Weekly poll: is the Motorola Edge 50 Neo the small phone to get?

Poll results from earlier this year showed that the first three models in Motorola’s Edge 50 series are promising but pricey. Since then the company has added a few new models, including the relatively compact Neo model.

Motorola Edge 50 Neo

The Motorola Edge 50 Neo isn’t small, but with a 6.4” display, it is smaller than most Androids out there. Compared to a Pixel 9 Pro, it is 1.3mm taller but 0.8mm narrower and 0.4mm thinner, not to mention 28g lighter. All this while offering a bit more screen real estate. The Galaxy S24 and iPhone 15 Pro are both smaller than the Neo, but they are pretty much the only mainstream flagships that are.

Not that the Edge 50 Neo is a flagship – the Dimensity 7300 chipset is the same one that is used in the €200 CMF Phone 1. However, the Neo does stand out with several premium features. For one, that 6.4” display is an LTPO OLED with higher than FHD+ resolution (the pixel density is higher than the iPhone 15 Pro). And it’s a flat display, unlike most Edge 50 models.

The Gorilla Glass 3 is certainly outdated (why not 7i?), but the vegan leather and suede backs do feel fancy. And this is a fairly rugged phone with an IP68 rating and MIL-STD-810H compliance.

What really caught our eye, though, was the triple camera – there’s a 3x 10MP telephoto module (73mm lens) on the back, in addition to the 50MP main (1/1.5”) and 13MP ultra wide. The Asus Zenfone 10 and the Sony Xperia 5 V don’t have telephoto lenses (or 2024 sequels, for that matter).

The 15W wireless charging often gets omitted from these smaller phones too, but not here. The 4,310mAh battery capacity falls between the S24 (4,000mAh) and Pixel 9 Pro (4,700mAh) batteries, but the 68W wired charging is faster than both.

We spent some hands-on time with the Motorola Edge 50 Neo and we’re working on a full review too, so expect more details soon. For now, there is only one thing left to mention – the price.

At €500 for an 8/256GB model (UFS storage, but no expansion), the Neo isn’t a cheap phone, but we wouldn’t expect it to be, given the premium elements of its hardware. Still, we have to check out some competition.

The Pixel 8a will have to hold the fort until the 9a arrives. It goes for a bit over €500 for an 8/256GB device and while it lacks a dedicated tele lens, the camera quality is quite high overall. The 6.1” FHD+ 120Hz display is not a 10-bit LTPO panel like on the Neo, however. The 4,492mAh battery has a comparable capacity, but the inefficient Tensor G3 chipset makes for average battery life and the 18W wired, 7.5W wireless charging is quite slow.

The Motorola Edge 50 Fusion is €400 for a 12/256GB unit and it feels cheaper too. The 144Hz 6.7” OLED display may look fancy with its curved sides, but it has a lower FHD+ resolution and isn’t an LTPO panel (the GG5 glass is old too). The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 is only marginally faster than the Dimensity 7300. Also, the 50+13MP camera is missing a tele lens. Finally, the 5,000mAh battery does only 68W wired and no wireless charging.

Google Pixel 8a • Motorola Edge 50 Fusion • OnePlus 12R • Realme GT 6

The OnePlus 12R can be found for €550 in a 16/256GB configuration. This one has a proper flagship chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and a high resolution LTPO display – a rather large 6.78” panel. However, it lacks a tele camera (it has a 50+8+2MP setup). Also, the 5,500mAh battery maybe large and fast to charge over USB-C (100W), it doesn’t have wireless charging. Even the water resistance rating is only IP64.

The Realme GT 6 is another large one with a 6.78” high resolution LTPO display. €550 buys you a 12/256GB phone with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 and a decent tele camera – the short 47mm focal length is compensated by the high resolution 50MP sensor. The water resistance still isn’t on the level (IP65) and the 5,500mAh battery supports only wired charging (120W).

Motorola Edge 50 Neo colorways

Maybe the arrival of the Pixel 9a will shake things up. Maybe the Xperia 5 VI will too, but it will cost double the price of the Neo. It will be up against the Xiaomi 15 instead, at least in terms of cost. Asus may or may not launch a small Zenfone 11.

This places the Motorola Edge 50 Neo in a unique position – no phone offers quite the same hardware package at a comparable price. Has Neo climbed up to the top of the “my next phone” list or do you see flaws in it?