Smartphones & Tablets | July 11, 2023
After an initial hands-on experience with the Motorola Edge 40, which allowed us to get the first impressions, we now proceed with the analysis to confirm that we are facing an elegant, well-built Android phone with some remarkable features. Motorola has already demonstrated its great interest and is expanding its catalog to increase its presence in the country. And from what we have seen, each of its offerings is carefully orchestrated with a well-defined objective, and this Edge 40 is a perfect example.
The Motorola Edge 40 is an Android mobile phone that stands out for its compact design, a 6.55″ pOLED display with FHD+ resolution and a refresh rate of 144 Hz, and a 32 MP front camera for selfies and video calls. It is a mobile phone that can be purchased for 599 euros, offering the capability to capture magnificent selfies and videos for the popular vertical format that is currently in high demand.
Motorola’s strategy for the mobile phones it has launched is well thought out, with different proposals based on the price segment. In mid-July, they will make the Motorola Razr 40 available, a foldable phone priced at 899 euros, while the Ultra is already available for purchase. This shows that Motorola is defining its smartphone lineup to offer a wide range of models that are well-positioned in terms of price and specifications.
Here we have a smartphone that is compact, easy to carry in your pocket, and doesn’t compromise on anything while avoiding the high prices of flagship phones. Motorola’s Spanish website even offers the possibility to explore the higher-end version: the Motorola Edge 40 Plus for 899 euros. The initial impressions are more than positive, and we can explore the other aspects to discover all the details of this new Android phone.
Regarding the design, we turn to the words of the general director of Motorola: they seek an ’emotional connection’ with the Spanish audience, and they achieve this by collaborating with Pantone to bring different colors that suit the Motorola Edge 40 very well. In the ‘Viva Magenta’ shade, color is maximized in the design. The other colors available are Lunar Blue, Nebula Green, and Eclipse Black, all of which contribute to this ’emotional connection.’
The Motorola Edge 40 features a unibody design on the back that houses the camera module, seamlessly integrating it into the overall style of this Android smartphone. The two lenses are protected by a nearly square module, allowing for a unique touch: vegan leather. The brand is openly embracing this type of material, which offers a very natural feel and resists fingerprints that disappear almost instantly after touching it. Finally, the front is designed with a punch-hole display located in the center and an ‘edge’ screen with slightly ‘straighter’ edges compared to other competitors’ offerings.
The Motorola Edge 40 features a 6.55″ pOLED display with FHD+ resolution (2,400 x 1,080 pixels), a refresh rate of 144 Hz, and a maximum brightness of 1,200 nits. It supports HDR10+ to provide a generous viewing experience for enjoying the best multimedia content. The display is not as small as one might imagine, considering the compact size of the phone (158.43 x 71.99 x 7.49 mm), thanks in part to the slim bezels that offer a generous front screen.
The 1,200 nits of brightness also ensure that the screen remains visible even under direct sunlight. This is an important aspect to highlight, showcasing the work carried out by Motorola and its ability to offer a range of mobile phones that cater to different price segments and needs, as is the case with the new Motorola Razr 40 Ultra foldable phone.
Nearly pure Android 13 means there is no software pressure on the MediaTek 8020 chip, its 8 GB of RAM, and internal storage of 256 GB. This phone is highly capable in every sense and provides an exquisite multitasking experience, allowing users to open all kinds of apps, even those that require substantial system resources. Here, Motorola once again strengthens its presence with near-stock Android.
Although it doesn’t feature the flashy Snapdragon chipset in this case, MediaTek offers great energy efficiency and fulfills all the requirements for a phone that deviates in size from others. It’s not exactly ‘mini’ or as small as the Pixel 7a, but it falls somewhere in between. This means that in terms of battery life and performance with the MediaTek chip, it can handle many demanding situations quite well.
The Motorola Edge 40 stands out in its camera module with a 50 MP primary lens with an aperture of f/1.7 and a 12 MP ultra-wide-angle lens with an aperture of f/2.2, which can also be used for macro photography. Overall, it has delivered very good results, although the contrast applied to photos taken in broad daylight tends to darken the dark areas too much. It lacks a telephoto lens, and the performance of the ultra-wide-angle lens in daytime photos is good, although sharpness in the corners sometimes suffers.
Motorola plays with color temperature by cooling down scenes to capture shots in a more realistic way and move away from the oversaturation seen in other brands. This doesn’t always happen because its computational photography is capable of identifying areas with warmer tones and emphasizing them in the final photo. Dynamic range also plays a significant role in capturing a wide range of tones, thanks to its sensor’s ability to capture more light and reflect it in all its nuances. It produces excellent results in nature photography.
The automatic background blur when the subject is in the foreground is also worth highlighting. The macro mode works quite well and captures interesting photos, as long as it is taken at the correct distance. Users can utilize the viewfinder to check the sharpness before pressing the shutter button.
As daylight begins to fade, the phone delivers a magnificent experience of brilliantly illuminating the scene. It may tend to overdo it, but it achieves it very effectively. In the photo gallery, there are two pictures illustrating this experience at El Retiro Park. The first is as it was taken (indicated in the gallery), and the second has reduced brightness to capture the actual light just before it becomes completely dark. It would be nice to have a button or mode that allows for the application of a more realistic environmental illumination, at least as an additional option in Motorola’s photography.
It’s a pleasing detail that showcases the capability of the primary sensor. In low-light photos, you can also use it as shown in the photo gallery, although, as always, you need to be careful not to make the final capture too dark. This depends on the user’s skill to achieve the right balance where the photo isn’t too dark or overly bright. The most important thing is that with the Edge 40, you have the possibility to achieve that level of precision.
Finally, the camera app captures the same feeling as the Pixel’s own app. It shares many similarities with Google’s app, evident in every aspect. It’s a comprehensive app, although at first glance, it may appear minimal and somewhat limited. However, by exploring its settings and various modes, it provides everything needed to make the most of the Motorola Edge 40’s photography capabilities.
The Motorola Edge 40 is not at all lacking in battery life and features a 4,400 mAh battery with support for 68 W fast charging. Two key points to consider: it has ample battery autonomy to last throughout the day, and secondly, the fast charging allows it to be ready in just 10 minutes, making it very flexible in this regard. Whether you’re the type of user who likes to let the battery drain almost completely or someone who needs to charge it multiple times due to heavy gaming or other intensive use, the Edge 40 caters to both scenarios.
It’s worth noting that its near-stock Android-based custom layer also doesn’t put much strain on the battery. With normal usage consisting of WhatsApp, occasional photos, TikTok videos, social media browsing, and some gaming sessions, it easily lasts a full day without any issues. Additionally, it supports 15 W wireless charging, excelling in that aspect as well.
Motorola prides itself on its near-stock Android approach. It offers an experience with some nuances and its own developed apps to enhance Android 13. It includes several important applications such as Secure Folder and the Privacy Control panel. The Secure Folder is quite similar to Samsung’s and mimics it in many aspects. This is particularly significant since phones store valuable information.
Moreover, it has other interesting applications. One of them is Ready For, which allows you to connect the phone to screens and expand the experience to them, whether it’s for gaming, video chat, or other options. One of its best uses is the ability to utilize the phone as a webcam. It also has a very interesting privacy panel that provides access to Secure Folder, network protection, screen lock, and PIN keyboard rearrangement (a very appealing option). Of course, there’s also “Family Spaces” to ensure that certain apps can only be used by adults.
We tested the Motorola Edge 40 with Mighty Doom, a top-down shooter that puts significant pressure on the chip and GPU of any mobile device. In this case, there were no problems, although it performs better when the adaptive refresh rate is turned off. With a constant refresh rate, there are no FPS (frames per second) drops, allowing for a delightful experience on the pOLED panel that Motorola equips the Edge 40 with.
Older Android games work perfectly, so there’s no problem enjoying titles like PUBG Mobile, Clash Royale, or many others to their fullest. With the quality of its display, you can rediscover some of these games and enjoy them like never before. This is a detail not to be underestimated, as many of these games boast good graphics and are just as enjoyable as current titles.
A compact, well-designed phone with a high-quality display, a chip that offers great performance, near-stock Android with Motorola’s most important apps, and a versatile camera that meets various needs—that’s the overall experience of this phone. Furthermore, considering Motorola’s ability to launch unique phones with a clear goal in mind, it becomes even more enticing to know that we’re dealing with a brand that was once a leader and now has the potential to make a strong comeback in the market.
we encourage you to consider purchasing it based on everything mentioned above and the reputation of the brand. Especially given the current circumstances, Motorola is eager to demonstrate its worth once again and has a serious chance of becoming a great alternative to established manufacturers in the Spanish market, such as Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, and others.
