Motorola Edge 30 review
The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion is an upper mid-range smartphone that boasts a sleek design with a faux leather back, curved metal frame, and impressive display. The phone's 6.55-inch POLED screen features a 1080p resolution, Gorilla Glass 5 protection, and an extra-fast 144Hz refresh rate. In terms of performance, the Edge 30 Fusion is powered by a Snapdragon 888+ chipset, which provides smooth handling of demanding tasks and games. However, it does throttle its performance to prevent overheating during stress tests. Battery life is decent, with a 4400mAh capacity allowing for up to 101 hours of usage. The camera setup includes a 50MP main sensor, 13MP ultra-wide lens, and depth sensor. Photos from the main camera are detailed and true-to-life, but may lack fine details when pixel-peeping. The ultra-wide camera produces decent results, but suffers from visible noise and distortion in daylight shots. Low-light performance is improved, with a dedicated night mode that enhances tonality. The phone's design, display, and battery life make it an attractive option for those seeking an upper mid-range device. However, the lack of official IP rating and absence of a telephoto camera are minor drawbacks. Overall, the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion is a well-rounded smartphone that deserves consideration.
Build Quality and Design
The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion boasts an impressive build quality and design that sets it apart from other upper-midrange devices. The faux leather finish on the back is a standout feature, providing a premium feel to the phone. The texture is soft to the touch, adding to the overall luxurious vibe. The two-tone camera bump is another clever design element, lending an air of sophistication to the device. Both the front and back panels curve seamlessly into the thin metal frame, creating a cohesive look that is both elegant and functional. Despite its impressive features, the phone remains light and comfortable in hand, making it easy to hold for extended periods. Motorola's attention to detail is evident in the subtle design flourishes throughout the device. The 6.55-inch P-OLED display, protected by Gorilla Glass 5, curves into the frame, creating a seamless visual experience. The phone's slender profile and carefully crafted edges ensure that it fits snugly into pockets and bags. One notable omission is the lack of an official IP rating, which might be a concern for users who frequently expose their devices to water or dust. However, Motorola does market the Edge 30 Fusion as dust and splash-resistant, providing some level of protection against everyday accidents. Ultimately, the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion's design and build quality elevate it above its competitors in the upper-midrange segment. While minor issues like the lack of a formal IP rating might detract from an otherwise flawless experience, this phone is sure to impress with its premium feel and aesthetic appeal.
Battery Life
The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion boasts an impressive battery life, making it a compelling option for those seeking a device that can keep up with their daily demands. The phone's 4400mAh battery capacity is substantial, and our testing revealed that it can easily last a day and a half with moderate use. In our proprietary tests, the Edge 30 Fusion scored an endurance rating of 101 hours, which is impressive considering its battery size. This means you can expect the device to stay powered on for around 5 days with minimal usage, or up to 24 hours with heavy usage. One of the standout features of the Edge 30 Fusion's battery life is its fast charging capabilities. The phone comes with a 68W power delivery charger, which allows it to charge from zero to 82% in just half an hour. This makes it easy to top up the battery quickly when you're on the go. While we didn't experience any significant battery drain or overheating issues during our testing, it's worth noting that the phone's thermals do throttle its performance to around 60% after an hour of intense usage. However, this is a common phenomenon in high-end smartphones, and the Edge 30 Fusion seems to handle it well. Overall, the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion's battery life is a significant strength, making it a great option for those seeking a device that can keep up with their daily demands without needing to be recharged too frequently.
Display
The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion boasts an impressive 6.55-inch P-OLED display with a 1080p resolution and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The most striking feature, however, is the support for an extra-fast 144Hz refresh rate. This allows for smooth visuals in games that support it, making the experience more immersive. In our testing, we found the display to be impressive, with a respectable maximum brightness of around 900 nits using the manual brightness slider. The screen also boosts to almost 950 nits in auto mode when facing direct sunlight. The color accuracy is good, and the HDR10+ support ensures that colors are rich and vibrant. The display's sharpness is also commendable, making text and images look crisp and clear. Additionally, the adaptive refresh rate feature can dial down the rate to save energy when idling, which helps conserve battery life. One notable omission from the Edge 30 Fusion's display is an official IP rating for water resistance. This is a drawback, especially considering other mid-range phones in this price segment offer such protection. In terms of color tweaking, users have some flexibility through settings to fine-tune their experience. The display also features a peak brightness mode that can be used to optimize performance in bright environments. Overall, the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion's display is an impressive feature that adds value to the phone. While it may not offer some advanced features found in higher-end phones, its capabilities are more than sufficient for everyday use.
