Motorola Edge (2022)
MSRP $499.00
“The Motorola Edge (2022) wasn’t on my radar in any respect this 12 months, but in practice, it stands tall as among the finest smartphones you’ll be able to buy for under $500.”
Pros
- Super lightweight
- 144Hz display feels amazing
- MediaTek chip performs great
- Excellent battery life with wireless charging
- Clean software with useful features
- 3 years of guaranteed OS updates
Cons
- Plastic design looks and feels low cost
- Water resistance is just IP52
- Mediocre cameras
The Motorola Edge (2022) isn’t a smartphone that I had on my radar in any respect going into 2022, and that’s largely because of Motorola’s smartphone strategy over the previous couple of years. The corporate launches quite a few handsets over the course of a 12 months, hopes that something sticks, after which does all of it once more. As a rule, this ends in a bunch of smartphones which are perfectly adequate but fail to face out in any meaningful way. I fully expected the Motorola Edge (2022) to be one other example of that, however it quickly proved me fallacious.
Is the Motorola Edge (2022) an ideal smartphone? Not by any means. However it’s also one in every of the strongest showings I’ve seen from the corporate in a protracted time. The Edge (2022) has great specs, a competitive price, and fixes a few of my biggest problems with recent Moto phones. I didn’t go into 2022 expecting to be so impressed with a Motorola handset, however the Edge (2022) has happily proved me fallacious. Let’s dig in.
Motorola Edge (2022): design
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If there’s one word to explain the Motorola Edge (2022)’s design, it’d be “practical” There’s nothing overly flashy or interesting about how the phone looks, however it also doesn’t get in the best way of every day use. As long as you aren’t a stickler for aesthetics.
The largest thing to pay attention to is that the Motorola Edge (2022) is made entirely of plastic — and also you immediately notice that when picking up the phone. In comparison with the Pixel 6a with its plastic back and aluminum frame, the Motorola Edge lacks a refined, premium feeling that competing handsets on this price range do. The identical goes for the phone’s eye appeal. The one Mineral Gray color is as bland because it gets, the back plastic attracts fingerprints inside seconds, and the rear camera housing looks similar to the dozen other phones Motorola’s released over the previous couple of months.
However it’s not all bad. In the event you can look past the low cost in-hand feel and abundant fingerprints, the Motorola Edge (2022) also gets some essential things right. Because of its all-plastic construct, the Motorola Edge weighs just 170g. That’s 8g lighter than the Pixel 6a, 19g lighter than the Galaxy A53 5G, and 34g lighter than the iPhone 13 Pro. That’s made much more impressive considering that the Motorola Edge (2022) has a 6.6-inch screen. As much as I don’t just like the gray color or fingerprinty back, I’ve loved how easy the Motorola Edge is to carry. It’s comfortable to have in a single hand and never feels fatiguing after prolonged use.
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I’ve also been very impressed with the Motorola Edge’s in-screen fingerprint sensor. Motorola normally relies on side-mounted sensors, but for the Edge (2022), Motorola shifted to an in-screen one. And it’s excellent! It’s fast, reliable, and lightyears higher than the in-screen fingerprint sensors on the Pixel 6 family.
My biggest annoyance with the Motorola Edge (2022) is its IP52 dust and water resistance rating. IP52 means the Motorola Edge is protected against dust and debris but is just not fully dust-tight. Moreover, it’s only rated to survive dripping water at various angles — not full water submersion of any kind.
Motorola Edge (2022): screen
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As much as I wish the Motorola Edge (2022) has stronger waterproofing, its paltry IP52 rating is simpler to digest each time I have a look at its screen. The Edge (2022) is provided with a 6.6-inch OLED screen. That screen has a Full HD resolution, HDR10+ support, and a variable refresh rate that goes all the best way as much as 144Hz — faster than the 90 and 120Hz displays seen on devices from Samsung, Google, and Apple.
The screen on the Motorola Edge (2022) is great.
In practice, the screen on the Motorola Edge (2022) is great. Colours are brilliant and punchy, the screen gets brilliant enough for outdoor use, and the 144Hz refresh rate is incredibly smooth. From opening apps, doomscrolling Twitter, and navigating subreddits, every part on the Edge (2022) moves with near-perfect fluidity. And never only is it smooth, but interacting with the phone also feels lightning quick.
