Motorola is at the moment asserting its newest smartphone for the US market. And whereas I want it have been the modern new 2022 Razr — at present solely accessible in China — we’re as an alternative taking a look at one other entry within the firm’s Edge lineup. The Edge telephones are designed to supply a number of flagship-tier options at an accessible worth level. (Motorola’s Edge Plus, in the meantime, instantly competes within the premium, dearer bracket.)

With the 2022 version of the Edge, Motorola is concentrating on acquainted strengths: a 144Hz OLED show, prolonged battery life, complete 5G assist, and digicam upgrades.

Priced at $499 for a restricted time — Motorola received’t say how lengthy — earlier than an eventual soar to $599, the corporate describes this cellphone as considered one of its thinnest and most compact Edge gadgets but. It has a 6.6-inch FHD Plus OLED display with a most refresh charge of 144Hz. That show can increase as much as a peak brightness of 1,300 nits in its “high brightness” mode, and it helps HDR10 Plus.

Motorola has converted to a MediaTek chip for the 2022 Edge. Specifically, it’s the MediaTek Dimensity 1050 SoC, which works with each Sub 6 and millimeter wave 5G — together with C-band spectrum. The Edge additionally has Wi-Fi 6E on board.

The cellphone will are available in two configurations: the bottom mannequin has 128GB of storage and 6GB RAM, with a step-up model providing 256GB and 8GB, respectively. All variations include 100GB of Google One cloud storage for 12 months. The cellphone has a large 5,000mAh battery with each 15-watt wired charging and the power to offer 5 watts of juice to different devices through wi-fi energy share. It’s rated simply IP52 for water and dirt resistance, nonetheless, in order that’s one division the place Motorola determined to chop prices.

As for the digicam, the Edge’s fundamental sensor is a pixel-binned 50-megapixel digicam (that produces 12MP information) with optical picture stabilization and Motorola’s “all-instant” section detection autofocus. There’s a 13MP ultrawide (that doubles as a macro digicam) and a depth sensor; the latter at all times looks as if wasted area to me, however it’s what it’s. Motorola believes its digicam software program options — auto night time imaginative and prescient, twin seize mode, tremendous slo-mo, and extra — may also help spark the creativity of Edge house owners. The front-facing selfie digicam makes use of a 32-megapixel sensor.

The new Edge will ship operating Android 12 with the sunshine contact of Motorola’s My UX software program tweaks. It’s nonetheless principally inventory, however the firm continues to push its Samsung DeX-like Ready For Wireless and Ready For PC capabilities. You can get a PC-like expertise through the use of the Edge with a bigger show or mirror the Edge’s apps by yourself pc whereas sustaining uninterrupted use of the cellphone. Motorola is promising three years of Android OS updates for the 2022 Edge, plus 4 years of bi-monthly safety patches.

The newest Edge will arrive first on T-Mobile “in the coming weeks” earlier than availability expands to Verizon, AT&T, Spectrum Mobile, US Cellular, and Visible. An unlocked mannequin can be bought by Amazon and Best Buy. It is available in simply the one “mineral gray” shade, which has a blueish hue in some lighting, and the corporate is transport it in plastic-free packaging.

Motorola appears fairly snug with its third-place place in US smartphone market share. To me (and perhaps you), the corporate’s fashionable telephones are all beginning to look fairly comparable and are a far cry from the colourful Moto Xs and Moto Gs of yesteryear, however they appear to be promoting pretty effectively for the corporate, because of their clean shows, competent cameras, and good-enough efficiency for the value.

For us gadget nerds, Motorola says it’s nonetheless totally dedicated to the foldables class — even when the corporate isn’t prepared to substantiate whether or not or not the most recent Razr is US-bound.

Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge