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Motorola Edge 50 Neo: Two-minute evaluate
In the event you’re out there for a cellphone within the price range to mid-range worth bracket, the Motorola Edge 50 Neo could possibly be your very best pocket-sized companion. This pretty diminutive handset packs in a pointy AMOLED show, stable battery life and an attention grabbing design in a single well-priced package deal. Particularly, this cellphone is often priced at £399 / AU$699 (about $500).
Earlier than I delve into the entire wild and great particularities of the Motorola Edge 50 Neo, let’s set up one thing rapidly. You’ll not be getting a game-changing efficiency out of this little man. Its MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor is greater than adequate for social media scrolling, messaging and all the standard day-to-day stuff, however if you’d like top-of-the-range gaming efficiency, for example, you’ll should look elsewhere.
I skilled some occasional lag when testing out extra demanding software program, reminiscent of Genshin Affect – even when utilizing the Turbo mode on Motorola GameTime – the cellphone’s efficiency administration device for gaming. So, if you’d like a serious powerhouse for this form of exercise, be certain to take a look at our information to the best phones, the place we’ll run you thru the perfect units to your high-performance wants.
Now that’s out of the best way, let’s get into the niceties. One thing that’s tremendous satisfying concerning the Edge 50 Neo is the distinctive color choices you may procure it in. There are a selection of colourways to select from, curated by Pantone – together with a smooth Grisaille and loud Poinciana – however actually there’s one thing for everybody… until you need a fundamental Black or White.
This cellphone additionally comes with a case that matches the color you choose – fairly neat. Companion that with its IP68 waterproof ranking and also you’re taking a look at a surprisingly sturdy machine.
Design-wise, this cellphone might divide opinion, however not simply because of its tasty array of colors. It is fairly diminutive, sporting a 6.4-inch show and usually small-sized physique. Even the aspect buttons are mini and never very spaced out, making this handset very best for youthful customers, however not a lot for individuals like me with medium-large-sized mitts.
However anyway, there are some simple strengths inside this small cell companion. As an example, the AMOLED show is pleasingly vibrant, sharp and brilliant. I discovered it loads adequate for watching video content material in 2160p, in HDR and at decrease high quality as nicely. There are show choices out there too if you’d like a extra natural-looking or vivid replication of colors, that means you may actually make this machine your personal.
One other large plus is the battery life out there. The 4,310mAh capability battery could appear unremarkable, however it’s loads sufficient and gave me a full day of use, even after gaming and streaming high-quality video. On prime of that, you’ve gotten entry to 15W wi-fi and spectacular 68W wired charging, enabling you to deliver the Edge 50 Neo again to life very quickly in any respect.
It’s additionally good and simple to make use of due to the simplicity of Android (model 14 out of the field). Motorola guarantees 5 OS upgrades and 5 years of safety updates too, so that you don’t have to fret concerning the handset being left behind after a 12 months or two – not all the time a given!
Lastly, the cameras are up-to-scratch and produce vibrant, clear footage that you would be able to share with household and buddies. The inclusion of a telephoto sensor even means you get first rate 3x zoom, which equally priced opponents don’t all the time provide. You received’t be wowed by microscopic ranges of element or superb low-light efficiency, however the cameras are greater than sufficient nonetheless.
There are some minor hold-ups with this machine. The cellphone’s audio system produce fairly poor-sounding audio, there aren’t many thrilling AI options (when you’re into that) and there are occasional lapses in efficiency. However, all in all, this can be a competent price range to mid-range choice that, in some ways, punches above its weight. Given it is typically out there at a reduction, I might advocate the Motorola Edge 50 Neo – simply as long as you don’t anticipate reducing… edge computing energy.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo evaluate: Worth and availability
- £399 / AU$699 (about $500)
- Launched in 2024
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo was introduced alongside three different fashions, the Motorola Moto G55 5G, G35 5G and Edge 50. The Edge 50 Neo launched in 2024 and is often priced at £399 / AU$699 (about $500).
