There are so many powerful smartphones that provide excellent performance and beautiful shots. However, I rarely write a review, starting with the beauty of holding a phone in my hand. It used to happen in the previous decade, but the need to reduce internal components, optimise power and display generated increasingly similar lines between the different manufacturers. Motorola has tried to distinguish itself in the past, and this time, the Edge 50 Pro has succeeded even better because it is a phone that focuses on style, materials, and colours. This is no guarantee of a winning choice, but at least of emerging as something intriguing because the phone is still an accessory that also wants to please the eye. It must be said that despite being Pro, the latest arrival is not the top of the range in the series, a role that falls to the Edge 50 Ultra.
The first Pantone-certified smartphone
A mid-range model, it already surprises from the packaging because it emanates a fragrance (which lingers for a few weeks) based on the colour chosen at the time of purchase. I have the Moonlight Pearl version, which is more exclusive than the Luxe Lavender and Black Beauty colours because it is made of mother-of-pearl, thanks to the collaboration with the Italian design house Mazzucchelli 1849. A deliberate union creates a different effect on each phone, which, therefore, represents a unique piece. In addition to the plastic-free packaging, there is a cover that is superior to the super-cheap standard used by almost all manufacturers and whose colour matches the colour of the phone. Another useful item included in the purchase is the 125W charger, a turbo that allows a full charge from zero to 100% of the battery in 20 minutes.
Motorola edge 50 Pro
Clean lines, aluminium alloy on the front side, where there is a 50-megapixel camera, and a well-designed rear with the camera block integrated into the body give the Edge 50 Pro a convincing look. Not least because the numbers are on its side: 186 grams in weight and 8.19 millimetres in thickness. You struggle to handle it with one hand because the 6.7-inch display requires attention, but you don’t feel any discomfort or excessive weight in your pocket. The feeling of holding a product similar to the top of the range is Motorola‘s winning element, despite the specifications and performance being mid-range, with some obvious limitations.
The display is not one of them, as the pOLEd panel (2712 x 1220 pixels) is very bright even when set to Brilliant preset, which denotes over-saturated colours. This is why trying the change and finding the preferred way is better. It has a 144 Hz refresh rate adjusted by 4 levels (60, 90, 120 and 144 Hz) and is the first smartphone with Pantone True Colour certification, which attests to the screen’s fidelity in colour reproduction. An aspect somewhere between marketing and add-on paper for those creating or looking for special graphic effects. Also necessary is the IP68 certification for dust and water resistance, which allows the phone to be carried in many situations without worrying about the consequences (as long as you don’t submerge it in a swimming pool and forget it there).
Photo yes, processor no
The camera department counts on a triple camera, with the main camera featuring a 50-megapixel sensor, f/1.4 aperture and optical stabilisation. Next to it is the ultra-wide 13-megapixel with a 130-degree viewing angle and f/2.2 aperture, while completing the set-up is a telephoto lens with 3x optical magnification, 10-megapixel sensor and f/2.2 aperture, optically stabilised, apart from the Pantone effect, which, according to Motorola, guarantees a very realistic colour rendition and a faithful complexion, the smartphone photographs well during the day and suffers a little at night and in low light. Fast-focusing and stabilisation are the strong points, less so the shooting speed because the result sometimes differs from what is expected, especially with moving subjects.
I always appreciate Motorola’s Hello UI, which is simple and very close to the original Android version, with few unnecessary apps and a few options for personalising the smartphone, such as Moto Unplugged and Smart connect. A step forward, I expect for updates, which are 3 major updates and 4 years of security patches. A far too limited time compared to some Android competitors. The 4500 mAh battery is a good companion even for those who stress the smartphone a lot, so much so that in my tests, I almost always arrived at the end of the day with 20-25% charge, despite having surfed, played games, sent more or less heavy emails and shot several videos.
Buy or not buy?
Among the discordant notes is the Snapdragon 7 Gen3 processor, which holds up well but is not the latest in the Qualcomm family. Motorola chose it, almost obliged, as a decisive sacrifice to lighten the price, which is set at €699. A middle ground, perhaps slightly high for the mid-range, where €400 alternatives can be found, albeit lacking the aesthetic quality that Motorola guarantees.
The Edge 50 Pro is available in the 12GB RAM and 512GB storage configuration. It is a smartphone especially suitable for those keen on sporting something different, which, with those colours, does not go unnoticed. A tip for those interested in buying it is to wait a bit, as the price may drop in the coming weeks.
