Verdict
The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra is a good - looking smartphone with a solid camera setup , comme il faut performance and some of the libertine charging capabilities around . It ’s may not a true ‘ extremist ’ smartphone like the Galaxy S24 Ultra , but it ’s also a spate cheap at £ 849 .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra is Motorola ’s top - endflagship for 2024 , sporting a combining of a fashion - focused design , gorgeous display , impressive tv camera tech and some of the fastest charging tech around – all for just £ 849 .
Now that sounds telling – and it is – but Motorola has had to burn some corner to accomplish such a tempting cost spot . That means you ’ll lose out on small , but still substantial , feature like LTPO tech and always - on presentation technology , high levels of soar and foresighted software living you ’ll notice from similarly price alternatives .
The motion is , then , has Motorola made the right compromises with the Edge 50 Ultra ?
Design
In a nod to the iconicMoto X , the Edge 50 Ultra can be purchase with a wooden back – a finish rarely seen on phones these years . The unaccented Nordic Wood finish is grippy and Moto claims it ’s just as durable as the other conclusion .
If wood is n’t your thing , the Edge 50 Ultra also comes in a duette of vegan leather eat up that both look great . The Peach Fuzz finish is the most vivacious , no surprise given that it ’s Pantone ’s ‘ Colour of the Year ’ for 2024 , lark a light hue that is a little morsel orange with a pinky finish .
There ’s also the understated Forest Grey last , that we were apropos provided with for review . It ’s much more drab than the fun Peach Fuzz and Nordic Wood finishes , miss the personality of those rather singular finishes .
While the wood is grippy , the vegan leather finish is really indulgent and well-to-do to curb . With many phones , Samsung ’s Galaxy S24 rangefor example , going for that industrial metal - focussed build , the Edge 50 Ultra is quite the antonym .
It ’s also well-endowed in all the correct places , helping the 6.67 - column inch smartphone sit more well in the hand . It ’s not quite as lean and idle as theEdge 50 Fusion , measuring in at 8.6 mm thick and 197 g , but that ’s still a darned sight lighter than similarly sized phones like thePixel 8 Pro , and it ’s notable in workaday utilisation .
Compared to my daily number one wood , theGalaxy S24 Ultra , the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra sure enough feels more like a one - handed phone , with a narrower aspect ratio that pee-pee it easier to hold and reach both sides .
Elsewhere , you ’ll see all the insurance premium design features you ’d anticipate from an £ 850 smartphone including full IP68 rubble and pee underground , an aluminium framing and long-lasting screen protection in the form of Gorilla Glass Victus . That high - end vibration even extend to the unbox experience with Motorola sprizing each ( fully recyclable ) box seat with a gorgeous scent . It really is a treat for the senses .
Screen
It ’s time to talk screen tech ; you get a reasonably sizeable 6.67 - inchOLEDdisplay with the Edge 50 Ultra , unadulterated with curved edge that are starting to go slightly out of way . While I would have preferred a flat silver screen , the curve is n’t too egregious here , and it means that the side swipe find extremist - smooth compared to savorless - sided alternative .
no matter , this is a very good panel thanks to the 1200p resolution ( Motorola is calling this Super HD ) , high layer of brightness and impregnable HDR support . More specifically , it ’ll cap out at a maximum of 2500nits when watching HDR subject matter , and with support for HDR10 + , supported mental object looks phenomenal .
Considering the high - end terms , many might be wondering why Motorola did n’t plump for a 1440p display . However , I do n’t think you ’re miss out on much with the 1200p instrument panel chosen here , as you ’d be intemperately - press to tell the difference between it and a 1440p screen unless you were truly pixel - peeping . And , if it helps stretch the battery lifetime further , it get sentiency .
There ’s also support for refresh rate up to 144Hz , ideal for mellow - framerate gambling . The refresh pace is fast than most of the flagship competition , most of which cap out at 120Hz , though it ’s deserving noting that you ’ll have to force the screen door into a constant 144Hz if you want to take reward of the fastest refresh charge per unit possible .
What is singular is that there ’s no variety of always - on show support with the Edge 50 Ultra – and aside from the Edge 50 Pro , which also lacks the tech , I ’m struggle to think of a exclusive sound that does n’t pop the question it , even at the budget end of the marketplace .
It may fathom like a modest feature , but come from phones like theiPhone 14 Pro , Samsung Galaxy S24andHonor Magic 6 Prothat all have always - on displays that show the lock screen , I lose being able to glance at my sound for selective information without actually having to interact with it .
It ’s probably down to the lack ofLTPOsupport that allows the screen to send away down to a battery - friendly 1Hz , which is also an oddment for such a agiotage earphone , but it ’s disappointing nonetheless .
Even without some of the premium presentation technical school you ’d expect from a speech sound at this price level , the accompanying sound recording – deliver by stereo speakers with Snapdragon Sound support – certainly pack a poke . This phone isloud , and while the quality wo n’t match that of a dedicated loudspeaker , it ’s more than clear enough for daily podcast listening or learn a YouTube video while cooking dinner party .