Within the UK, you may seize it in 5 totally different color variants: Grisaille (metallic blue); Lattè (cream); Mocha-Mousee (brown); Nautical Blue; and Poinciana (an orange-tinted crimson). I examined Poinciana, however this colourway seemingly isn’t out there in Australia – solely Grisaille and Lattè are listed on the Lenovo web site and Amazon AU.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo evaluate: Specs
|
Dimensions |
154.1 x 71.2 x 8.1mm |
|
Weight |
171g |
|
Display |
6.4-inch AMOLED |
|
Decision |
2670 x 1220 |
|
Refresh charge |
120Hz |
|
Chipset |
MediaTek Dimensity 7300 |
|
RAM |
8GB |
|
Storage |
256GB |
|
OS |
Android 14 (at launch) |
|
Rear cameras |
50MP f/1.8 major; 13MP f/2.2 ultra-wide; 10MP f/2.0 telephoto |
|
Entrance digicam |
32MP f/3.2 |
|
Battery |
4310mAh |
|
Charging |
68W wired charging; 15W wi-fi |
Motorola Edge 50 Neo evaluate: Design
- Pretty small construct
- Distinctive color choices curated by Pantone
- Strong case comes within the field
There aren’t an entire lot of telephones that appear to be the Motorola Edge 50 Neo. Firstly, its exterior is made from vegan leather-based, which is pleasant to the touch and first rate on the attention. The perimeters of this mannequin are metallic and all of its three buttons are positioned on its proper aspect. That’s sensible when you’re taking part in a fast-paced recreation and don’t need to by accident press energy off or alter quantity controls, although I do want the buttons have been barely bigger or at the least extra spaced aside.
However one thing that actually stands out is the Edge 50 Neo’s color choices, that are curated by Pantone. In the event you’re within the UK, this machine is out there in 5 colourways: Grisaille (metallic blue); Lattè (cream); Mocha-Mousee (brown); Nautical Blue; and Poinciana (an orange-tinted crimson).
That’s an enormous departure from the classics like black, gray and white. I’ll be trustworthy, I didn’t love the Poinciana variant I examined – it’s awkwardly caught between a darkish orange and crimson color. However I really like the look of Grisaille and Mocha-Mousse, so there actually is an choice for anybody.
Practicality-wise, although, this can be a nice little cellphone – heavy on the little. That’s proper, this can be a fairly small handset – considerably extra diminutive than my on a regular basis cellphone, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE. It’s additionally fairly light-weight at simply 171g. In fact, when you’re somebody with bigger arms, the Edge 50 Neo’s restricted dimension might really feel barely inconvenient, however for a teenager or smaller-mitted particular person, it should swimsuit very properly.
I used to be grateful for one side of the Edge 50 Neo’s design too – the raised space designated for its cameras is fairly refined. That signifies that when you’re utilizing the cellphone on a flat floor, like a desk or desk, it received’t rock round just like the extra budget-friendly Motorola Moto G55 5G. That continues to be the case when you connect the included case, which colour-matches the variant you order. This stable case is a really neat inclusion for a mannequin that’s already out there at a implausible low worth.
Yet one more neat nugget price noting – this cellphone is IP68-rated. That signifies that its dustproof and might face up to being submerged in 1.5m of water for as much as half-hour – fairly cool proper?! Total, this can be a sensible, albeit small-sized cellphone with loads of character in addition.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo evaluate: Show
- 6.4-inch AMOLED show
- Helps HDR
- Very stable 3,000 nit peak brightness
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo has a reasonably small 6.4-inch show, which some will love and others…not a lot. Personally, I would like a bit extra room to play with, particularly for watching films and taking part in video games. However when you’re a fan of the slimmer construct, there’s loads to like concerning the Edge 50 Neo’s show.
Firstly, it makes use of AMOLED tech and might attain a peak brightness of three,000 nits – that’s very spectacular for a cellphone on this worth vary. Brightness auto adjusts out of the field and this labored decently nicely in my expertise, not often getting too darkish once I was in low-light areas. And even when having the cellphone on its house display screen, I used to be immediately struck by the spectacular brightness on provide; there’ll be loads, even for sun-filled areas.
