In May 2023, Motorola officially presented the Edge+ (2023), of which we tested the European model Edge 40 Pro. This week, the Motorola Edge 40, the practically “inexpensive” version of the flagship smartphone, followed. But how good is the semi-flagship equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 8020? Our hands-on with the Moto Edge (2023), its expected US name, aims to answer that, join us!
Good
- Very good haptics (grip & weight)
- Good display
- Sufficiently fast processor
- IP68 certification
- Bloatware is kept within limits
- Moto My UX and Ready For
- 68 W power adapter included
Bad
- Update policy not up to the category leaders
- Only one memory configuration (in Europe, at least)
- No analog headphone jack
- No microSD support
Motorola Edge (2023) release date and price
The Motorola Edge (2023) was launched exactly one month after the Plus model in Europe. It can be purchased for €599.99 (approximately 665 US dollars) and is thus 300 Euros ($332) cheaper than the flagship. The differences are mainly noticeable in the CPU, which is not a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but a MediaTek Dimensity 8020. This is an SoC (System on a Chip) that has only been used in the Honor Pad V8 so far and is positioned in the upper mid-range with a maximum clock rate of 2.6 GHz.
US buyers will have to wait a bit longer, as the North American Motorola still hasn’t confirmed when the Edge (2023) will be available on American shelves. Keep in mind that some specifications—especially related to battery charging—may change for the US release.
When it comes to memory options, Motorola does not give you a choice: At least in Europe, only one model with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage is available. Storage expansion—for example via a microSD card—is not supported. However, you can choose between Lunar Blue, Eclipse Black, and Nebula Green as colors. The last two are described by Motorola as “vegan leather”. However, since we received the “Eclipse Black” model for testing, I could not confirm this.
It rather resembles a slightly roughened and rubberized coating. However, there is something very special about the feel, which brings us directly to the next test category.
Design & Display
The Motorola Edge (2023) gave me a very special feel right after unboxing it.
My colleague Rubens Eishima, to whom I handled the phone after taking it out of the box, was also thrilled by the extraordinarily interesting and good grip. In general, the Motorola mid-ranger feels very good in the hand.
The device looks very light and thin, which it actually is with dimensions of 158.43 x 71.99 x 7.49 mm and a weight of 171 grams. The rounded back and the curved panel probably add to the feel-good factor.
Speaking of the display: Motorola installed a 6.55-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2,400 x 1,080 pixels, at an average of 402 PPI. That is basically standard. The maximum brightness of 1,200 nits in direct sunlight isn’t headline-material either. However, the maximum refresh rate of 144 Hz deserves mention. It won’t attract attention in everyday use, but it will very much when gaming. In this respect, I am already curious about the first first-person shooter sessions. I will of course report about it in the detailed review.
Otherwise, I can report that the brightness is sufficient even in direct sunlight, and the viewing angle stability, contrast, and dynamics are convincing in this first hands-on. The power and standby buttons as well as the two speakers are on the right side in the perfect position. The HDR10+, HiD, and Max Vision capable panel is surrounded by two speakers at the top and bottom, which also offer stereo sound in addition to Dolby Atmos. I would describe this as sufficiently loud and balanced in terms of the balance between bass and trebles.
Motorola Edge (2023) software
Motorola as a former Google subsidiary was always known for an almost pure Android.
However, the Motorola Edge (2023) seems to have strayed a bit from the path. A look at the installed applications reveals 81 apps, 9 of which were installed for our test.
Okay, let’s be fair: These are mostly Google apps. Yes, there are quite a few of them! Strictly speaking, Facebook, Indeed, and Market Guru would also rather be called bloatware. So, in principle, it preinstalls three unwanted applications. However, Motorola has come up with a different trick for the apps, which are usually preinstalled by other manufacturers. A portfolio of apps is offered in three categories during the initial setup, of which the first three are already checked for installation.
Apart from that, it remains to be mentioned that Motorola delivered the Edge (2023) with Android 13 preinstalled and its in-house user interface “My UX”, whose last security update is from April 1, 2023, thus, up-to-date. On the other hand, the Lenovo subsidiary moves at a snail’s pace in terms of its update policy. The Edge (2023) only gets 3 years of Google security and 2 system updates. Thus, Android 15 is guaranteed. However, I hope that Motorola’s management will have a change of heart by then. Other manufacturers are setting a much better example here.
CPU & Memory
The Motorola Edge (2023) has a relatively unknown MediaTek Dimensity 8020 installed.
So far, I am only familiar with its usage on the Chinese-only Honor Pad V8. The octa-core SoC is manufactured in a 6 nm process and is not a new chip design in my opinion, but a new edition of the MediaTek Dimensity 1100.
At least that would explain the four identical ARM Cortex-A78 (max. 2.6 GHz) and four Cortex-A55 cores (max. 2.0 GHz). The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is also identical, with an ARM Mali-G77 MC9. Whatever name MediaTek gives it doesn’t change the fact that it is a solid mid-range processor that is more than sufficient for typical work.
