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This year is a bargain for smartphone shoppers, especially if you’re on a budget. Not to be outdone by Google and Samsung, Motorola is launching the Edge (2024) today. Though it’s priced at $549, putting it in line with mid-range devices, the device boasts flagship-class features, including a 6.6-inch pOLED display that refreshes at 144Hz, a 5,000mAh battery with 68-watt fast charging, and an IP68 rating.
I also compared the Google Pixel 8a with the leading Android smartphones under $500, and here’s my advice for buying:
Looking at specs alone, the new Edge should compete with phones costing $700-$800, such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 and OnePlus 12. In fact, last year’s Edge model retailed for $799, so the $150 price cut is a big one. At $549, the successor Google Pixel 8a and Samsung Galaxy A35 5G SWEAT — And I think you could probably get away with it.
At 6.6 inches, with relatively thin bezels and a vegan leather lining, the new Edge is easy to hold and fairly comfortable for enjoying content on. In addition to a 144Hz refresh rate, which is slightly higher than the traditional 120Hz panels on its competitors, the display also sports a 360Hz touch sampling rate, making it incredibly responsive to your taps and swipes. That’s great news for mobile gamers (or anyone who spams taps for the chance to buy concert tickets).
The edges of the display are also curved, hence the name. It’s something you’ll either love or absolutely hate. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of this design as it makes installing tempered glass screen protectors a pain. There’s also a new quick button on the side of the phone that can be mapped to any app or function within an app. I’ll be interested to see what use cases customers come up with. Maybe quick access to ChatGPT?
Powering the Edge is a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. The lower-end processor is something Motorola has held back on to keep the phone’s price down, but the 256GB of base storage is nice; competing devices typically start at 128GB. There’s also 68W TurboPower charging (and 15W wireless charging) to quickly top up the 5,000mAh cell. That’s not as fast as the OnePlus 12R’s 80W, but it’s still quick enough to put any battery worries to rest.
Also, I switched to this $300 Motorola phone for two weeks and was pleasantly surprised.
It also has an IP68 rating, which is a big improvement over the IPX8 or IP67 ratings that devices in this price range usually come with, so you don’t have to worry about water or dust getting inside the phone.
There are two cameras on the back: a 50MP wide-angle camera with Sony’s LYTIA 700C image sensor, and a 13MP ultra-wide-angle camera with a 120-degree field of view. We’ll have to see how these two cameras perform in real-world testing, but it’s great to see Motorola trying to reduce the number of lenses for better performance and optimization, rather than sprucing up your photos by adding depth or macro. If you need more help with your photos, Motorola says the Edge will support Google’s Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, and more within the Google Photos app.
The Motorola Edge will be available in just one color, Midnight Blue, on Amazon, Best Buy and the Motorola website starting June 20. Several carriers, including T-Mobile, Visible and Spectrum, will also be selling the device.
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