Relatively compact, five years of Android updates and a back made of faux leather: the Motorola Edge 50 Neo does things a little differently. We tested the smartphone for you.
Read about Motorola Edge 50 Neo review
Motorola’s Edge 50 line consists of five smartphones, which makes it a bit confusing. You can go for the Edge 50 Ultra, Edge 50 Pro, Edge 50 Fusion, and then there’s the “regular” Edge 50. To make things even more complicated, Motorola recently started selling the Edge 50 Neo. This phone is the successor to last year’s Edge 40 Neo.
We have tested all Edge 50s by now and have been positively surprised by most phones. This certainly applies to the Edge 50 Neo, which we have been using for a while now. In fact: we find the Neo the most interesting of the five. Why that is, you can read in this review.
The review unit of the Edge 50 Neo was provided by Motorola.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo review
Smaller, but not really compact
With a Motorola Edge device, you normally get a beautifully designed smartphone. We also think that of the Edge 50 Neo, but to a lesser extent. This is mainly due to the plastic frame – which feels a bit cheaper – and the weight of only 171 grams. The latter is of course entirely personal: perhaps you find a light phone very pleasant.
Nice: the Edge 50 Neo is relatively compact due to the 6.4 inch screen. We don’t want to call the smartphone small, but it is more handy than most Android phones that you can buy now. The compact size makes it a bit easier to operate the Neo with one hand.
The back of the Edge 50 Neo is not made of glass or plastic, but leather (vegan leather). This looks cool and feels nice, especially since the material provides more grip.
Nice clear screen
We wonder a bit why this Neo is called ‘Edge’, since the device does not have a curved screen. Unlike the other Edge 50 phones, the edges of the display are not curved, but flat. That looks less luxurious, although we don’t really care about it.
Especially since there is nothing else to criticize about the Neo’s screen. The screen, which is 6.4 inches, has a high resolution of 2760 by 1256 pixels and therefore looks nice and sharp. The refresh rate is 120Hz, although the Edge 50 Neo is set to ‘Auto’ by default.
The phone then chooses itself – based on what is happening on the screen – what the ideal refresh rate is. And because the Neo has ltpo technology on board, the screen switches all the way back to 1Hz to save battery. That is a handy feature, which we also don’t often see on smartphones of 499 euros.
The high brightness of up to 3000 nits is also very neat. The screen can be nice and bright and that is handy on sunny days. You can clearly see that Motorola has put a lot of effort into the display and we can appreciate that.
Hardware and performance
We have mixed feelings about the hardware of the Motorola Edge 50 Neo. Under the hood is a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 and that is not the most powerful chip in this price range. In fact: the CMF Phone 1, which is hundreds of euros cheaper than the Moto, also has it.
However, that does not mean that the performance is very disappointing. In practice, the Edge 50 Neo is smooth and you do not necessarily notice that the processor is not very powerful. Only when you start playing heavy games or multitasking a lot, you will notice that the Neo starts to stutter a bit.
It is striking that the Edge 50 Neo has a very large amount of working and storage memory. The device has 12GB of working memory and no less than 512GB of storage space as standard. That is more than enough for every user, and secretly it is also something that other brands can learn from.
The fingerprint scanner does its job well. It is located quite low in the screen, but is – because the Neo is not that big – easy to reach with your thumb. It is not the fastest scanner, so you have to ‘press’ it well. In addition, it often needs several attempts to register your fingerprint properly.
Finally lots of updates
Anyone who has ever used a Motorola smartphone knows exactly what to expect from the software. The brand opts for a bare version of Android 14, without too many adjustments. The Edge 50 Neo is not completely ‘clean’, because Motorola installs a number of apps on the phone.
Examples include 1Weather, Facebook, LinkedIn and a dozen Motorola apps in the Moto folder. You can hide the apps or just ignore them, and you can delete some, but it’s a shame the software isn’t as responsive anymore clean is like a while ago.
The phone runs on Android 14 with Motorola’s new Hello UI skin, as mentioned. The software works fine and looks modern. In the Moto app you can customize it all to your liking, so you can give the device a different look, or enable extra options.
We’ve criticized Motorola’s update policy in the past. There’s nothing to complain about with the Edge 50 Neo, however, as the device gets five years of Android version updates and security patches. That’s considerably more than, for example, the Edge 50 and Edge 50 Pro, which are more expensive than the Neo – and that’s a bit surprising. Nevertheless, it’s a nice step forward from Motorola.
Camera’s
On the back of the Motorola Edge 50 Neo we see three cameras: a 50-megapixel main camera, 13-megapixel ultra-wide lens and 10-megapixel telephoto lens. The main camera and telephoto lens have optical image stabilization, which corrects motion blur.
The photos taken by the Edge 50 Neo are sharp, detailed and colourful. Motorola uses artificial intelligence (Moto AI) to improve snapshots, which in most cases results in colours being ‘enhanced’. Especially with the main camera you will notice that trees and plants are greener than in reality.
With the wide-angle lens this is less the case and photos look more realistic. The camera is fine for ‘zooming out’ and generally captures great images. There is a clear difference in detail with the main camera, which simply takes sharper photos. You notice this especially when you zoom in or look at the edges.
We find the 10 megapixel telephoto lens a handy addition, because it allows you to get the image 3 times closer. We also don’t see a telephoto lens on all smartphones around 500 euros. The one on the Edge 50 Neo is fine, but – just like the wide-angle lens – has a harder time when there is less light.
Battery and charging speed
The battery of the Motorola Edge 50 Neo is not particularly large at 4310 mAh. Fortunately, that does not mean that the battery life is disappointing in this case. The Moto easily makes it to the end of the day and in general you can also reach one and a half days. If you have a quiet weekend, two days without charging is possible.
The phone has quite a bit of stamina. Picking up is also very fast: the Edge 50 Neo supports fast charging with 68 watts, although the required adapter is no longer included. If you have the right plug, you can charge the Neo for more than 60 percent in 20 minutes. The device needs 40 to 45 minutes for a full charge.
Also handy: the Edge 50 Neo can charge wirelessly. Of course, you will need a wireless charger, but we find it very handy to put the smartphone on the charger in the evening and wake up with a full battery. Keep in mind that charging is considerably slower (15 watts).
Conclusion Motorola Edge 50 Neo review
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo is a strange smartphone, but in a positive sense. The device has many plus points: the compact and light design, the excellent screen, you get a lot of working and storage memory, the battery lasts a long time and the Neo charges very quickly. And then we almost forget the improved update policy of five years.
The Edge 50 Neo is not the perfect mid-ranger. The hardware is not fast enough for that, while the cameras take good, but not great photos. Because the device does not cost the top price at 499 euros, these are fortunately concessions we can live with.
We do not rule out that the Edge 50 Neo will be a success. The total package is very good and that is important in this price range.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo kopen
Are you planning to get the Motorola Edge 50 Neo? In the price comparison below you can check the current prices and deals. The device has a recommended retail price of 499 euro and is available in four colours: grey, blue, gold/brown and red. The Edge 50 Neo can be purchased separately or in combination with a subscription.
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Source: www.androidplanet.nl
