Verdict
Motorola has managed to fork up something that not only reckon good and feels full in the hand , but a smartphone of meat . The Edge 40 boasts a gorgeous show , a back - face tv camera just as equal to in low lighter as daytime , firm charging and comme il faut performance – it ’s just a bit of a shame it heats up so quickly when play .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Motorola Edge 40 looks to take on the meddlesome mid - range marketplace with key features including a lightweight , flimsy blueprint , a reactive 6.55 - inch 144Hz display , a 50MP primary television camera with the blanket aperture around and speedy 68W charge .
It ’s not just a comely specification sheet either , with inviolable real - populace performance , a premium design and recollective battery life . That ’s especially unfeigned of the young upgraded 50MP tv camera and its wide f/1.4 aperture , have unfeignedly impressive low - lighter photography considering its mid - range of mountains toll , and the display is sensational too .
That slimline design is a twofold - edged steel , however , with the phone getting notably red-hot when really putting its mid - range processor to the trial – but more on that a short after .
The question is , does the Motorola Edge 40 do enough to be top one of thebest mid - rangersin an already - overpopulated market ? Well …
Design and screen
Like last year’sEdge 30 , the Motorola Edge 40 is n’t a complete rethinking of the mid - rangers design , but it is a step forward nonetheless . It ’s still incredibly lightweight – one of the lightest around at just 172 g – and sports a fresh vegan leather finish .
I find vegan leather backside are a flake like marmite – you ’ll either love them or detest them – but I quite wish the tactile feel on offer , especially compared to the slipperyMotorola Edge 40 Pro .
The added grip on offer , commingle with the impressively thin and lightweight pattern , instil a sensory faculty of confidence when holding the 6.55 - in phone one - handed . It wo n’t slip off slimly uneven surfaces either , an additional incentive compared to its premium shabu sidekick .
I ’m also a huge fan of the way that it amply encompasses the tv camera housing , helping the earphone visually stand out from the competition , and provide a rather clean overall feeling .
The catch ? The vegan leather rear is exclusive to the rather downplay Eclipse Black and colorful Nebula Green finishes , with the Lunar Blue finish sporting a more traditional smooth acrylic rear .
Elsewhere , the phone is curvey , not only in term of the edges of its exhibit that disappear seamlessly into the sandblast Al skeleton but the rear bound and rounded corners too . It ’s also very thin at just 7.6 mm , further impart to that lightweight feel . This all adds to that premium , well-off in - manus feel .
That display is n’t just curvy either ; it ’s an impressive instrument panel , especially at the £ 529 ( around $ 624 ) price point Motorola is going after with the Edge 40 . The 6.55 - inch pOLED display may be a little lowly than some 6.7 - in rivals but it makes up with key specs includingHDR10 + credential , a Full HD+ resolve and , crucially , a144Hz refresh rate .
The 144Hz refresh pace is fast than the 120Hz used by most flagship , even those double the price of the Edge 40 . In fact , it ’s a feature of speech commonly sole togaming phone . It makes the telephone set finger responsive , animation attend smooth and gaming is great , but I ’d argue that it ’s very hard to distinguish the difference between 144Hz and 120Hz in everyday use .
It ’s just frustrating that the sound ’s auto - refresh rate setting does n’t ever crank up it up to the full 144Hz , instead crest out at 120Hz . If you want the still refresh rate possible , it does amount at the cost of overall barrage sprightliness .
Watching content from the likes of Netflix and YouTube is also a delight on the Edge 40 , not only due to its large size but the pOLED control panel itself , delivering deep ink-black black and vibrant people of colour that truly popped on - projection screen , especially when watching animated shows like Archer and Disenchantment .
blend with great battery efficiency when watching video recording the Motorola Edge 40 is a great alternative for Netflix binger and TikTok scrollers .
Cameras
Motorola is live on all - in on the Edge 40 ’s photography prowess , not in term of the sheer number of cameras but the performance of said lenses . That ’s particularly unfeigned of the new 50MP main center that , while identical to its predecessor on paper , boasts a couple of key upgrade that should give up impressive event .
The most notable upgrade is the aperture , which is now an impressively profligate f/1.4 – the fastest on any smartphone on the market mightily now . That not only stand for the phone can slurp in more light in low - light scenarios , but it also provides a natural bokeh in portrait photography .
The sheer speed of the sensing element also intend it has the ability to essentially ‘ freeze ’ moving subjects , but it ’s not quite as reliable as the Falcon Capture of theHonor Magic 5 Proin my testing . While the capture is indeed quick , it ’s not as pinpoint - accurate at freezing motion – particularly when it comes to faster - moving subjects like kids and pets , with the casual fuzz need a fast reshoot .
That main sensor is backed by pixel binning engineering , optical image stabilization , omnidirectional PDAF for fast focus and a dedicated Ambient Light Sensor so the television camera can adjust light levels as soon as the Camera app is launched .
