Motorola Edge 50 Neo review: This is the One

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Out of all the Edge 50 family of products, the Edge 50 Neo is the one that stands out the most. That’s because, as the cheapest model, it offers some clear differences from the other models.

It lacks the sleek, curved edges of the screen, for example, resembling a more traditional flat oblong of black glass.

It’s smaller than all the other models, with a 6.4-inch pOLED display and a smaller 4,310 mAh battery.

But in a group of devices that really struggle to differentiate themselves from each other, the Neo’s budget approach make it the one to watch out for.

What is the Motorola Edge 50 Neo offering?

At $699, the Edge 50 Neo isn’t the cheapest model in the lineup. The Edge 50 Fusion is $100 cheaper at $599.

But the Neo is built differently. It’s a more compact smartphone, with a 6.4-inch pOLED display, which is notably smaller than the 6.7-inch on the other models. It also lacks the curved edges found on the other models.

The result is a smartphone that is more comfortable to hold on to. I know bigger smartphones have become the norm these days, but there’s still something to be said for a phone that feels comfortable to hold in one hand.

Despite its smaller size, the screen is still stunning. It boasts a Super HD 2670 × 1220 resolution with a 20:9 aspect ratio, and an epic peak brightness of 3,000 nits. It supports HDR10+ and can display over a billion different colour shades.

And it looks fantastic in all lighting, including direct sunlight.

The back of the phone features Motorola’s custom vegan leather finish in one of three Pantone colours: Poinciana, Grisaille or Lattè. I tested the Lattè version, which is a light, creamy, caramel brown, and looks fairly distinguished.

The top-left corner of the phone’s rear houses the Neo’s triple camera array. I just want to shout out that getting a triple camera system in a phone under $700 is a victory for this phone, as it’s not a feature commonly available at this price.

The camera array itself is the same found in the Edge 50, with a 50MP main sensor powered by a Sony Lytia sensor and partnered with a 10MP telephoto lens and a 13MP ultra-wide.

The smaller body of the Edge 50 Neo means you get a smaller battery, measuring it at 4,310 mAh. However, the phone comes with a 68W fast charger in the box, plus 15W fast charging support, if you’re happy to buy the required Motorola fast wireless charger.

It doesn’t support the Qi2 standard, but even having wireless charging at this price seems like good value.

Powering the phone is a MediaTek 7300 processor, 12 GB RAM and 256 GB of storage. The phone’s also rated at IP68 for water and dust resistance.

What does the Motorola Edge 50 Neo do well?

The truth is that the Motorola Edge 50 Neo is an impressively capable phone.

The screen is a highlight. It is bright, bold, and colourful, with impressive image quality even in full sunlight. The 120Hz refresh rate makes it smooth when scrolling as well.

Then there’s the fast charging. The battery capacity may be a little smaller than the larger Edge 50 smartphones, but I can’t say I really noticed it in day to day usage. By bundling a 68W fast charger in the box, you can fill the battery in about 40 minutes.

I also appreciated that the phone would charge wirelessly. Normally, when I test a mid-range phone for this, there’s no wireless charging on offer. While it’s 15W capable, it doesn’t support Qi2, so there are no magnets inside to ensure a secure, fast charge.

The camera array is the same as the core Edge 50 smartphone, and I was happy enough with that snapper. I did find that the slower processor meant that the camera didn’t feel as quick, but the photos came out nice enough.

What could the Motorola Edge 50 Neo improve?

Motorola’s Edge 50 phone family all feels pretty well-balanced on the performance to price ratio, though I feel that the needle tips slightly in the other direction for the Edge 50 Neo.

The Mediatek 7300 doesn’t benchmark particularly well (or particularly poorly – it’s middle of the road.)

But more importantly here, I found that the phone feels more sluggish. The screen skipped the odd frame while switching photo modes, and even though I spent (too long) playing Diablo Immortal on the phone, it dropped frames and felt a bit slower than on the other Moto Edge 50 phones I tested this year.

I should clarify that the phone is still a capable device. It did most of the things I demanded of it without any dramas, including plenty of social media scrolling. But it was the first of the Edge 50 phones I really noticed any frame drops or stuttering.

Verdict

I actually feel that out of all the Edge 50 smartphones, the Neo is my favourite.

A lot of it has to do with the form factor. It’s a more compact device than the others, and feels better in the hand, at least for me.

But even though it’s smaller, the fact you get a triple camera system, 68W fast charging and a stunning Super HD+ pOLED display make it deeply appealing. Particularly when you consider it has an RRP of just $699.

The processor is a little slow for my tastes, but that undoubtedly helps with the battery life. But I would prefer it if the processor was just a little faster.

But even with its slower processor, this is still a clear inclusion for our roundup of the best Motorola phones in Australia.

Buy the Moto Edge 50 Neo online

Motorola Moto Edge 50 Neo

The Motorola Edge 50 Neo is the most unique of all the Edge 50 phones, and it's all the better for it.

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