CNET’s key takeaways
- The Motorola Edge goes for $550, which is one of the lowest prices out there for a phone with such a bright screen and an impressive 3x telephoto camera
- The Edge’s light weight and curved screen make it very pocketable
- It comes with only two years of software support and three years of security updates, which is very low for a phone that’s over $500
When I tested the $550 Motorola Edge, I was surprised that it includes a telephoto camera at that price, and that it’s largely quite adept in all kinds of lighting situations.
Though the Edge certainly won’t reach the overall image-quality levels of an $800 Samsung Galaxy S25, for a phone that costs $250 less, it’s notable that the Edge features a similar 10-megapixel telephoto camera with a 3x optical zoom. Most other phones in this price range either don’t include one or they have a 2x optical zoom.
Of course to keep the price low, Motorola had to make compromises. Some are smart, like including a big battery that easily lasts all day, especially when paired up with a less-powerful processor in comparison to similarly priced phones. Others make my head spin, like offering software support for only two years and security updates for three years. But when I slip the Edge out of my pocket to take a photo — when sitting in the nosebleeds at a Mets game, or strolling the waterfront at sunset — I’m reminded of why I like this phone, especially when I need to zoom in to get a shot.
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My experience with the Motorola Edge (2025)
The $550 Motorola Edge includes a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with a 3x optical zoom. It’s one of the least expensive phones currently available with those specs.
At the heart of the Motorola Edge is its triple rear camera system: a 50-megapixel wide-angle, a 50-megapixel ultrawide and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. Around the front is a 50-megapixel selfie camera. But it’s that 3x telephoto camera that’s the special sauce for me.
It came in handy at a Mets game against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. My zoomed-in photo of the field even picks up some of the pitcher’s facial features. What makes the Edge special is that most comparably priced phones either don’t have a telephoto camera or use one with a shorter, 2x optical zoom. Normally, we’ll see a 3x optical zoom only on phones like the $800 Samsung Galaxy S25.
Enlarge Image
I took this one with the 10-megapixel telephoto camera on the Motorola Edge.
Back in June, I took several photos while I was in line outside the Nintendo store to pick up my Switch 2. I’m largely impressed by how the images I took in static low-light settings came out. Below are two examples: one at 1x and the other at 3x. Each image captures lots of detail considering I’m on a dark sidewalk in Manhattan. The phone’s photo processing reduces the image noise in each, and the 3x photo retains details like the Nike symbol on the sneakers of the people who are about to enter the store. There’s also some motion blur on the person who just entered, but considering how dark the setting is, it’s pretty good overall.
I took this one with the Motorola Edge’s 50-megapixel main camera at 1x zoom.
I got this with the Motorola Edge’s telephoto camera at 3x zoom.
But motion is indeed where the Motorola Edge’s photo processing hit its limits. Once I was inside and started snapping photos while walking to the checkout line, the Edge had a challenging time, despite the bright lighting.
As I walked into the store and fired off a shot, the Edge’s camera struggled with the motion, leading to Diddy Kong in the bottom-left corner looking skewed.
Similar issues popped up with my selfies. I found images from the front-facing camera to be all over the place when it came to details. Though overall I have mixed feelings about the cameras’ performance, they’re still quite good for a phone at this price — especially with that 3x telephoto camera.
A selfie by the water captures the color and texture of my shirt, but the details of my face are flattened a bit.
Another selfie, taken after a Mets game. The camera setup had a tough time negotiating the low light and the crowds of people moving behind me.
Of course, there’s more to the Edge than just its cameras. I’m enamored by the Edge’s 6.7-inch curved edge display. Its 1,220p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate make content look bright, detailed and colorful. Its tall body is particularly well suited to widescreen content like movies. This was especially helpful when I was waiting for my midnight appointment for the Switch 2 launch, when I watched videos and scrolled social media. The phone’s 4,500-nit peak brightness is also exceptionally high for any phone, not just an affordable one.
The Motorola Edge is one of the few phones left that still includes a curved display.
The Edge weighs in at 181 grams and feels relatively light — all while having three rear cameras. Compare that to the Galaxy S25, which also has a trio of cameras on the back but is lighter, at 162 grams (it also costs $250 more). The Edge supports 68W fast charging, and in my 30-minute charging test, it recharged its 5,200-mAh battery from empty to 65%. The Galaxy S25 recharged its battery only 47% in the same time.
I used Moto AI to generate a grocery list based on a few recipes.
The Motorola Edge’s trade-offs to get that camera
The Motorola Edge has a 50-megapixel wide camera, a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera and the 10-megapixel telephoto camera on its back.
Motorola guarantees only two years of software support and three years of security updates for the Edge. Compare that with the seven years of each that comes with Google’s $499 Pixel 9A. I realize most people keep their phone from two to three years before getting a new one, but it feels like Motorola doesn’t want you to have its phone for the long term.