A 120Hz screen probably would have been just nearly as good, and I likely wouldn’t have the opportunity to note much of a difference, if any. But considering how snappy the Motorola Edge (2022) has been for me, I’m actually not complaining that Motorola went all out with 144Hz. It’s been nothing but a joy to make use of.
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That said, an ideal OLED screen this is just not. Firstly, the screen from an angle quickly distorts things. My quick settings toggles have a tannish/pinkish color, but when I have a look at them from any angle, they tackle a yellowish appearance. This isn’t unusual with OLED panels on more cost-effective handsets, and the Motorola Edge (2022) isn’t an exception to that rule. I’ve also noticed that some colours just don’t look quite right on the Edge (2022) — specifically, greens and yellows. Once I’m doing a Duolingo session and my progress bar turns yellow, it’s such a brilliant yellow that it looks like someone cranked up the saturation levels a bit too much.
Are these deal-breaking complaints? Under no circumstances. They’re reminders of the Edge’s cheaper price, but they’re not enough to detract from an otherwise great screen. As long as you don’t have a look at the phone from an angle and won’t be doing any work that requires a wonderfully color-calibrated screen, this can be a display that’ll you’ll be blissful with.
Motorola Edge (2022): performance
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Some of the interesting specs on the Motorola Edge (2022) is hiding under the hood. As an alternative of choosing a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip like most smartphones within the U.S., Motorola selected a MediaTek chip for the Edge (2022) — specifically, the MediaTek Dimensity 1050. Announced earlier this 12 months, the Dimensity 1050 is a 6nm octa-core chip. There are two Cortex-A78 cores clocked at 2500MHz, plus six Cortex-A55 at 2000MHz. There’s also a Mali-G610 GPU, Wi-Fi 6E, and mmWave 5G – a primary for any MediaTek chip.
For some people, the MediaTek name holds a negative connotation within the mobile space. MediaTek chips used to trail behind competing ones from Qualcomm, and combined with few and much opportunities to purchase a MediaTek phone within the States, it’s comprehensible why that image stays for some people. But MediaTek has made significant gains with its mobile chipsets in recent times, and the Dimensity 1050 is an outstanding example of that.
The Dimensity 1050 has rarely left me craving for more horsepower.
I’ve used the Motorola Edge (2022) for every part and anything. It’s been my shopping companion to multitask between my shopping list and Goal app, has streamed multiple hours of Twitch and YouTube videos, and sees frequent use of Twitter, Reddit, Chrome, and Microsoft Teams each day. Irrespective of what I’ve thrown on the Edge (2022), it’s handled it with ease. Is it absolutely the fastest smartphone I’ve ever used? No. However the Dimensity 1050 has rarely left me craving for more horsepower.
MediaTek
The MediaTek Dimensity 1050 has also proven its value with gaming. Playing Call of Duty: Mobile — with graphics set to High and frame rate set to Max — the Motorola Edge (2022) handled the title just high-quality. I encountered some jittery frames here and there, but nowhere near enough to make the sport unenjoyable to play. As long as you don’t go into it expecting the identical flagship performance found on a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, the MediaTek Dimensity 1050 does just high-quality here.
Perhaps what impressed me essentially the most with the Dimensity 1050 is that it churns out this power without heating up an excessive amount of. Even after watching Twitch or playing CoD: Mobile for an hour or longer, the Motorola Edge (2022) never feels uncomfortably warm. It still heats up a bit of bit, however it’s significantly cooler than the Pixel 6a and its toasty Google Tensor chip.
