Motorola Edge 50 review
The Motorola Edge 50 is a mid-range device that sits comfortably between the more premium models and the budget-friendly options in the Edge series. With its vegan leather design, IP68 rating, and military-grade temperature resistance, this phone checks off several boxes for durability. The 6.7-inch OLED display offers smooth scrolling and HDR10+ support, while the quad-camera setup delivers reliable performance. But does it stand out from the competition? Let's take a closer look.
Build Quality and Design
The Motorola Edge 50 is a mid-range device that stands out from the crowd with its premium build quality and design. The phone boasts a snazzy vegan leather design, which Moto calls "suede" in this Koala Gray colorway. The covering wraps around the camera bump, giving it a seamless look. Both the back and front curves into a thin aluminum frame, making the phone feel surprisingly thin and lightweight. Motorola has outdone itself with Ingress Protection on the Edge 50. This device is not only IP68 rated against water and dust but also boasts military-grade resistance to extreme temperatures and conditions, including drops from as high as 1.5 meters. The build quality of the Edge 50 is truly exceptional, making it a joy to hold and use. The phone's edges are expertly crafted, and the materials used exude a premium feel that is hard to find in this price range. Whether you're using the device for work or play, the Edge 50 feels like a solid investment. In terms of design, the Motorola Edge 50 has taken cues from its more expensive siblings. The curved 6.7-inch OLED display is a treat to behold, and the phone's overall shape makes it comfortable to hold in one hand. The camera module on the back is slightly raised, but this doesn't detract from the overall aesthetic of the device. Overall, the Motorola Edge 50's build quality and design make it a compelling choice for anyone looking for a mid-range device with a premium feel.
Battery Life
The Motorola Edge 50 is a mid-range device that checks many boxes in terms of design and features. However, its battery life falls short of expectations. With a 5,000mAh battery, one would expect decent battery life, but our tests revealed otherwise. In active use, the Edge 50 lasted for only 9 hours and 56 minutes, which is underwhelming to say the least. This is particularly disappointing given that the phone's predecessor, the Edge 50 Neo, performed better in this regard. To put things into perspective, a mid-range device like the OnePlus Nord 4 can easily last for over 12 hours on a single charge. While the Edge 50 does support 68W fast charging, which is convenient, it doesn't quite make up for its poor battery life. A full charge from zero to 100% takes around 45 minutes, which is acceptable but not exceptional. It's worth noting that Motorola has made promises about timely software updates and a robust battery life in the past, but it seems that the Edge 50 does not live up to those expectations. In comparison to its competitors, the Edge 50's battery life is underwhelming, making it difficult for potential buyers to justify purchasing this device over others in the same price range. Overall, while the Edge 50 has its strengths, its disappointing battery life is a major letdown.
Display
The display of the Moto Edge 50 is a notable feature, boasting a curved 6.7-inch OLED screen with a 1220p resolution and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The display's refresh rate reaches an impressive 120Hz, ensuring smooth swiping and scrolling experiences. This refresh rate can also dial down as low as 1Hz when idling to conserve energy. In terms of brightness, the display measured around 550 nits with a manual slider, which is sufficient for comfortable outdoor use. However, it's worth noting that this figure can boost to over 1400 nits in auto mode, making it suitable for brighter environments. The display also offers HDR10+ video support, providing an immersive viewing experience for multimedia content. With a pixel density of 446 PPI, the screen appears sharp and detailed, making text and images easy to read and view. In comparison to its sibling model, the Edge 50 Neo, the Moto Edge 50's display is larger but lacks the Low-Temperature Poling (LTPo) technology found in the Neo. This might be a consideration for users who prioritize power efficiency, as the LTPo feature allows the screen to consume less energy. Overall, the display on the Moto Edge 50 offers a compelling combination of performance and features, making it well-suited for everyday use. However, its absence of advanced technologies like LTPo and slightly lower brightness might be drawbacks for some users.
