Motorola is a name that has long been associated with mobile phones, and the company has built a reputation for producing solid devices at reasonable prices. However, in recent years the company has struggled to keep up with the competition, particularly in the high-end smartphone market. The Motorola Edge Plus, launched in 2022, is the company’s latest attempt to make a dent in this market, and it’s a phone that has a lot going for it.
At $799, the Edge Plus is priced well for a phone with a lengthy list of flagship-tier features. These features include a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, 8GB of RAM, an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, and a dedicated telephoto camera. The phone also boasts a stabilized 50-megapixel main camera, a large OLED display, and a generous 512GB of built-in storage.
However, despite all of these features, the Edge Plus is missing one crucial thing: a reason to buy it over a Samsung or Google phone. While Motorola has made significant improvements to the phone, it still fails to stand out from the competition. One issue is its availability – the Edge Plus isn’t being sold by any of the major wireless carriers in the US, which limits its appeal to many consumers. Additionally, the phone’s curved edge display may look sleek, but it impacts usability and makes it difficult to get a secure grip on the sides of the device.
Despite these issues, the Edge Plus is a well-built device that boasts excellent performance thanks to its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. The phone’s massive 5,100mAh battery easily lasts a full day of moderate use and supports fast 68W wired charging or 15W wireless charging. The phone also ships with Android 13 and is scheduled to receive three OS upgrades and four years of security updates, which is an extra year of support than Motorola has previously offered.
One of the Edge Plus’ strengths is its excellent camera system, which includes a dedicated telephoto camera and a stabilized 50-megapixel main camera. The phone’s portrait mode is also impressive, with useful “lenses” that allow for a range of creative effects. However, the phone’s curved edge display can make it difficult to tap icons that are positioned too close to the curve.
The phone’s design is sleek and modern, with sturdy aluminum rails and Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back panel. However, the back panel’s matte texture can make the phone slippery and difficult to grip. The phone also comes with an IP68 rating for full dust resistance and good protection against water immersion.
All in all, the Motorola Edge Plus is a solid high-end smartphone that offers a range of flagship-tier features. However, it lacks a compelling reason for consumers to buy it over a Samsung or Google phone. The phone’s curved edge display impacts usability, and its availability is limited, which may make it a tough sell for those who are accustomed to getting their phones through their carrier. Despite these issues, the Edge Plus boasts excellent performance, a great camera system, and impressive battery life, making it a phone that’s worth considering for those in the market for a high-end device.