❤ Motorola Edge 30

 

 

The Motorola Edge 30 is a slim, light, good-looking phone with a great screen and an attractive price tag. Its camera is also competitive, given the phone’s price, and the Edge 30 isn’t too shabby when it comes to performance either, whether thumbing through the interface, browsing the web, or blasting your way through games.

What holds back the Edge 30 from being an across-the-board champ is its battery. It’s smaller than we’d expect from a phone today, and that compromise is no doubt how Motorola achieved the phone’s 6.8mm profile.

The Edge 30’s camera is also noteworthy. It combines a high-resolution 50MP primary camera with OIS, and the ultra-wide camera crams in autofocus. This ensures it captures a range of quality shots – from close-up macro snaps to landscapes, mid-range photos, and more. While Motorola’s photo processing is heavy-handed, at the price, the Edge 30 is still a solid camera phone.

 

 

 

 

If you’re not a power user who uses your phone non-stop and needs a battery that can keep up, the Motorola Edge 30 is a mighty option. It’s perfect if you’re after a brilliant, big screen, a decent camera mix, and very slender styling.

NETWORK Technology GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
2G bands GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 – SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM)
3G bands HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 41, 42, 43, 66
5G bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6
Speed HSPA, LTE (CA), 5G
LAUNCH Announced 2022, April 27
Status Available. Released 2022, May 12
BODY Dimensions 159.4 x 74.2 x 6.8 mm (6.28 x 2.92 x 0.27 in)
Weight 155 g (5.47 oz)
Build Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), plastic frame, plastic back
SIM Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
Water-repellent design
DISPLAY Type AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+
Size 6.5 inches, 102.0 cm2 (~86.2% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~405 ppi density)
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 3
PLATFORM OS Android 12, up to Android 13, planned upgrade to Android 14
Chipset Qualcomm SM7325-AE Snapdragon 778G+ 5G (6 nm)
CPU Octa-core (1×2.5 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.9 GHz Cortex-A55)
GPU Adreno 642L
MEMORY Card slot No
Internal 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM
MAIN CAMERA Triple 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.55″, 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS
50 MP, f/2.2, 118˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.76″, 0.64µm, PDAF
2 MP, f/2.4, (depth)
Features Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama
Video 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10, gyro-EIS
SELFIE CAMERA Single 32 MP, f/2.3, (wide), 0.7µm
Features HDR
Video 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/120fps
SOUND Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakers
3.5mm jack No
Snapdragon Sound
COMMS WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive
Positioning GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
NFC Yes
Radio No
USB USB Type-C 2.0
FEATURES Sensors Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
BATTERY Type Li-Po 4020 mAh, non-removable
Charging 33W wired
MISC Colors Meteor Grey, Supermoon Silver, Aurora Green
Models XT2203-1
Price $ 329.99 / € 220.00 / ₹ 15,999

Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.

MOTOROLA EDGE 30 REVIEW: DESIGN

  • Exceptionally thin and light
  • No headphone jack
  • Water repellent design

The Motorola Edge 30 is nothing short of waif-like. Its skinny profile measures just 6.8mm, and it weighs 155g. For context, an iPhone 14 Pro Max measures 12.03mm when including the camera bump, and weighs 240g. Motorola’s slender contender still sports an ample footprint, thanks to its ample 6.5-inch screen.

When it comes to build quality, the Edge 30 feels about right for a midrange, relatively affordable phone. It’s made of plastic around the sides and back, so definitely isn’t super premium. But still feels relatively special, with a frosted finish around the back and that super-thin body.

 

 

 

 

The Motorola Edge 30 is splashproof, with a water-repellant design, and the display is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. In the box, you get a case to help add a little extra life-proofing, and thanks to the plastic back, only one side of the phone is likely to smash if you drop it. This all means it probably isn’t as fragile as some glass-on-glass phones like the Nothing Phone 1.

Unsurprisingly for a phone this thin, there’s no headphone jack, and ports are limited to a single USB-C port at the base. On the right side are all the buttons – volume and power, and around the back is a modest camera bump.

Thanks to easy-to-grip, flat sides, we didn’t find the Edge 30 slippery or fiddly to use despite being so thin, and the slightly rounded sides add a pleasant, soft quality to the hold.

So while Motorola’s thin phone isn’t the most premium around, we’d say it strikes the right notes given its price. Could its style be a bit more refined? Absolutely. Does it feel like it’s made of plastic? Definitely. But it also still feels unique, a great balance of life-proof, slender, and fit-for-purpose.

MOTOROLA EDGE 30 REVIEW: SOFTWARE AND PERFORMANCE

  • Runs Android 12
  • Basic Motorola Ready For support
  • Snapdragon 778G+ chipset
  • In-display fingerprint scanner

With Motorola‘s interface being the same across all its phones, if you’re coming from an old Moto phone, you’ll know what to expect. It’s clean and simple, with much less added software than in rival phones from Xiaomi, Realme, and Samsung. What you might not have seen before, though, is Ready For – a way of pairing the phone to an external display wirelessly via Miracast.

The Ready For feature also enhances the pairing experience with a PC, so your Edge 30 can double up as your webcam, and you can easily manage your mobile life from a Windows device. This worked well in our tests and is a fantastic value add at the price. One point to note, the phone doesn’t support video out via the USB-C port, so Ready For projection can only be fired up via Miracast, or when hooked up to a PC.

