Developed in partnership with Bose, they sound superb for their relatively modest price point of £129.
These buds feel their price in places, but that’s fine, when you take into account the aforementioned sound, and the fact they have active noise cancelling, Dolby Atmos, and head tracking. Chuck in up to 38 hours of battery life with the case and I think this is a rather lovely addition. The fact that you can, at the time of writing, grab these Moto Buds+ free with the Edge 50 Pro is the icing on the cake.
There’s a cheaper version, too – the Moto Buds, which are £49 and don’t possess ANC, lossless, or head tracking – but that fancy stuff is swapped for a stupidly low price, and MORE battery life. That begs the question: what matters more for you?
Motorola Edge 50 Pro: Conclusion
If you want an Android phone that’s well-designed, easy to hold, and takes vibrant, reliable photos while feeling as fast and capable as a flagship device, the Motorola Edge 50 Pro should definitely be on your list.
The biggest challenge Motorola faces is tempting people to go for the Ultra instead. I think the Pro marks the sweet spot of the range above the admittedly very affordable Fusion.
Are we reaching peak mid-range smartphone territory? Should Apple be worried? Possibly.
Is that a bad thing? Not at all.