Camera
The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion boasts an impressive camera setup, including a 50-megapixel main cam, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide cam, and a depth sensor. The results are generally good, with plenty of detail and contrast in photos taken with the main cam. However, there are some minor issues to note. Photos from the main cam come out in 12.5 megapixels by default, which is slightly disappointing given the camera's resolution. While details are plentiful, they can be a tad soft when pixel-peeping. Portraits taken with the main cam look nice, with good subject separation and background blur, but facial features could benefit from sharper definition. The ultra-wide cam also produces decent photos at 12.5 megapixels, with a similar color rendition to the main cam. However, our bigger concern is the visible noise and distortion around the edges of daylight shots taken with this camera. While these are better than what we've seen in past Motorola models, they're still not ideal. One notable improvement over past Motorola phones is the performance of the ultra-wide cam in low light conditions. With autofocus, it can take close-up macro shots that look great, with nice detail and colors. The main camera also holds up well in low light, thanks to an auto night enhancement feature that adds a decent amount of detail. The dedicated night mode on the Edge 30 Fusion is a bit underwhelming, but regular night shots are already quite good. Tonal restoration and slight sharpening can be observed in some photos, although not all. Selfie-taking with the 32-megapixel front-facing cam is a different story altogether. These look great overall, with plenty of fine detail and nice textures and skin tones. However, stabilization could be better, especially when recording selfie videos in 4K. The main camera can record video in up to 8K at 30fps, producing excellent results with an abundance of detail, vibrant colors, and wide dynamic range. 4K from the main cam is also great, while the ultra-wide camera can record 4K as well, with pleasing colors and a decent dynamic range.
Price and Value
The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion is the global edition of the China-only Moto S30 Pro, an upper mid-ranger that promises some nice features and a unique design. As an upper mid-range phone, it doesn't quite reach flagship status but packs a high-end chipset and display along with a few other useful features. Priced at [insert price], the Edge 30 Fusion offers great value for money considering its specs. The phone's faux leather back is both stylish and practical, giving it a business-minded look that's hard to find in this price range. The device also boasts a curved 6.55-inch POLED display with a 1080p resolution, Gorilla Glass 5 protection, and an extra-fast 144Hz refresh rate. In terms of performance, the Edge 30 Fusion is powered by a Snapdragon 888+ chipset, which provides more than enough power for daily tasks and demanding games. The phone's battery life is also impressive, with a score of 101 hours in our endurance test. The camera experience has improved significantly over past Motorola phones, with good results from both the main cam and ultra-wide cam. Low-light performance is also commendable, especially with the auto night enhancement feature. Considering its price, the Edge 30 Fusion offers excellent value for money. It's a solid upper mid-range phone that packs a punch without breaking the bank. While it may not have all the bells and whistles of more expensive flagships, it's still a great option for those looking for a reliable device with impressive specs. The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion is a well-rounded upper mid-range phone that deserves consideration from anyone in the market for a new smartphone. Its unique design, impressive display, and solid performance make it a compelling choice at its price point.
Performance
The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion is an upper-midrange smartphone that packs a high-end chipset and display, making it a formidable contender in its class. Under the hood lies a Snapdragon 888 Plus processor, which provides more than enough power to handle demanding tasks and games. In benchmarking tests, the Edge 30 Fusion performed admirably, sitting just behind flagships running on this year's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. In terms of thermals, the phone behaves similarly to most other recent smartphones with high-end silicon, throttling performance to around 60% after an hour of intense use to prevent overheating. While not ideal, this was a gradual process without sudden dips in performance. Battery life on the Edge 30 Fusion is decent, considering its 4400mAh capacity. In our tests, it managed to score an endurance rating of 101 hours, with fast charging capabilities that can top up the battery from zero to 82% in just half an hour using a 68W power delivery charger. The phone's performance was snappy and responsive throughout, making it suitable for productivity tasks, gaming, and general use. The inclusion of Dolby Sound Enhancement and media shortcuts while gaming is also a welcome addition. However, the lack of official IP rating is a minor drawback, as is the absence of a telephoto camera. Overall, the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion's performance is its strongest aspect, making it a great option for those seeking an upper-midrange device with high-end capabilities. While not perfect, the phone's strengths far outweigh its weaknesses, earning it our recommendation.
Pros
1. The design is something special, with a faux leather back that's soft to the touch and a two-tone camera bump giving it a business-minded and classy look.
2. The phone has a high-end chipset (Snapdragon 888 Plus) that can handle demanding games and productivity tasks with ease.
3. The display is impressive, with a curved 6.55-inch POLED screen that supports HDR10+, 10-bit color, and 144Hz refresh rate for smooth gaming performance.
4. The phone has fast charging capabilities (68W PD charger), which can charge the battery from 0 to 82% in just half an hour.
5. The camera setup is improved over past Motorola models, with a 50MP main cam that takes good photos with plenty of detail and contrast.
6. The ultra-wide camera can take close-up macro shots with great results, and the selfie camera has autofocus for sharper images.
7. The phone supports Dolby Atmos sound enhancement for a more immersive audio experience.
8. The software is close to stock Android 12, making it snappy and bloat-free.
Cons
1. There's no official IP rating for dust and splash resistance, which might be a concern for some users.
2. The phone lacks a telephoto camera, which could have been useful for zooming in on distant subjects.
3. The ultra-wide camera takes photos with visible noise and distortion around the edges, even in daylight conditions.