Moreover, colors look vibrant and crowd pleasing on the Edge 50 Neo. It helps HDR video content material and might showcase resolutions as much as 2160p and though there are extra dazzling shows on the market – like that of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra – the Edge 50 Neo’s display screen nonetheless impressed me. I attempted watching a video about wildlife in Costa Rica on YouTube, which got here in 2160p HDR. The azure ocean, emerald leaves and scarlet flowers all appeared surprisingly true-to-life on this small display screen and hues actually popped.
Nonetheless, when you don’t love the best way colors look on the Edge 50 Neo, you may change from the default Vivid mode to both Pure or Radiant in Settings. I caught with Vivid to get a bit extra saturation, however every choice works nicely. There’s even an choice to regulate color temperature to heat, cool or customized utilizing a color wheel, that means there’s loads of personalisation at your fingertips.
Like many telephones, the show turns off too rapidly after inactivity – depart it for one minute and you’ll say night time night time to that article you have been taking a look at. However fortunately there are two options right here. You may manually alter the display screen timeout in settings – from 15 seconds as much as half-hour to be actual. Or alternatively, you may activate Attentive Show, which retains the display screen on if the entrance digicam detects you taking a look at it. Don’t fear, photos aren’t saved or despatched to Motorola, so you should utilize this function in peace.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo evaluate: Software program
- Runs Android 14 out of the field
- 5 OS upgrades, 5 years of safety updates
- Lacks a lot in the best way of AI instruments
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo is, at its basis, an Android machine. Particularly, this mannequin runs Android 14 out of the field, which a lot of you can be accustomed to – it’s an easy-to-use OS with extra customisability than say, units utilizing iOS. On the time of writing, an Android 15 replace is out there for Edge 50 Neo customers too.
Motorola has promised 5 Android OS upgrades for the Edge 50 Neo – that’s far superior to the 2 years promised for the Moto G55 5G and even the three years assured for the Motorola Edge 50 Pro. On prime of that, the producer has pledged that this mannequin will obtain 5 years price of safety upgrades – for a cellphone on this worth vary, that’s very first rate certainly.
There are a few of Motorola’s personal touches to be discovered right here, although, due to its integration of Good day UI. Whenever you hearth the cellphone up for the primary time, this lets you make some private touches to your machine, like selecting between buttons or gestures for navigation and Gentle, Darkish, or Adaptive brightness modes. Motorola’s UI additionally gives gesture controls and security measures like ‘decide as much as silence’ or safe folders – fairly useful.
One thing that barely irritated me, although, was the pre-installed software program current on the Edge 50 Neo. Don’t get me improper, there wasn’t a slew of bloatware to contest with, however I didn’t really need or want Raid, Pleased Color or Monopoly Go. I actually didn’t need Temu both – get that out of my sight! As I’ve mentioned earlier than, if I need an app, I can obtain it myself. Certain, stuff like Google, Gmail and YouTube is welcome, however I actually don’t need way more from the off.
One side that the Motorola Edge 50 Neo lacks is a big suite of specialized AI software program. You received’t get probably the most flashy picture modifying or generative instruments that Apple or Samsung have built-in with their newer units, so if that’s a should for you, the Edge 50 Neo is perhaps price skipping.
Personally, I actually didn’t miss the AI software program; in any case, I by no means use options like Sketch to AI, good translation instruments and Chat/Name help on my Samsung cellphone. There’s a Magic Eraser device out there, however actually, it’s a bit unreliable and sometimes made my images look blurry when objects have been eliminated. There’s additionally an choice to create a wallpaper utilizing AI – both based mostly on a photograph you’re taking or key phrase you enter. Actually, this didn’t impress me a lot in any respect, outcomes have been… combined, typically trying a bit jumbled. I feel I’ll simply follow a photograph of my cat for now.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo evaluate: Cameras
- Strong mid-range efficiency
- Consists of 10MP telephoto snapper
- Don’t anticipate ultra-crisp outcomes
OK, I’ll be upfront – the Motorola Edge 50 Neo isn’t going to wow you with the beautiful high quality cameras seen from the likes of the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max or OnePlus 13.
