Motorola has taken us through quite a roller coaster when it comes to smartphones. They made good smartphones in the beginning, then terrible ones, and now they're making great ones again. However, the new Moto Edge 40 takes things a bit further, and thankfully, it's headed in the right direction this time.
The Edge 40 has to be the most complete mid-range smartphone released this year because Motorola has nailed the basics. The device comes with a fast and vivid display, an SoC that performs right below the flagship territory, a good set of cameras, relatively fast charging, and to my surprise, an IP68 Water and Dust resistance. All of this costs ₹29,999 (~ $362).
About The Moto Edge 40
Let's first understand why the Edge 40 is critical. Under the 30K segment, we used to have excellent smartphones even just a few years ago. However, that changed as the ratio of price to performance has been changing rapidly as prices are on the rise. That means you don't get a good value from under 30K smartphones nowadays and the under 20K segment has gone even worse.
The Edge 40, however, breaks this ridiculous trend and offers a somewhat complete device. There is a gorgeous 6.55-inch FHD+ pOLED display that refreshes at 144Hz. It's an 8-bit display, but there is support for HDR10+ and Moto is bringing HDR to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video which is great. Also, the 1200 nits peak brightness is a nice bonus.
On the other hand, the Dimensity 8020 provides excellent performance for a mid-range chipset. There is 8GB RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage which is more than enough for most people. The 50MP main camera is powered by a decent Omnivision sensor and an unexpected f-1.4 aperture. This should allow for great daylight and lowlight photos from it and for the 13MP ultrawide and 32MP selfie cameras, I won't keep high hopes.
The 4400 mAh battery isn't the largest, but the 68W fast charging makes up for it. The 15W wireless charging is meh, but at least it's available. There's also IP68 water and dust resistance which is rare at this price point. There are also fourteen 5G bands and dual stereo speakers with support for Dolby Atmos.
Now, coming to the downsides, the USB 2.0 port and the lack of a proper Dual-Sim with the second connection being an e-Sim is outrageous. Two generations of Android updates aren't enough. The display is also 8-bit and not 10-bit, so HDR video playback will show some simulated colors and the output will suffer a lot. Wi-Fi 6E instead of regular Wi-Fi 6 would have been nicer as well.
Why The Edge 40 Is A Step In The Right Direction
Overpriced underperforming smartphones have pushed the entire smartphone market into chaos. Not everyone can afford an expensive flagship smartphone, so they're forced to go for these underperforming mid-rangers that provide a bad user experience. Things like underwhelming performance, UI issues, unwanted advertisements, below-average cameras, and average hardware with no water resistance or wireless charging, make these phones feel unwanted.
The Edge 40 takes a step forward and tries to break this bad formula. It has paired good hardware, with good cameras, and clean software. Motorola has also added proper water resistance and wireless charging (although slow) which are welcome additions in this price segment. Also, it's 2023, and 256GB storage should in fact be standard for a phone of this price.
I hope other companies take note of Motorola's strategy and start providing better smartphones in the mid-range segment. As much as everyone wants a flagship, not all consumers have the budget for that. So, companies can at least provide good experiences in those lower segments. It's clearly possible and your customers will deeply appreciate the effort.