Motorola Edge 40 Neo review

With the Motorola Edge 40 Neo, the producer has seemingly had a little bit of a rethink about its ‘reasonably priced premium’ Neo line. It’s larger and nicer-looking than the Motorola Edge 30 Neo, with a a lot bigger and curvier 6.55in pOLED show.

Regardless of this scaling up, nevertheless, the Motorola Edge 40 Neo finally ends up costing £50 much less out of the gate.

We described final 12 months’s mannequin as “a likeable handset that will get so much proper,” however it was let down by low-cost design and poor low-light digital camera efficiency, amongst different issues. Has Motorola managed to hit the ‘premium price range’ jackpot with this 12 months’s revision?

Design & Construct

• Premium curved design
• IP68 rated
• Slim and lightweight

Finally, we have now a Motorola Edge Neo cellphone worthy of the identify. Earlier Neo telephones haven’t actually deserved their ‘Edge’ moniker, dropping the curved edges of the extra premium fashions.

Opinions might differ on the worth of such a design, and we’ll go on to debate the drawbacks within the subsequent part. However there’s no denying that it’s a mightily efficient method to make an inexpensive cellphone feel and appear costlier.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

And make no mistake, the Motorola Edge 40 Neo appears and feels nice. Moreover that curved show, there’s a pleasingly stable, silky-feeling matt end plastic rear that doesn’t really feel remotely low-cost. I additionally like the way in which that it subtly curves up in the direction of the sq.(ish) digital camera module.

The Pantone branding printed on the rear cowl displays a barely gimmicky color coding partnership. My mannequin’s known as Black Magnificence, however you too can get it in Caneel Bay (marine blue) or Soothing Sea (pale inexperienced).

Whereas it’s larger than the Edge 30 Neo, that is nonetheless an agreeably compact cellphone, with a thickness of simply 7.9mm. Extra impressively, it weighs a mere 172g, which makes it extraordinarily straightforward to lug round.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Maybe probably the most spectacular determine to band round right here is ‘IP68’. That’s the extent of water and dirt resistance that has been formally achieved by Motorola, and it’s the type of element you merely don’t see this far south of £600, particularly when Motorola has a historical past of solely providing a water-repellent coating.

The most effective factor I can say for the Motorola Neo 40 Edge design is that I didn’t even examine the cellphone’s value till I had spent a number of days with the cellphone, and was genuinely shocked once I did. This can be a significantly elegant buyer for £300.

Display & Audio system

• First rate 6.55in pOLED show
• 144Hz max refresh charge
• Some palm enter points
• Ample stereo audio system

After going huge with the 6.7in Edge 20 Neo and shrinking approach down with the 6.2in Edge 30 Neo, Motorola has reached a snug center floor with the 6.55in Full HD+ Edge 40 Neo show.

It’s a sensible transfer, producing a canvas that’s nonetheless undeniably on the massive facet with out completely filling your fingers.

This can be a effectively judged display in different methods too. I’m nonetheless undecided that Motorola’s obsession with an elevated 144Hz refresh charge is solely worthwhile – it’s all a bit Spinal Faucet “this one goes as much as 11” – however it’s actually a noteworthy spec in a £300 cellphone.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Extra importantly, it is a vibrant pOLED show that outputs wealthy, pure colors – not less than when you’ve switched away from the default Saturated color mode.

It additionally will get fairly vivid. There’s a said peak brightness of 1300 nits, although in fact that is relevant to HDR situations and doesn’t replicate common ordinary. I measured round a 3rd of that determine on a plain white display with autobrightness turned off, which continues to be completely first rate.

Nearly the one grievance I’ve in regards to the Motorola Edge 40 Neo’s show is its twin curved nature. Whereas it would add a dose of sophistication to a less expensive cellphone, I did expertise a few of these telltale false palm presses as the sides of my holding hand interacted with the wrap-around contact floor.

Motorola has equipped a set of stereo audio system that are completely first rate for the cash. They lack low-end punch, as you’d count on for £300, however they’re loud and clear. Join a set of headphones and also you’ll additionally get Dolby Atmos help.

