The Motorola Edge 20 Pro has all of the flagship features, and they all work together to provide a fantastic user experience; it's a fantastic smartphone to consider for around 400 dollars.
Motorola has come a long way under Lenovo, from the affordable Moto E series phones to the Moto Razr. And with the Edge 20 Pro, it begins a new chapter in its premium smartphone assault, one in which it succeeds on the first try! The Motorola Edge 20 Pro is without a doubt the greatest Android smartphone I've tested under 40,000 dollars this year. It forces Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Realme to reconsider their designs.
The Edge 20 Pro starts at $369 and for that money, you get the Snapdragon 870 chip's hefty performance as well as several eye-catching features. And after some time with it, it appears that Motorola's designers and engineers have allowed their imaginations run wild on this one, especially after the seemingly endless stream of conservative Moto G variants.
Design Motorola Edge 20 Pro
Motorola has added a nice paint job and exquisite touches to make it more interesting. The Edge 20 Pro in Midnight Sky (blue) is one of the most gorgeous smartphones available at this price point today.
A matte glass rear adds to the premium feel, while the metal frame ensures a solid build quality; a welcome contrast from the plastic-glass combo found on other phones at this price point. The attention to detail around the cameras only adds to the allure.
The front, unlike the Edge Plus from last year, is devoid of curved edges in favor of a flat display. The 19.5:9 aspect ratio causes Motorola to push the volume and power keys higher, making it difficult for users with short hands to lock the phone or control the level.
This is obvious because the power key also houses the fingerprint sensor, which is quick to respond. The buttons themselves lack reassuring feedback, and I'm not sure how long they'll last.
There's also no headphone jack and only one speakers. There is no pre-installed screen protector, but you do get a plastic case and a charger set in the box.
Display Motorola Edge 20 Pro
In 2021, Motorola has nailed smartphone screens across the board, and the Edge 20 Pro represents the zenith of what it can do in high-end phones this year. Yes, it's a 6.7-inch OLED display with FHD+ resolution, but it's also a 10-bit OLED panel. The Edge 20 Pro's display looks amazing right out of the box, thanks to Motorola's vivid color tones.
This display makes everything look dynamic, from the standard Android interface to gaming, social media, and whatever else. If colorful displays aren't your thing, you may dial it back to more realistic tones.
The brightness levels are adequate in daylight, and the 144Hz refresh rate allows for a very smooth scrolling experience. The Edge 20 Pro is the only smartphone in this price range that can gratify the eyes as well as the Edge 20. Motorola, you have my admiration.
Performance Motorola Edge 20 Pro
According to Motorola, the Snapdragon 870 is the processor of choice for its flagship because it strikes a balance between thermals and efficiency. It also helps the firm keep costs down, and based on the many SD 870 phones I've examined this year, this chip is more than capable of handling most flagship tasks.
The Edge 20 Pro feels incredibly fluid on a daily basis thanks to Motorola's MyUX interface, which is simply a spruced-up version of vanilla Android 11 plus unique Motorola pieces. Throughout my usage, I was able to run most common Android apps without any stutters or lags. A nice experience is provided by the simple design, which includes no preinstalled third-party programs other than Facebook and Google apps.
Some of the Moto unique features are quite useful, and there are some elegant personalization choices packed in. My favorite features are the Peek Display and Moto Gestures. The "Ready For" feature, which allowed me to simply mirror my phone on my PC and bring up a desktop version of Android on a smart TV, piqued my interest. The option to run your OTT apps in large-screen mode is also a significant plus, especially with Netflix and Prime Video. However, you'll need Miracast to see the "Ready For" interface on your TV or monitor.
Those that play a lot of games will be pleased with the performance on offer. I had no trouble playing Call of Duty: Mobile on the highest settings, and the same was true with F1 Mobile Racing. The Snapdragon 870 does not bake the hands and the 576Hz touch sample rate helps to a greater extent. The COD's battery usage has been optimized as well, with an average of 3-4 percent in brief 15-20 minute periods.