Cameras
While the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra may sport a handful of similarities between it and the tawdry Edge 50 Pro , camera tech sure enough is n’t one of them , sporting the most capable tv camera tech out of the Edge 50 melody - up – even if it does n’t quite reach true ‘ Ultra ’ brand territory .
That ’s comprised of three tv camera on the back end ; a 50MP main with f/1.6 aperture , OIS(optical image stabilization ) and form detective work autofocus ( PDAF ) . That ’s flank by a 50MP ( 122 - arcdegree FOV ) ultrawide with a dedicated macro mode and a 64MPtelephotowith 3x zoom for those close-fitting - ups . Around the front , there ’s a 50MP selfie with autofocus – a feature not detect on too many phones .
The independent 50MP snapper is , of row , the star topology of the show . The combination of a fairly large 1/1.3 - column inch sensing element and a wide f/1.6 aperture deliver amazing jibe tamp down with detail and color , even in low - light term where it can still deliver a balanced , detailed photo that does n’t look sharply serve or unnaturally light .
The wide aperture also present a nice bokeh when take on unaired - up shots , negate the need for the software program - powered upshot for a more innate shooter .
That said , the dynamic range public presentation could be better . I noticed that some picture would look blown out with very picayune particular in lighter areas , specially when shooting alfresco during day . It ’s almost for certain a software program issue that ’ll get fixed , as it ’s not present on the auxiliary lenses , but worth bear in psyche .
The accompanying 64MP telephoto lens and its 3x zoom is the idealistic length for portrait photography , especially when combined with Motorola ’s telling edge detection technical school and adjustable bokeh , but it can also hold its own when switching to a strictly digital rapid climb with usable results up to around the 10x mark .
It ’s not exactly going to win any awards for zoom prowess , with dependable Ultra - stage competition like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra andOppo Find X7 Ultraleaving the Edge 50 Ultra in the debris both in term of levels of zoom and overall quality , but it ’ll suffice for most people without truly breaking the money box on those top - remainder choice .
The 50MP ultrawide is a great upgrade over the 12MP ultrawide of the Edge 50 Pro , with much better contingent and colour accuracy that more closely resembles that of the main and telephoto lens for a consistent shooting experience . It doubles up as a macro lens with middling results , but that ’s a rather niche feature anyway .
significantly , the quality of the images you ’ll get will depend on whether you desire to use Motorola ’s AI - infused Photo Enhancement Engine .
You ’ll get the option to enable it when you shoot your first photograph in the Camera app , explain that the AI can tweak multiple parts of an image , from colour to exposure to bokeh and even shadow to encourage the overall timber – but the swop - off is that it take a few endorsement to action .
It was a lineament that was more noticeable with the mid - range cameras of the Edge 50 Pro rather than the top - end technical school of the 50 Ultra , but it still add up a nice vivacious touch to most of the images you catch . Besides , I quite enjoy seeing the ‘ before and after ’ as the photo operation after being take .
Performance
Motorola has made several interesting choices when it comes to the internals of the Edge 50 Ultra . Instead of the dependable flagship 8 Gen 3 chipset from Qualcomm , there ’s the slenderly less feature of speech - rich 8S Gen 3 instead .
The difference between these chips are minimum – you could read about all the differences in ourQualcomm 8 Gen 3 vs 8S Gen 3comparison – and are mostly focused around supported camera feature article rather than thoroughgoing power , though it does n’t quite have the 8 Gen 3 pip on that front either .
Still , that ’s pair with an impressive 512 Gi or 1 TB of interior entrepot – idealistic for those who want to stash away lots of offline content – and 16 GB of RAM too , more than you ’d expect at this terms .
Combined , the Edge 50 Ultra does n’t really want for much . It has handle just about everything I ’ve thrown at it over the past week and a spot , from basic chore like scrolling through TikTok and respond to emails to fly the coop involve 3D titles without as much of a hint of stutter .
More specifically , the Edge 50 Ultra could handle the demanding anime - style One Punch Man World with radical - flat graphic and no roof on bod charge per unit , and it was as buttery smooth as it would be on any gambling phone , and continue that means for my entire 40 - minute session .
It also just feels responsive and dashing , part thanks to the firm refresh rate , but also down to an optimize software experience with speedy animations that really make it feel like a hefty moment of outfit .
However , the tenuous , stylish plan of the telephone set mean that it can getreallyhot when pushed to its limits with task like the aforementioned high - end 3D gambling .
Surprisingly , that did n’t seem to translate to notably bad performance as with some phones , but it not only made areas of the phone – particularly where your hands rest when playing landscape painting - way games – but it had a knock - on effect on barrage fire life . More on that a little later .
Software
Software has always been a impregnable point of Motorola devices , and that trend continues with the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra and its near - stock execution of Android 14 .
It ’s about as nigh to stock Android that you ’ll find on the Android market without prefer for a Pixel smartphone , offering a sporting experience with an wanton - to - utilisation UI . It ’s essentially Android as intended .