Motorola Edge (2022): 5G connectivity
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As noted above, the Dimensity 1050 marks the primary MediaTek chip with mmWave 5G support, but is that 5G any good? To search out out, I ran multiple speed tests on the Motorola Edge (2022) while reviewing the phone, and compared those side-by-side with speed tests run on the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1-powered Galaxy Z Flip 4. With each phones connected to T-Mobile’s 5G network in southwest Michigan, here’s what I got:
| Motorola Edge (2022) download speeds | Galaxy Z Flip 4 download speeds |
| 117Mbps | 176Mbps |
| 82.8Mbps | 105Mbps |
| 399Mbps | 368Mbps |
| 414Mbps | 420Mbps |
| 489Mbps | 535Mbps |
| 593Mbps | 608Mbps |
Starting with download speeds, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is sort of at all times faster than the Motorola Edge (2022), though just barely. Within the six tests shown here, the Motorola Edge (2022) has a mean download speed of 349Mbps versus the Z Flip 4’s average speed of 363Mbps.
| Motorola Edge (2022) upload speeds | Galaxy Z Flip 4 upload speeds |
| 6.53Mbps | 9.23Mbps |
| 0.75Mbps | 1.81Mbps |
| 14.8Mbps | 10.9Mbps |
| 26.6Mbps | 11.6Mbps |
| 25.1Mbps | 20Mbps |
| 32.2Mbps | 42.4Mbps |
Interestingly, the MediaTek chip barely outperforms Qualcomm’s 5G upload speeds. After six tests, the Motorola Edge (2022) averages at 17Mbps, and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 has a mean of about 15Mbps.
These aren’t substantial differences either way, and that’s exactly what I used to be hoping to see. MediaTek’s 5G modem might not be quite as fast for 5G download speeds, however it’s not something the typical person would ever notice in every day use. In the event you need a smartphone that’ll offer you a quick and reliable 5G connection, the Motorola Edge (2022) and its MediaTek chip greater than fit the bill.
Motorola Edge (2022): camera
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the camera system, the Motorola Edge (2022) has a reasonably solid lineup of sensors. No less than on paper. There’s a 50MP important camera with OIS, plus a 13MP ultrawide camera with a 120-degree field-of-view that doubles as a macro camera. The 2MP depth sensor on the back appears to simply be there for vanity’s sake, while the front of the phone touts a 32MP selfie camera.
I actually wouldn’t call this camera setup “bad” or “unusable,” but there’s also nothing noteworthy about it. The 50MP important camera has been hit-or-miss in my testing. Sometimes, it produces a really nice-looking photo with great detail and pleasing colours. Other times, the colours develop into washed out or too saturated — particularly if there’s an excessive amount of direct sunlight in the world. I’ve snapped some pictures with the Edge (2022) that I’m quite blissful with, but for each great photo I get, there’s one other one which’s completely forgettable or not something I’d need to share. The second photo of my dog makes his fur look far too orange, while the white flower in the following image is overexposed and too brilliant.
Speaking of photos I don’t need to share, the Motorola Edge (2022) really struggles with lowlight photography. At their best, nighttime photos look muted with soft details. At their worst, they’re a blurry, pixelated mess that’s almost impressively bad. The addition of OIS helps, but nearly enough that the Motorola Edge (2022) might be competing with the iPhone 13 Pro or Pixel 6 any time soon.
- 1.
Photo from 50MP important camera - 2.
Photo from 13MP ultra wide camera
Things are higher with the 13MP ultrawide camera. You obviously lose finer details in comparison with the 50MP important camera, however it produces consistent colours and has a reasonably generous 120-degree field-of-view.
I’ve also had quite a lot of fun twiddling with the included macro mode it enables. The shortage of OIS means taking macro pictures in lowlight environments is all but unimaginable, but as long as there’s decent lighting, you’ll be able to get some really neat images with it.
Finally, the 32MP selfie camera has been somewhat disappointing. Photos look high-quality at first glance, but examine them more closely, and there’s a surprising lack of detail in my face in each shots. The portrait mode effect with the selfie shooter is also improved, because it often leaves rough edges or distracting halos.
I’m under no circumstances surprised by the Motorola Edge’s mediocre camera performance. This can be a department where Motorola has often struggled, and the Edge (2022) doesn’t do anything significant to vary that. The cameras listed below are high-quality and get the job done for casually sharing pictures on social media, but don’t expect it to be well-suited for anything beyond that.
Motorola Edge (2022): battery life and charging
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Battery life is commonly a focus for Motorola handsets, and the Edge (2022) isn’t any different. Contained in the phone is a 5,000mAh battery, and in my testing, it’s made it extremely easy to make it through not less than a day and a half on a single charge. And for some users, two days of use could be very possible.
On a day with lighter use — including 40 minutes of Twitter, 10 minutes of YouTube, and frequent use of Telegram and Outlook — I still had 65% battery remaining with 2 hours and 17 minutes of screen time and over 15 hours of total uptime. On a day with much heavier use — including 45 minutes of Twitch streaming and 46 minutes playing Call of Duty: Mobile, amongst other things — I ended the day with over 16 hours of uptime, nearly five hours of screen time, and 34% battery still left within the tank. I didn’t charge the phone overnight and kept using it the following day, finally draining it to three% following nearly 30 hours of use with six hours and 36 minutes of screen time. Simply put, battery life on the Motorola Edge (2022) is outstanding.
Higher yet, your charging options are also quite good. The Edge (2022) supports 30W wired charging, which provides the phone 20% battery after 10 minutes, nearly 60% after half-hour, and a full charge in a bit of over an hour. You furthermore may get 15W wireless charging, plus 5W reverse wireless charging.
Motorola Edge (2022): software and updates
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The Motorola Edge (2022) ships with Android 12 out of the box, paired with Motorola’s My UX interface. Motorola’s tackle Android has long been one in every of my favorites, because it’s essentially the identical UI you’d find on a Google Pixel, plus some added features which are legitimately useful.
The entire Android 12 staples, including the redesigned Quick Settings page and wallpaper-based theme engine, are fully intact on the Motorola Edge (2022). The interface is clean, easy, and intensely responsive for whatever you’re doing. The true magic, though, is how Motorola retains that “stock Android” simplicity while also making it higher.
You may chop the phone to activate your flashlight, twist it a few times to open the camera app, and Motorola’s Peek Display stays among the finest always-on screens within the business — allowing you to dismiss and interact with notifications without powering on all the display. The Edge (2022) also supports Motorola’s Rady For platform, allowing you to attach it to a Windows PC or Miracast TV for big-screen experiences.
None of those features are recent for a Motorola smartphone, but what’s recent is Motorola’s improved update policy. Prior to now, Motorola phones have often been promised only one major Android update — or two if the corporate was feeling generous — and nothing more. With the Motorola Edge (2022), nevertheless, Motorola is promising three years of Android updates and 4 years of bi-monthly security updates. That’s still not nearly as good because the update policy you get with Samsung and Apple phones, however it is a big step forward for Motorola, and one I’m incredibly blissful to see.
Motorola Edge (2022): price and availability
The Motorola Edge (2022) is on the market now within the U.S. through T-Mobile and might be coming later to AT&T, Verizon, Spectrum Mobile, and other carriers. Moreover, an unlocked version of the phone is on the market for pre-order now at Amazon, Best Buy, and Motorola’s website.
T-Mobile is selling the Edge (2022) for $498, while the unlocked model could be pre-ordered for $499. Normal sales are set to start on September 22. It’s essential to notice, nevertheless, that the $499 unlocked price is a “limited time launch price.” The unlocked variant will eventually shoot as much as $599, though Motorola hasn’t said when that’ll occur.
This 12 months’s sleeper hit Android phone
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As I noted at the highest of this review, the Motorola Edge (2022) wasn’t a phone on my radar in any respect, and I feel that goes for most individuals. But after using it and seeing every part it brings to the table, I’ve come away desirous to recommend it.
Like with most phones, that advice comes with a few caveats. In the event you need a phone with excellent cameras, a more premium design, and something a bit easier on the wallet, the $449 Pixel 6a stays a improbable device. The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G can also be great, delivering higher cameras and a more reliable IP67 water resistance rating. This can also be all under the idea you’re getting the Motorola Edge (2022) for $499. At that price, the phone is a superb deal. But when Motorola’s asking you to pay the $599 price it’ll eventually shoot as much as, you’re stepping into the territory of handsets just like the Pixel 6 and Galaxy S22.
Those caveats aside, the Motorola Edge (2022) is essentially the most positive I’ve been a few Motorola phone in years. It’s fast, lasts perpetually, has features like NFC and wireless charging, and comes with a software update policy that won’t leave you within the dust a 12 months from now. All of it creates a really good package and one which has me looking forward to where Motorola goes next.
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