Motorola has launched the Edge 50 Neo, the fifth installment in its popular Edge series. Priced at ₹22,999, this mid-range phone promises high-end features and performance in a compact form factor. With features like a 1.5K display, 68W fast charging, and a 3x telephoto lens, the Edge 50 Neo offers a lot for its price. In this in-depth review, we’ll explore the design, performance, display, camera, battery life, and other aspects that make this phone a compelling choice.
1. Compact Yet Premium Design
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo stands out for its lightweight and compact design, weighing just 169.7 grams. Motorola has managed to bring a flagship-like feel to a mid-range device, thanks to its vegan leather back, plastic frame, and military-grade certification. The IP68 rating ensures water and dust resistance, making the phone highly durable. Motorola’s decision to include a hard bumper case in the box further adds to the protection. The phone is available in a bold blue color, adding a premium look and feel, making it a great option for users looking for aesthetics as well as functionality.
2. Brilliant 1.5K Display
The Edge 50 Neo sports a 6.36-inch LTPO display with a 1Hz to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The 1.5K resolution (1080 x 2676 pixels) ensures a sharp, bright, and vibrant screen, with a peak brightness of 3000 nits. This makes it ideal for outdoor use, even under direct sunlight. Whether you’re browsing the web, streaming content, or gaming, the display provides an immersive experience. Motorola’s use of Gorilla Glass 3 for protection further ensures durability against scratches and minor drops, although there’s no factory-applied screen protector.
3. Performance-Packed with Dimensity 7300
Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset, the Motorola Edge 50 Neo offers a smooth and lag-free experience. With an impressive AnTuTu score of 650,000, the phone is equipped for multitasking, casual gaming, and daily use without any performance hiccups. The 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB UFS 2.2 storage ensure that users have enough power and storage for heavy apps and large files. Motorola’s Hello UI, based on Android 14, runs efficiently, offering a bloatware-free and clean user experience. Furthermore, the brand has committed to providing 5 years of software and security updates, a significant move in the mid-range segment.
4. Gaming Capabilities and Thermal Management
For gamers, the Motorola Edge 50 Neo performs well with its flat display, which is generally preferred over curved screens for gaming. The Dimensity 7300 chipset ensures smooth gameplay, allowing games like BGMI to run at 60FPS with ease. The phone is also equipped with a 4,516mm² vapor cooling chamber to keep temperatures in check during extended gaming sessions. During testing, the phone maintained a 90% stability score in the CPU and GPU throttle tests, making it suitable for medium to heavy gaming, even under stress.
5. Triple-Camera System with 3x Telephoto Lens
One of the standout features of the Motorola Edge 50 Neo is its camera system. It features a triple-camera setup with a 50MP primary sensor (Sony LYT 700C), a 13MP ultrawide sensor with autofocus (doubling as a macro lens), and a 10MP telephoto lens offering 3x optical zoom. This combination provides versatility, allowing users to capture wide-angle, macro, and zoomed-in portraits with ease. The 32MP front camera, housed in a center punch-hole, delivers sharp selfies. Video recording is supported at 4K 30FPS on all lenses, including the selfie camera, making it ideal for content creators and vloggers.
6. Battery Life and Fast Charging
Although the Motorola Edge 50 Neo comes with a relatively small 4310mAh battery, it offers a full day’s use under moderate conditions thanks to Motorola’s efficient software optimization. For users worried about battery depletion, the phone’s 68W wired charging and 15W wireless charging provide a quick top-up, making the small battery less of a drawback. Few phones in the ₹23,000 price range support wireless charging, so this feature adds significant value to the device. The 68W charger included in the box can charge the phone from 0% to 100% in under an hour, ensuring minimal downtime.
7. Android 14 and Motorola's Hello UI
The Edge 50 Neo runs on Android 14 with Motorola’s clean Hello UI on top. The software experience is bloat-free, with no unnecessary pre-installed third-party apps. The interface offers useful features like Moto Secure and Smart Connect, along with gesture controls for quick actions. Motorola also introduced AI-based features such as Magic Canvas, which allows users to generate custom wallpapers using text. Motorola’s promise of 5 years of major updates is a huge selling point, ensuring the phone remains secure and up-to-date for a long time.
8. Connectivity and Future-Proofing
In terms of connectivity, the Edge 50 Neo leaves no stone unturned. It supports 16 5G bands, making it one of the most future-proof devices in its price range. Along with that, it includes WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, and NFC support. The phone also comes with dual nano-SIM slots, and while there’s no microSD slot, the 256GB base storage should be sufficient for most users. These features make the phone highly competitive, especially in markets like India where 5G adoption is growing rapidly.
9. Multimedia Experience and Extras
Despite its compact size, the 6.36-inch display offers a great multimedia experience. Dolby Atmos-tuned stereo speakers provide rich audio for watching movies and listening to music. The phone supports HDR playback on YouTube, although Netflix HDR support is missing. The absence of smaller features like FM radio and notification lights might be noticed by some users, but these are minor compromises considering the overall package. Additionally, the phone has an SGS Blue Light certification for comfortable viewing in low-light conditions.
10. Final Verdict: A Feature-Packed Mid-Ranger
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo delivers a lot for its price. With a high-quality display, solid performance, versatile camera setup, fast charging, wireless charging, and 5 years of software updates, it stands out in the mid-range segment. While the 4310mAh battery could have been larger, the lightweight design and compact form factor make up for it. For ₹22,999, the Edge 50 Neo offers premium features and a future-proofed experience. If you're looking for a well-rounded phone with solid features, this device is an excellent option to consider.
In conclusion, Motorola continues to innovate in the mid-range market with the Edge 50 Neo, offering flagship-like features in an affordable package.