Introduction and specifications
Motorola has found a winning formula with a number of its Edge devices in recent years, and we believe the Neos stand out even more for their great value. Strangely enough, only a few brands offer compact mid-range solutions, leaving the Edge 50 Neo to find a very tight but comfortable niche for itself.
This year’s Edge 50 Neo is even better. Motorola has significantly reduced its size from its predecessor and added some premium features and hardware.
The Neo’s screen is now a 6.4-inch LTPO OLED, meets the military standard MIL-STD-810H, runs on a more powerful chipset, supports wireless charging and adds a 3x telephoto camera. Not to mention that the standard storage variant is now 256 GB.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo Specifications at a Glance:
- Body: 154.1×71.2×8.1mm, 171g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic frame, plastic back or silicone polymer back (eco-leather); IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5 m for 30 min), MIL-STD-810H compliant*, * does not guarantee ruggedness or use under extreme conditions.
- Display: 6.40″ LTPO P-OLED, 1B colors, 120 Hz, HDR10+, 3000 nits (peak), 1256x2760px resolution, 19.78:9 aspect ratio, 474ppi.
- Chip set: Mediatek Dimensity 7300 (4 nm): Octa-core (4×2.5 GHz Cortex-A78 and 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G615 MC2.
- Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM; UFS.
- Operating system/software: Android 14, up to 5 major Android upgrades.
- Reversing camera: Broad (head): 50 MP, f/1.8, 1/1.5″, 1.0 µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 10 MP, f/2.0, 73mm, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 13 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚, 1.12 µm, PDAF.
- Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 0.7 µm.
- Video recording: Rear camera: 4K at 30 fps, 1080p at 30/60/120/240 fps, gyro EIS; Front camera: 4K at 30 fps, 1080p at 30/60/120 fps.
- Battery: 4310mAh; 68W wired, 15W wireless.
- Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Double SIM card; WiFi 6e; BT 5.3; NFC.
- Miscellaneous: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers; Support for Smart Connect (ready for).
It all sounds great on paper, but it comes at a price and we mean that literally. In Europe, Motorola increased the price by €100, but kept it stable in USA. Still, even with the small price increase, the Edge 50 Neo remains very competitive in both markets.
The Edge 50 Neo seems like a very lucrative option in the mid-range, but let’s see if it can withstand the stiff competition.
Unpacking the Motorola Edge 50 Neo
The device comes in a sleek box, which has a color-specific scent on the inside, just like the other phones in the Edge series. The scent lingers for a few hours after unpacking when you hold the phone, leaving an extra premium impression. It’s a small thing, but you won’t get anything comparable with other brands.
Unfortunately, aside from the plastic, plant-based, color-matched casing and the USB-C cable, there’s nothing else of substance in the box. The charger is left out, so you will have to provide this yourself. Any USB PowerDelivery should work to charge the Edge 50 Neo, but if you want the fastest possible charging speed, you’ll need to get a 68W charger.
Motorola is happy to sell you a 68W charger from its TurboPower range, which does the job nicely. (Amazon.com | Amazon.de | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.nl)