Introduction
The Motorola Edge 20 Pro probably is probably not on most people’s top list of choices for a flaghip device, since it’s not as heavily marketed as the competition, and the market is saturated by the more “popular” giants.
But after using this for a few weeks, I think I’ve found a hidden gem. This phone is nothing short of fantastic, and yet, it just doesn’t hit the radar as it is drowned by brands who release a new phone every week.
Specifications
| Display | 6.7″ FHD+ OLED, 144Hz |
| Processor | Snapdragon 870 |
| RAM | 12GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 256GB |
| Rear Camera | 108MP Main |
| 16MP Ultra-Wide | |
| 8MP 5x Telephoto | |
| Front Camera | 32MP |
| OS | Android 11 |
| Battery | 4,500mAh, 30W TurboPower Charging |
| Pricing | PhP29,995 |
Design
Sleek, Premium, Sexy. Yes. I rarely say that about a phone, but the Edge 20 Pro is just that good in terms of the way it looks. The back panel is smooth, but the surface reacts to light differently, depending on the angle. The Motorola logo is not just printed, but is sort of embedded into the surface. The semi-glossy finish also makes it less prone to fingerprints, but without a case, the phone can easily slip away from your hand.
The sides, however, are more glossy, but the flat design blends well with the rest of the device. Both the volume rocker and power button are on the right side, while the left houses a dedicated button for the Google Assistant, at least by default.
At the bottom is the SIM slot, along with a speaker grille, microphone, and a USB-C port. No headphone jack here, so you’ll be at the mercy of a dongle, or Bluetooth. The position of the speaker also makes it prone to being covered by your hand when using the device in landscape.
As for its display, the Edge 20 Pro has a 6.7-inch FHD+ OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. That’s something you don’t usually get, except for gaming-focused smartphones. It also boasts HDR10+ support. Is the difference between this and say a 120Hz display noticeable? I can confirm that the former is just slightly more fluid and snappy, but some people will probably not notice.
Performance
Under the hood of the Edge 20 Pro is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC, which, while not the most powerful chip today, is still categorized as a flagship level processor. It also packs 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
That said, I probably don’t need to tell you anymore that this phone breezes through daily tasks with ease, since that is what a user would expect. For gaming performance, the numbers are also nothing less than impressive. The telephoto lens features OIS, and the device can record up to 8K videos.
Camera
At the back of the device is a 108MP main camera, along with a 16MP ultra-wide unit, and an 8MP 5x telephoto lens. Sample photos we took showcased plenty of detail, good sharpness and exposure control even in less than ideal lighting. Wide-angle shots don’t show distortion, which is also a good thing, but the quality isn’t as great as the main lens.
Selfies taken by the 32MP front camera also look just as amazing. The depth of field effect it produces is also very convincing and accurate.
Software
The phone runs Android 11 and as far as I can tell, Motorola did not put any fancy skins here, so you do get to experience stock Android. It’s also free of unneeded apps, which is always a problem especially with some mid-range phones.
The UI offers some level of personalization, such as selecting from some color presets or making your own. You also get an always-on display, which is a feature that I think should be a standard for any smartphone.
If, for any reason, you have no idea what you can do with the UI, there’s the Moto app, which will guide you through each feature.
When gaming, you can also access a sidebar that lets you do a number of tasks – block calls and notifications, enable High Performance mode, take screenshots, record what’s on screen, and even start a livestream.
The phone offers the complete suite of security options – including the traditional ones, along with face unlock and of course, fingerprint scanning. All of which work well,
Battery
With the refresh rate set to 144Hz all the time, the Edge 20 Pro managed to score more than 10 hours on PCMark’s Work 3.0 benchmark, which simulates tasks like data manipulation, photo and video editing, among others. With a lower refresh rate, you should even be able to get more uptime with it.
The device also supports 30W TurboPower charging, so you can quickly return to what you were doing.
Verdict
For its PhP29,995 price tag, the Motorola Edge 20 Pro is one of the more affordable flagships that you can get. The device offers great performance across daily tasks and gaming, a premium look, the stock Android experience, a gorgeous looking display, and good battery life.
On the flipside, there’s not much depth in terms of personalization, but a lot people won’t really care about that, so it’s not really a deal breaker. The camera module also protrudes in a way that I’d be very very worried about scratches. Its ultrawide camera falls significantly short compared to the main lens, and its speaker placement could’ve been better.
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
