What you need to know
- Alongside the flagship Motorola Edge+, Motorola has also announced the regular Edge.
- The Motorola Edge is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765 chipset.
- It's launching this summer, but pricing is currently unknown.
The Motorola Edge+ is an exciting gadget. It's the first flagship Android phone Motorola's released in years, and it aims to wow shoppers with a 90Hz curved display, impressive cameras, and the fastest 5G speeds currently available on a smartphone. However, it's not the only new phone Motorola has to show off.
Alongside the flagship Edge+, Motorola also unveiled the regular Motorola Edge. It's more impressive than your typical Moto G phone but not as high-end as the Edge+, making it a "budget flagship" similar to something like the OnePlus 8 or Galaxy S10 Lite.
This is the exact same display you'll find on the Motorola Edge+.
One of the biggest draws to the Edge+ is its display, and surprisingly, that remains unchanged on the Motorola Edge. That means you get a 6.7-inch OLED display with a Full HD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. The curved edges also remain, giving the phone a distinct look and extra functionality thanks to some software tweaks Motorola's made (such as being able to tap on the edge to reveal a shortcut for your favorite apps).
The rest of the specs across the board are a step down from the Edge+, but not so much so that it makes the Edge unappealing. There's a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 processor, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage (expandable up to 1TB), and a 4,500 mAh battery with 18W TurboPower wired charging. You also get Bluetooth 5.1, NFC for Google Pay, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Wireless charging, unfortunately, didn't make the cut.
Taking a look at the camera setup, the Motorola Edge is equipped with a 64MP primary camera, 16MP ultra-wide & Macro Vision camera, 8MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom, and a time-of-flight sensor. When it comes time to take your selfies, there's a 25MP front-facing camera.
The Motorola Edge also connects to 5G just like its Edge+ sibling, but with a catch. Where the Edge+ offers sub-6 and mmWave connectivity, the regular Edge is limited to sub-6 networks. Sub-6 5G isn't as impressively fast as mmWave has the potential to be, but it's also much more widespread and easier to access.
When you add all of that together, the Motorola Edge ends up being a really well-rounded package. Unfortunately, there are still two key tidbits of information that remain unknown — price and availability.
Whether or not the Edge is a good purchase will come down to its price.
Motorola has said that the Edge is launching this summer, but we don't know if it'll be sold unlocked or made exclusive to one carrier as the Edge+ is to Verizon. Furthermore, this is a phone that will either live or die by its price.
If the Motorola Edge hits the scene for about $500 or $600, it has the potential to offer one of the better flagship Android experiences without paying a flagship price. However, if Motorola goes any higher than that, it'll become a much harder sell.
The higher-end Edge+ is the phone we expect Motorola to really market and push on shoppers, but if you don't need mmWave 5G or a 108MP rear camera, the regular Motorola Edge is looking like the potentially more interesting buy — assuming Motorola gets the price right.
Motorola Edge+ hands-on preview: Ready to take on Samsung and Apple
