A slim all-rounder with a really fast screen
Cable for Motorola Edge 30 smartphone
Times are tough for mid-range phone makers. Not only do they have to contend with affordable offerings from Apple and Google, but now there are transparent phone startups to think about. Motorola hit the ground running earlier this year with the Motorola Edge 30, an ultra-slim display-first endeavor that promises a capable set of cameras.
Launched in the UK for £380, it arrived just in time to take on the Nothing Phone 1 and Google Pixel 6a. It wasn't a fair fight, so Moto has now knocked £100 off the asking price, targeting the more wallet-friendly end of the market.
Did it make it less traffic? With a simple Android concept, a 144Hz OLED screen and a body so thin it would fit into a size zero dress, there's a lot to like.
Design & build of Motorola Edge 30
According to its manufacturer, the Motorola Edge 30 is about as thin as 5G phones get - and at 6.79mm, we're not willing to disagree. Okay, so the rear cameras bulge out a bit, but that won't stop you from tucking them into the tightest of pants pockets. It's also something of a featherweight, weighing just 155g.
This is partly due to the plastic build, which has a matte finish on the back that isn't that great at hiding fingerprints. If you don't mind a bit more bulk, the clear case that Moto includes in the box should keep your phone clean without having to polish it every five minutes.
It looks more premium than it appears, with minimal branding and thin screen bezels. Still, the slightly rounded frame fits comfortably in the hand, with reasonably placed power and volume keys. The under-display fingerprint sensor sits fairly low, but still easy to reach, and can detect your digits as quickly as anything at this price.
Moto also tried to secure an official IP rating for water resistance. It's not built to survive a full submersion, and rivals are better protected, but IP52 means you shouldn't panic if you get caught in a light rain shower.
Screen & sound of Motorola Edge 30
In 2022, it's all too easy to be blissful about 120Hz screens, even at the more affordable end of the smartphone spectrum. But 144Hz? These are usually reserved for hardcore phones aimed at gamers. Not so the Edge 30, which goes to warp speed simply because it's easier on the eyes.
Even side-by-side with a 120Hz phone, you'll struggle to find those extra frames, but there's no denying how smooth everything looks. From browsing social media to blasting enemies in games, the Edge 30 is amazingly smooth. Auto mode can switch between 60Hz and 144Hz on the fly depending on what apps you're using, but it's worth the small battery drain to keep it on all the time.
The 6.5-inch 2400×1080 screen is equally large and sharp, with thin bezels on all four sides and a central selfie camera that doesn't get too intrusive when watching videos or playing games. It's an AMOLED panel, which means great contrast and perfect black levels that make Netflix show real visual punch. Colors are vibrant and just a bit exaggerated out of the box, but there's a temperature slider and a more muted Natural setting if you want to tone things down.
It plays nicely with HDR10 video, with reasonably bright highlights contrasting nicely with deep shadows. Brightness in general is decent enough for a budget phone – high enough to see in direct sunlight without squinting too much, but a step behind the current crop of mid-rangers.
The stereo speakers (one pointing down, the other converting earpiece use) don't quite work at the same level as the screen. They're decently loud and clear enough for speech or songs without too many layered instruments, but more complex arrangements tend to get lost. Turning up the volume also reveals harsh high frequencies. There are a few Dolby Atmos settings to tweak, but we found it best to turn things down a bit or grab a pair of Bluetooth 'buds - there's no 3.5mm headphone port.
Give it enough light and the main sensor can take great photos with lots of detail and well-graded colors. The Ultrawide produces slightly softer results, despite the corresponding pixel count, but both are consistent in their handling of exposure and color – not always a given at this price.
Contrast can be a bit strong in some places and dynamic range could be better as HDR doesn't always balance bright skies with shadow areas. For the most part, however, exposure is handled well, and images look more true-to-life than some overly vivid rivals.
Things don't hold up so well in low light, where detail falls through both lenses when the noise reduction algorithm kicks in. A dedicated night mode boosts brightness, but photos remain soft and grainy – and only works with the main camera. The Pixel 6a, iPhone SE and Samsung Galaxy A53 remain our top picks for affordable night cameras.
Cameras: Two out of three
As for the 2-megapixel macro lens, it's available for several occasions when you want to take extreme shots. Just don't expect a lot of detail. It's a token inclusion at best.
The front-facing 32MP camera takes selfies, but it's often softer than competing phones with simpler sensors that don't use resampling. For the best results, you need a steady hand and you need to avoid bright backlighting to prevent bursts, which the auto HDR mode can't prevent.