With all that said , images shot from the main sensing element are generally packed with contingent and boast impressive active range . However I did mark that some colour – especially the William Green of grass and the blue air of the sky – can look over - saturated . That ’s heavy for social media sharing , but it ’s not the most accurate colour reproduction around in 2023 .
While it does an admirable job at Portrait modal value picture taking , allowing you to choose from three levels of zoom and adjust the software - powered bokeh as require , the sharpness spotting is n’t pure , miss the casual wispy hair or the niche of my glasses .
In all silver dollar , I preferred shooting on the stock Photo modality as I found the shallow f/1.4 aperture would deliver a piano , more lifelike bokeh than the OTT option from the Portrait app .
It ’s when light levels unload that the wide aperture really comes into its own though , birth some pretty all-fired telling crushed - light scene considering the Edge 40 ’s mid - range terms tag .
Sure , it wo n’t do well in scenes with next - to - no spark at all , but it does a great job with dispirited grade of light , on a lamp - unhorse street after dark for example . There ’s enough surface particular to make out small details of the image , and while haphazardness reducing technical school is present , it ’s only noted when zooming into the image . color are somewhat accurate too , making this a strong option for dispirited - light photography .
The only downside to the f/1.4 aperture of the independent lens is the shallow depth of battleground . While it does make for a skillful unaired - up shot , it also means it ’s reasonably easy for the telephone set to overleap direction and make the subject appear a little balmy . It does n’t happen as often as I expected , likely down to the PDAF autofocus technical school , but it was something I noticed every now and again .
It ’s not the only camera on the rear of the phone though ; the main 50MP cracker bonbon is flanked by a 13MP extremist - panoptic lens with fundamental specs including an f/2.2 aperture and an heroic 120 - degree field of survey . It ’s a pretty decent common snapping turtle too , lacking any tangible distortion at the edges of shots – an issue with some ultra - all-embracing lens system – and seemly dynamical kitchen range .
I will observe that ikon can look a little soft in seat , in all likelihood down to the want of pixel - bin technical school from the 13MP detector , but that ’s only really notable when zooming in to specific areas of a shot . It ’s also nowhere almost as capable in low - Christ Within condition , but that ’s not that surprising with the mid - range price tag .
Camera operation from the 32MP snapper is n’t quite as impressive , however , with the selfies I ’ve snapped looking a little washed out regardless of environmental lighting conditions .
Video performance is rather upstanding with OIS smoothing out restive mitt movement – at least when using the main rearward sensor – with fun video modes like Portrait Video and a unique stabilization mode that ’ll bring when rotated a full 360 degrees further improving the experience . It caps out at 4K@30fps both on the front and rear , with the former being fairly unique in the mid - range market .
Performance
At the heart of the Motorola Edge 40 you ’ll determine MediaTek ’s new 6 nm Dimensity 8020 combined with a healthy 8 GB of RAM and plentiful 256 GB of storage . Though it ’s not quite tight enough to compete with2023 flagships – something that is n’t surprising turn over the affordable price tag – it can handle its own in themid - range market place .
The telephone set feels dapper and responsive in everyday use , no doubt thanks to that 144Hz refresh charge per unit , and it has n’t really contend with anything I ’ve thrown at it during my week of testing , be it quickly switching between apps or playing a quick 15 minutes of Stardew Valley .
In fact , the only time I did notice any form of slow - down was when I was check Netflix in picture - in - movie modality , and that ’s not something I do very often .
Issues do start to arise when play , however , particularly when run AAA 3D game like Call of Duty Mobile with the 144Hz display enabled . While the chipset is capable of give birth fast skeletal frame rates in curt gaming sessions , anything longer than 20 minutes will see the telephone set get uncomfortably hot .
This also has a knock - on impression on carrying into action with dropped frame becoming more frequent , making it less than ideal for hard-core mobile gamers .
It ’s only when go truly demanding game , however , with no such overheating when playing simple-minded plot like Stardew Valley and Survivor.io for over half an hour .
This is all corroborate by benchmark tests too , with the Edge 40 scoring 3542 points in the Geekbench 6 multi - core trial run . For context , theGoogle Pixel 6ascored 2900 , while the slightly cheaperSamsung Galaxy A54scored 2703 . In fact , it ’s not far from the Realme GT 3 ’s 3842 and that uses the ( year quondam ) flagship Snapdragon 8 + Gen 1 .
It ’s a similar narrative in the GPU department with a 3DMark Wildlife bench mark score of 3542 and GFXBench Aztec Ruins ( high ) scores of 33fps , beating the the like of the Galaxy A54 .
Simply put , for everyone except gamy - final stage mobile gamers , the performance of the Edge 40 is more than adequate .
