TechPhonesMotorola Edge 50 Neo review: compact mid-range brillianceEverything has been thrown into the Motorola Edge 50 Neo – with great resultsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)T3 VerdictThe Motorola Edge 50 Neo stands out as something special. Motorola has poured a lot into this slightly more compact mid-range device, making it surprisingly premium, with a quality build and finish. The display is great and fully-specced, while there’s a little more camera here than you’d normally find in this position. It’s pocketable, it looks great and it delivers a solid mid-range yet luxury experience.Reasons to buy+Premium build for the price+Great value for money+Excellent displayReasons to avoid-Camera app can be slow-Speakers lack bassWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
TechPhonesMotorola Edge 50 Neo review: compact mid-range brillianceEverything has been thrown into the Motorola Edge 50 Neo – with great resultsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)T3 VerdictThe Motorola Edge 50 Neo stands out as something special. Motorola has poured a lot into this slightly more compact mid-range device, making it surprisingly premium, with a quality build and finish. The display is great and fully-specced, while there’s a little more camera here than you’d normally find in this position. It’s pocketable, it looks great and it delivers a solid mid-range yet luxury experience.Reasons to buy+Premium build for the price+Great value for money+Excellent displayReasons to avoid-Camera app can be slow-Speakers lack bassWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Everything has been thrown into the Motorola Edge 50 Neo – with great results
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)T3 VerdictThe Motorola Edge 50 Neo stands out as something special. Motorola has poured a lot into this slightly more compact mid-range device, making it surprisingly premium, with a quality build and finish. The display is great and fully-specced, while there’s a little more camera here than you’d normally find in this position. It’s pocketable, it looks great and it delivers a solid mid-range yet luxury experience.Reasons to buy+Premium build for the price+Great value for money+Excellent displayReasons to avoid-Camera app can be slow-Speakers lack bass
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
T3 VerdictThe Motorola Edge 50 Neo stands out as something special. Motorola has poured a lot into this slightly more compact mid-range device, making it surprisingly premium, with a quality build and finish. The display is great and fully-specced, while there’s a little more camera here than you’d normally find in this position. It’s pocketable, it looks great and it delivers a solid mid-range yet luxury experience.Reasons to buy+Premium build for the price+Great value for money+Excellent displayReasons to avoid-Camera app can be slow-Speakers lack bass
T3 VerdictThe Motorola Edge 50 Neo stands out as something special. Motorola has poured a lot into this slightly more compact mid-range device, making it surprisingly premium, with a quality build and finish. The display is great and fully-specced, while there’s a little more camera here than you’d normally find in this position. It’s pocketable, it looks great and it delivers a solid mid-range yet luxury experience.
T3 Verdict
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo stands out as something special. Motorola has poured a lot into this slightly more compact mid-range device, making it surprisingly premium, with a quality build and finish. The display is great and fully-specced, while there’s a little more camera here than you’d normally find in this position. It’s pocketable, it looks great and it delivers a solid mid-range yet luxury experience.
Reasons to buy+Premium build for the price+Great value for money+Excellent displayReasons to avoid-Camera app can be slow-Speakers lack bass
Reasons to buy+Premium build for the price+Great value for money+Excellent display
Premium build for the price
Great value for money
Excellent display
Reasons to avoid-Camera app can be slow-Speakers lack bass
Camera app can be slow
Speakers lack bass
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Motorola has been enjoying something of a boom recently, producing some great phones not only in thefolding Razrline, but in the Edge family too. The company seems to have found its place, not fighting to best its flagship rivals, but to offer a range of attractively priced alternatives.
The challenge, it seems, is differentiating between a burgeoning number of models. TheEdge 50 Ultratops the range, then there’s the Edge 50 Pro, the Edge 50 andEdge 50 Fusion, and finally the Edge 50 Neo on review here. The names don’t really mean much at first glance, but the Edge 50 Neo manages to elbow itself into a mid-range position of being an attractive and affordable – but also a slightly more compact device.
But more importantly, it feels like Motorola is really throwing everything at this compact phone. The Edge 50 Neo is the epitome of luxury at the mid-level – an unexpected shining star for its class.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo: Pricing & availability
Today’s best Motorola Edge 50 Neo dealsNo price informationCheck AmazonWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Motorola Edge 50 Neo dealsNo price informationCheck AmazonWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Motorola Edge 50 Neo deals
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price information
No price information
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo launches at £399.99 / AU$699 / €499 and is available now. There’s no word on US pricing or availability, where Motorola’s family of phones is altogether different.
