Motorola Edge 40 2023 – Edge benefits at a lower cost (smartphone review)
The Motorola Edge 40 is a mid-range Edge series smartphone at $699 but has ‘Edge’ benefits that make it outstanding value. Late this year, we should see the rest of the Edge 40 range – Neo, Fusion, Pro, and Ultra.
To put this in perspective, Motorola’s entry-level e-series start from about $150. Next is its g-series from $250, widely used by ‘fleet’ owners as it is Android Enterprise certified. Here you get many Edge features but at a more competitive price. The Edge series typically starts at $599 (Neo) to the $1399 Ultra, which competes strongly with the Samsung Galaxy S23 and OPPO Find X5 series.
Let’s not forget the new $999 Motorola ThinkPhone – for thinking people, which punches well above its weight and is our pick for the best value/featured phone in 2023. Or the $1499 Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is finally flipping right, which is currently the best flip phone.
Motorola’s strategy is to have good phones in every niche. It succeeds more than any other brand.
Further reading (2022 runout prices from JB Hi-Fi as of 13 July)
- Edge 30 Ultra – $1399/699 a flagship-class cameraphone
- Edge 30 Pro $899/494 is the value flagship king
- Edge 30 Fusion – $899/494 a diamond in the rough
- Edge 30 – fantastic value 5G phone
- Edge 30 Neo – $599/299 Pantone colours for the trendy set
- g82 5G – $449 exceptional value/features
- g62 5G – $399/249 everything you need for $399
- g53 5G – $329/296 features and value that are hard to beat
- g51 5G – well-priced, well-featured 5G
- e13 4G – low-cost smartphone from Telstra and Optus
- e22i – $149 a basic smartphone for a pretty basic price
- e32 – $179 cheap as chips and just as satisfying
Australian Review: Motorola Edge 40 2023, single sim/e-sim, 8/256GB, Model XT2321-1
Website | Product Page |
Price | $699 (availability now) |
Colours | Eclipse Black, and Viva Magenta |
From | Lenovo Online, Harvey Norman, Doymane, JB Hi-Fi and other approved retailers * |
Warranty | 24-months ACL |
Made in | China |
Company | Owned by Lenovo (Est 1984) – a multinational technology company with its primary operational headquarters in Beijing and Morrisville, North Carolina. It is the world’s largest PC maker, and it purchased Motorola Mobility from Google in 2014. Most of Lenovo’s smartphone business is now under the Motorola brand, with grand plans to become a ‘top five’ smartphone maker. |
More | Other CyberShack Motorola news and reviews |
Deep-Dive review format
Two parts – a summary (the first) and a separate 300+ line database-driven spec, including over 70 tests to back up the findings. It also helps us compare different phones and features.
‘We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass’‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed. You can click on most images for an enlargement.’We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed. You can click on most images for an enlargement.
* Grey market – no Australian warranty, and 5G won’t work
We strongly advise you to buy a genuine model with Australian firmware. It is easy to identify the Australian version – under Settings, About Phone, and Regulatory Labels, there is an Australian R-NZ C-tick mark. There is also an R-NZ C-Tick on the box. They use unique Australian 5G sub-6Ghz and 5G low-band frequencies, requiring local activation first. Read Don’t buy a grey market phone (guide).
First Impression – Pass+
You get a lot more from the Motorola Edge 40 than you should expect of a $699 phone.
- 144Hz, 2400 x 1080, 20:9, 1200nits (peak), gently curved edge pOLED
- 8/256GB (most in this bracket are 4 or 6GB and 128GB)
- MediaTek Dimensity 8020 is up there with the Qualcomm SD888 in more expensive phones
- 4400mAh battery, 68W charger for a 47-minute charge and Qi 15W wireless charge – with good battery life.
- Dolby Atmos decode stereo speakers and three mics.