When it comes to software , expect Motorola ’s clean approach toAndroid 13with minimum change compare to stock Android , and the additions that are present – like with Moto Gestures and extra always - on presentation functionality – are welcome with open arms . It ’s a pure change to some manufacturers that like to put their own twirl on the Android experience , and one that I envisage many will treasure .
There ’s alsoReadyFor , Motorola ’s comparatively unsung bomber . It not only allows you to habituate your smartphone in a desktop way resembling Windows 10 when plug away into an outside monitor , but it feature impressive support for Windows . you could run Android apps on your PC or laptop computer , along with interact with incoming notifications and even employ the phone ’s cameras as a webcam .
It ’s a step further than practically any other Android manufacturer has work with Windows support and should be a serious considerateness if you pass a lot of fourth dimension in Windows 10 or 11 .
moderately unlike the stock Motorola experience , however , I did notice a few annoying bugs and glitches within the Android OS . These ranged from the inconvenient , like app icons in my folder replicate up for no grounds , to the downright annoying , like not being able to hear incoming receiver of calls unless I pay heed up and call them back .
I ’m redact this down to teethe trouble as it ’s not really something I ’ve find out with any other Motorola earpiece I ’ve used , and I ’m confident that the kinks will be ironed out quickly , but it ’s a word of warning for those looking to pick up the Motorola Edge 40 flop now .
The future does calculate bright , however , with Motorola promise three years of oculus sinister upgrade and four twelvemonth of certificate update with the Edge 40 . It ’s just shy of Samsung ’s touchstone , but still one of the better options , particularly in the mid - range market .
Battery life
The 4400mAh cell of the Edge 40 may not be quite as large as the 5000mAh on offer from rivals like thePoco F5 ProandXiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus 5 constant of gravitation , but I ca n’t say noticed a huge difference in genuine - earth execution . The Edge 40 is an all - day equipment , even with fairly intense use , with less use easy reaching the end of a second daytime .
I found it would last all day on an average work day – read the phone off charge at 7:30am , using it for around 2 - 3 minute of euphony playback , scrolling through Twitter , answer to electronic mail – with around 20 % left in the tank at around 11 autopsy when I ’d put it back on charge .
But , on days when I worked from home and only used the earpiece meagrely for scrolling and messaging , I found the battery hold up a full two day without a top - up . More specifically , it lasted from 8 am on Friday cockcrow until 1 am on Sunday morning with around 3.5 hours of CRT screen time split across the two day .
That ’s backed up by benchmark results too , with the phone draining a respectable 8 % after an hour of HDR playback on Netflix and 6 % after 30 min of light play .
Even when it does give up the spook , 68W TurboPower charging gets you on the move clean chop-chop – especially when combined with that somewhat small jail cell than the contender – and the libertine charger actually comes in the box .
Combined , the phone recover 49 % in 15 minutes , with a full charge in a rather rapid 44 minutes . This turns the phone from something you have to turn on overnight to something you may quick top - up while you ’re in the rain shower or having a morning cup of tea – something that ’ll also amend the length of service of the electric battery over meter .
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Should you buy it?
The Edge 40 not only looks good but offers a nifty display , a capable rear camera and speedy charge tech . Motorola ’s approach to Android 13 is also one of the best around in 2023 .
while the earphone is ok for day - to - day use , it can get blistering when playing necessitate secret plan over long period , resulting in pathetic performance .
Final Thoughts
The Motorola Edge 40 stands out in the mid - range market not only due to its thin , lightweight intent and unique vegan leather stern that completely track the camera lodging , but the experience it pitch .
The curving 6.55 - inch display is great for splurge - watching with pOLED tech delivering vivid colours and inky blacks , and the 144Hz refresh rate is among the fast around . It ’s just a shame that there ’s no auto refresh rate choice that goes as far as 144Hz , rather only offer a determine 144Hz refresh rate that can drain the battery .
However , it ’s the tv camera oblation , and the new main 50MP cracker in particular , that stand out among much of the mid - range competition . Rivalled only by thePixel 7ain my mind , the 50MP snapper drive home plenty of detail , groovy dynamic reach and vivid colours , and it ’s equally as capable in down in the mouth - Light Within circumstance thanks to its imposingly all-embracing f/1.4 aperture .
Day - to - day performance is also solid , though the slimline nature of the phone means it can heat up moderately quickly when playing need game like CoD Mobile . For most other apps and occasional games , however , the telephone more than suffices . The near - stock Android 13 experience is also welcome , as are the Motorola additions like gesture and ReadyFor .
Essentially , as long as you ’re not a hardcore mobile gamer , I think you ’ll struggle to dislike what Motorola has to offer with the Motorola Edge 40 .
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We examine every fluid earphone we review thoroughly . We utilize industry - standard tests to compare feature article properly and we practice the telephone as our main gimmick over the review period . We ’ll always tell you what we find and we never , ever , accept money to review a product .
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