The Edge 50 Neo is more expensive than itsEdge 40 Neopredecessor, while the Moto Edge 50 Fusion seems to have received a slight discount to create a bigger gap between these models. That seems about right: the Edge 50 Fusion is more closely aligned with the old Edge 40 Neo, with this latest model taking some steps forward into a new space of its own.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo review: What’s new?
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
The Edge 50 Neo replaces the Edge 40 Neo, but also has to navigate its way around the cheaper Edge 50 Fusion. The new Neo is more compact than either of those phones, moving to a 6.4-inch display, with a resolution that’s also higher. It’s a flat rather than curved-edge display, too, with variable refresh rate possible and a punchy peak brightness, so is significantly more capable than the other two models.
As a result of being smaller, the battery also has a lower capacity, but it sits on a powerful mid-range platform, the MediaTek Dimensity 7300, which is technically a little more capable than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 of the Edge 50 Fusion – and a step forward from the Dimensity 7030 of the older Edge 40 Neo.
There’s also a more enhanced camera system, with the addition of a third lens, so you gain a 3x optical zoom on this model. That’s a big part of why this phone is positioned as a fully-featured yet compact offering compared to those older devices mentioned – and that’s what makes it exciting.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo review: design & display
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
Motorola’s phones are enjoying the trickle-down effect, where devices that would have once been plastic are now found with a vegan leather finish. That’s true of some of the entry-level devices from the entry-levelMoto G family, but also of the Edge 50 Neo. The result is surprisingly premium, making this phone feel like something more special than its asking price suggests.
The vegan leather finish also isn’t limited to one colour – and the others available are far from conventional. Instead you have a selection of Pantone hues – Poinciana (pictured in this review), Grisaille (grey), Lattè (tan) and Nautical Blue, which is lovely and vibrant. At only 8.1mm thick, the vegan leather finish provides plenty of grip and it ages well, as when it picks up a scuff it just adds character.
The flat display reaches to the squared edges, with Motorola offering a design that’s not too distant from the likes ofthe Pixel 9orApple iPhone 16around the edges. It’s a great size, with the 6.4-inch display making this phone more compact than many in this price bracket.
What’s interesting about this display is that it’s surprisingly capable given this phone’s affordability. It’s an OLED display, so nicely vibrant when displaying your content, but it also has an impressive 3000 nits peak brightness. That is a real boost for outdoor visibility and especially for high dynamic range (HDR) content with the power to make highlights shine through. It’s also brighter than Motorola’s top phone, the Edge 50 Ultra.
Elsewhere the phone hits good protection levels, with anIP68 rating for dust and water, as well as meeting MIL-STD 810H drop protection. That sees the Edge 50 Neo ticking a lot of boxes for seemingly few compromises. Not many other brands can claim this at this level.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo review: performance & battery
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
The performance is good for a phone at this price, too, able to play the latest games – and while the phone does warm up a little, I had no problem putting in the hours onCall of Duty Mobile. It’s not as capable as a flagship device when gaming, but in day-to-day social media or browsing, you’ll not notice much of a compromise.
There isn’t an especially huge battery in this phone: at 4310mAh it’s perhaps a smaller capacity than you might expect, but one of the saving factors is that it supports 68W fast-charging. This is double the charging rate found in something like theiPhoneor even latestGoogle Pixel 9, meaning you can charge with a quick blast. Unlike the Edge 50 Ultra, there’s no charger in the box though – which is pretty commonplace these days.
The downside of fast-charging is that it ages the battery faster – and with Motorola now offering 5 years of software updates, it might be worth considering how often you choose to charge at those rates. There is an “optimised charging” function that learns how you charge your phone and will then charge to 80% and cease charging, only putting in the final top-up just before you (theoretically) disconnect your phone.
This is common to a number of brands – including theGoogle Pixel’s “adaptive charging”, for example – and is a good way to manage your battery health. The Neo’s battery life is pretty good, though, and I found that I had no problems getting through a day with this device. Those long gaming sessions do tax the battery, but in typical use you’ll get to the end of the day no dramas.
That results in an experience which I think is better than many rivals in this position. Brands likeXiaomi, Honor or Oppo tend to pull the software in a different direction. WhileSamsungoffers a great experience, it’s still fully reworked. Motorola just feels a little cleaner – and the bloat that is added is quickly and easily removed.
While Motorola is stepping up to 5 years of updates with this phone, Motorola’s delivery of speedy updates remains to be seen. While there’s the promise of longer software support, there’s no track record of how quickly that will happen. So that’s something to keep in mind.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo review: cameras
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
Motorola is really talking up the camera on the Edge 50 Neo, with a triple lens system offering a 50-megapixel main camera, a 13MP ultra-wide, and a 10MP optical zoom, which is a 3x telephoto. The front camera is 32MP, if you’re big into high-resolution selfies.
