Motorola recently announced new smartphones in the Edge 30 series: Moto Edge 30 Ultra, Edge 30 Neo and Edge Fusion. The company invests heavily in cameras, looks, and software. In addition, the competitive price, according to Motorola, should convince users to choose a Motorola device in advance. Motorola is known mainly in Benelux as a manufacturer that is mainly active in the budget segment, for example with the Moto G series. Years later, the company is again targeting the high-end market with its Edge series. Additionally, the company also released a foldable Moto Razr a while ago. The company recently launched a new model, but only in China. During the presentation, the manufacturer said between the nose and lips that this new version will come to Europe later. They did not want to reveal more details about this device.

Left to right: Moto Edge 30 Neo, Moto Edge 30 Fusion, and Moto Edge 30 Ultra

We were able to play with smartphones in Milan right before the devices came out and we’re sharing our first impressions here.

Motorola Edge 30 Ultra

Motorola focuses on photography with the most powerful and expensive version of the Edge 30. It is the first device to be launched in the Netherlands with a 200-megapixel camera. The device is equipped with a Samsung Isocell HP1 sensor. This has an area of ​​82 square millimeters, and is therefore larger than the sensor of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max. The camera can shoot 8k videos and record 4k videos with HDR10+. The unit can combine sixteen pixels into a single pixel in an image to create 2.56 micron ultra-large pixels, which the company says can capture more light and produce clear, low-noise images in low-light situations. The photos at the end have a resolution of 12.5 megapixels. When more light is available, it can combine four pixels to create 50MP images. It is also possible not to merge pixels and thus to take pictures with a resolution of 200 megapixels.

In addition, the company did not reduce the use of other cameras on the device. The second camera is an ultrawide model with 50 megapixels and autofocus, so it can also act as a macro camera. These specs are similar to the OnePlus 10 Pro, except that the angle of view is much smaller and matches the ultra-wide-angle cameras of other phones. The telephoto camera is 12 MP with the option to zoom up to 2x. While it’s nice to have this device with a telephoto camera on board, it’s surprising that most of the top models have a model that offers more zoom. The front camera is behind a hole in the screen and is 60 megapixels.

We couldn’t resist taking some test photos with this device. In the limited time we spent with this smartphone, we were able to capture something with the main camera during the day and in the evening. We also used the front camera to shoot some selfies. The first impression of the main camera is good. The images look neat and clear and there seems to be hardly any noise. We expected more from the front camera. The pictures seem a little on the faded side.

We were particularly interested in night photos and the device seems to work well there too. Since pictures were taken while the devices were being detected, there was enough (disco) light available, so we don’t yet know how the camera works when it’s really dark. The best you can really do is sneak into the darkest spot behind the stage and take a picture of the back of the speakers there. This photo also looks very good and we are curious about how the device performs in the usual dark places where we take our test photos. Unfortunately, the first impression of the selfie camera was a bit disappointing in low-light situations.

Motorola Edge 30 Ultra is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor with 8 or 12GB Lpddr5 memory and 128 to 512GB UFS 3.1 storage. The battery has a capacity of 4,610 mAh and can be charged at 125W. Wireless charging is possible with a maximum of 50W. The device can wirelessly charge other devices with up to 10W. Charger included. Motorola says the device only needs seven minutes on the charger for an entire day.

The smartphone will be available in two colours, white and black. Both devices have a rough frosted glass back with glossy spots. This makes the device look very luxurious. The frame is aluminum and the camera island doesn’t protrude much. The device is also equipped with stereo speakers.

On the front of the Edge 30 Ultra is a 6.67-inch OLED display with a refresh rate of 144Hz and the ability to display 10-bit color. This is equivalent to a billion colors. Resolution 2400 x 1080 pixels. The screen is curved at the ends. Motorola calls this edge-to-edge display. Since the screen is so curved, it can also act as a notification LED when the device is placed on the table with the screen facing down. The edges of the screen remain visible and light up in different colors if something goes wrong. The manufacturer says the maximum screen brightness is 1250cd/m². The screen has a layer of Gorilla Glass 5 and the device is IP52 rated which means that it is splash resistant. This is lower than what we see in other high-end smartphones that usually have an IP68 rating. The Moto Edge 30 Ultra is available immediately and costs 900 euros.