Specs & Efficiency

• MediaTek Dimensity 7030 with 12GB RAM
• Robust efficiency for the cash
• Beneficiant 256GB of storage

Motorola has fitted the Edge 40 Neo with MediaTek’s Dimensity 7030 SoC. That’s not probably the most mainstream of chips, however our benchmark assessments counsel that it’s a substantial step ahead from the Edge 30 Neo and the Poco X5 5G with their Snapdragon 695 chip.

Certainly, it handily tops most sub-£300 telephones within the uncooked efficiency stakes.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

As these benchmarks counsel, utilizing the Edge 40 Neo is a largely clean expertise, even with the show set to 144Hz, which is how I had it for a lot of the check interval. It doesn’t have the snap or fast-loading apps and net pages of a real flagship, however the overwhelming majority of individuals merely wouldn’t discover the distinction.

Certain, you may spend extra to get extra, however the Edge 40 Neo hits that candy spot the place we’re speaking marginal beneficial properties for all however probably the most intensive of energy customers or players. The benchmarks under present it’s not far off the Google Pixel 7a in Geekbench 6 which prices £449 and in addition outpaces the £349 Samsung Galaxy A34 5G.

It helps that right here within the UK you additionally get 12GB of RAM as commonplace, which is a beneficiant quantity at this value. You additionally get 256GB of storage, which is Motorola going effectively and actually above and past – that’s double the most cost effective iPhone 15 and Pixel 8.

Motorola Edge 40 Neo benchmarks

Cameras

• Giant, succesful 50Mp 1/1.5in principal sensor
• 13Mp ultra-wide matches the tone, if not high quality
• No telephoto or pointless additional sensors
• Mediocre 32Mp selfie digital camera

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo’s digital camera system is led by what seems to be the identical 50Mp 1/1.5in Omnivision OV50A sensor that you just’ll discover in Motorola Edge 30 Fusion, the Motorola Razr 2022, the Huawei P50 Professional, and the Moto G84 5G. Other than the latter, these are all pricier telephones.

This bigger sensor, backed by OIS (optical picture stabilisation), is able to scooping up extra gentle and capturing detailed, vivid, well-balanced photographs. It’s a totally nice digital camera to shoot with in most situations, and I used to be impressed by how wealthy and pure the colors seemed, whereas dynamic vary was additionally on level.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Shifting to lesser lighting situations, the Edge 40 Neo maintained its composure when taking pictures indoors in reasonable lighting, with some significantly tasty meals photographs. Evening mode photographs show the true hole to flagship telephones, however it’s nonetheless a really credible efficiency, with vivid, detailed photographs.

This spectacular principal shooter is backed by a 13Mp ultra-wide digital camera. As you’d count on, it’s not in the identical league as that 50Mp principal shooter, however it’s fairly respectable. It could actually’t even method the element or distinction captured by the principle sensor, however the tone is broadly related, which is an achievement in a price range cellphone.

There’s no telephoto digital camera, however nor are there any foolish depth or macro sensors cynically designed to fill out the roster. You’ll be able to seize 2x photographs, however know that they’ll be cropped in on that principal sensor, and so will wrestle for positive element.

Rounding up the bundle is a 32Mp selfie digital camera, which sounds spectacular, however doesn’t really take significantly nice photographs. Element is OK, however I discovered my pores and skin tone to be weirdly false trying.

I favored the choice between two focal lengths – one fairly shut up, one wider – however the former is basically a crop of the latter. You’re higher off sticking with the vast possibility.

Battery Life & Charging

• 5000mAh battery
• Battery comfortably lasts a full day
• 68W charger bundled in

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo comes with a 5000mAh battery, which is a pleasant measurement given how svelte the cellphone feels.

It enabled me to get by a full day of heavy utilization (5 hours of display on time) with round 25% left within the tank. That’s a really stable consequence provided that I used to be operating with the display set to the complete 144Hz restrict.