Camera
The Motorola Edge 50 boasts an impressive camera setup, with a 50MP main cam, a 10MP three times telephoto Cam, and a 13MP ultra-wide camera with autofocus. While it shares the same camera hardware as its predecessor, the Edge 50 Neo, it appears to have improved processing capabilities. In daylight conditions, the main camera delivers excellent results, with plenty of detail and sharpness, wide dynamic range, and natural-looking colors. Shots of people come out looking solid, with good amounts of detail and texture. The ultra-wide camera produces decent photos, but with less sharpness and a more limited dynamic range compared to the other two cameras. In low-light conditions, the main camera's Night mode feature kicks in, producing plenty of detail and acceptable sharpness, with no noticeable noise or issues with dynamic range. The three times telephoto photo camera also performs well at night, matching the main camera's processing in terms of colors, contrast, and dynamic range. The ultra-wide camera, however, struggles to deliver impressive results, particularly in low-light conditions, where it produces soft images with darker shadows and less saturated colors. While it can take close-up macro shots with autofocus, the main camera is often just as effective. When it comes to video recording, all three cameras, including the selfie cam, are capable of capturing 4K footage at 30 FPS. However, the main camera's output could benefit from improved sharpness, while the ultra-wide camera produces noticeably softer footage with narrower dynamic range. Electronic stabilization is always on, and in low-light conditions, it performs admirably, producing clean and sharp video that looks natural with highlights and shadows. Overall, the Motorola Edge 50's cameras deliver solid results, making it a dependable mid-range device. While there may be some room for improvement, particularly with ultra-wide camera shots, the main and telephoto cameras perform well, even in challenging lighting conditions.
Price and Value
The Moto Edge 50 is a mid-range device from Motorola that sits below the more premium Ed50 Pro and Ultra models, but above the Ed50 Fusion and Neo variants. At this price point, it's essential to evaluate whether this phone offers good value for money. Priced competitively in the mid-range segment, the Moto Edge 50 faces stiff competition from other devices that offer more powerful chipsets and better battery life. In terms of its own merits, the Ed50 has a durable and sleek design with IP68 water and dust resistance, military-grade temperature tolerance, and impressive drop protection. The phone's display is another highlight, featuring a curved 6.7-inch OLED screen with a 1220p resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and HDR10+ support. The stereo speakers produce good sound quality, but the bass could be more pronounced. However, the Ed50 falls short in terms of performance, with its Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 AE chipset offering adequate but not exceptional processing power. This is particularly concerning given the competition from other mid-range devices that pack more powerful chipsets. Battery life is another area where the Ed50 underperforms, lasting around 9 hours and 56 minutes in our tests – significantly less than some of its competitors. While charging is fast with support for 68W power, there's no charger included in the box, which might be a drawback for some users. The camera setup is decent, with good image quality from the main sensor, but the ultra-wide-angle camera produces softer images and has more limited dynamic range. Video recording capabilities are also satisfactory, with electronic stabilization always enabled. Given its price point and performance, it's challenging to wholeheartedly recommend the Moto Edge 50. While it excels in design and display aspects, its competition offers more powerful chipsets and better battery life – factors that ultimately affect user experience.
Performance
The Motorola Edge 50's performance is nothing to write home about, but it's adequate for a mid-range device. The phone's chipset, a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition (AE), performs well in benchmarks, delivering a mostly smooth user experience and decent gaming capabilities. However, the issue lies in the fact that other phones in the same price range offer more powerful chipsets. While the Edge 50 can handle daily tasks with ease, it may struggle with demanding applications or multitasking. The phone's performance is not particularly impressive, but it gets the job done. In benchmarks, the Edge 50 scores around average for its class, which means you won't experience any significant lag or stuttering while using the device. However, you can expect a slightly smoother experience from phones with more powerful chipsets. The 6GB of RAM available on some variants is a bit underwhelming, especially when compared to the competition. While the phone's performance is not terrible, it's not particularly impressive either. If you're in the market for a mid-range device and don't require top-notch performance, the Edge 50 might be worth considering. However, if you want a phone that can handle demanding tasks with ease, there are better options available at similar price points. Overall, the Edge 50's performance is just average, and it won't blow anyone away.
Pros
1. The phone brings a snazzy vegan leather design that's smooth and fuzzy to the touch, with a sleek aluminum frame.
2. The display is a curved 6.7-inch OLED with a 1220p resolution, Gorilla Glass 5 protection, and a 120Hz refresh rate.
3. The phone has military-grade resistance to extreme temperatures and conditions, as well as IP68 rating against water and dust.
4. The stereo speakers have good loudness and sound quality, with nice highs and vocals.
5. The under-display optical fingerprint reader is quick and responsive.
6. The camera system produces good results in various lighting conditions, with a 50MP main cam, a 10MP telephoto cam, and a 13MP ultra-wide cam.
Cons
1. The phone's performance is nothing to write home about, especially compared to other phones in the same price range.
2. Battery life was disappointing, with an active use score of just 9 hours and 56 minutes.
3. The phone does not have always-on display support, unlike some other Motorola models.
4. There's no charger included in the box, despite supporting fast charging at up to 68W.
5. The camera system has some limitations, such as a lack of sharpness in ultra-wide cam photos and softer videos from that camera.
6. The phone's chipset is not the most powerful, making it less competitive with other mid-range phones on the market.