REVIEW: Motorola Edge+

Dubai - A familiar design is back, and its specs will compel you to give it a good look

It's amusing how time flies; seems like only recently that I was brandishing the Motorola T2288, my first-ever mobile device. FYI, that phone didn't even have text ID, meaning all those messages only showed the phone number (encouraging me to memorise almost all my contacts).
So, it can be correct to say that, particularly for my contemporaries, it's satisfying to see how far the brand, and mobile devices in general, have gone.
That said, Motorola's first flagship after a good wait, the Motorola Edge+, kinda gives me the goosebumps. Not exactly a fresh take, but fresh enough to get those gears running again for one of the sector's legendary brands.
And yet another device without a direct predecessor. Let's rummage through what it has to offer:
TALE OF THE TAPE

You got some pretty intense specs right there; that's the way to make some noise after being quiet for quite a while. And the usual goodies are in here:

DESIGN
At first glance, it's obvious: The Edge+ will remind you of those similar devices from Samsung and Huawei - and Motorola calls their own take on this feature as 'Endless Edge'. So let's admire that first:

The box also comes with a transparent protective case, which is specifically designed in a manner that you'll admire those edges. True, that content on the sides will slide down a tiny bit along those edges, but they're not exactly a hindrance to using them, even if you have to tap certain things along those lines (which you'll find out later).
At 6.7 inches and a very slim profile, the Edge+ is a beauty. And even though it isn't the slimmest of phones, it's very comfy to hold.

The volume rocker and a ribbed power button are own the right, while a 3.5mm audio port is on top. Below are the USB-C port and the card tray, which can only house one nano-SIM. And while indeed an expansion isn't available, you may have enough space with 256GB of internal storage.
Right behind is a solid, glossy finish that comes in three colours - Smokey Sangria, Thunder Grey and Baltic Grey. It has a very premium look and feel, with only the Motorola logo gracing the rear, adding to that minimalistic effect.
PERFORMANCE
The Edge+ is also blessed with 12GB of RAM, which is a very good number on any day. Not many devices have this much memory at this price point, so this is another kitchen-sink spec Motorola is throwing at us.
And this is a 5G phone, with the Snapdragon 865 managing things from inside. Add up all those figures and we kinda had high expectations, and it was well warranted: We did not encounter any instances of lags, and using the device is as speedy as you can imagine it.
The fingerprint sensor is right under the screen (where you'd expect it to be most reachable by your thumb), but you can't just tap it quickly; don't remove your finger away too soon because it won't unlock the phone (don't worry, it's basically a split-second).
And here's a head-scratcher: There's no face unlock. Surprised? Well, given the flurry of top-end specs (and its price), leaving this out is a shock. While indeed not everyone is a fan of this security measure, this feature - which is becoming a staple - could've been there as an additional option. (In this age of face masks... we'll consider that.)
Navigation is of the garden-variety type: Swipe up anywhere on the home screen to reveal the app drawer, while doing so the opposite directions brings down notifications and the control panel. Swiping left will bring you to apps that you've brought out of the drawer, while going to the left brings you to Google Assistant.
Now if you're not a fan of the default gestures - swipe from below to go to the home screen; swipe and hold for recent apps; and swipe from the sides to go back or forward a screen - you can always change this in settings to the more familiar virtual buttons.
Now on to that special feature - the edges. They're not there just for bluster; swipe from that thin line on the right to reveal a floating menu, which you can customise to quickly access apps you've assigned:

Aside from that, it also functions as an indicator for specific stuff: 

As we've said, it's not a new feature, but it does give additional functionality.
There have also been reports about certain display issues, to which Motorola had rolled out updates to address them. Fortunately, we didn't experience any of it, and we're happy about that.
CAMERA
Alright, Samsung: Meet some competition in the numbers game.
The Edge+ boasts a 108MP main camera on its quad-lens setup. But to be clear, it actually uses a 27MP sensor that uses quad-pixel binning - which is, in simplest terms, the process of combining (processing) data from four pixels into one, therefore sharpening up the results. Rounding up its quad team are 16MP ultra-wide, 8MP telephoto and time of flight lenses.

