Motorola Edge review - Numbers don’t mean everything - Android

The Motorola Edge and Motorola Edge Plus may look identical, but they are vastly different phones under the glassy skin. Where one is a full-on flagship meant to compete with the Samsung Galaxy S20s and LG V60s of the world, the other is a down-spec’d slugger meant to take on the best of the upper mid-range. In other words, what separates the two boils down to some under-the-hood specs that may not mean much to some end users.

Do specs make the phone, or does the overall experience get the job done? Find out in Android Authority‘s Motorola Edge review.

Motorola Edge review: What is the Motorola Edge?

Motorola announced the Motorola Edge Plus and Motorola Edge earlier this year. The Edge Plus is Motorola’s 2020 flagship, while the Edge is a more affordable take on the phone. It’s sort of like the difference between the OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus 8, though the two Motorolas share the same size and shape.

The Edge Plus costs a whopping $999 and is available only from Verizon Wireless. Conversely, the Edge costs $699 (on sale for $499 now), and is compatible with all US carriers. The Edge has a lower-grade processor and GPU, has different cameras, and a smaller battery. The screen is the same, as is the chassis. Let’s start there.

See also: Motorola Edge Plus review

Design and display: Carried over

Design: Same same, but different

The Motorola Edge looks every bit a flagship, despite its lower cost. The naked eye cannot tell the Edge from the Edge Plus, as the differences are so minor. The front panel is steeply curved glass that meets an aluminum frame. The rear glass is also curved, though more gently. The Motorola Edge has one of the thinnest aluminum frames out there. I appreciate that the top and bottom metal end caps are bent at the corners to soften their points. The seams are tight and the quality of the materials is excellent across the board.

The aluminum frame has a sharp profile that you can feel pressing against your palm. The volume button and power key, both on the right edge, are razor thin and feel cheap. Motorola kept the size of the rear-mounted camera module in check, but it’s partially made of plastic and feels a tad cheap to the touch.

Where the Edge Plus measures 161.1 x 71.4 x 9.6mm and weighs 203g, the Edge measures 161.64 x 71.1 x 9.29mm and weighs 188g. The Edge is taller, but thinner and lighter. The difference in weight really helps the lower-cost phone when it comes to usability.

The phone isn’t waterproof. Many competing devices, even in the mid-range, carry an IP68 rating against dust and water. Instead, Motorola nano-coated the innards, making the Edge “splash proof.” Rain is ok, the pool is not.

I like the color options, which are Solar Black and Midnight Magenta. Our unit is the black one. There’s no gradient to the finish, but it has an appealing sheen to it that’s more blue than black. I also appreciate the headphone jack, something most competitors lack these days.

Display: Identical

The size, resolution, refresh rate, and aspect ratio of the screen are all good. The display is vibrant, colorful, and sharp. Motion looks smooth, thanks to the speedy 90Hz refresh rate, as on-screen elements zoom up and down with nary a stutter. I like the advanced controls for flashing notification lights, dark mode, and such.

The Edge’s display wraps around onto the side edges of the phone. This makes some apps harder to deal with, as you may need to tap something that’s slightly around the curve. Thankfully you can control this to a degree, though it’s on an app-by-app basis. I wish you could dial in the change system wide.

In all, it’s a good screen, though the curve to the edge is a bit too much.

More reading: Which phone has the best display?

Performance