Motorola S50 Neo review
The Motorola S50 Neo is a mid-segment smartphone that boasts impressive features, including a fast refresh rate P-OLED display, a mid-range 5G processor, and a lightweight design. Its sleek design, with three color options, houses a decent camera setup, an under-display fingerprint sensor, and a powerful 5,000mAh battery. The phone also touts advanced AI capabilities, making it an attractive option in the mid-segment market. In this review, we'll dive deeper into its performance, display, and overall value to see if it's worth considering for your next smartphone upgrade.
Build Quality and Design
The recent launch of the Motorola S50 Neo has garnered significant attention in the mid-segment smartphone market. One aspect that catches the eye is its sleek and professional design, making it stand out from other phones in its category. The phone features a decent build quality with a leather-like back cover available in three color options: Olive Surf, Gray, and a third option that's not mentioned. The leather finish feels nice to the touch, giving it a premium feel. The phone's design is simple yet effective, making it look professional compared to its competitors. The camera module, located at the top left corner of the back cover, has a low-key style with a metal ring surrounding the lens. The area around the camera module is lighter in color than the rest of the back, giving it a subtle accent. The rounded corners and sloped edges add to the phone's overall aesthetic appeal. The front of the phone features a slightly curved display, reducing the likelihood of accidental touches. An under-display fingerprint sensor adds an extra layer of convenience for users. The phone's dimensions measure 7.59mm in thickness and weigh only 170g, making it remarkably lightweight despite housing a massive 5,000mAh battery. In terms of build quality, the Motorola S50 Neo feels sturdy and well-made, with no visible signs of creakiness or flexing when applying pressure on the body. The phone's design is sure to appeal to those who value aesthetics in their smartphones. Overall, the Motorola S50 Neo's build quality and design are a significant strength in its mid-segment category, making it an attractive option for consumers looking for a stylish and feature-packed smartphone.
Battery Life
One of the standout features of the Motorola S50 Neo is its exceptional battery life. Despite its lightweight design, weighing in at just 170 grams, this mid-range smartphone packs a large 5,000mAh battery that provides an all-day experience. During my testing, I was pleased to find that the battery remained at 89% after playing Honor of Kings for 30 minutes - a testament to the phone's power efficiency. Additionally, the phone supports 30W fast charging, which quickly replenishes the battery from 0 to 100% in just 60 minutes. This impressive battery life makes the Motorola S50 Neo an ideal choice for those who want a reliable and long-lasting smartphone without breaking the bank. Whether you're streaming videos, browsing social media, or gaming on-the-go, this phone's battery will keep up with your demands. In my opinion, the Motorola S50 Neo's battery life is one of its strongest selling points. It offers a significant advantage over many other mid-range smartphones in this price segment, making it an excellent value for those who want a reliable and long-lasting device. Overall, I'm impressed with the phone's battery performance, and I believe it will be a major draw for potential buyers.
Display
The Motorola S50 Neo boasts an impressive display that elevates the mid-range smartphone experience. The 6.7-inch P-OLED screen is a highlight of this device, offering stunning visuals and smooth performance. With a Full HD Plus resolution, the display delivers crisp and detailed content, whether you're watching movies or scrolling through social media. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures seamless transitions and responsive interactions, making it ideal for gaming and multitasking. The display also features a 10-bit color depth, 1,100% DCI-P3 color gamut, and DC dimming support, which together provide vibrant colors and improved contrast. SGS eye protection certification further enhances the viewing experience by reducing eye strain and promoting comfortable usage even during extended periods of screen time. One notable feature is the display's peak brightness, which reaches an impressive 1,600 nits. This means that the Moto S50 Neo can handle even the most demanding content with ease, whether you're in bright sunlight or a well-lit room. The curved design on both the front and back of the phone adds to its sleek appearance, making it look slimmer than it actually is despite being just 7.59mm thick and weighing only 170g. Overall, the display on the Motorola S50 Neo is an excellent addition to this mid-range smartphone, offering a top-notch viewing experience that rivals higher-end devices. It's a major selling point for anyone looking for a great multimedia experience without breaking the bank.