- Stylish Vegan leather back in Eclipse Black or Viva Magenta
- Two years warranty, at least 2 OS upgrades and three years of bi-monthly security updates
- Pure Android 13 and My UX value-added overlay
- 50M<<P+13MP rear camera and 32MP selfie for better than average photos
- IP68 – superb
Now a word on Vegan Leather – it is not leather, and it is like calling Oat, Almond or Soy Liquid – Milk. Read What is vegan leather seen on some smartphones? We are not suggesting that Motorola’s use is not fit for purpose – but this trendy marketing name needs more definition about its grade, durability, stain removal methods etc.
Besides that, the Eclipse Black vegan leather back is a little prone to picking up dust and grease, so you need to take some care and use the clear plastic bumper case provided.
Screen – pOLED at this price! Pass+
It is a 6.55” 2400×1080, 20:9, 144Hz, 16.7m colour, 1200nits peak, curved edge screen. You can select natural mode (sRGB) or saturated (DCI-P3 movies).
“Summary: I like this 6.55” screen – it is a little smaller in the hand. It is bright, colourful and an excellent screen for the price bracket.”Summary: I like this 6.55” screen – it is a little smaller in hand. It is bright, colourful and an excellent screen for the price bracket.
Processor – Pass+
The MediaTek Dimensity 8020 is a powerful SoC for the price. It competes squarely with the Google Pixel Tensor G2 chip and SD888. There is no point in comparing it to the SD8+ Gen 1, which is about 50% faster and loads more expensive.
It barely throttles, and its UFS 3/1 storage achieved 1300/580MBps sequential read; fast for video storage. Gamers will appreciate this as well as the 144Hz pOLED screen. PUBG Mobile runs at 40fps.
Comms – Pass+
It has Wi-Fi 6 AX 2.4 and 5Ghz. At <2 from the Netgear Orbi RBKE963 Quad-band Wi-Fi 6E AX 11000 mesh (currently the most powerful Wi-Fi 6 and 6E router), it achieves -26dBm and 1201Mbps (very good). At 2m, it is -47/600Mbps, and at 10m, its -50/600Mbps (average). It is fit for purpose and reaches speeds commensurate with its class.
BT is 5.2 and supports SBC, AAC, LDAC, LHDCV2 and LHDC V3. It also supports aptX and aptX HD since Qualcomm removed the encoder (phone) license fees in Q2, 2023. Your sound device (decoder) needs to support aptX.
GPS is a single band with an accuracy of <4m, which is fine for in-car navigation.
NFC is included.
USB-C is 2.0, 480Mbps which means slow cut and paste (OTG) data transfer rates (30-60MBps) for external flash drives and SSD. At least Motorola makes these mountable (Samsung and Google do not), so they are more useful for transferring live video content.
Ready For – Motorola’s screen mirror and Android desktop – Fail and Pass
Motorola Ready For is great. It is like Samsung DeX (Desktop Experience) and allows you to cast your phone screen (mirror) and use it as a mouse/trackpad, webcam, and Android desktop. It is a real benefit for road warriors.
It fails because the USB-C 2.0 interface does not support audio/video streams (Alt DP found in USB-C 3.1 like the Razr 2022) over a USB-C to HDMI cable. That means you cannot cable connect to a dumb monitor or TV.
It is a Pass because it will connect over Wi-Fi to a Windows (Ready For App needs to be installed) or a TV that BOTH has Miracast and is connected to the same home network Wi-Fi (not via Ethernet).
The problems include:
- Less recent TVs may not have Miracast.
- Many new Android TVs only support Google Chromecast.
- If the Wi-Fi signal is weak, mirrored content can be choppy.
4G/5G – Pass
As we have found with MediaTek SoCs, the modem has good signal strength but only finds the nearest tower. This is fine for city and suburban use with good tower coverage. Not for rural and remote areas.
It has dual ringtones (excellent for using the SIM and eSIM). eSIM is the way to go now for your Australian number, and it is easy and free to convert from a SIM to eSIM on the phone. Transferring your eSIM number to a new phone is also easy, especially if the old one is lost or stolen.
Battery – Pass+
It has a 4400mAH battery, smaller than the current crop of 5000mAh phones, making this device lighter and smaller. The major upside is the 68W Turbocharger inbox and a 3W USB-C to USB-C cable. It typically charges at 15V/3A/45W and drops back as the battery fills.
