Review of the Motorola Edge 40: A Lightweight Competitor The Motorola Edge 40 is a strong cellphone for the worth, with a slim and light-weight construct, good display, and nice software program, however the cameras aren’t the very best, and the software program assist is simply too quick.
It’s possible you’ll not know that Motorola telephones are made by Lenovo today, or owned by Lenovo anyway. Both means, it’s a very good factor.
Google purchased Motorola’s cellphone division in 2012 however did nearly nothing good with it. Simply two years later it offered the well-known firm to Lenovo.
Quick ahead to 2023 and we now get good smartphones from Motorola, such because the Edge 40 I’ve reviewed right here as its predecessor. the Edge 30. The Android market wants strong competitors to maintain gadgets fascinating and well-priced, and the Edge 40 is actually each of these issues.
It’s a well-designed, impressively light-weight cellphone with top of the range software program, a stunning display, and good battery life. However at £529.99/€599 within the UK, the cameras are inferior to, say, the Google Pixel 7a, and with solely three years of software program assist, Motorola is lagging behind direct rival firms.
That value can also be a major value rise in comparison with 2022’s £379 Motorola Edge 30 – although that cellphone had a less expensive plastic building and worse cameras than the newer Edge 40.
All of it means the Edge 40 is an efficient cellphone, and one I can suggest, but it surely’s shy of being an ideal one.
Design & construct
- Vegan leather-based end
- Amazingly light-weight
- Very slim
One of many Edge 40’s greatest traits is its design. It’s so mild that after I first picked it up I believed it is perhaps a dummy unit with no inner elements. It’s solely a feather shorter than the Pixel 7 Professional however is a really noticeable 45g lighter than Google’s cellphone at simply 167g.
It makes the Edge 40 one of many lightest telephones I’ve utilized in a very long time, all of the extra spectacular given this isn’t a small cellphone. It has a 6.55in display however is slim and light-weight sufficient to simply use one-handed for lots of duties. At 7.6mm, it’s extremely skinny.
For those who go for the black or inexperienced model of the Edge 40, you get a soft-feel vegan leather-based again. I examined the black one, and it feels pretty whereas hiding all however the greasiest of fingerprints. It additionally covers the digicam module.
There’s a blue mannequin in case you would favor a shiny acrylic again (it’s not glass). All fashions have an aluminium body, however I might have finished with out ‘Dolby Atmos’ being printed on the highest edge. All of the regulatory writing and ‘Made in China’ textual content is crammed onto the underside edge across the port and speaker too, leaving the again freed from this typical blemish.
The cellphone is absolutely water and dirt proof with an IP68 ranking, which is rare at this value level. Haptics are additionally nice, with little sharp vibrating pips for the keyboard suggestions, the place different mid-range telephones usually rattle cheaply like an previous tin can.
… the Edge 40 [is] one of many lightest telephones I’ve utilized in a very long time
Display screen & audio system
- Sharp 144Hz OLED
- 6.55in
- Punchy full audio system
The Edge 40 has a giant, vibrant, curved 6.55in OLED show that I loved utilizing. It’s properly calibrated out of the field, however you may fiddle with the settings for a extra pure or saturated tone.
It’s a Full HD+ panel with a 2400 x 1080 decision. Textual content and pictures look pin sharp, and the display has a uncommon 144Hz refresh charge, greater than the 120Hz discovered on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely or iPhone 14 Professional. However not like these flagship shows it may well’t scale all the way down to 1Hz to avoid wasting battery – you may set both 60-, 120-, or 144Hz, or an auto mode that bounce between 60- to 120Hz.
Add to that, assist for HDR10+ movies and a zippy 360Hz contact sampling charge, it is a good high quality, responsive display.
Whereas many tech reviewers abhor curved screens, I don’t thoughts them. They make massive telephones really feel extra manageable in your hand, and it is smart with Android telephones the place you might be always swiping inwards on both facet to make use of the ‘again’ gesture, serving to your thumb glide inwards.
The stereo audio system produce surprisingly full audio contemplating the slender cellphone itself. Enjoying music at full quantity on Spotify doesn’t distort, and the system is nice for gaming though my proper hand blocked the down-firing speaker on the underside of the gadget when enjoying panorama video games.
Specs & efficiency
- MediaTek Dimensity 8020
- 8GB RAM, 256GB storage
- Superb efficiency
The cellphone runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 8020 chipset. When operating benchmarks, it is a strong upper-mid-range chip that outstrips telephones such because the Pixel 7a with its Google Tensor G2 and Samsung Galaxy A54 with its Samsung Exynos 1380.
It even holds its personal in opposition to the £899 Pixel 7 Professional, which additionally makes use of the Tensor G2.
Though the worth is mid-range, the specs and efficiency of the Edge 40 make it really feel like a extra premium, costly gadget
In day-to-day use, I didn’t really feel the Edge 40 was a serious downgrade from flagship telephones with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 such because the OnePlus 11. It by no means floor to a halt on me and coped properly with demanding cellular video games Name of Obligation Cellular and Asphalt 9. On the previous, I performed a number of rounds in a row with the gaming-specific efficiency mode on and the cellphone didn’t get too heat, despite the fact that it warns you it’d.
Meaning the 8GB LPDDRX4 RAM and the 256GB UFS 3.1 storage is quick sufficient to maintain issues shifting. There’s no microSD enlargement and just one bodily SIM slot, however you may add a second eSIM.
Connectivity is prime spec, too, with WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, NFC for cellular funds, and 5G assist.
Though the worth is mid-range, the specs and efficiency of the Edge 40 make it really feel like a extra premium, costly gadget.
