Motorola Edge 30 Pro review

Pixel-like Android 12 with some additional Moto mods

The Edge 30 Pro runs Android 12 from the get-go. The look and feel are the closest we've seen to the Android 12 you'd get on a Google Pixel phone and we can imagine that in itself being a driving factor in choosing a Moto for folks in regions where the Pixels aren't officially sold. Or that's just our delusions from the reviewers' bubble we live in. Anyway, let's have a look.

Immediately noticeable is the new Quick Settings interface and notification shade, one of Android 12's more striking visual changes. That means the big bubbly buttons, of which you only get 4 on the first pull, up to 8 on the second, and the full-screen notification shade.

On to widgets, which saw an overhaul with Android 12. The widget picker offers responsive previews for differently sized widgets. The new API supports dynamic coloring by tying into the Material You theming engine, allowing the widgets to adapt to the wallpaper.

Quick settings • Notification shade • Widgets

Another Android 12 staple, the Material You autotheming feature is here too, though it's masked behind a slightly customized Moto-specific theming engine. You can still get wallpaper-based accent colors and those will apply to Google apps and the settings menu as well.

Theming

Privacy is an especially big deal on Android 12, and the Edge 30 Pro comes with the latest Google's come up with in the field. That includes the new Privacy dashboard which offers a unified view into what permission is being used by what app when. There are also the camera and microphone indicators in the top right corner of the screen for an immediate clue that you're being watched/listened to, but also the quick toggles to limit access to those altogether. The option to determine whether an app gets your precise coordinates or an approximate location is also here.

Privacy

Other less prominent bits from the new OS version made it to the Edge 30 Pro as well. Things like the Extra dim display mode and the window magnifier, the new power menu, the improved PiP behavior.

There's a scrolling screenshot implementation, but that's not Google's own, and a custom one instead. Then again, custom scrolling screenshots have been around for ages, it was Google that only now came to its senses.

A few other things appear to not have made it on the Edge 30 Pro's Android 12 build. Off the top of our heads those include the face detection-based auto rotate behavior, copying stuff from app to app from the task switcher, and the system-wide on-device search from the app drawer.

However, there are features and functionality that the Edge 30 Pro offers, which Google doesn't - the lot of them conveniently grouped together in the hub that it the Moto app. These are mostly long-standing Moto features we've seen time and time again.

The first category is personalization - that's where the OS-native autotheming found a foster home. There is also a wide selection of Moto wallpapers in addition to Google's own, plus the option to leverage AI to create your own from the photos in your gallery.

Moto App

Then come the gestures. By now, you all must have seen the karate chop motion that turns on and off the flashlight and the twisting motion that launches the camera app. Both work even when the device is locked.

The lift-to-unlock gesture works well with the face unlock as it unlocks the device as soon as you pick it up and look at the screen.

A swipe-to-split function is available, too - it triggers the split-screen multitasking. There is also Power touch - when you double-tap the power button, a shortcut menu appears. You can arrange the icons in it to include apps, tools and even contacts for quick access.

Gestures

The display-related features are Peek Display and Attentive Display. The former works as a second-best alternative to the Always-on display feature, which is actually missing, but with some added functionality to make up for it.

The screen lights up when it detects motion that's close to the phone or when you pick it up. Once you've received some kind of notification, you can tap on it and see the message itself and even interact with it from the lock screen.

Attentive Display disables the screen timeout as long as there's a face looking at the screen. Pretty useful when reading long articles, though you do probably scroll often enough for the screen not to lock anyway.

Display

Then there's the Play section. In here you'll find the Gametime utility which offers the usual functionality of such tools like call and notification blocking and screen recording. Additionally, there are optional shortcuts for media playback when the screen is locked using the volume keys, as well as a Dolby Atmos sound enhancement utility.

Play

Introduced in 2021, Motorola's 'ready for' platform enables a multitude of use cases that put the phone in the center of a big-screen experience. By connecting a TV or a monitor, you can get a Windows-desktop-like environment, play a game on your phone, display it on the external screen, or even have a video chat on a larger display.

'ready for'

The connection can be done with a cable - either with the 'ready for' cable (or another USB-C MHL Alt solution) or with a USB-C-to-C cable with a compatible monitor. Alternatively, you can connect wirelessly to a Miracast-capable display.

