In 2024, finding a truly unique phone is harder than ever.
This is especially true for mid-range phones, which all aim to pack in as many features as possible without letting prices reach flagship territory.
That makes sense, but it also means they can sometimes be a little… boring. If you’re looking to make a statement with your mid-range phone choice, you might be disappointed.
However, Motorola came to the rescue.
The new Edge 50 Neo (from £399.99/$499), one of five Edge 50 phones arriving in 2024, has a design that’s sure to turn heads.
When I first took it out of the box, the bright red colorway (officially “Pantone Poinciana”) stopped me in my tracks. After five years of writing about technology, it’s very rare for a phone to do that.
The red finish runs the length of the sides of the phone, giving it a truly unique look. It’s certainly not going to be to everyone’s taste, but personally, I’m a fan of it. I admire Motorola for offering this kind of thing in a world where most phone makers play it safe with colors.
The bright red color stopped me in my tracks.
Judging by the official photos, the gray (“Pantone Grisaille”) and gold (“Pantone Latte”) are a bit more muted, although the blue (“Pantone Nautical Blue”) looks just as eye-catching.
More than a touch of paint
But it’s not just the colors Motorola has chosen that are interesting, but also the materials. The phone’s vegan leather back instantly gives it a premium feel, adding a grip that you just don’t get with phones with plastic or glass backs. And of course, you don’t have to worry about fingerprints.
Along with Corning’s tough Gorilla Glass 3 on the front, the phone is incredibly well-built and durable. It boasts flagship-level IP68 water and dust resistance and meets the MIL-STD-810H military standard for durability.
Despite all that, it weighs just 171g, making it one of the lightest phones I’ve tried in years. That makes a real difference in my pocket, which is usually weighed down by a heavy slab of glass and metal.
The premium experience extends to the 6.4-inch pOLED display, which offers a respectable 1.5K resolution and an LTPO refresh rate of up to 120Hz.
It’s also incredibly bright, with Motorola advertising a peak brightness of 2000 nits. During my brief hands-on with the device, I couldn’t tell much difference compared to flagships.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Under the hood, you’ll find the MediaTek Dimensity 7300, which is a significant step down from MediaTek’s most powerful chipset. However, with 12GB of RAM, performance is smooth and reliable, although I haven’t tested demanding workloads like gaming yet.
Software is another big draw, with Motorola’s thoughtful additions to Android 14. Motorola also offers five years of OS and security updates, making it the cheapest phone on offer.
Sharp or toothless?
Moto AI also makes an appearance, but its primary use is to enhance photos, which brings me to one of my main concerns with the Edge 50 Neo.
On paper, the phone’s three rear cameras, consisting of a 50MP Sony Lytia main, a 13MP ultrawide, and a 10MP 3x telephoto, look promising.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
But as you probably already know, that doesn’t mean the results will be great. A dimly lit arena was a bit of a mixed bag: it was generally good at preserving detail, but sometimes struggled with shadows.
The real test will be in good light and outdoors, where people tend to take most of their photos. Until then, the jury is still out.
The other issue is battery life, with the Edge 50 Neo only packing a 4,310mAh cell. Motorola claims all-day battery life, but that falls short of many competitors, including the OnePlus Nord 4 (5,500mAh) and Samsung Galaxy A55 (5,000mAh).
To get fast charging, you’ll also need to buy the 68W charger separately, though that’s not uncommon these days and is faster than many flagship phones, including the Pixel 9.
The major weaknesses in the cameras and battery life could be deal breakers for many people. Without further testing, I can’t recommend the Edge 50 Neo just yet, but there’s no doubt it’s capable of standing out from the crowd, and I’ll be bringing you a full review soon.
The Edge 50 Neo launched alongside the regular Edge 50 (£599), Moto G35 (£199) and G55 (£249). Full UK pricing and availability have yet to be revealed.
To see what Motorola’s new devices will be up against, check out our roundup of the best budget phones and the best mid-range phones.