There’s a Moto app to turn the handful of Moto extra features on and off, a Motorola Notifications app (this one is largely bloatware), and Dolby Atmos, which is behind the phone’s audio optimization.

What are those extra Moto features? Peek Display, Attentive Display, and Gestures. Peek Display is a custom lock screen that lights up when you pick up the phone while in standby. It shows the time, battery life, and icons, to denote any recently received notifications.

 

 

At the heart of the Motorola Edge 30 experience is Google’s Android 12 operating system, and the light approach to software skinning means you get to see the visual changes Google made in this version of the OS. Feature toggles in the drop-down menus sit in colorful blocks, for example, and you can choose the color to alter Android’s personality a bit.

The interface experience isn’t let down by the hardware on the Edge 30, thanks to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ chipset. This isn’t a speedster when it comes to 3D gaming, but for general day-to-day tasks, it hits the mark. What makes the Edge 30 feel even more premium is its 144Hz screen, which takes UI smoothness to another level.

 

 

 

 

Anyone who games will probably want to know how the phone benchmarks, and the Motorola Edge 30 scores fairly for the price, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 2677, and a 3D Mark score of 2791 on the Wild Life benchmark.

This all means that while performance is far from flagship – a little worse than top-tier phones from a couple of years ago, it’s still good enough for most apps and games to run smoothly.

Also handy, the phone has an in-display fingerprint scanner, which is not always seen at the price, and it worked quickly for secure unlocking.

MOTOROLA EDGE 30 REVIEW: CAMERA

 

 

 

 

  • 50MP primary camera with OIS
  • 50MP ultra-wide camera with autofocus
  • 2MP depth sensor

The Motorola Edge 30 has three rear cameras, though only two actually take pictures – the primary and ultra-wide cameras. The third camera is a depth sensor, so should help with cleaning up portrait mode style photos (the ones with blurry backgrounds and sharp foregrounds), but you won’t take pictures using it standalone.

MOTOROLA EDGE 30 REVIEW: BATTERY LIFE

 

 

 

 

  • Small 4,020mAh battery
  • Supports 33W charging
  • Ships with fast charger

The Moto Edge 30 battery story has wins and woes. The wins come in the form of the charging speeds, times, and the fact you get a fast charger in the box. Powering up at 33W, while the phone isn’t the fastest charger at the price, it powers up in around 45 minutes – great going.

As for the Edge 30’s battery woes – that comes in the form of how long it lasts with intensive use.

One hour of playing a simple 2D game, Marvel Snap, at 60 percent brightness drained the battery by 35 percent – so if you want a long-haul flight gaming phone, pack a charger.

A power-hungry day of being a tourist, roaming, using 5G, photo and video capture, and map usage will likely leave you needing a top-up by the early evening. Moderate use, though, did surprise us. We were able to get through a full day when we used the phone normally. That means Spotify listening on the commute, occasional YouTube watching, messaging, and replying to emails.

If you don’t consider yourself a power user, therefore, and appreciate a sleek profile over the possibility of two-day battery life, the Edge 30’s modest milliamp hours could suffice.

SHOULD I BUY THE MOTOROLA EDGE 30?

Buy it if…

You want a thin phone

There’s nothing on the market at the Motorola Edge 30’s price that’s as thin, feature-packed, and sports such a great display.

You’re a Windows user


Motorola’s Ready For software makes connecting your phone to your PC a mighty experience, with the Edge 30 doubling up as a webcam and more. The feature, however, doesn’t work when the phone’s hooked up to a computer running MacOS.

You want a great screen

Whether you’re watching, scrolling, browsing or gawking – looking at the Edge 30’s screen is fun. Between the zingy colors, smooth motion, great viewing angles and customizable settings, it represents great value.

Don’t buy it if…

You need two-day battery life

It shouldn’t come as any shock that the slender Motorola Edge 30 – a very slim phone, won’t keep you going beyond a day of regular use. After all, its battery has been shaven down to shrink its profile. Still, light to moderate users shouldn’t have trouble getting through a day comfortably with the phone.

If you want wireless charging


There are no new phones in the Edge 30’s price point that pack wireless charging, though the slightly pricier Nothing Phone 1 does, so if you really need that cable-free life, you’ll need to spend more and look further afield.

You’re a 3D game enthusiast

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 780G+ is capable enough to run most games – we enjoyed hours of Marvel Snap, and even Injustice 2 was handled okay. But for the best-looking results, save your pennies and pick up a phone with a mightier processor.

Remember when smartphones were competing to be the thinnest around? The Edge 30 is a throwback to that thin-for-the-win era. It combines sleek styling and a flourish of fancy features – a fantastic-looking screen, a capable camera system, and nippy performance for the price. Its battery won’t blow you away, and may struggle to make it through a busy day – but for casual users, this could be the best, slimmest option around.

Pros

  • Quality 144Hz HDR10+ AMOLED display
  • Slimline profile is very pocket-friendly
  • Confident performance for the price
  • Very light at 155g

Cons

  • Battery struggles on busy days
  • Plastic build doesn’t feel premium
  • Clumsy photo processing in native camera app
  • No SD card slot