Now that ’s not to say that Motorola has n’t done anything to the OS experience . There is a reach of features that help the Edge 50 Ultra stand up out , include pass favourite gestures like a karate chopper to grow the torch on and off , and a motion-picture show of the carpus to reach the camera , as well as Motorola Ready For .
Ready For is fundamentally Motorola ’s answer to Samsung DeX , providing a Windows - like UI for all your Android apps and games when plugged into an external monitor . It also plays well with Windows 10 and Windows 11 , allow you to use the Edge 50 Ultra ’s main photographic camera as a high - timber webcam .
These features are available on most , if not all , Motorola devices , so it ’s not exclusive to the Edge 50 Ultra , but it remains a unassailable point compared to the flagship Android competition and their customs duty Android skins .
Motorola is dabbling with AI with its latest flagship , with AI - powered features like the ability to generate wallpapers base on various prompting , as well as the figure sweetening we ’ve already mentioned , but it does n’t goquiteas far as the AI offerings from Google and Samsung .
You could easy use this phone for six month before you realise it has any AI capability at all , as they do n’t really bear upon the day - to - day like transcribe voice notes or real - time translation does .
It also falls behind the likes of the Galaxy S24 andPixel 8when it comes to long - condition software program financial backing , with the Edge 50 Ultra ’s three OS upgrades and four yr of security updates falling well brusk of the seven days of atomic number 8 upgrades from Team Samsung and Team Google . It ’s still militant , but not as competitive as it would ’ve been a couple of long time ago .
Battery life
Given that the Edge 50 Ultra has a slightly little 4500mAh battery than much of the 5000mAh flagship rivalry , I did n’t have eminent Leslie Townes Hope about battery sprightliness – but reader , I ’ve been pleasantly surprised .
That ’s because the Edge 50 Ultra is more than adequate to of allow for a full Clarence Day of employment and then some . On one particularly demand Clarence Day during examination , I had the phone off charge for 18 hours with around 4.5 hours of screen door time and a bit of CRT screen off time listening to euphony , and it still had 56 % complaint when I live to punch it in at bedtime .
That means that , with more sporadic use , the Edge 50 Ultra is more than capable of providing two - day assault and battery life history .
However , it does depend on what you ’re doing ; while watching Netflix drain 5 % and 30 minutes of casual gaming only took 6 % , 30 minutes of the ask 3D deed of conveyance One Punch Man World run out a whopping 18 % charge . So , while it is capable of impressive stamp battery length of service , it does have its weaknesses .
That would unremarkably be a problem , but with the 125W charging that the Edge 50 Ultra fling , it ’s barely an second thought . That ’s because , using the 125W battery charger that comes in the box seat ( a treat by itself ! ) , the Edge 50 Ultra can achieve 50 % charge in 9 minute , and a full charge in just 19 minutes , making it one of the fastest - charging speech sound on the market in 2024 along with the equally matched Edge 50 Pro .
There ’s also wireless charging on offering , as with most flagship - level phones , and at 50W , it ’s pretty rapid – though you ’ll ask to source your own Motorola - brand 50W wireless charger as it requires proprietary technical school to achieve such speedy wireless charge speeds . It ’ll also reverse wireless burster accessories like wireless earbuds at 10W.
Still , with such speedy pumped up charging on crack , wireless charging is n’t something I suppose people will apply all that often .
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Should you buy it?
The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra is a combination of style and substance , with a high - end looking at and a spec to match .
While the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra can keep back its own in the camera department , it does n’t attain the same results as agio choice like theiPhone 15 ProandGoogle Pixel 8 Pro .
Final Thoughts
The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra is for sure one of the better - looking flagship phones on the marketplace with unequalled finish and colour options , pure with a thin and unclouded intention that makes it a joy to hold and use .
That ’s back up by a 6.67 - inch OLED concealment with a 144Hz refresh charge per unit that hand over smooth casual carrying out , though the lack of LTPO tech present tense in much all rival at the £ 849 cost power point is a disappointment , particularly when mix with the fact there ’s no AOD functionality .
carrying out is pretty solid from the Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 chipset and a level-headed 16 GB RAM , cover both everyday tasks and gaming with comfort , though the latter did make the smartphone uncomfortably warm after around 20 minutes of demanding gameplay .
However , scene like a solid camera setup , 125W truehearted charging that ’ll get you a full heraldic bearing in 19 minutes ( with the battery charger in the loge ! ) , a streamlined approach to Android 14 and strong all - day battery lifespan help negate some of the Edge 50 Ultra ’s complaints .
It ’s not a dependable ‘ Ultra ’ smartphone in the same way that theSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraandiPhone 15 Pro Maxare , but it come somewhat close for a lot less money .
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We test every mobile phone we review good . We use industry - standard tests to compare feature article decent and we apply the telephone set as our master machine over the revaluation period . We ’ll always distinguish you what we find and we never , ever , accept money to look back a Cartesian product .
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FAQs
Yes , it has IP68 dust and water electrical resistance .
Yes , it offers support for 125W fast charging and you ’ll get a 125W battery charger in the box too .
Motorola has institutionalise to three OS upgrade and four years of protection update for the Edge 50 Ultra .
Test Data
Full Specs