Tests
- Video loop 50% brightness/sound/aeroplane mode: 17 hours 54 minutes.
- PC Mark 3 Moden Office Battey test: 9 hours 56 minutes.
- GFX Bench Manhattan Games: Would not run – typical of MediaTek SoCs.
- GFX Bench T-Rex Games: 143 minutes (2.39 hours) 3923 frames.
- Charge: 68W: 47 minutes.
- Charge Qi 15W: about 4 hours.
- Drain 100% load screen on: 4 hours 21 minutes.
Typical users will get 24 hours or more, but heavy users will need to recharge daily.
Motorola is to be congratulated for including the 68W charger inbox – unheard of in this price bracket.
Sound – Pass
It has top forward/up-firing and bottom down-firing stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos tuning, Dolby Atmos decoding (to stereo) and its EQ (Smart, Music, Movie, Game, Podcast and Custom). The EQ does not materially alter the sound signature but can recess mid and treble (there is no low-or-mid-bass).
It has a mid-signature (bass recessed, mid-boosted, treble recessed) – for clear voice. It is not for easy listening as it lacks bass (low notes are muddy or not there), and the high treble is choppy and harsh.
There is (inevitably with this setup) A slight bias to the bottom speaker. The sound stage is only as wide as the phone. DA content slightly widens the sound stage and gives some height in the middle of the screen. Left and right separation is average.
Bluetooth headphones are clear and have good volume and separation.
Hands-free use is good with three mics and noise reduction with adequate volume.
Build – Pass+
The front glass has slightly curved edges, but no glass protection is specified. Tests show a Moh’s scale of 3 (a fingernail is 2.5), so get a tempered glass protector. The frame is sandblasted Aluminium, and the back is vegan leather over PMMA. Size-wise it is a svelte 158.43 x 71.99 x 7.58mm x 171g.
It has an IP68 rating – 1.5 metres for 30 minutes, but liquid damage is not covered by warranty.
The warranty is 24 months (12 on the charger and cable).
Android 13 – Pass+
Two OS upgrades and three years of bi-monthly security patches for a $699 phone – excellent. Motorola’s My UX adds considerable features and value to Pure Android.
Security is via an under-glass fingerprint sensor.
Motorola Edge 40 camera
The Motorola Edge 40 camera is far better than it has a right to be! It takes excellent shots during day, office and in low light. Its limitations are its 8x digital zoom.
The main sensor is a 50MP binning to 12.6MP Omnivision OV50a with OIS. No it is not a Sony or Samsung sensor but the wide f/1.4 and 2um pixels combined with the MediaTek Dimensity 8020 SoC AI post-processing power gives superb results.
The 13MP Ultra-wide uses a Hynix HI336 sensor, and it almost matches the primary sensor colour. It doubles as a macro, and the results are far better than any 2MP Macro. In <40 lumen (dark) the results are better than its competitors Night Mode. Its Night Mode brings out finer details and highlights.
Video 4K@30fps is good with OIS (optical image stabilisation), but it is even better at 1080p@30/60fps.
Selfies from its 32MP binning to 8MP Omnivision OV32B are excellent, but its 82° Field of View means its for one or two people.
This camera punches well above its class.
CyberShack’s view – The Motorola Edge 40 is everything Joe and Jane Average needs
It is a shame that most phones are sold in the $300-500 bracket due to a lack of consumer confidence. So it is a big stretch to $699.
<$500 (Prices from JB Hi-Fi)
There are some good ones here too, but none are as well-rounded as the Motorola Edge 40.
- OPPO A96 128GB $349
- Nokia G22 128GB $349
- OPPO A78 5G 128GB $359
- Samsung Galaxy A14 5G 128GB $379
- Samsung Galaxy A23 5G 128GB $449
- Google Pixel 6a 5G 128GB
- OPPO Reno8 Lite 5G 128GB $499
- Motorola g82 5G 128GB $499
If you can afford $699, it is the one to go for!
Ratings 91/100 Motorola Edge 40
- Features: 90 – For the price bracket, it has everything you could want and then some: better screen, more ram/storage, IP68 and a decent camera.
