Motorola Edge 50 Neo Review, Compact Yet Capable in Competitive Midrange Market

Motorola Edge 50 Neo

Since the beginning of 2024, Motorola has released quite a number of smartphone entries into the market at varying price segments. Probably the most notable is the Motorola Edge 50 Neo that attempts to provide some well-rounded performance and great looks at a competitive price in this mid-range space. Launched at £399 in the UK, the Edge 50 Neo finds itself in direct competition with other popular mid-range smartphones such as the OnePlus Nord 4 and Google Pixel 8a. But can Motorola keep its edge against these heavyweights? I spent some time using the Edge 50 Neo to find out.

Design & Build: Bold Choices in a Compact Package

Probably one of the high points of the Motorola Edge 50 Neo is the design. Motorola has decided to go bold and colorful, teaming up with Pantone to offer some striking hues. Gone are the days of plain, bland tones; this phone revels in bright finishes such as Latte, a sandy beige; Grisaille, a grey-blue; Nautical Blue; and the real showstopper, Poinciana, an orangey-red. The soft, textured vegan leather of the phone’s back panel offers an exceptionally better grip than most modern phones. The color-matched metallic frame gives the device a cohesive look and feel. A hard plastic rear cover in the same color is included to offer extra protection without compromising on looks.

The Edge 50 Neo is also inductive to relative compactness: it measures 154.1 x 71.2 x 8.1mm and weighs just 171g. This makes it one of the lighter phones in its class, comfortable to hold and use with one hand. For comparison, the OnePlus Nord 4 (162.6 x 75 x 7.9mm, 199.5g) and Google Pixel 8a (152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9mm, 188g) are slightly bulkier and heavier.

In addition, the Edge 50 Neo comes with an IP68 rating for being resistant to water and dust; this allows it to be submerged in fresh water of up to 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes without sustaining any form of damage. Other notable inclusions on the phone include stereo speakers, a USB-C charging port, a dual SIM tray (Nano + eSIM), and your usual power and volume buttons.

**Display & Audio: Quality in a Compact Form

The Edge 50 Neo comes fitted with a 6.4-inch pOLED display, refreshing in a world that is filled with larger displays. With most phones within this budget trying to fit in the largest display, the compact nature of the Neo makes it more manageable for those who want smaller devices. It boasts a Super HD resolution of 2670 x 1220 pixels (460ppi) with HDR support for vibrant colors and contrast.

Motorola specifies a maximum brightness of 3000 nits, although in real-world testing I found the phone reached just under 1200 nits at its peak—still more than sufficient for readability under bright sunlight. The screen also supports a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz, ensuring smooth scrolling and interaction. LTPO technology helps the display dynamically adjust its refresh rate to reduce power consumption when appropriate, adding to improved battery life.

In terms of audio, the Edge 50 Neo is equipped with stereo speakers that offer decent sound quality. The volume is clear, and the stereo separation is impressive, although there is a noticeable lack of bass. While this is a common issue for most smartphones, the inclusion of Dolby Atmos enhancement helps improve the overall audio experience.

Performance: Powerful Enough for Everyday Use

Under the hood, the Motorola Edge 50 Neo gets an octa-core processor powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300, coupled with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. This combination works to keep the phone running for most intents and purposes, like browsing, social media, and video streaming. The 8GB RAM does an appreciable job when multitasking, and the generous storage should satisfy even the most avid user of storing large amounts of music, photos, and applications on their device.

While you won’t find flagship-level performance here-like, say, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor-the Dimensity 7300 handles gaming and demanding apps surprisingly well. The phone doesn’t lag much, even in more graphically intensive games. Of course, I did occasionally experience some glitches, from unresponsive touch targets in apps to some weird camera stuff, like not being able to switch between focal lengths. These bugs were frustrating but did not significantly impact the overall performance. With software updates, these issues are likely to be addressed.

Cameras: Solid Main Shooter, Occasional Glitches

The Edge 50 Neo is fitted with a triple-camera setup-a 50MP f/1.8 main camera, a 13MP ultra-wide camera with a 120-degree field of view, and a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. The main camera shoots quite well in good light, producing detailed, colorful images. The ultra-wide camera is decent but struggles for color accuracy and clarity, especially in lower light.

The telephoto camera tends to pull off decent shots at 3x optical zoom, though the software tends to over-sharpen images when light levels drop. Low-light shooting is a bit hit-or-miss, with some shots showing noticeable noise and blur. The camera app tends to have some misfires with tap-to-focus and switching focal lengths, but patience and good technique can yield impressive results.

The Edge 50 Neo can record in 4K at 30fps for video, and the quality is good with stable footage and clear focus. There’s also a 1080p 60fps mode for smoother video, plus options for slow-motion at 240fps and 120fps. The 32MP front camera takes sharp selfies and is also capable of recording 4K video-an appealing feature for content creators.

**Battery Life: A Day’s Worth of Power

The Edge 50 Neo sports a 4310mAh battery, which isn’t the largest in its class but offers respectable endurance. In regular use, I found it easily lasted through a full day, with power to spare for the next. In our standard PCMark 3.0 battery test, the device lasted for 11 hours and 18 minutes, which is solid performance for a mid-range phone.

Charging is fast, thanks to the support for 68W TurboPower. With a 68W charger, the Edge 50 Neo went from 0 to 53% in just 15 minutes and reached 90% in 30 minutes. The phone also supports 15W wireless charging for flexibility in how you charge.

**Software & Updates: Clean and Future-Proof

The Edge 50 Neo comes with Android 14 right out of the box, free of bloatware, and with a simple interface. Motorola includes a variety of tools, which is all fun to play with, though in reality, utterly useless for most users. Of course, what matters more is the promise of five Android version updates, together with security updates to August 2029—that’s a pretty robust assurance for keeping the device up to date and safe through the years.

Price & Conclusion: A Strong Contender in the Mid-Range

The Motorola Edge 50 Neo is available for £399 in the UK, making it a competitive option in the mid-range smartphone market. With its striking design, solid performance, and impressive battery life, it offers excellent value for money. While it does have some glitches, particularly in the camera and touch responsiveness, these can likely be addressed in future software updates.

In comparison to rivals such as the Google Pixel 8a or OnePlus Nord 4, for example, the Edge 50 Neo becomes a decent option for anyone seeking compactness and remarkable features along with a considerably lower cost.

Worth buying-when it comes to that delicate balance between design and performance, along with reasonable price-the Motorola Edge 50 Neo hits the spot. Also, with some of these hiccups being things future software updates should help tidy up, this gives an advantage to take on any serious competition in its echelons.

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