However for a mid-range cellphone, it does carry out decently, providing a 50MP and 13MP major and ultra-wide digicam respectively, in addition to a 10MP telephoto sensor – one thing you received’t get from rivals just like the Samsung Galaxy A55 or Google Pixel 8a. There’s additionally a decent 32MP entrance digicam included within the combine for sharp-looking selfies.
When taking images outdoors through the day, high quality was stable. The primary digicam harnesses adaptive stabilisation, which adjusts for actions when filming or taking pictures stills. Digital camera software program consists of HDR too, that means you get high-quality photos that not often look blurry. A e-book store I snapped in my neighbourhood had a true-to-life scarlet crimson color and the picture appeared loads brilliant.
In fact, you get 3x zoom from this cellphone’s telephoto sensor and there’s as much as 30x tremendous zoom out there additionally, which is powered by Moto AI. However don’t anticipate superb high quality on these zoomed images. I typically discovered when taking a better take a look at these photos, that there was a little bit of blurriness and finer particulars, like feathers on a pigeon, appeared a tad blocky. The selfie digicam is sweet, although. Pores and skin tones look correct, you may see particular person hairs clearly and my eye-colour appeared fairly correct too.
On prime of those zoom points, I’d argue this digicam isn’t primed too nicely for low-light situations. At night time, objects appeared clear sufficient when utilizing the primary rear digicam, however I did discover that particulars on smaller objects might seem barely blurred, particularly after zooming in.
However there are issues you are able to do to prime the Edge 50 Neo’s cameras for various lighting or totally different settings due to the inclusion of a number of picture modes. These embrace Evening Imaginative and prescient, Spot Color and Professional – you can too add filters like Black & White, Movie and Romantic.
Lastly, video high quality on the Edge 50 Neo could be very stable. You may movie in as much as 4K at 30 fps or 60 fps in Full HD with both the rear or entrance digicam, that means you’ll get glorious movement and movie high quality. Once more, that is boosted by Motorola’s AI-enabled auto stabilisation software program.
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Motorola Edge 50 Neo evaluate: Efficiency
- Usually clean person expertise
- 8GB of RAM
- Unhealthy audio
You’ll have seen this coming, however efficiency isn’t precisely the Motorola Edge 50 Neo’s robust swimsuit. Don’t get me improper, this machine is greater than able to dealing with day-to-day actions like watching video content material, scrolling social media or making calls. However if you’d like peak efficiency, it’s not going to be the precise decide for you.
This cellphone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset – the identical mid-range processor you’ll discover within the nice Oppo Reno 12 Pro. In the event you’re not an enormous gamer or something, this processor has the legs to energy your digital life with ease. When adjusting settings, utilizing Google Chrome or taking part in lighter video games, like Solitaire, the Edge 50 Neo held its personal with little signal of battle.
Nonetheless, when issues received a bit extra demanding, I did decide up on a couple of lapses in high quality. As an example, I downloaded Genshin Affect from the Google Play store and located that some loading screens or extra high-octane motion sequences brought about a little bit of lag – even on the bottom graphic settings and body charge capped at 30fps. I might nonetheless say, although, that the sport was greater than playable – and given its a extra demanding title – you’re not going to anticipate peak efficiency.
Gaming efficiency may be improved barely due to Motorola GameTime – the menu for which routinely seems on the aspect of the display screen. You may change between Battery Saving, Balanced, or Turbo (top-performance mode). At its greatest, this cellphone can provide 120fps due to its 120Hz refresh charge. It additionally has 8GB of RAM, which once more, will likely be greater than sufficient for multi-tab, multi-application use.
