Motorola Edge Plus review
In April Motorola announced two new top of the range: the affordable Motorola edge - sold for 699,99 euros - and the super premium Motorola edge plus, which instead costs 1199,99 euros. An important price difference but is it really justified? To find out, we tested the Edge Plus for nearly two weeks.
What are the differences?
The 6,7-inch display, the notch on the left, the curved edges and the extreme ergonomics make the two smartphones very similar. However, the weight changes - with 15 grams more for Motorola Edge Plus - and, above all, the back. While Motorola Edge proposed a polycarbonate shell, that of the older brother is instead in glass. The camera module is also different: Edge Plus provides a double step solution: there is a first rise that integrates all the sensors and then each lens is further raised individually. On the Motorola Edge, on the other hand, there is no first step.
It seems like a start but, once placed on the table, understand the difference: Edge remains firmly on the surface, Edge Plus instead does not.
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Then there is another difference: Motorola Edge Plus boasts a 108 megapixel main sensor against the 64 of the younger brother.
Under the shell they are very different: the processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 it replaces the Snapdragon 765 on the Edge Plus. Motorola's super flagship also has double the RAM - 12 GB - and internal memory, which reaches 256 GB. The battery also grows: 5000 mAh instead of 4500.
Finally we have the software, Android 10 with the My UX interface, identical on both.
Now that you have a clear picture of both smartphones we can jump into the Motorola Edge Plus review.
Discount
Motorola Edge Plus Smartphone, 108MP, 5G, Display Endless...
- 108MP Camera - The main camera sensor ensures unmatched image quality. Capture...
- 5G - Step into the future of connectivity and experience the speed of 5G, coupled with the bandwidth of WiFi 6 and ...
- Endless Edge Display - The 6,7-inch FullHD + 90 degree angle OLED display maximizes the viewing area ...
The same ergonomics, the same display
The displays with curved edges are undoubtedly a winning solution because they allow you to offer better ergonomics without sacrificing display size. Motorola, however, has decided to go even further, with an important curvature that it gives a truly immersive experience, without losing precious space. In fact, a double tap on a small bar located along the edge is enough to insert two black side bands. What are they for? To manage any applications that have functionality right along the edges and therefore could become difficult to use due to the curvature.
Ergonomics and brilliant software solution are not the only features of Motorola Edge Plus, however. The OLED screen supports the standard HDR10 + and has a refresh rate of 90 Hz, so as to guarantee a truly fluid user experience. The maximum brightness is not very high but the color rendering is more than convincing.
In the settings you will find some useful software options. You can choose the color mode - Natural, Enhanced or Intense -, turn on the edge lighting whenever you receive notifications, set the dark theme or lower the refresh rate to 60 Hz.
Autonomy remains a certainty
On the performance front, there is very little to say: the hardware allows Motorola Edge Plus to handle all kinds of activities, gaming included. Connectivity is also excellent: in fact you will have a 5G device in your hands, with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, USB-C, GPS and even the 3,5 mm audio jack.
The fingerprint reader, inserted under the display, is also promoted stereo sound, which relies on the speaker below the ear capsule to ensure a decidedly high volume and a rather clear sound.
Its strong point, however, is the battery: its 5.000 mAh are associated with an optimization that is difficult to find on the other top of the range. This is how Motorola Edge Plus manages to cover two days of intense use without batting an eye and without the need to lower the screen refresh rate to 60Hz.
On the other hand, we have a slightly less rapid recharge than the competition: 18W are good but comparable to other top of the range. However, there are wireless charging, at 15W, and the reverse one, so you can use it to recharge another smartphone if you need it.
Finally, we come to the software, which has always been Motorola's flagship. In fact, the company has preferred a less invasive approach than the competition, with an almost stock version of Android 10 which is enriched and strengthened by the My UX, the proprietary interface. We obviously find what we have already seen on Motorola Edge: there are Moto Actions, Moto Display and above all Moto Gametime, which allows you to create two virtual triggers to be exploited with the inevitable shooters.
We also point out the presence of the section "Styles", which allows you to customize the theme by choosing the font, color, shape of the icons and the size of the grid. Nothing invasive but enough to customize your smartphone a little.
Motorola Edge Plus Smartphone, 108MP, 5G, Display Endless...
- 108MP Camera - The main camera sensor ensures unmatched image quality. Capture...
- 5G - Step into the future of connectivity and experience the speed of 5G, coupled with the bandwidth of WiFi 6 and ...
- Endless Edge Display - The 6,7-inch FullHD + 90 degree angle OLED display maximizes the viewing area ...
Motorola Edge Plus review: a better camera
The premium flagship of the American company comes in fact with the following configuration:
- main from 108MP f / 1.8 with pixel binning;
- 16MP wide angle;
- zoom 3x to 8MP;
- TOF sensor.
The smartphone is therefore well-bodied but how does it behave in reality?
We have the best results with the primary objective: we have good dynamic range and lots of details, even if we lose some sharpness at the edges. The depth sensor also helps a lot: the transition from the focus area to the background is soft and natural.
Wide angle and zoom are also quite satisfactory, even if from the latter one could expect greater cleanliness. However, we can hope for a software update that manages to reduce the grain a little and therefore increase the visible details.
Night mode is the same as in Motorola Edge: not the best the market is offering right now but it does a great job nonetheless.
Finally, we come to the front camera and videos. The first, from 25 megapixel, guarantees great selfies; the seconds, which arrive at 6K con 30 fps, they are more than valid, with natural colors and a good stabilization. If you want to increase the frames, however, where to even go down to Full HD. Too bad, we wouldn't mind a 4K at 60fps.
In general, the photographic sector of Motorola Edge Plus is better than its younger brother. Don't expect an abysmal leap in quality but the difference is there and it shows.
Motorola Edge Plus: technical sheet
Before issuing the final verdict, let's see the technical features of Motorola Edge Plus.
Dimensions: 161,07 x 71,4 x 9,6 mm
Weight: 203 g
Display: 6,7″ OLED – 2340 x 1080 pixel – 90 Hz
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
GPU: Adreno 650
RAM: 12 GB
Memory: 256 GB
Network: 5G
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1, USB-C, GPS, NFC
Battery: 5000 mAh
Rear camera: 108 MP + 16 MP + 8 MP + TOF
Front Camera: 25 MP
Videos: 6K @ 30fps
Operating system: Android 10 with My UX
Motorola Edge Plus review
We asked ourselves this during the announcement and then we asked ourselves again during the test: is it worth spending 500 euros more for Motorola Edge Plus? In short, they look almost the same and the price difference is quite a lot.
The answer to this question is very complex and strictly depends on the use you intend to make of it.
Motorola Edge is undoubtedly the horse to bet on: it has some small shortcomings but nothing that really weighs in everyday use. The cost is also very aggressive, which certainly makes it more attractive.
Motorola Edge Plus costs more because it is worth more: the materials are better, the camera is more convincing, and the hardware is designed to support any workload, now or two years from now.
His problem is the price. 1.199 euros place it at the same level as other top of the range that, on the camera front, still manage to win, which will make life very difficult for this device despite the obvious strengths.
In short, the choice, as always, is up to you. Think about the use you make of your smartphone and then decide what to buy.
Motorola edge plus
Pro 
- Immersive OLED display
- Excellent performance
- Two days of autonomy
Cons 
- Slow fast charging
- Niente Dual SIM