The shots are great because the results are natural, with no absurd amount of extra lighting. If you look at the close-up photos, you'll also notice some fade effects radiating from where the camera was focused. Overall, the Motorola Edge+ does great in good light.
The next set was taken as the sun was almost down:

The colours remain solid, and the camera does a nice job of giving that right amount of extra lighting to brighten up the shots.
Now, when it gets really dark, night vision mode is available. Spot the difference: 

The one on top was taken using regular mode, while the one below used night vision. You can immediately notice that the latter is brighter, and if you observe those neon signs on the buildings below and the lamp posts on the left, you'll notice that night vision also fixes those unwanted glares. 

For this one, the Hulkbuster had lights behind it while the Hulk had them facing it. Night vision is able to give the right amount of additional brightness, but with some diverging results: Basically, you'll get some smudge or grain if the scene is darker. So pick your spots at night.
Right in front is a 25MP front camera that captures pretty solid selfies - just make sure you have enough light so you can avoid those, as usual, smudges and grains.
Video, meanwhile, tops out at 6K. That could still be a novelty at this stage (the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra has 8K capabilities), but it's a future-proof feature that could come in handy in the near future. For now, capturing 6K video will be great if you have a TV or display with a really high resolution or intentions of editing it.
BATTERY
The Edge+ boasts a 5000mAh battery, which, in theory, should hold up pretty well. So, in our standard one-hour YouTube-at-full-brightness test, it was proven: It only lost 7 per cent of juice, beating out the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G's 8 per cent and just missed out on the Huawei Mate 20 Pro's 6 per cent in our reviews.
If you want more good battery news, our run showed that the device was able to stretch until mid- or late-afternoon the following day, depending of course how you use it. But in any case, the results speak for themselves: The Edge+ has some serious battery packed in it that would guarantee longer utilisation. As a matter of fact, with not-so-intense use, there were times I still had about 15 per cent on it by the next evening.
However, you have to buckle up for a full charge. It took 15 minutes to hike it up to 15 per cent, half-an-hour for 29 per cent, 45 minutes for 44 per cent, an hour for 58 per cent, one hour and 15 minutes for 74 per cent, 1.5 hours for 84 per cent, an hour and 45 minutes for 90 per cent and two hours for - no, not yet - 94 per cent. It finally hit the 100 per cent finish line in two hours and 29 minutes.
To be fair, every time I tried to shut down the device during those intervals, it just keeps coming back to life, so that extra power used is a factor - though I've put it on aeroplane mode the whole time. Still, that time to fully charge it - especially the snail's pace towards the end - is just head-scratching. At least you have wireless charging and reverse wireless charging at your disposal.
AND SO...
Now that's how you make yourself noticed on the comeback trail. The Motorola Edge+ sure wants everyone to take notice, and it did the right thing in packing up all those neat stuff into one of 2020's most interesting mobile devices.
While its curved design isn't original, it's one of its biggest come-ons, along with the strengths of its camera and battery (especially if you don't take real issue with that long time to fully charge it). It's smooth as butter to operate and gives a pure Android experience, so you won't have to worry about having to get used to additional things while operating it.
You may have to consider its practically Dh4,000 price tag though. There are other mobiles with a more complete spec set at a lower range, but Motorola makes up for it with its 'uniqueness'. You can, however, do without those missing ingredients.
GOODIES: Superb battery, camera holds up well, sleek design, lag-free performance
GOOFIES: Long time to full charge, no face unlock, no listed IP rating, a bit up there in price
EDITOR RATING: It's tempting to give this phone a higher score, but the lack of certain features present in other flagships - and most of which are found in devices at lower price points - drags it down. In any case however, it's a, well, tempting deal - especially if you want something 'new'. 4.0/5
alvin@khaleejtimes.com

• Hard Drive
• Mobiles