The Motorola Edge 30 Pro in 'cosmic blue' colorway. Art Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
MANILA - The Edge 30 Pro is supposed to be Motorola’s entry into the flagship smartphone arena. However, while the phone itself has legit flagship specs, its other features, as well as its price put it closer to the premium midrange segment.
There are several things to like about the Motorola Edge 30 Pro, the most prominent of which are:
- Affordable for a flagship
- Powerful chipset
- Excellent screen
- Sleek design
- Good battery life
- Fast charging
But there are also a few things that could have been better considering that it is a flagship.
But first, the price. At P34,995 for the 12GB memory and 256GB storage combination, this is likely the most affordable flagship out there. It’s cheaper than even the non-flagship Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G which is priced at P41,990 for the 8GB + 256GB variant.
For that price, you also get a lot of power with the flagship-class Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which is Qualcomm’s most advanced platform right now. Of course, it wouldn’t be a flagship if it didn’t have 5G, in case you are wondering.
The Motorola Edge 30 Pro's 144Hz OLED screen is one of the best in its class. Art Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
In terms of power, memory and storage, the Edge 30 Pro can definitely go toe to toe with any of the highest end smartphones out there. This can definitely handle any app or game you throw at it.
For that price you also get a 144 Hz OLED screen. While other flagship smartphones, even those geared towards gaming, are happy with a 120Hz frame rate, the Edge 30 Pro thinks that an extra 24 Hz is needed.
This means even smoother transitions, scrolling and gameplay–at least for the games that can support this refresh rate.
While I personally couldn’t tell the difference between a 120Hz screen and the Edge 30 Pro’s 144Hz display, eagle-eyed gamers probably could. The FHD 2400 × 1080 screen isn’t the most pixel-dense, but most users likely won’t notice the difference between this and other screens with higher resolutions–there are only so many pixels that the eye can notice after all.
The Edge 30 Pro also has a pretty sleek design. The glass back is frosted and resists finger smudges better than most phones. I also liked it that the camera module curves smoothly into the back of the phone instead of protruding.
The Motorola Edge 30 Pro's camera module curves smoothly into the phone's back. Art Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
While I’ve never been a big fan of the color-shifting craze that seems to have taken over the designs of 9 out 10 smartphones, the Edge 30 Pro’s “cosmic blue” colorway is pretty interesting.
It also has a 4800 mAh battery, which may seem standard for this class of smartphones. But I was personally amazed at how well it retained power despite being used as a wifi hotspot during an unplanned remote work incident.
During the May 9 polls, the vote counting machine in our precinct failed. I and my wife had to stay at the precinct for over 9 hours while we waited for the replacement VCM. During that time, I used the Edge 30 Pro as a wifi hotspot so we could both work on our laptops while waiting. The Motorola handled it very well with plenty of juice to spare.
You can also tweak the 144Hz screen to switch to lower frame rates for apps and taks that don’t require very high refresh rates, so you can save on battery.
Another thing to like is the fast charging capability. Motorola’s TurboPower recharged the phone in just a few minutes. I wasn’t able to time it during that poll incident (busy with other things) but I was pleasantly surprised to find the phone fully charged after a quick plug. It’s also nice that, unlike other phone manufacturers out there, Motorola was nice enough to include a 68W charger with the unit.
It sounds pretty good too with its stereo speakers. Like most other phones though, it doesn’t have a headphone jack anymore.
I also like the fact that the Edge 30 Pro already uses Android 12, which is big on privacy. The new privacy dashboard allows users a unified view of the permissions granted to each app, including camera, mic, location access. In today’s world, it seems you can’t be paranoid enough about these things.
As good as the Edge 30 Pro is, there are also several areas where it is lacking.
- Cameras are just OK
- Side-mounted scanner is awkward
- Not waterproof
The phone boasts of a three-camera system at the back, featuring two 50 megapixel units and a third 2MP unit that acts as a depth sensor. It also has a massive 60MP selfie camera.
Sample shots with the Motorola Edge 30 Pro. Art Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
Sample shots with the Motorola Edge 30 Pro. Art Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
Sample shots with the Motorola Edge 30 Pro. Art Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
Sample shots with the Motorola Edge 30 Pro. Art Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
Sample shots with the Motorola Edge 30 Pro. Art Fuentes, ABS-CBN News
The main shooter has an f1.8 lens, while the other ultrawide camera has an f2.2 lens. You may notice the absence of a zoom unit, which has become a standard feature in most other flagships.
It can take 8K video at24/30fps, and 4K at 30/60fps. Video quality was good, though I wasn’t able to test its features extensively.
The Edge 30 Pro also takes good photos, though they don't leave an entirely 'flagship-grade' feel.
While detail level is great and noise is low even in low light settings, the photos themselves appear somewhat lacking when compared to those taken by other flagships.
It would also have been nice to have an optical zoom unit. I know ultrazooms have become gimmicky, but I still think a proper flagship should get at least 2x or 3x optical zoom for those instances when you just can’t get close enough to a subject to get a good frame.
I also find it strange that Motorola has chosen to keep the fingerprint scanner on the side button instead of implementing it onscreen. Since the the phone is so big, it was awkward trying to reach the button. Onscreen would have been much easier.
Finally, the Moto is not waterproof. It has an IP52 rating, which means it should survive 'accidental spills, splashes or light rain’' but you probably shouldn’t try submerging it. A lot of the Edge 30 Pro’s competitors meanwhile were designed to be water and dust proof.
Still at less than P35k, this seems like a good deal for a ‘flagship.’