Motorola Edge 50 Ultra Review: The Moto Edge 50 Ultra is Motorola’s latest premium smartphone for 2024, offering impressive features and design. In this article, we’ll cover its design, durability, features, display quality, audio performance, storage options, battery life, camera capabilities, and overall performance in comparison to other top competitors.
Motorola Edge 50 Ultra Review with Detailed Specifications
Motorola Edge 50 Ultra Design:
The Moto Edge 50 Ultra offers two distinct designs. One features a unique and eye-catching wood finish that stands out. Alternatively, there are two color options with a faux leather finish, which feels softer in your hand. One color is “Peach Fuzz,” a bold choice approved by Pantone, that might catch attention when you take it out. The other is “Forest Gray,” a very dark gray, almost black.
The phone features a subtle camera bump that doesn’t stick out much. It has a large 6.67-inch screen, similar to most smartphones in 2024. The thin bezels and slightly curved edges make it comfortable to hold. It has a slim aluminum frame and isn’t bulky. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, which is good against shattering but can scratch easily. There’s no pre-applied screen protector, so adding one is recommended.
Motorola Edge 50 Ultra Display:
The Moto Edge 50 Ultra boasts impressive display technology with its 6.67-inch P-OLED screen. The screen resolution is Super HD 1220p, offering sharp visuals, though not quite as detailed as some Quad HD competitors. It supports 10-bit color and HDR10+, though Netflix HDR isn’t available yet.
The colors are bright and vibrant, and you can boost them further in the settings. The screen brightness can reach up to 2500 nits, and the refresh rate goes up to 144Hz. You can adjust the refresh rate between 60, 120, and 144Hz, but only a few apps currently support 144Hz.
Motorola Edge 50 Ultra Storage & Memory:
The smartphone offers a choice between 12GB or 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB or 1TB UFS 4.0 storage.
Motorola Edge 50 Ultra Audio:
It features a stereo speaker setup with one speaker on the top edge and another on the bottom. The sound quality is loud, not tinny, and has good bass.
Motorola Edge 50 Ultra Features & Moto Apps:
The Moto Edge 50 Ultra comes with a fresh software experience out of the box called Hello UI. It runs on top of Android 14 and is similar to stock Android but includes some custom Moto features. These features are neatly organized within the Moto app.
The Moto app hub has been redesigned for Hello UI, making it better organized and fitting all functionalities on a single page without needing to scroll. All the familiar Moto UI features are still present.
- Customization: You can set up your home screens with your own wallpapers with AI-generated wallpaper options called Styles Sync, choose from various themes, or create your own theme by changing fonts and colors. You can even customize the fingerprint animation, though there are limited options. You can fully personalize the lock screen by selecting the clock face and notification style.
- Notifications: While there’s no always-on display option, you have Edge notifications to alert you to incoming notification or call.
- Gestures: The phone supports handy gestures like fast torch (quick flashlight) and quick capture (quickly opening the camera). However, these gestures might be tough if you have wrist issues.
- Additional Features: It includes Family Space and Moto Secure. Although Motorola’s software support isn’t as good as Samsung or Google, you get three OS updates and four years of security patches with the Moto Edge 50 Ultra.
A significant update is the replacement of Ready For and Moto Connect with Smart Connect. This new interface adds a Share Hub and allows connection to external monitors through a separate display panel.
Motorola Edge 50 Ultra Performance & Gaming:
The Moto Edge 50 Ultra’s performance is decent but not as impressive as some top-tier competitors. It runs on the Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 processor, which is slightly less powerful than the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 used in flagship phones. The GPU, Adreno 735, is also a step down from the 750.
In everyday use, the phone runs smoothly and quickly. I tested it with games like Genshin Impact, and even at the highest graphic settings with 60 frames per second, it performed perfectly without any noticeable lag or frame drops. The phone did get warm after extended gaming sessions, especially near the top, but it didn’t throttle performance.
Motorola Edge 50 Ultra Cameras:
The Moto Edge 50 Ultra features a triple camera setup. It includes a 50MP main camera, a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and a 64MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. You can easily switch between these lenses: ultra-wide, standard, and telephoto.
There are several camera modes available, such as portrait mode for nice background blurring effects. You can also use the zoom lens for detailed shots. A Pro mode lets you adjust settings like white balance and ISO, and you can shoot in RAW format for more editing flexibility. Night mode helps capture better photos in low light. Other features include a 50MP ultra-resolution mode, photo enhancements, and spot color for artistic photos.
For video, the Moto Edge 50 Ultra can record in 4K resolution at either 30 or 60 frames per second. Zooming is available, though limited at 4K 60 FPS.
The 50MP autofocus selfie camera delivers superb quality with excellent detail and pleasing skin tones. Dynamic range is also impressive. Overall, the Moto Edge 50 Ultra offers solid camera performance with good video quality and clear audio recording.
Motorola Edge 50 Ultra Durability:
The phone is IP68 rated, meaning it’s protected against water and dust. If you accidentally drop it in water, it should be fine after drying it off.
Motorola Edge 50 Ultra Battery:
The Moto Edge 50 Ultra packs a 4,500mAh battery into its slim frame. In my initial 24 hours of use, the battery drain seems positive.
If you heavily use your phone or forget to charge it, don’t worry. It supports 125W wired charging, allowing it to reach 81% in just 15 minutes and fully charge in 21 minutes. It also supports 50W wireless charging if you have a compatible charging pad, making it faster to charge wirelessly than Samsung or Google flagship phones, even when using a cable.
Quick Overview of Motorola Edge 50 Ultra
| Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.7 inches P-OLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+, 2500 nits (peak), 1220 x 2712 pixels resolution |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 (4 nm) |
| OS | Android 14 |
| Memory | 12GB/ 16GB LPDDR5X RAM |
| Storage | 512GB/ 1TB UFS 4.0 storage. |
| Camera | Rear camera: 50MP + 64MP + 50MP Front camera: 50MP |
| Battery | 4500 mAh battery with 125W wired, 50W wireless and 10W reverse wireless charging |
Overall, the Moto Edge 50 Ultra stands out with its stylish design, advanced display technology, a nearly stock Android software experience, and impressive camera capabilities. It’s packed with features like fast charging, stereo speakers, and a customizable interface. While it may not match some top competitors in every aspect, it offers a solid package for those looking for a reliable and feature-rich smartphone experience in 2024.