If you don't have a mouse and/or keyboard handy, the phone's screen can be used as a trackpad and/or keyboard.

You can also use 'ready for' on a Windows-based PC - it runs within a window on your desktop. This is helpful for when you want to run an Android app from your computer or to multi-task between devices on just one screen.

'ready for' on a windows PC

Another use case of 'ready for' on a Windows PC is for video calls, where you can use the phone's camera to capture yourself and an external display to see the other participants.

The final Ready For use case is for gaming on a bigger screen - be it TV or laptop/monitor. You connect an external controller and run the game on the phone, with the obvious benefit being the larger display for gameplay.

Performance and benchmarks

The Edge 30 Pro uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 for its number crunching, so it's got a proper flagship chipset inside, as opposed to the Edge 20 Pro and its SD870. We've seen several handsets with Qualcomm's top-tier SoC, so we have plenty of points for comparison.

The Moto exists in no less than 5 different memory configurations ranging from a base 8GB/128GB version to a properly impressive 12GB/512GB, though your particular region will likely only get one or two options. Our review unit is the 12GB/256GB spec.

In GeekBench, the Edge 30 Pro posted excellent results for CPU performance - as expected from its latest-gen chipset. Being one of the lowest points of entry into Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 goodness, particularly in some regions, it's good to know that the Moto does actually deliver.

GeekBench 5 (multi-core)

Higher is better

• iQOO 9 Pro
  3708
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  3682
• Asus Zenfone 8 Flip
  3673
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  3658
• Xiaomi 12
  3652
• Samsung Galaxy S22+
  3528
• Realme GT2 Pro
  3501
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  3476
• vivo X70 Pro+
  3469
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  3447
• Oppo Find X5 Pro
  3433
• Motorola Moto G200 5G
  3319
• Huawei P50 Pro
  3145
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  3140
• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  3049
• vivo X70 Pro
  2956

GeekBench 5 (single-core)

Higher is better

• Realme GT2 Pro
  1238
• iQOO 9 Pro
  1231
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  1196
• Xiaomi 12
  1187
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  1169
• Samsung Galaxy S22+
  1165
• Asus Zenfone 8 Flip
  1126
• vivo X70 Pro+
  1106
• Huawei P50 Pro
  1105
• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  1096
• Motorola Moto G200 5G
  1096
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  1091
• Oppo Find X5 Pro
  1002
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  975
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  972
• vivo X70 Pro
  875

The Moto takes a step back in Antutu, and while it comfortably outscores the Galaxy S22+ in Exynos trim and all the models with last-year's chipset, other SD8G1 handsets do manage some extra points.

AnTuTu 9

Higher is better

• Oppo Find X5 Pro
  1012896
• iQOO 9 Pro
  997948
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  985226
• Xiaomi 12
  985115
• Realme GT2 Pro
  966251
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  941895
• Samsung Galaxy S22+
  886916
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  886248
• vivo X70 Pro+
  837833
• Motorola Moto G200 5G
  811124
• Asus Zenfone 8 Flip
  797484
• Huawei P50 Pro
  786215
• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  719696
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  711090
• vivo X70 Pro
  694499

The Moto comes into its own in onscreen graphics benchmarks, where the combination of a FullHD screen and a super-powerful GPU makes for some chart-topping fps results.

GFX Aztek ES 3.1 High (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  59
• Xiaomi 12
  59
• Samsung Galaxy S22+
  50
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  43
• Asus Zenfone 8 Flip
  41
• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  38
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  37
• Realme GT2 Pro
  36
• iQOO 9 Pro
  36
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  36
• Oppo Find X5 Pro
  35
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  31
• vivo X70 Pro
  31
• Huawei P50 Pro
  27
• vivo X70 Pro+
  25

GFX Aztek Vulkan High (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  60
• Xiaomi 12
  59
• Samsung Galaxy S22+
  51
• Asus Zenfone 8 Flip
  45
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  41
• Realme GT2 Pro
  39
• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  38
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  37
• iQOO 9 Pro
  37
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  37
• Oppo Find X5 Pro
  36
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  35
• vivo X70 Pro
  29
• Huawei P50 Pro
  26
• vivo X70 Pro+
  26