The Edge comes in a drab Deep Forest color. It’s the only color you can buy, and it’s completely forgettable. Where are the exciting Pantone colors found in the Razr line and in Motorola’s lower-cost Moto G series?
Then there’s the Edge’s Mediatek Dimensity 7400 processor and 8GB of RAM, which, when I used the phone, ran most of my music, web browsing and productivity apps without any noticeable slowdown. I had some issues with more demanding tasks like low-light photo processing, and when given the option, I’d keep games to medium to low graphics settings to improve performance. When I benchmarked the CPU with Geekbench 6.0 and the GPU with gaming benchmark 3DMark Wild Life Extreme, the Motorola Edge scored similarly to the $400 Moto G Stylus.
Motorola Edge (2025) benchmarks vs. Moto G Stylus (2025), Google Pixel 9A, OnePlus 13R
| 3DMark Wild Life Extreme | Geekbench 6.0 | 30 min. fast charging test (charging speed/result) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorola Edge (2025) | 1,019; 6.16fps | Single: 1,023; Multi: 2,830 | 68W; 0 to 65% |
| Moto G Stylus (2025) | 858; 5.14fps | Single: 1,011; Multi: 2,865 | 68W; 0% to 74% |
| Google Pixel 9A | 2,636; 15.79 fps | Single: 1,678; Multi: 4,294 | 45W; 0% to 46% |
| OnePlus 13R | 4,978; 29.42fps | Single: 2,215; Multi: 6,498 | 55W; 0% to 60% |
Normally, in this price range, we see processors that have a CPU that can perform closer to what you’d encounter in a flagship phone. For instance, the Pixel 9A has the same Tensor G4 that’s used in the Pixel 9, while the $599 OnePlus 13R uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 that was included in 2024’s Android flagships like the Galaxy S24. Both of these ran much faster than the Edge in our benchmark tests and would likely be better choices if gaming or multitasking are higher priorities for you than photography.
Complicating things is the fact that Motorola sells three different international editions of the Motorola Edge, each with a more competitive feature set and bolder colors too.
The Motorola Edge’s curved display can be set to light up when notifications come in. That way, you can see an illumination like a notification light.
Motorola Edge specs
- 6.7-inch pOLED display, 2,712 by 1,220p, 120Hz refresh rate, 4,500-nit peak brightness
- 68W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, 5,200-mAh battery
- 50-megapixel wide camera, 50-megapixel ultrawide camera, 10-megapixel telephoto with 3x optical zoom, 50-megapixel front-facing camera
- IP68 and IP69 rated for water and dust resistance
- 256GB of storage with 8GB of memory
- Moto AI features including Catch Me Up for notification summaries, Remember This for saving and recording, and access to Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot for AI-assisted search
- Ships with Android 15. It’ll get two years of major software updates and three years of security updates
There’s a thin button on this side of the phone that can be used to summon Moto AI. Moto AI is also available from the app drawer’s search box.
CNET’s buying advice on the Motorola Edge
If you want the curved display or telephoto camera, the Motorola Edge could be a decent option, but there are other competitive choices if you want the Edge’s other highlight features. If you can do without the curved display, the telephoto camera and Moto AI, the $400 Moto G Stylus has the same 68-watt fast charging, a 6.7-inch flat OLED display with the same 1,220p resolution, the same 256GB of space with 8GB of memory and the same two years of software updates with three years of security updates. You could also get the $499 Google Pixel 9A, which lacks a telephoto camera but does have the more powerful Tensor G4 processor, along with a commitment from Google for seven years of software and security updates.
It’s worth noting that Motorola’s phones are frequently discounted, and that could significantly change up the Edge’s value proposition. The Edge would be an excellent phone if offered at low to no cost and subsidized by a wireless carrier in exchange for a time commitment. For example, at the time of this writing, the Motorola Edge is selling for $300 outright at T-Mobile without needing any contract with the carrier. That’s a fantastic price for this phone, as it’s easily a better value than most other phones for $300 and less that I review. Motorola often runs its own sales, too. For instance, at the time of this writing, the 2024 edition of the Motorola Edge has been reduced to $300.
How we test phones
Every phone tested by CNET’s reviews team was actually used in the real world. We test a phone’s features, play games, and take photos. We examine the display to see if it’s bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP-rating for water resistance. We push the processor’s performance to the extremes using standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.
All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions, from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using it daily as well as running a series of battery-drain tests.
We take into account additional features like support for 5G, satellite connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus support, fast charging speeds and foldable displays, among others that can be useful. We balance all this against the price to give you the verdict on whether a particular phone, whatever the cost, actually represents good value. Though these tests may not always be reflected in CNET’s initial review, we conduct follow-up and long-term testing in most circumstances.
Watch this: Review: We Take the $1,300 Razr Ultra for a Spin
