Motorola’s flagship smartphone of 2022 is still around and kicking. The high megapixel count of 50MP is very impressive by today’s standards, but does it actually have what it takes to still be contender today?
Performance
With GeekBench scores of 1028 (single core), 2962 (Multi-Core), the Motorola Edge performs decently when it comes to typical tasks, but will not strike one as a high performer when it comes to intensive tasks. Mileage may very depending on how intensely you use the phone, but for basic calling, surfing, shooting multimedia and consuming it, one shouldn’t have too many issues. The device does have some stamina issues though, when it comes to battery. I’ve had to recharge the device before the day was done even with the most basic of tasks and fairly light daily use.
With some of the newer updates, the Motorola Edge 2022 comes with some really useful security features. It has a secure folder feature that resembles Samsung’s solution, a PIN pad randomizer to screw up prying eyes when you enter in your PIN (but it can be confusing to the user too since memorizing PIN layouts will no longer be an option- you will have to pay attention whenever you enter your PIN from now on if you choose to turn on that feature). I particularly like the secure folder feature where the user selects apps that they would like to run in a secured space and all the data within those apps are protected by a separate password, or PIN, etc. created by the user. A generic icon can be used and named to further obscure the secure folder, or, if the user so chooses, the folder will not even appear in the desktop, but only be accessible through the security settings in the settings menu. Pretty cool stuff for privacy buffs if I don’t say so myself!
Hardware
| Display | Display Size – 6.6″ FHD+ OLED Display Resolution – FHD+ (2400 x 1080) Screen to Body Ratio – 91.32% Display Technology – OLED, 10-bit DCI-P3 color space, 144Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ Aspect Ratio – 20:9 |
| Battery | Battery Size – 5000mAh Charging – 30W TurboPower™ 3, 15W wireless charging, 5W reverse charging Battery Life – Up to 2 days of battery |
| Cameras | Rear Camera Hardware 108MP (f/1.8, 1.0µm) | Quad Pixel Technology | Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) | Omni PDAF | 13MP (f/1.5, 1.12µm) | 120° ultra-wide angle + Macro Vision | Depth Sensor Rear Camera Video Software Shooting modes: Simultaneous Capture, Spot Color, AR Stickers, Timelapse (w/ Hyperlapse), Macro Slow Motion Front Camera Video Capture FHD (30fps) Rear Camera Software Shooting modes: Dual Capture, Spot Color, Night Vision, Portrait, Cutout, Live Filter, Panorama , AR Stickers, Pro Mode (w/ Long Exposure) Front Camera Hardware 32MP (f/2.45, 0.7µm) | Quad Pixel Technology Rear Camera Video Capture Rear main camera: 4K (30fps) | UHD (30/60fps) | FHD (30/60fps) | Slow motion FHD (120fps) Rear ultra-wide angle camera: FHD (30fps) Rear macro camera: FHD (30/60fps) | UHD (30fps) Front Camera Software Shooting modes: Dual Capture, Spot Color, Night Vision, Portrait, Live Filter, Group Selfie, Pro Mode (w/ Long Exposure) Front Camera Video Software Shooting modes: Dual Capture, Spot Color, Timelapse (w/ Hyperlapse) |
| Dimensions | Dimensions – 160.86×74.24×7.99mm Weight – 170g |
| Cellular | Networks + Bands 5G: mmwave & sub-6GHz | 4G: LTE | 3G: WCDMA | 2G: GSM Location Services – GPS, AGPS, LTEPP, SUPL, GLONASS, Galileo SIM Card – Single SIM (Nano SIM) |
| Casing | PMMA |
| CPU | MediaTek Dimensity 1050 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | Internal storage: 256 GB |
| Connectivity | Ports – Type-C port (USB 2.0 compatible) Wi-Fi – Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4 GHz | 5 GHz | 6Hz Wi-Fi hotspot NFC Bluetooth Technology – Bluetooth® 5.2 |
| Operating System | Android 10 (Upgradeable to Android 12) |
| Dust/Water resistance | N/A |
The Motorola Edge 2022 has a pretty premium feel and is relatively thin compared to other smartphones. The thinness in one’s palm makes the phone very conducive to one-handed use. The PMMA finish has an extremely smooth texture and is pleasant and premium feeling to hold in one’s palm. Unfortunately, the extremely smooth surface can make it prone to slipping- both in one’s palms as well as on other surfaces too if not placed carefully. Users should seriously consider investing in a case for this smartphone.
The cameras can perform nicely in well-lit situations, but in darker environments, you will encounter a lot of noise and muted detail. Video capture is very limited, unfortunately. While it can take 4K video, the quality is not very good as color detail is not given any justice. The 108MP main lens is actually capable of taking some fantastic shots especially in well-lit situations such as outside in the sunlight. Low light situations are fortunately not as challenging as other devices.
The Edge’s screen is definitely bright enough to be used outdoors- no need for squinting with this one!
Final Thoughts
The Motorola Edge 2022 still has another year of security updates, which means that it’s still a viable smartphone if you’re in a pinch to have a budget phone that has some great features and performance. With some of its security features, privacy-minded users can be assured that their more sensitive data is protected and obscured from the curious or even malicious. The camera is decent for stills, but not videos.