Motorola has launched a trio of new phones to lead its smartphone lineup: the Moto Edge 50 Fusion, the Moto Edge 50 Pro and the Moto Edge 50 Ultra.
With a mix of specs that span the upper and lower end of the mid-range phone arena, Motorola’s new Edge 50 series looks to challenge models that are among the best budget phones, in addition to nipping at the heels of some of the best phones – with especially that of the Google Pixel 8.
Starting with the entry-level Moto Edge 50 Fusion, this £349/€399 (we don’t have prices for other regions yet) comes with a 6.7-inch Full HD+ pOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset paired with 8GB or 12GB LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage options of 128GB, 256GB and 512GB.
Charging is a fast 65 watts when wired, with a 5,000 mAh battery capacity. The rear camera array consists of a 50 MP main camera with optical image stabilization and a 13 MP ultra-wide camera with a 120-degree field of view. The front camera has a resolution of 32 MP.
All in all, these are fair, if not standout specs for an affordable Android 14 phone. But to help the Moto Edge 50 Fusion stand out there’s a trio of colours: Forest Blue and the pastel-like Marshmallow Blue, both in vegan leather, and a vegan suede finish in Hot Pink.
Going pro
The Moto Edge 50 Pro, which costs £599/€699, caters to the more expensive mid-range phones. It features a 6.7-inch 144Hz pOLED display with a “Super HD resolution” and HDR10+ certification, a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chip, up to 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. There’s 125W ‘TurboPower’ fast wired charging for quick refueling and 50W TurboPower wireless charging for the 4,500mAh battery.
On the camera side, there are three lenses on the back, the main one having a 50MP sensor complete with optical image stabilization, laser autofocus and a 3-in-1 light sensor. The second camera has the 13 MP ultrawide from the Fusion. But unlike the cheaper phone, the Edge 50 Pro comes with a telephoto camera with 10 MP 3x optical zoom and OIS (optical image stabilization). Flip the phone over and you’ll be greeted by a 50MP front camera.
Again, these are all specs you’d expect from a phone at this price. But the Edge 50 Pro arguably offers something nice in the form of two vegan, leather-clad modes in ‘Luxe Lavender’ or ‘Black Beauty’ – essentially light purple and black respectively – and a ‘Moonlight Pearl’ marble polymer option, which either looks look sophisticated or kitsch, depending on your taste.
Ultra flair
The top of the trio of Edge 50 phones is the Moto Edge 50 Ultra. This £849/€999 Android phone arguably has the Google Pixel 8 Pro in its sights, taking a lot from the Edge 50 Pro but adding a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.
The Moto 50 Ultra’s main camera is a 50MP snapper like the Pro phone’s, but has slightly larger pixels. It also uses a 50MP ultra-wide camera with larger pixels and a 64MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. The front camera has a 50 MP sensor for people who like clear video calls and sharp selfies.
In terms of striking design, the back of the Moto 50 Ultra can be had in vegan leather in Pantone colors Peach Fuzz and Forest Grey, with a ‘Nordic Wood’ option to give the Ultra phone a dose of natural materials.
Style and cleverness
Speaking of Pantone, the cameras and displays on these three phones were developed with help from the color-focused organization to capture and display images with accurate colors and skin tones.
All three phones are IP68 water and dust resistant and have access to ‘Moto AI’ features that help the cameras with things like autofocus and motion capture, in addition to generating themes and wallpapers for the phones, and helping with navigation and searches . And because Google Photos is used as the default photo app for the phones, the Edge 50 series can take advantage of all the smart editing features including Magic Editor, Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur.
Finally, the phones have the redesigned Hello UX user interface, built on Android 14. This brings more personalization options, slicker gesture controls, and better security features, including the ability to set up a safe space where kids can use the phone with limited access to apps. But all of this is a relatively light touch over Android 14, meaning Google’s software design and features are still given room to shine.
I got a closer look at the phones in person at a Motorola media event and was quietly impressed. There’s both a playfulness and a clear vision in the design of the phones, offering mid-range phones that, in my eyes at least, offer something different to the rather mundane phones you’ll find in this mobile phone segment. market.
The Moto Edge 50 Pro was the phone I spent the most time with, and it’s the model that I think puts the line right on the line between specs, features and price. The Edge 50 Ultra has some flagship features, but I feel the price is a bit too high and in everyday use it should bring something special to the table to compete with the likes of the Pixel 8 Pro and OnePlus 12. The Edge 50 Fusion didn’t capture my imagination in terms of specs and features, but its sleek design and colors, with a friendly price tag, could make it a solid competitor for entry-level mid-range phones, appealing to those who want a little more phone than some cheaper ones offer options, but don’t want to pay much more.
Availability of the Moto Edge 50 series starts today (April 16) on the Edge 50 Pro and continues until mid-May on the remaining models. But we’ll have to put these phones through their paces before deciding if they’re new contenders in the mobile market and can help Motorola regain the prominence it had in the early 2000s.