The audio from the single loudspeaker isn't good enough for watching videos, but the in-built audio tuning system for wireless earbuds is useful for individuals who want a more personalized sound. The call audio quality was excellent, and holding lengthier discussions was easy with "CrystalTalkAI" activated.
So far, network connectivity has been excellent, with the phone readily hosting a call in my subterranean parking garage. There's also compatibility for 5G with several bands, which could be useful for long-term residents in the future.
Cameras Motorola Edge 20 Pro
With a camera configuration inspired by the high-end Samsung S21 Ultra, the Edge 20 Pro takes a risk. It retains the original Edge 20's 108MP primary camera and 16MP ultra-wide camera, but adds an 8MP telephoto camera with 5X optical zoom, which is a rare in this "flagship-killer" area.
In daytime, photos taken with the main camera appear great, with Motorola's well-tuned HDR setting emphasizing the shadows and suppressing the grains beautifully. The colors are more intense than normal, as is the contrast, with a slightly warm tone at times. This color treatment will appeal to the majority of consumers. The 108MP sensor captures a lot of detail, especially in low light and gloomy circumstances; but, to get the most out of it, I had to employ the Night Vision option.
The ultrawide camera uses a new color science that seems slightly muted, and it struggles to maintain sharpness as light levels decline. It does, however, double as a high-quality macro camera, and with enough lighting, you can get some great shots. The zoom capability of the telephoto camera, on the other hand, pleased me more, even if the colors were warmer. There is no discernible loss of sharpness until 5X magnification, and the existence of OIS helps to a greater extent. Up to 10X magnification, satisfactory images are attainable. The zoomed photographs appear soft in poor light.
For a phone in this price range, video quality is adequate. The main camera provides the best image quality, up to 4K at 60 frames per second, with more natural color tones and reasonable steadiness. As long as there is enough light, the telescopic camera can also record video, and you may utilize the audio zoom option to increase the voice from the subject.
Finally, the selfie camera performed admirably in most lighting conditions, capturing sharper face details in warmer tones. The portrait mode does an excellent job of separating subjects and blurring the backdrop in a stylish manner.
Overall, the Edge 20 Pro offers good cameras for a phone in this price range.
Battery for Motorola Edge 20 Pro
The combination of a 144Hz display and a Snapdragon 870 CPU aroused concerns regarding battery life, particularly given the 4500mAh capacity battery. On the bright side, the Motorola Edge 20 Pro has easily lasted me a complete day with 25-30% battery life left over on even the busiest of days.
I had to plug the charger after a day and a half of casual use, which included making calls, reading social media for 2 hours on average, performing light photography, and streaming music.
I'm also delighted to see Motorola switching to a 30W PD charger that charges from dead in approximately an hour. In the present WFH condition, the charger itself can charge laptops, which is a plus.
Verdict
I'm not going to mince words: the Motorola Edge 20 Pro has me impressed. It's quick, has some excellent cameras to play with, a well-organized Android experience, and a stunning display — all wrapped up in a lovely package. There are a few niggles (such as the weird button placements), but the phone as a whole is good enough to make them go away.
Above all, it comes at a fair price of $369. This is the most polished smartphone we've seen this year in this market, compared to other Snapdragon 870 and Dimensity 1200 equipped phones like the Xiaomi Mi 11X, iQOO 7, Oppo Reno 6 Pro, and Vivo X60.
Interested consumers may be torn between the iQOO 7 Legend and this Motorola due to the Snapdragon 888 processor. While the iQOO 7 Legend has a significant advantage in terms of raw power, the Motorola Edge 20 Pro is the better balanced option; we prefer the latter's overall user experience.
To summarize, if you're looking for the most polished flagship experience for around 400 dollars, the Motorola Edge 20 Pro is our top pick.
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