After the Edge 40 Pro, Motorola unveils its classic version: the Edge 40. Decked out with a powerful platform from MediaTek, it benefits from a beautiful curved screen, a beautiful waterproof design with vegan leather and a very bright stabilized main photo sensor. Sold at 599 euros, the Edge 40 wants to compete directly with the Pixel 7. Can it afford to get there? Answer in this complete presentation.
Motorola is not necessarily the brand of your dreams. And yet, the manufacturer offers good quality smartphones with a complete technical sheet and an aggressive price. This is particularly the case with the Edge range which, even if it does not always have the shoulders to offer an experience similar to that of models sold at more than 1200 euros, can easily be compared to a more expensive phone of 200 euros. . This is the case of the Edge 40 Pro. If it is competed (and heckled) by the Pixel 7 Pro and the OnePlus 11: its proposal is at least similar to that of an iPhone 14 Plus or a Galaxy S23+.
Read also – Official Xiaomi 13 Ultra: the most extravagant smartphone of 2023 is finally here
Today, Motorola proves again this aggressive positioning that we have come to appreciate. The brand has just unveiled the Edge 40 “classic”, less complete version of the Edge 40 Pro that we recently tested. It obviously replaces the Motorola Edge 30, also tested with us. The latter was launched at 499 euros with 128 GB of storage and 549 euros with 256 GB of storage. It clearly overshadowed Samsung’s Galaxy A53 5G. But he didn’t have the kidneys to pick up the Pixel 6 (and the Pixel 7 a few months later).
Motorola launches the Edge 40, a competitor to the Pixel 7 at 599 euros
The Edge 40, meanwhile, has that ambition. Clearly. With this phone, Motorola intends to outdo Google on the mid-range with a complete and powerful phone at less than 600 euro, since it is proposed to 599 euros with 256 GB of storage. Or 50 euros more than the Edge 30 with an equivalent configuration. If the Pixel 7 is also complete, it is unfortunately not the most powerful, far from it. And its price positioning is quite high: 649 euros in the 128 GB version and 749 euros in the 256 GB version. The Edge 40 is therefore cheaper: this is already a good point for Motorola. What are the others? Let’s take a closer look at the Edge 40 spec sheet.
The Edge 40 benefits from a P-OLED screen of 6.55 inches. The definition is Full HD+. The refresh rate is 144Hz. The maximum automatic brightness is 1000 nits across the entire panel and 1200 nits local peak. The edges are curved on the side edges. The frame is aluminum on the edges, mineral glass on the front and vegan leather or mineral glass on the back. The smartphone is waterproof (IP68 certified). There are three colors: black, blue and green (the latter two will be sold exclusively on Motorola’s online store).
Let’s go inside. The smartphone is equipped with a MediaTek SoC. And not just any since it is the Size 8200, a SoC that we have not yet had the opportunity to test in writing, but which powers Vivo’s IQOO Neo7, which ranked at the top of the AnTuTu ranking of mid-range smartphones in February 2023. It scores close to high-end phones of 2022. The Dimensity 8200 replaces the Snapdragon 778G. And here it is powered by a battery of 4400mAhwhich has been strengthened since the Edge 30 by 10%.
This battery not only holds more energy, it also charges faster. The Edge 40 accepts wired charging 68 watts, against 33 watts for its predecessor. And the charger is provided in the box. Additionally, the Edge 40 is compatible with 15 watt wireless charging, which the Edge 30 did not offer. On these points, the influence of the Pixel 7 on the Edge 40 is obvious.
The Edge 40 abandons the superfluous in photos to focus on the essentials
On the photo side too, the influence of Google is palpable. Motorola adopts here a duo almost identical to that of Pixel 7 and abandons the module dedicated to the calculation of depths. The Edge 40 thus benefits from a main sensor 50 megapixels endowed with an objective opening to f/1.47. Which is really very big and very bright. Also, it is stabilized. The second module is an ultra wide-angle with a sensor 13 megapixels. It is equipped with autofocus, allowing it to support macros. In the photo module, you also find the eternal flash, but also a ambient light sensor, for the calculation of ISO. At the front, you find the 32 megapixel sensor of the Edge 30. On the software side, you will find two new features in video: Horizon Lock, which allows you to turn the phone 360° without losing the horizon line, and video portrait mode .
Here is a little summary of the data sheet :
- P-OLED Curved Display 6.55 inchesFull HD+, HDR10+, 144Hz
- Processor MediaTek Dimensity 8200
- 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage
- Battery 4400mAh
- Quick charge 68 watts and 15 watt wireless charging
- Dual photo sensor 50 megapixels + 13 megapixels
- 32 megapixel selfie sensor
- Dolby Atmos-compatible
- Ready For compatible
- Waterproof shell IP68 aluminum, glass and vegan leather (depending on color)
- Three colors black, green and blue
Let’s complete this technical sheet with the compatibility with Dolby Atmosto give roundness to the audio experience (especially with headphones of course) and compatibility with Ready For, the system that turns the laptop into a computer when you connect it to an external display. On the other hand, Motorola did not specify whether updates would be guaranteed for two or three versions of Android. The Edge 40 Pro, announced with two years of updates, finally received a one-year extension right after its launch. We hope the Edge 40 will benefit too.
