Verdict
The Motorola edge+ is a premium smartphone that works on every consumer 5G network in Canada. It fits comfortably in your hand and isn't loaded down with a lot of preinstalled apps. There is a lot of strong competition from other flagship phones, but the Motorola edge+ is the most refined and sophisticated package of any top-tier device we’ve tested. It’s available to buy outright or on two-year plans from Bell, Rogers, Telus, Freedom Mobile and Koodo with 5G coverage available from Rogers, Bell and Telus.What we love
- Slim profile fits in your hand
- 108 MP camera and 6K videos
- Clean Android interface
- Long-lasting battery
What we don't like
- Camera lens array sticks out
- Illuminated sides can distract others
- QuadHD and 120 Hz would be better
- High price tag
95/100
Is the Motorola edge+ a Good Phone?
What are the Motorola edge+ Specs?
- Performance: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, 12GB DDR5 RAM, Android 10, 256GB UFS 3.0 storage (not expandable)
- Cameras: 108 MP rear camera, 8 MP telephoto, 16 MP ultra-wide angle, 25 MP selfie camera
- Display: 6.7” FHD+ (2340 x 1080 pixels) HDR10+ OLED Endless Edge display, 90 Hz refresh, Gorilla Glass 5
- Battery: 5000 mAh, 18W TurboPower, 15W Wireless Charging, 5W wireless power sharing
- Connectivity: USB 3.1 Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, 5G, 4G LTE, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC
- Features: In-screen fingerprint reader, Powerful stereo audio speakers, Edge interface with Motorola gestures, slim and light design
Motorola edge+ Performance
The Motorola edge+ has every almost premium hardware spec you would expect in a top-tier smartphone. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 is the fastest Android CPU available on the market. There’s 12GB of DDR5 RAM for even the most demanding multimedia apps, and 256GB of speedy UFS 3.0 storage which is twice the space found in a Samsung Galaxy S20 5G for at same price.
Motorola edge+ Cameras
The primary camera on the Motorola edge+ uses a massive 108 megapixel (MP) chip. The lens is also quite large when compared to other premium smartphones, so it can pull in and process a lot of light. The camera software uses pixel binning to intelligently process the image and create rich, colourful 27 MP photos. The main camera can shoot video at up to 6K.
The ultra-wide lens on the edge+ is great for getting everything in frame. It captures 16 MP and doubles as a macro lens for high-resolution extreme closeup photography. There’s also a telephoto lens for getting long distance shots, but at 8 MP it feels wildly underpowered. The front-facing camera supports 25 MP photos but can also use pixel binning like the main camera to take beautiful selfies.
The camera app interface has a lot of modes and effects that are quickly accessible. The wide array of icons looks messy at first, but just about every photo feature is available within two taps. The one major flaw with the camera software is an occasional shutter delay. It’s possible to miss the picture you wanted as it can take up to a half-second after tapping the button for the photo to be taken. This can be common on new devices, so hopefully Motorola will fix this with a software update.
Motorola edge+ Display
On paper, the Motorola edge+ screen is unremarkable when compared to other premium smartphones. There is a Full HD+ OLED display, HDR10+ colour reproduction and a 90 Hz refresh rate. These specs place the Motorola edge+ above most smartphones, but it falls a bit short of the Galaxy S20’s QuadHD 120 Hz display.
The screen is 6.7” with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, but it surprised me how slim it feels in the hand. This has a lot to do with Endless Edge. The Motorola edge+ glass display curves almost 90° down on the left and right sides offering unique benefits. Because the sides of the device are touch-sensitive, gestures and onscreen buttons grant you more intuitive control over your phone.
The Motorola edge+ fits comfortably in your hand, far more than any other premium smartphone we’ve tested. In addition to the curved edges, the 6.7” screen wraps around the sides, so the Motorola edge+ is barely wider than my old Pixel 3 with a 5.5” display. Side illumination offers unique features like showing you how much charge is left, but others in the room may find it distracting under normal use when your screen projects light nearly 180°.
Motorola edge+ Battery Life
The edge+ features a large 5000 mAh battery, yet the phone is light and fits comfortably in one hand. Motorola's TurboPower charges the edge+ quickly using a power cable or convenient wireless charging. Other premium smartphones support faster charging (up to 30W), but the edge+ can last two days without a charge thanks to the extra-large battery. The edge+ also charges wireless earbuds or another smartphone using 5W reverse charging.
Motorola edge+ Connectivity
The Motorola edge+ has the best and fastest connections including Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, USB 3.1 and even a headphone jack. This is also one of Canada's first 5G cell phones and works on Rogers 5G, Bell 5G and Telus 5G. Our download tests hit peak speeds well over 600 Mbps while using 5G. By comparison, our download tests on 4G LTE networks normally reach 200-300 Mbps. We also burned through 10GB of data while testing, so make sure your 5G cell phone plan includes unlimited data because you'll love showing off that extra speed.
Motorola edge+ Additional Features
Motorola has made booming sound a key feature on the edge+. It pumps out sophisticated sound without the need of a Bluetooth speaker while maintaining impressive audio fidelity thanks to a collaboration with Waves.
You’ll find the edge+'s user interface on the just as clean as the audio. Motorola's refinement of the Android OS is subtle yet effective. My UX packages up Moto Actions, Moto Display and Moto Gametime which enable shortcuts and customizations that personalize your Motorola edge+. The in-screen fingerprint reader is fast, and the accuracy is reliable enough that a second attempt to unlock the screen is rare. Besides the Endless Edge display, clean audio and a quick fingerprint unlock, the edge+ doesn't have many exceptional features that separate it from the competition.
Motorola edge+ In Conclusion
On paper, the Motorola edge+ looks a lot like its competition. It features much of the same hardware, software and camera capabilities as the Samsung Galaxy S20, LG V60 5G and OnePlus 8. Where it differs is in the package: the curved glass on both sides of the Motorola edge+ just lets it sit more comfortably in the hand than its competition. The 5,000 mAh battery matches the OnePlus 8 Pro and LG V60 5G, but those are both two-handed smartphones that don’t easily fit in your pocket like the Motorola edge+ will. The edge+'s steep price is about the same as a base model Samsung Galaxy S20, but Motorola's device offers twice as much onboard storage and less bloatware.
The edge+'s extra-powerful 108 megapixel camera is also extra thick. The camera lens array sticks out of the otherwise sleek, glossy back. The edge+ needs a protective case just so that you won’t risk scratching the lens every time you put it down. Besides that one bump, the Motorola edge+ feels like the best designed and most sophisticated version of this generation’s premium smartphones.
Motorola edge+ Camera Samples
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WARNING: Full resolution photos are up to 10MB each
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