The main camera will give you respectable shots in decent light and also powers a 2x digital/crop zoom. While the daylight performance is great, it’s not so good when it comes to dark conditions and can’t keep pace with the performance that you’ll find inthe best flagship phones.
There is a night mode, however, offering a longer capture and some processing to clean things up – from which you can get some pretty respectable shots. This only really works on the main camera, though, as the performance from the ultra-wide or zoom in low-light isn’t very impressive.
Image1of7(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
Image1of7(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
Image1of7
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
The addition of that 3x optical zoom is something of a bonus on this level of device. That’s great, but I can’t pretend that it has the skill that higher-positioned devices offer. Why? Because it’s slow to capture.
I took a number of photos where the thumbnail was what I expected, but the photo itself was captured a second later and blurry because I was moving and the camera shutter hadn’t fired as I’d expect. There’s also a noticeable delay between pressing the 3x button in the app’s viewfinder and the camera actually switching to that lens. The best advice is to be slow and deliberate but it highlights the limitations of this system.
There’s up to 30x digital zoom, but like most of such systems it doesn’t give very good results. I found the front-facing camera to be pretty good and the portrait mode seems to work well enough at finding subject edges.
The real takeaway here is that you’re getting a slightly more comprehensive camera system than you’d get on many phones at this price. Yes, it has limitations, but it’s still a step beyond expectations all considered. If you’re after the best camera in a mid-range phone then I’d still recommend theGoogle Pixel 8a, despite that not having a dedicated zoom lens.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo review: verdict
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)
The Edge 50 Neo is either a statement of Motorola’s commitment to more compact mid-range phones that are fully-featured, or it’s a quirk. Some of the specifications jump out – such as the high-refresh and ultra-bright display – while the waterproofing and the zoom camera see the addition of features that don’t always appear at this price point.
That makes the Edge 50 Neo something special. It’s a mid-range device that stands out, with very little precedence from previous Neo devices. It offers great value for money and an experience and feature set that most simply can’t at this price. On top of that, the vibrant colours and vegan leather finish just make it look great.
Also consider
There are a lot of phones to consider around this price range, but theSamsung Galaxy A55would be a rival, despite being a little larger and a little more expensive. The generation-oldOnePlusNord 3 also falls into a similar price bracket now.
Alternatively, if you’re craving that clean Google Android software experience with plenty of future support then theGoogle Pixel 8ais now only a little pricier than this Motorola, yet offers a better overall camera.
Today’s best Motorola Edge 50 Neo, Google Pixel 8a, Samsung Galaxy A55 5G and OnePlus Nord 3 dealsGoogle Pixel 8a$579ViewSee all pricesLow StockSamsung Galaxy A55 5G$365.89$289.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Motorola Edge 50 Neo, Google Pixel 8a, Samsung Galaxy A55 5G and OnePlus Nord 3 dealsGoogle Pixel 8a$579ViewSee all pricesLow StockSamsung Galaxy A55 5G$365.89$289.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Motorola Edge 50 Neo, Google Pixel 8a, Samsung Galaxy A55 5G and OnePlus Nord 3 dealsGoogle Pixel 8a$579ViewSee all pricesLow StockSamsung Galaxy A55 5G$365.89$289.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Motorola Edge 50 Neo, Google Pixel 8a, Samsung Galaxy A55 5G and OnePlus Nord 3 deals
Google Pixel 8a$579ViewSee all pricesLow StockSamsung Galaxy A55 5G$365.89$289.99ViewSee all prices
Google Pixel 8a$579ViewSee all prices
Google Pixel 8a$579ViewSee all prices
Google Pixel 8a
Google Pixel 8a
$579View
$579
$579
See all prices
Low StockSamsung Galaxy A55 5G$365.89$289.99ViewSee all prices
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
Samsung Galaxy A55 5G$365.89$289.99ViewSee all prices
Samsung Galaxy A55 5G
Samsung Galaxy A55 5G
$365.89$289.99View
$365.89$289.99
$289.99
See all prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
This case turns your iPhone or Android phone into an e-reader, but there’s a catchActually, there are a couple…
Actually, there are a couple…
Traeger’s new Woodridge pellet barbecues have got me excited for grilling seasonTraeger debuts three new wood pellet grills
Traeger debuts three new wood pellet grills
How to watch the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct and what to expectWe should get a deep dive and more details on the Switch 2 in April
We should get a deep dive and more details on the Switch 2 in April