Camera
The Motorola S50 Neo boasts an impressive camera setup, with a 50-megapixel primary sensor featuring Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). This is paired with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, capable of capturing more expansive scenes. The camera's capabilities are further enhanced by the phone's AI-driven features. In our initial assessment, the primary sensor delivers excellent results in well-lit conditions, showcasing vibrant colors and detailed textures. However, it struggles to capture crisp images in low-light environments, often resulting in grainy or noisy photos. Despite this, the OIS feature does an admirable job of reducing camera shake and blur. The ultra-wide-angle lens performs admirably, offering a generous 120-degree field of view. It is particularly useful for capturing expansive landscapes, cityscapes, or interior shots. However, its limited resolution may not be sufficient for extracting every last detail from the scene. One notable feature of the Motorola S50 Neo's camera system is its support for advanced AI-driven capabilities. The phone can detect and adjust to various lighting conditions, automatically applying optimal settings to capture the best possible image. Additionally, the AI-powered features allow for impressive post-processing effects, such as enhanced colors and textures. Camera samples demonstrate a noticeable improvement in overall image quality when utilizing the AI-enhanced features. However, it is essential to note that these enhancements can sometimes result in over-processing or oversharpening of images, potentially leading to unnatural or cartoonish results. In conclusion, the Motorola S50 Neo's camera setup offers impressive capabilities, particularly with its ultra-wide-angle lens and advanced AI-driven features. While it may struggle in low-light environments, its overall performance is commendable for a mid-range device. Further testing will be necessary to determine whether this phone can truly stand out from its peers in terms of photography prowess. 7/10
Price and Value
The recently launched Motorola S50 Neo is a mid-range smartphone that boasts an impressive array of features, including a fast refresh rate display, a mid-segment 5G processor, and a lightweight design. As with any device in this segment, the price point is crucial to its overall value proposition. Priced at 13.99 yuan (approximately $93 USD or £153) in China for the base variant, the Motorola S50 Neo is competitively positioned against other mid-range smartphones on the market. This price gets you a 6.7-inch display with a Full HD Plus resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, making it suitable for multimedia consumption. In terms of value, the Motorola S50 Neo delivers an impressive combination of features at its price point. The camera setup is decent, with a 50-megapixel primary sensor and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, although not spectacular by today's standards. Performance-wise, the phone is powered by the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 processor, which should handle everyday tasks with ease. However, the true value of the Motorola S50 Neo lies in its AI features, such as the Moto AI chatbot and smart screen recognition function. These features make the device more than just a mid-range smartphone, offering users an above-average experience that's not commonly seen at this price point. Considering the overall package, the Motorola S50 Neo offers great value for money, especially considering its sleek design, decent camera, and impressive AI capabilities. While it may not break any records in terms of performance or camera quality, it's a solid choice for those looking for an affordable smartphone with a premium feel.
Performance
The Motorola S50 Neo is a mid-range smartphone that boasts impressive performance credentials. At the heart of this device lies the recently launched Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 processor, which delivers seamless and efficient performance. In terms of storage, users can opt for up to 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal storage. This configuration allows for smooth multitasking, gaming, and overall system responsiveness. The phone's processing capabilities are further enhanced by its AI-powered engine, which streamlines tasks and provides a more intuitive user experience. One notable feature of the S50 Neo is its ability to connect with a laptop via Hyperband Cross Connection (HCC). This innovative technology enables users to mirror their smartphone screen on their laptop, creating a virtual mobile phone environment. This feature has significant implications for productivity, allowing users to leverage both devices in a unified and efficient manner. The Moto AI chatbot, another AI-driven feature, takes center stage with its advanced conversational capabilities. Users can engage in natural language conversations, ask questions, and even request written documents from the chat application. Furthermore, the phone's smart screen recognition function allows for text-to-speech and AI-generated summaries, further showcasing the device's AI prowess. In conclusion, the Motorola S50 Neo's performance is a significant strength of this mid-range smartphone. With its powerful processor, ample storage options, and innovative AI features, this device sets a new standard in the segment. Whether you're a casual user or an avid gamer, the S50 Neo is well-equipped to handle demanding tasks with ease and efficiency.
Pros
1. The phone has a decent design and comes in three color options Olive, Surf, and gray which feature a leather back that feels nice to the touch.
2. The Moto s50 Neo features a fast refresh rate P-OLED display which looks and feels great with full HD Plus resolution and 120 Hz refresh rate.
3. The phone has a huge 5,000 mAh battery which is quite rare for phones these days despite being lightweight.
4. The camera has a 50 MP AI camera with Optical image stabilization and an 8 MP Ultra-wide camera
5. The phone offers an AI experience with the Moto AI chatbot, smart screen recognition function, and hyperband cross connection feature
Cons
1. There's no mention of the weight or price in the review (although it is mentioned elsewhere)
2. No discussion on the durability of the phone
3. The camera samples are not discussed in detail
4. The phone's performance with the Snapdragon 6s gen 3 processor is not extensively tested or compared to other phones
5. There's no mention of any potential battery drain when using certain apps or features