I can also already present you with some performance tests from Geekbench, and 3D Mark. And there they are, my full-bodied promises are also confirmed by official benchmark tests.
| Motorola Edge (2023) | Nothing Phone | Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G | Motorola Edge+ (2023) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MediaTek Dimensity 8020 | Snapdragon 778G+ | MediaTek Dimensity 920 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | |
| 3D Mark Wild Life | 4.476 | 2.809 | 2.077 | 8.062 |
| 3D Mark Wild Life Stress Test | Best loop: 4,480 Worst loop: 4,411 | Best loop: 2,832 Worst loop: 2,816 | Best loop: 2,092 Worst loop: 2,080 | Best loop: 12,125 Worst loop: 6,099 |
| Geekbench 5 | Single: 835 Multi: 3,310 | Single: 796 Multi: 2,889 | Single: 741 Multi: 2,224 | Single: 1476 Multi: 4765 |
There are also no complaints about heat management: The Motorola Edge (2023) stays in a comfortable temperature range in even the most demanding applications. The undisclosed external insulation could of course contribute to the fact that the sensation never becomes unpleasant, and that is what matters.
Memory
I already mentioned it in the “price and availability” category: While there are more memory options in other markets, Motorola doesn’t offer European customers alternatives. Whether you like it or not, for the Euro-spec Motorola Edge 40, you can only get it with 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256 GB of UFS-3.1 non-expandable storage. The US Edge (2023), however, could offer different options.
Motorola Edge (2023) camera
Besides the installed processor, another difference between Motorola’s Edge+ (2023) and the base model can be found in the camera department.
Instead of the gigantic 60 MP, the selfie camera has a resolution of 32 MP with a maximum aperture of f/2.4 and is installed in the display’s top center as a punch-hole camera. On the back, you will find a dual-camera module instead of the triple one found in the 2023 Edge+.
The mid-range does not have a telephoto lens and thus offers a 50 MP main camera, which with a better aperture of f/1.4 can possibly even take better night pictures than the Pro model managed and was basically the Achilles heel of Motorola’s flagship in our detailed review of the Motorola Edge+ (2023).
The Motorola Edge (2023) offers a combined ultra-wide-angle and macro lens with a 13 MP sensor and an aperture of f/2.2 and a field of view of 120 degrees. Despite a first hands-on, I naturally could not resist taking a few test photos on the way to the NextPit office. And my first impression is very much in line with the almost 46,000 votes of our blind test of the best flagship camera smartphones. Crisp, popping colors in the daytime shots. The photos in the gallery were taken within a few minutes.
You can probably see the sky as it really was in the first shot of the enlargement series. In the photo of the fountain, the sky already becomes a little bluer, to drift completely in a rich blue in the shot of the modern corner building. Looks fancy—but had nothing to do with reality. On a positive note, though, no matter whether the shot was taken with the main or wide-angle camera, the colors match quite well. At least one is consistent in the allocation of the AI colors.
It has to be said that the zoom shots do not only end at a magnification of 8x but are also not very nice to look at in the maximum magnification.
Motorola Edge (2023) battery
The Motorola Edge (2023) has a 4,400 mAh battery installed.
This is appropriate when you consider the overall weight and size, although more is always better. We cannot yet say anything about the actual runtime with one battery charge in daily use for our first hands-on. The final review will obviously bring an answer so stay tuned.
But what I can already tell you is our standardized “PC Mark Work 3.0” battery test. This is started in flight mode and a display brightness of 200 nits with a full battery (100%) and stressed to 20% overnight under continuous load. In our case, the Edge 40 battery lasted 8 hours and 55 minutes.
That is one of the worst results we have seen and raises some questions! However, it seems to have run completely cleanly because the remaining capacity is actually 18 percent. Nevertheless, we will run this test again and more importantly, check the smartphone’s battery endurance in daily use for the complete review.
Charging is relatively quick thanks to the included 68 W power adapter. For a full charge, the Motorola Edge (2023) takes just 46 minutes and not 39 minutes as advertised by Motorola. In return, 21% of the charge is reached after 5 minutes, 58 percent after 20 minutes, and 80 percent after half an hour. Wireless charging with a power of up to 15 W is also possible.
Motorola Edge (2023) technical specifications
| Technical data | |
|---|---|
| Product | |
| Image | 
|
| Display | 6.55″ OLED |
| 2,400 x 1,080 px | |
| 144 Hz refresh rate | |
| SoC | MediaTek Dimensity 8020 (MT6891) |
| Working memory | 8 GB RAM |
| Memory | 256 GB |
| Expandable memory? | ❌ |
| OS | Android 13 |
| Camera | Main: 50 MP, f/1.4 aperture, OIS Ultra wide-angle/macro: 13 MP, f/2.2 aperture |
| Selfie | 32 MP, f/2.45 aperture |
| Battery | 4,400 mAh 68 W wired charging, charger included 15 W wireless charging |
| Connectivity | 5G / LTE (16 DL/13 UL), WiFi 6e /WiFi Direct / Bluetooth 5.2 / NFC |
| IP certification | IP68 |
| Colors | Eclipse Black, Nebula Green, Lunar Blue |
| Dimensions and weight | 158.43 x 71.99 x 7.49 mm, 171/167 g |
Early Verdict
The Motorola Edge (2023) is probably the better alternative for many in the brand’s 2023 lineup, although the Edge+ (2023) is also a good deal at just under 800 dollars. However, the base model costs quite a bit less in Europe, offering a good compromise compared to the concessions. However, it remains to be seen how the US model will be priced…
Motorola offers a solid MediaTek Dimensity 8020 in the Edge (2023), which is probably a souped-up Dimensity 1100 processor, but still sufficient for daily applications. In addition, there is a 6.55-inch display with a very good resolution and a dual camera that digitally stores pictures that are appropriate for the times. The 4,400 mAh battery will certainly get you through the day—but it still raised a few questions in our first impression, which we will not answer until the final review.
At first glance, there is no criticism of Motorola’s Edge (2023) except for the sub-par update policy and the unanswered battery question. However, let us wait until the detailed review for a final verdict!
