Regardless of some blemishes, the 2023 Edge is a stable providing from Motorola, and the value is palatable at $600. It is a dependable, light-weight machine that will not break the financial institution or your again.
Motorola Edge (2023) evaluate: At a look
- What’s it? The Motorola Edge (2023) is Moto’s newest inexpensive flagship smartphone, however it’s not as hard-edged as previous Edge fashions. It packs a MediaTek Dimensity 7030 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a 6.6-inch 1080p OLED display with curved edges.
- What’s the value? The Motorola Edge (2023) retails for $599.99 within the US.
- The place can you purchase it? The Motorola Edge (2023) is out there from Motorola, Amazon, and Greatest Purchase.
- How did we check it? I examined the Motorola Edge (2023) for 2 weeks. The evaluate unit was provided by Motorola.
- Is it value it? The brand new Motorola Edge is an efficient purchase in order for you a slim, snappy cellphone with lengthy battery life at an inexpensive value, as long as you do not care a lot about images or a strong software program coverage.
Do you have to purchase the Motorola Edge (2023)?
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
It’s been a protracted, winding street for Motorola within the smartphone period. It has produced some underappreciated hits (howdy, Moto X), huge misses (goodbye, Moto Z), and an absolute mountain of funds telephones within the ongoing Moto G collection. Motorola’s flagship-tier Edge telephones have been round since 2020, however the 2023 Edge Plus was the primary one that truly felt prepared for the large time. Moto might need labored out the formulation as a result of the non-plus 2023 Edge is a stable machine, as effectively.
From the second you decide up the Edge, it looks like a unique breed of Android cellphone. Regardless of having a 6.6-inch show, the cellphone feels remarkably compact and comfy. It’s 7.6mm thick, which is noticeably lower than most fashionable smartphones. Extra importantly, it weighs simply 168g, which is nothing for such a big cellphone; most are simply over 200g. Equally spectacular is that the Edge weighs in on the similar mark because the Galaxy S23, which is a petite cellphone with a 6.1-inch show and a meager 3,900mAh battery.
The Edge is identical weight because the Galaxy S23, however packs in much more.
The Edge saves on weight by swapping the glass panel for plastic, however it doesn’t sacrifice the premium really feel. Just like the 2023 Motorola Razr, the Edge has a “vegan leather-based” again panel. The feel is constant and doesn’t strive too arduous to emulate actual leather-based, and I recognize the additional grip, notably on an Edge cellphone. It’s additionally IP68 rated, which quite a lot of Motorola’s telephones — together with this cellphone’s predecessor, the Edge (2022) — usually are not. The display is coated with NEG glass, which is a hardened glass much like Gorilla Glass. It might not be as sturdy because the name-brand Corning materials, however our evaluate unit has held up effectively regardless of using round in a pocket with some keys.
The Motorola Edge (2023) has the identical, near-universal smartphone stereo speaker association I really feel like I’ve seen 100 instances over, with one on the underside and the opposite within the earpiece. There’s no bass to talk of, however the audio stays clear as much as practically full quantity.
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
Motorola has a historical past of creating Edge telephones that weren’t designed to be held by human beings. That they had weirdly sharp edges on the body and an aggressively curved show, making the telephones precarious to hold round. The aluminum body on the 2023 Edge has a matte end with chamfered edges that make it much less awkward. Mixed with the low weight and gentler curve, I discovered it a delight to deal with. The buttons are the one a part of the construct that doesn’t really feel stable. They’re barely mushy, and the ability button wiggled visibly once I didn’t press proper within the center.
The 6.6-inch OLED is general excellent, that includes a 1080p decision and 144Hz refresh price. The height 1,200 nits of brightness is a lot for outside visibility, however the display doesn’t get very dim to be used in a darker atmosphere. It’s an Edge cellphone, so you may get curved edges on the show. This design is more and more falling out of favor (see: Google dropping it for the Pixel 8 Professional), however the curve isn’t too substantial. Nonetheless, we’ve seen some unintentional touches on the curved areas, which is an annoyance that might have simply been averted by simply utilizing a flat display like most different telephones in 2023.
I seen some unintentional touches on the curved display, which is an annoyance that might have simply been averted by simply utilizing a flat display like most different telephones.
With a reasonably middling 4,400 mAh battery, I wasn’t all that optimistic concerning the Edge’s battery life. Nevertheless, it smashed all expectations. The Edge (2023) simply lasted two days of reasonable use in my testing, together with internet searching, messaging, video and music streaming, and lightweight gaming. When it’s time to recharge, the Edge helps as much as 68W charging, although you’ll want Moto’s newest Turbo Energy plug, a $60 add-on that doesn’t ship with the cellphone. It fast-charges with regular USB Energy Supply plugs, too, however it received’t hit 68W until it additionally has PPS (programmable energy provide).
Sure, the Edge can cost wirelessly as much as 15W.
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
A part of the credit score for the Edge’s lengthy battery life goes to the processor, which is extra modest than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 discovered within the Edge Plus (2023). This cellphone sports activities the rarely-seen MediaTek Dimensity 7030, an eight-core chip with two high-speed CPUs and 6 effectivity CPUs.
There have been instances in my testing when the cellphone might have been sooner; for instance, a widget would often not load immediately, or an app might hold for a second when returning to the foreground. These disruptions occurred usually sufficient that I seen, however it wasn’t a continuing battle — it’s not a sluggish cellphone by any means, however it’d be honest to count on barely extra uncooked energy from a cellphone at this value vary.
The benchmark scores mirror this, because the Motorola Edge (2023) fails to impress when stacked towards different inexpensive flagship telephones. Maybe most damningly, the Edge (2023) barely scores greater than the Motorola Edge (2022)’s ~2,500 peak in 3DMark’s Wild Life GPU check. Once more, it’s removed from horrible, however don’t count on this to be a gaming powerhouse. On the very least, although, the spectacular PCMark rating suggests it’ll be an honest on a regular basis performer for blended use.
