Motorola is back at it again. This time the Lenovo-owned brand is reaching for the stars, or in other words, the flagship category. The new Motorola Edge Plus (2022) packs premium specs at a pretty affordable price, especially compared to the competition from Samsung, OnePlus, and Apple.
The phone seems to even challenge the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, as a new Motorola Smart Stylus is set to arrive in the coming months at an affordable price. An official case that can house the stylus is also going to be sold.
In Europe, the phone will be called the Edge 30 Pro. It closely resembles the Edge 20 Pro from last year in terms of design, so to call it its successor is logical. The new Motorola Edge phone comes with Snapdragon’s latest 8 Gen 1 chip, a brand new triple-camera system, and blazing fast charging.
A limited-time offer at launch will slice the phone’s price from $999.99 to $899.99 in the US. The European version costs €799.99. Both come with a fast charger in the box. Let’s check out Motorola’s latest high-end phone.
Design
As mentioned above, the new Motorola Edge Plus (2022) closely resembles its predecessor, the Edge 20 Pro. The phone measures 163 x 75.9 x 8.79mm and weighs 196g. This phone isn’t the largest one out there, but it also isn’t very small, which means its size is pretty average for its class.The Motorola Edge Plus (2022) has a boxy-looking design with sharper corners than before. The screen-to-body ratio is pretty high at 88.5%, meaning its bezels are pretty slim. A punch-hole selfie camera sits in the middle.
Motorola’s new flagship’s power button also doubles as a fingerprint scanner. Most phones in this class have in-display fingerprint scanners, but Motorola opting for a more conservative built-in side-scanner could be due to cost savings. This lowers the price of the scanner itself and lets the company invest the savings elsewhere. The left side of the phone is completely clear of buttons and sensors.
The back of the Edge Plus (2022) rocks a new camera module with a round design. The module looks to protrude only slightly from the body. It houses a triple-camera system.
The Motorola logo sits in the middle of the back below the camera module. It looks like it concaves in the body of the phone, but that’s actually an optical illusion, and Motorola confirmed for us the logo is simply printed, just like on the Edge 20 Pro.
This phone will come in two color options: Stardust White and Cosmos Blue. The first one is very similar-looking to the Edge 20 Pro’s Iridescent White color variant. The Edge Plus (2022) has an IP52 water-resistance rating. This means the device should withstand the occasional drops of water, but it should not be submerged.
The Edge Plus (2022) has dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos sound. The European version will also have a hybrid SIM card slot that can house two Nano SIMs at the same time. Unfortunately, the version for North America is stuck with a single-SIM card slot.
Display and camera
One of the key flagship smartphone components nowadays is the display. The new Motorola Edge Plus (2022) does not disappoint in that department. The phone rocks a 6.7-inch pOLED display with an FHD+ resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. The refresh rate of the phone adjusts automatically, switching between 60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz. You can also set the desired refresh rate manually in the settings.
Camera-wise, the Motorola Edge Plus (2022) rocks a triple-camera system with two new sensors. The main shooter is a 50MP f/1.8 sensor with OIS and Quad Pixel technology. Quad Pixel combines four pixels into one larger one for better low light performance and dynamic range.
This camera also comes with Motorola’s new Instant All-Pixel focus technology. As its name suggests, this will help the phone focus faster and on more objects in both vertical and landscape modes. This should further add more detail to the result.
The second camera of the Edge Plus (2022) is a 50MP ultra-wide one with an f/2.2 aperture. It also has Quad Pixel technology. The shooter comes with Macro Vision too, which means macro photography should be no problem for the new Motorola Edge device. The third camera is a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor that should help with portrait photography.
As far as video capturing is concerned, the Motorola Edge Plus (2022) can shoot in 8K 24fps with its main camera. It can also record a FullHD 960fps slow-mo video. Recording with the ultra-wide camera maxes out at 4K 60fps. The phone has a total of three microphones.
The front punch-hole selfie camera is a 60MP f/2.2 shooter that features Quad Pixel technology too.
Performance, storage, and software
The Edge Plus (2022) is powered by Snapdragon’s latest and greatest, the 8 Gen 1 chip. The US model will come with 8/12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128/256/512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. All of this should make for one of the best-performing smartphones out there. The European model will come in only one storage version with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
As for the software, the Motorola Edge Plus (2022) runs Android 12 out of the box with the company’s latest My UX user interface on top. Motorola has promised two years of OS updates and three years of security updates.
My UX includes Motorola’s Ready For platform. This platform lets you connect the Edge Plus (2022) to a TV or a PC. It can turn your TV into a computer, using the phone’s screen for a keyboard and a mouse. Installing Ready For on your Windows desktop computer lets you easily interact with your phone’s files, transfer files from your computer, and run your Android apps from the PC.
Motorola’s Ready For platform in action
Motorola Smart Stylus
The most surprising feature of the new Motorola Edge phone is its stylus support. A new stylus designed for the phone will arrive in the coming months at an affordable price. It is the company’s first smart stylus with an adaptable folio. The stylus has pinpoint precision and will charge wirelessly from the back of the phone. An official case with a dedicated spot for the accessory will be available.
The Motorola Smart Stylus in the case
Battery and charging
Previous Motorola Edge phones weren’t famous for their charging. This time Motorola has fixed that. The new Edge Plus (2022) supports 68W fast wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging. You even get the charger in the box, although we should note that the US model will only get a 30W fast charger, while the European Edge 30 Pro will come with the faster 68W charging brick.
Battery-wise, the phone packs a 4,800mAh battery. This battery should last the phone for up to two days on a single charge. Stay tuned for our full review of the Edge Plus (2022) where you will be presented with our battery tests of the device.
The Edge Plus (2022)’s battery and charging specs are promising
Availability and package
The Motorola Edge Plus (2022) will be available in North America at Best Buy, Amazon, and Motorola’s online store. It will also come to Verizon, Boost Mobile, and Republic Wireless in the coming months. At launch, the unlocked version of the phone will be $100 off, making for an $899.99 price tag. The Edge Plus (2022) will come with a 30W fast charger and a USB-C charging cable.
Motorola’s Edge 30 Pro European version is available starting today for €799.99. The European model will come with a 68W fast charger, a USB-C charging cable, and a headset and case for select markets.