Digicam & video
- Major 50Mp f/1.4 sensor
- Strong however oversharpens
- Ultrawide and selfie cams serviceable
The costlier Motorola Edge 40 Professional has triple rear cameras, however on the Edge 40, you lose the optical telephoto lens and are left with two on the rear. These foremost and ultrawide sensors are good, however not nice. If you would like the perfect cellphone digicam for this value, there are higher choices.
The Edge 40’s foremost digicam is a 50Mp f/1.4 sensor. That is an impressively quick aperture for a smartphone digicam and means it permits extra mild with a view to bettering low mild pictures outcomes.
In a nutshell, the Pixel 7a has a greater digicam than the Edge 40 and prices much less. However in case you choose the design on the Motorola you need to be happy with the primary sensor, notably in broad daylight. Photographs are sharp and hues pop properly, although in case you zoom in there’s not numerous element. Outcomes are additionally often over-sharpened, lending the photographs a little bit of a harsh tone that isn’t true to life.
These foremost and ultrawide sensors are good, however not nice
The ultrawide digicam is serviceable however the high quality dips because it’s utilizing a 13Mp f/2.2 digicam with a 120-degree subject of view. Zoom in and also you’ll see a good bit of noise, but it surely’s completely good for capturing landscapes or becoming in additional of a scene you’re up near. It may also be used to shoot up shut with a macro mode that works properly.
A 32Mp f/2.4 entrance going through digicam is kind of good for fast selfies and group pictures or video calls – all you’ll probably want it for, in spite of everything.
Battery life & charging
- A full day’s energy
- Quick charger in field
- Wi-fi charging
Battery life on the Edge 40 is fairly respectable. The 4400mAh cell lasted me a complete day persistently with no points however did have a tendency to empty fairly rapidly after I was utilizing it quite a bit. That’s to be anticipated, however I discovered it a little bit erratic.
It’s actually not a two-day cellphone on one cost, and it solely lasted eight hours and 51 minutes in our customary battery check – however in actual life, it’s higher than that.
There’s a 68W charging brick and cable within the field, not all the time a given in 2023. I acquired it to cost to 47% in quarter-hour from flat, which could be very fast. In half-hour, it was at 87%. It is a whole lot sooner than the Galaxy S23 sequence and the Pixel 7 sequence in a cellphone that prices much less.
It can also wirelessly cost at 15W, and I acquired it charging efficiently on a number of Qi charging pads, together with Apple’s MagSafe charging puck. There’s no reverse wi-fi charging to prime up different peripherals off the again of the gadget.
There’s a 68W charging brick and cable within the field, not all the time a given in 2023
Software program & updates
- Wonderful, considerate software program options
- Solely two years of Android updates
- Solely three years of safety updates
I’m annoyed by the software program of the Edge 40, however not in the best way you may anticipate. In reality, that is amongst my favorite flavours of Android you may get your fingers on. It’s expressive with out altering an excessive amount of, and Motorola provides helpful issues that even Google Pixel telephones don’t have.
Probably the most annoying factor is Moto is simply giving this cellphone two years of Android software program updates and simply three years of safety patches.
Google provides three years and 5 years respectively, whereas Samsung gives 4 and 5. Persons are, rightly, holding onto their telephones longer now, and for a cellphone that prices greater than £500/€500, Motorola ought to be doing much better than two OS updates.
I just like the Moto-only font the cellphone ships with, however you may change it within the settings together with a ton of different stuff you’d anticipate to have the ability to tinker with given that is an Android cellphone.
Moto is simply giving this cellphone two years of Android software program updates
I notably love the considerate touches resembling PIN pad scramble that randomly scrambles the place of the numbers each time you enter your lock display PIN quantity so potential thieves and fraudsters can’t work out your PIN rapidly from glancing on the regular place of the numbers.
You may as well open the digicam with a fast double flick of the wrist, whereas a double chop activates the torch.
Value & availability
The Motorola Edge 40 prices £529.99/€599, out there within the UK and a number of other European international locations.
Within the UK you should purchase it direct from Motorola or John Lewis.
In Europe it’s out there direct from Motorola.
This places it in direct competitors with fellow Android telephones the £449/€509 Google Pixel 7a and £449/€499 Samsung Galaxy A54. I’d choose the Edge 40 over the A54 however would select the Pixel over the Edge 40 for Google’s mixture of superior digicam and software program assist.
You may additionally wish to pay a little bit extra to get the common £599/€649 Google Pixel 7 that has higher cameras nonetheless, or get monetary savings and get the superb £369/€399 all-rounder OnePlus Nord 2T.
Verdict
The Motorola Edge 40 is an efficient cellphone at an inexpensive value. The vegan leather-backed model is among the most engaging and good feeling telephones I’ve ever used, all of the extra improved by its extremely slim and light-weight construct.
Intelligent software program additions such because the gestures for opening the digicam or the peek show to make use of the always-on perform to preview or open notifications actually add worth to Android and are a very good purpose to choose this cellphone over others in its value vary.
It’s irritating that the cellphone will solely get two Android platform updates and solely get safety assist till 2026. This isn’t lengthy sufficient when the cellphone will likely be adequate to maintain going for at the very least 5 years.
If this doesn’t trouble you then it’s a strong selection within the mid-range market.
Specs
- 6.55in, FHD+, 144Hz pOLED show
- MediaTek Dimensity 8020
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB storage
- 4400mAh battery
- 68W wired charging
- 15W wi-fi charging
- Cameras:
- 50Mp, f/1.4 OIS foremost digicam
- 13Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide digicam
- 32Mp, f/2.2 selfie digicam
- IP68
- 158.4 x 72 x 7.6 mm
- 167g
- Android 13