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
The Edge’s software program is general good, however there’s some bloatware to uninstall.
The 2023 Edge ships with Android 13, however Motorola guarantees two years of OS updates and three years of safety patches. That’s removed from the finest replace coverage amongst Android telephones, however it does imply you’ll get Android 14 and 15… finally. We’ve by no means been overly impressed with Moto’s replace velocity or consistency, so don’t count on that Android 14 replace immediately. Actually, on the time of the Edge (2023)’s launch, its predecessor, the Moto Edge (2022) continues to be caught on Android 12.
Nonetheless, the software program put in out of the field is general excellent. It’s obtained Motorola’s normal customizations like Moto Show for notification administration, and gestures to activate the digicam or flashlight. The chop-chop flashlight gesture is especially great. On the similar time, new additions to Moto’s software program haven’t been pretty much as good; for instance, the barely-there implementation of Materials You.
Sadly, there’s a bloatware downside on the Edge. It ships with quite a few third-party apps like Reserving.com, LinkedIn, and a whole suite of Swish apps. We noticed these on a number of Moto G telephones this yr, however this time, the Swish branding is gone. Most of those apps manage your apps of a sure kind, like video games or purchasing, recommending new ones for which the developer will get paid. The Swish privateness coverage says the corporate can promote your knowledge (together with real-time areas) to its companions. And so they’ll undoubtedly have your location to promote — Swish additionally makes the inventory climate app on the Edge. We advocate eradicating all these apps.
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
The Edge sports activities a 50MP major digicam and a 13MP ultrawide. Motorola has by no means been identified for imaging prowess, and the Edge (2023) received’t be difficult the finest digicam telephones. Nevertheless, it does present a marked enchancment in comparison with earlier vanilla Edge telephones. So long as there’s good gentle, the Edge captures sharp, detailed photos. It slows down quite a bit in dim gentle, which makes motion virtually not possible to seize. The ultrawide tends to look a bit muddy, however these pictures are nice so long as you don’t zoom and crop. You’ll be able to see a choice of pattern photos under, and full-resolution variations can be found in this Google Drive folder.
Video tops out at 4K and 30fps. I used to be stunned at how satisfactory the video was; the 4K video is sharp and comparatively brilliant. Nevertheless, the 30fps is dismal at this value level. You’ll in all probability nonetheless get higher general outcomes with 1080p video, which helps 60fps, because it seems a lot smoother.
Regardless of some blemishes, the 2023 Edge is a stable providing from Motorola, and the value is palatable at $600. The smooth fake leather-based on the again is a refreshing change from the ocean of glass slabs, and it’s good to make use of an enormous cellphone that isn’t enormously heavy. In the event you don’t thoughts the digicam weaknesses, some pesky bloatware, and also you’re not apprehensive about well timed software program updates, this could possibly be a stable possibility. It’s a dependable, light-weight machine that received’t break the financial institution or your again.
Motorola Edge (2023)
Slim, light-weight design • Glorious battery life • Improved IP score
The 2023 Motorola Edge provides a 6.6-inch curved pOLED 144Hz show, MediaTek Dimensity 7030 SoC, 68W quick charging, and IP68 certification.
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Motorola Edge | 2023 | Unlocked | Made for US 8/256GB | 50MP Digital camera | Eclipse Black
What are the perfect Motorola Edge (2023) alternate options?
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
The Motorola Edge (backside left) with the Galaxy S23 FE, Pixel 8, and Motorola Razr.
- Motorola Razr ($699.99 at Amazon): The Razr (2023) has quite a bit in frequent with the Edge; it’s obtained the identical software program construct, a pretend leather-based again, and a suitable however not superb digicam. It’s $100 extra however folds in half while you’re not utilizing it.
- Google Pixel 8 ($699 at Amazon): The Pixel 8 retails for $800, however it has the perfect digicam expertise out there at its value tier. The show can be brighter than the Edge, and we desire Google’s model of Android.
- Samsung Galaxy S23 FE ($599.99 at Amazon): The $600 Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is greater and heavier than the Edge, however it has a extra highly effective processor and higher cameras.
- Motorola Edge Plus (2023) ($599.99 at Amazon): At $800, the Motorola Edge Plus has a bit extra headroom to pump up the specs. It strikes to a sooner Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, provides a 2x telephoto digicam, and will increase battery capability to 5100mAh. Nevertheless, it’s not as skinny or gentle because the cheaper Edge.
Motorola Edge (2023) specs
Motorola Edge (2023) | |
---|---|
Show |
6.6-inch pOLED |
Processor |
MediaTek Dimensity 7030 |
RAM |
8GB |
Storage |
256GB |
Energy |
4,400mAh battery |
Cameras |
Rear:
– 50MP huge, f/1.4, PDAF, OIS – 13MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 120-degree FoV Selfie: |
Audio |
Stereo audio system |
Video |
4K at 30 |
Sturdiness |
Glass entrance |
Connectivity |
Wi-Fi 6E |
Biometrics |
Optical under-display fingerprint reader |
Ports and switches |
USB 2.0 by way of USB-C |
Software program |
Android 13 |
Dimensions and weight |
158.4 x 72 x 7.6mm |
Colours |
Interstellar Black |
Within the field |
Motorola Edge (2023) |
Motorola Edge (2023) evaluate: FAQ
Sure, the Edge works on sub-6GHz 5G networks.
The Edge helps one nanoSIM and one eSIM.
Nope, the USB-C is the one port on the Edge.
Sure, the Motorola Edge (2023) is IP68 rated for water and mud.