It would sound worrying that the Edge 40 Neo didn’t rating too extremely on the usual PC Mark Work 3.0 battery check, dropping greater than 2 hours wanting the ten hour mark that the Poco X5 5G and the Redmi Be aware 12 5G reached.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Bear in mind, although, that this rating was achieved with that 144Hz setting fairly than the standard 120Hz. Dropping the refresh charge to 120Hz added one other hour to that rating, whereas going with the default Auto setting introduced the rating as much as 9h 17min.

That’s nonetheless effectively wanting the competitors, and several other hours wanting the Moto Edge 30 Neo, suggesting that the Dimensity 7030 isn’t probably the most environment friendly chip in the marketplace with regards to a sustained synthetic load. In sensible mixed-use phrases, nevertheless, I’ve no qualms in any respect.

Motorola bundles a speedy 68W charger with the Edge 40 Neo, which is most welcome. It’ll get the battery from empty to nearly half-full in simply quarter-hour, and on to a superb 82% in half an hour.

Software program & Apps

• Android 13
• Clear UI and minimal bloatware
• Two main OS updates, three years of safety updates

Motorola’s super-clean tackle Android is just about legendary by now, not less than amongst tech journo sorts. It’s blissfully freed from flab, with menus and icons largely as meant by Google.

That’s to not say that Motorola’s fingerprints aren’t on this UI. The Moto app is your window onto the corporate’s approach of doing issues, providing entry to considerate gesture-based shortcuts, enhanced safety, and personalisation choices.

Household Area, in the meantime, allows you to create an area in your cellphone for youths, limiting entry to apps, designing a bespoke dwelling display, setting closing dates and establishing passwords.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

We are able to’t let Motorola utterly off the hook for its method to software program. It’s not completely free from bloatware, with TikTok, Fb, and Reserving.com all preinstalled. Nevertheless it’s just about the cleanest, most nice Android-based OS exterior of Google’s inventory efforts.

Motorola is promising full OS updates (so as much as and together with Android 15) and three years of safety updates. It’s not the very best on the market within the grand scheme of issues, with the likes of Samsung providing double that for OS updates so limits the lifespan of the handset which is a disgrace.

Value & Availability

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo is out there in simply mannequin right here within the UK, with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It prices £299.99 straight from the Motorola web site.

Different widespread on-line retailers like Amazon are additionally carrying the cellphone. The Edge 40 Neo just isn’t out there within the US.

At this value, the principle competitors comes from Xiaomi’s price range sub-brands, with telephones such because the Poco X5 5G and the Redmi Be aware 12 5G broadly in the identical class because the Edge 40 Neo with equal configurations.

Apparently, Motorola’s personal Moto G84 5G is barely £50 lower than the Edge 40 Neo sitting in our price range cellphone class, although the gulf in school feels a lot wider.

Try our chart of the very best mid-range telephones to see extra choices.

Do you have to purchase the Motorola Edge 40 Neo?

Motorola has supplied a startlingly full premium price range cellphone within the Edge 40 Neo. Its design and construct high quality are higher than just about every thing else in its weight class.

Efficiency is robust, the show is vivid and fluid (the tune of 144Hz), and the 50Mp principal digital camera is able to capturing genuinely good photographs.

Throw in stable battery life, quick charging, and Motorola’s famed clear method to software program, and you’ve got what may very effectively be the very best cellphone you will get for lower than £300.

Specs

• Android 13
• 6.55in, FHD+, OLED, 144Hz, curved show
• In-display fingerprint sensor
• MediaTek Dimensity 7030
• 12GB LPDDR5 RAM
• 256GB storage
• 50Mp, f/1.8 principal digital camera
• 13Mp ultra-wide digital camera
• As much as 4K @ 30fps rear video
• 32Mp front-facing digital camera
• Stereo audio system
• Twin-SIM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e
• Bluetooth 5.4
• 5000mAh battery
• 68W charging
• 159.6 x 72 x 7.9mm
• 172g
• Launch colors: Black Magnificence, Soothing Sea, Caneel Bay