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  78
• Xiaomi 12
  75
• Samsung Galaxy S22+
  68
• Asus Zenfone 8 Flip
  62
• Motorola Moto G200 5G
  60
• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  56
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  54
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  49
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  48
• Realme GT2 Pro
  48
• iQOO 9 Pro
  46
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  46
• Oppo Find X5 Pro
  44
• Huawei P50 Pro
  44
• vivo X70 Pro
  40
• vivo X70 Pro+
  33

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Xiaomi 12
  117
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  111
• Asus Zenfone 8 Flip
  104
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  100
• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  98
• Motorola Moto G200 5G
  97
• Samsung Galaxy S22+
  94
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  89
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  86
• iQOO 9 Pro
  84
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  83
• vivo X70 Pro
  77
• Huawei P50 Pro
  72
• Realme GT2 Pro
  60
• vivo X70 Pro+
  58

In the offscreen runs, the Moto is a smidge behind the rest of the SD8G1 bunch, but it's hardly a reason to be concerned. It's still significantly ahead of 2021 hardware, as it should be, and it also outperforms the E2200 Galaxy S22+.

GFX Aztek ES 3.1 High (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• OnePlus 10 Pro
  43
• Realme GT2 Pro
  42
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  41
• Xiaomi 12
  41
• iQOO 9 Pro
  40
• Oppo Find X5 Pro
  40
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  39
• Samsung Galaxy S22+
  31
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  28
• Asus Zenfone 8 Flip
  28
• vivo X70 Pro+
  27
• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  24
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  22
• Huawei P50 Pro
  22
• vivo X70 Pro
  21

GFX Aztek Vulkan High (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• OnePlus 10 Pro
  48
• Realme GT2 Pro
  46
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  45
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  45
• Xiaomi 12
  45
• iQOO 9 Pro
  44
• Oppo Find X5 Pro
  44
• Samsung Galaxy S22+
  34
• Asus Zenfone 8 Flip
  31
• Huawei P50 Pro
  30
• vivo X70 Pro+
  29
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  26
• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  25
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  24
• vivo X70 Pro
  20

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

• OnePlus 10 Pro
  97
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  96
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  95
• Realme GT2 Pro
  95
• iQOO 9 Pro
  95
• Oppo Find X5 Pro
  94
• Xiaomi 12
  84
• Samsung Galaxy S22+
  76
• Asus Zenfone 8 Flip
  69
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  66
• vivo X70 Pro+
  66
• Huawei P50 Pro
  64
• Motorola Moto G200 5G
  62
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  57
• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  57
• vivo X70 Pro
  45

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

• OnePlus 10 Pro
  175
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  168
• Realme GT2 Pro
  165
• Xiaomi 12
  164
• Oppo Find X5 Pro
  162
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  160
• iQOO 9 Pro
  160
• Asus Zenfone 8 Flip
  118
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  111
• Samsung Galaxy S22+
  105
• vivo X70 Pro+
  105
• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  103
• Huawei P50 Pro
  99
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  92
• Motorola Moto G200 5G
  85
• vivo X70 Pro
  85

3DMark Wild Life Vulkan 1.1 (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• Oppo Find X5 Pro
  9758
• iQOO 9 Pro
  9673
• Xiaomi 12 Pro
  9664
• OnePlus 10 Pro
  9610
• Xiaomi 12
  9535
• Realme GT2 Pro
  9487
• Motorola Edge 30 Pro
  9406
• Samsung Galaxy S22+
  7405
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
  5757
• Asus Zenfone 8 Flip
  5677
• Huawei P50 Pro
  5651
• Motorola Moto G200 5G
  5617
• Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  5432
• vivo X70 Pro+
  5332
• Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  4206
• vivo X70 Pro
  4148

When it comes to stability under sustained load, we observed a peculiar duality in the Edge 30 Pro's results. It returned 62% in the 3DMark Wildlife stress test, whici is essentially the ballpark flagship phones tend to end up in. It was then more than a little surprising that the Edge 30 Pro posted a solid 84% result in the CPU throttling test, with essentially no deep dips throughout the 1-hour test.

CPU throttling test • 3DMark Wildlife stress test

That's a most welcome finding. We're theorizing that CPU performance stability is probably something Motorola spent deliberate efforts beyond your average smartphone maker, in light of the phone's potential use as a 'ready for' PC replacement.