One side of efficiency that disenchanted me a bit was audio. The cellphone’s built-in audio system are fairly poor and when listening to Genshin’s soundtrack or taking part in music, I used to be met with a good quantity of tinniness and harshness – notably at larger volumes. It’s completely high-quality for Bluetooth and wired listening, although, supporting the LDAC hi-res codec, Dolby Atmos and USB-C listening when you have suitable earbuds, such because the SoundMagic E80D.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo evaluate: Battery life
- Strong general battery life
- Spectacular 68W wired charging
- Additionally has 15W wi-fi charging
At a look, it’s possible you’ll suppose the Motorola Edge 50 Neo has fairly common battery life. In spite of everything, its battery capability is a reasonably middling 4310mAh – smaller than opponents just like the Samsung Galaxy A55 and Google Pixel 8a.
However don’t be deceived. Because of a reasonably regimented processor and efficient power effectivity measures, you’ll discover the Edge 50 Neo has loads of life. Throughout in the future of notably heavy use, I downloaded and performed the large Genshin Affect, watched an hour or two of YouTube in 2160p HDR and browsed the online. That also didn’t kill it off – you’ll have sufficient life right here for a day’s use in my expertise.
I received’t fake this cellphone has the perfect battery life available on the market. In spite of everything, there are fashions on the market just like the Asus Rog Phone 9 Pro, which has an outrageous quantity of stamina packed into its 5,800mAh battery. However at this worth, there’s greater than sufficient battery to get you thru a day of gaming, streaming and note-taking.
One space that did impress me was the Motorola Edge 50 Neo’s charging skills. This factor helps wi-fi charging, as much as 15W – fairly normal. But it surely additionally helps wired charging as much as 68W – that’s way more than you’d get from even a few of the best iPhones or best Samsung phones.
I used to be in a position to get from 0% to 50% in simply over quarter-hour at full charging capability utilizing the UGreen Uno Charger 100W. That’s implausible when you’re in a rush and really want some further juice. Attending to 100% took round 45 minutes general, which is significantly quicker than some nice mid-range choices just like the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE.
- Battery life rating: 4.5/5
Ought to I purchase the Motorola Edge 50 Neo?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Ranking |
|---|---|---|
|
Design |
Dimension and hues might divide opinion however its practicality is simple. |
4/5 |
|
Show |
Slightly small and never market-leading however loads vibrant and detailed. |
4/5 |
|
Software program |
Good OS and safety improve pledges, first rate UI, restricted AI instruments. |
4/5 |
|
Cameras |
Non-market main, however sharp high quality with telephoto included. |
4/5 |
|
Efficiency |
Excellent for lighter use, can battle with demanding video games, audio not nice. |
3.5/5 |
|
Battery life |
68W wired charging, wi-fi charging, impressively lengthy lasting. |
4.5/5 |
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Motorola Edge 50 Neo evaluate: Additionally contemplate
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Motorola Edge 50 Neo |
Samsung Galaxy A55 |
Google Pixel 8a |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Worth |
£399 / AU$699 (about $500) |
£439 / AU$699 (about $550) |
$499 / £499 / AU$849 |
|
Dimensions |
154.1 x 71.2 x 8.1mm |
161.1 x 77.4 x 8.2mm |
152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9 mm |
|
Weight |
171g |
213g |
188g |
|
Cameras |
50MP major; 13MP ultra-wide; 10MP telephoto |
50MP major, 12MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro |
64MP major; 13MP ultra-wide |
|
Battery |
4,310mAh |
5,000mAh |
4,492mAh |
Motorola Edge 50 Neo evaluate: How I examined
- Examined for one week
- Used at work and in day-to-day life
- Assessed gaming, digicam and name efficiency, amongst different issues
I examined the Motorola Edge 50 Neo for every week in a variety of environments, together with the workplace, at house and once I was out and about.
Throughout every testing day, I used the cellphone intensively. I listened to music on Tidal, performed cell video games like Genshin Affect and surfed the web. Actually, I simply tried to fiddle with as most of the Edge 50 Neo’s options as potential, guaranteeing I flicked via all the important thing choices in Settings, like Motorola GameTime.
Lastly, I examined the Edge 50 Neo’s digicam outdoors, at house and within the workplace. This meant that I might seize images in pure mild or in low-lit areas to pretty decide high quality throughout the board.
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