- Value: 95 – Excellent value for the price bracket offering more features and value than the 2022 Samsung A73. Competes with the OPPO Reno8 256GB.
- Performance: 90 – Excellent performance in this price bracket.
- Ease of Use: 90 – 2+2+3 warranty/OS/security patch and excellent My UX overlay adds useful features to pure Android.
- Design: 90 – It is a black slab with a vegan leather back and no glass screen protection so use the bumper cover and buy a tempered glass screen protector.
Final comment A pleasure to use. Exceeded my expectations for this price bracket.
Teardown
CyberShack Smartphone comparison v 1.8 (E&OE)
Motorola Edge 40
Brand | Motorola |
Model | Motorola Edge 40 |
Model Number | XT2303-2 |
Price Base | 8/256GB |
Price base | $699 |
Warranty months | 24-months ACL |
Tier | Mid-range but with Edge benefits |
Website | Website |
Manual | |
From | Motorola online, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman |
Country of Origin | China |
Company | Owned by Lenovo (Est 1984) – a multinational technology company with its primary operational headquarters in Beijing and Morrisville, North Carolina. It is the world’s largest PC maker. It purchased Motorola Mobility from Google in 2014. Most of Lenovo’s smartphone business is now under the Motorola brand, with grand plans to become a ‘top five’ smartphone maker. |
More | |
Test date | 1-13 July |
Ambient temp | 10-20° |
Release | June 2023 |
More | Motorola makes models for various markets that are not for Australian Telco networks, nor carry an Australian warranty. |
Screen
Size | 6.55 |
Type | pOLED |
Flat, Curve, 2D, 3D | Curved edges |
Resolution | 2400 x 1080 |
PPI | 402 |
Ratio | 20:9 |
Screen to Body % | 92.7 |
Colours bits | 8-bit/16.7M colours |
Refresh Hz, adaptive | Select 60/120/144 or Auto up to 120Hz. |
Response 120Hz | Touch rate: 360 Hz |
Nits typical, test | 1000nits claim (Test 1035) but typically run at around 500nits. |
Nits max, test | 1200nits claim (Test 1300+) |
Contrast | Infinite |
sRGB | 100% – natural mode |
DCI-P3 | 100% of 16.7m colours – saturated mode |
Rec.2020 or other | N/A |
Delta E (<4 is excellent) | 1.65 |
HDR Level | Capable of HDR10+ playback scaled to screen capability. Dolby Vision scaled to HDR10. |
SDR Upscale | The SoC can do this – not sure if it is implemented. |
Blue Light Control | Yes |
PWM if known | Nits typical test |
Daylight readable | Yes |
Always on Display | Peek Display |
Edge display | Edge Lights alert you to calls and notifications when the screen faces down. |
Accessibility | All Android 13 features |
DRM | L1 for FHD HDR playback |
Gaming | 144Hz. The Flicker Prevention switch is used in dark environments where you need to dim the screen. |
Screen protection | Not specified – see above |
Comment | Class-leading 8-bit, 16.7m colour, very bright 1000nits+, colour-accurate pOLED screen. |
Processor
Brand, Model | MediaTek Dimensity 8020 |
nm | 6 |
Cores | 4×2.6GHz + 4×2.0GHz |
Modem | MediaTek |
AI TOPS | >20 |
Geekbench 6 Single-core | 1126 |
Geekbench 6 multi-core | 3725 |
Like | Closest to the SD888 |
GPU | Mali-G77 MC9 |
GPU Test | |
Open CL | 4605 |
Vulcan | 4683 |
RAM, type | 8GB LPDDR4X (not the fastest LPDDRX5) |
Storage, free, type | 256GB UFS 3.1 (215GB free) |
micro-SD | No |
CPDT internal seq. Read MBps | 1300 – excellent |
CPDT internal seq. write MBps | 580 – good |
CPDT microSD read, write MBps | N/A |
CPDT external (mountable?) MBps | 36/33 mountable reflects the USB-C 2.0 480Mbps interface. |
Comment | This is a mid-range processor, but it has surprising power performing like a Qualcomm SD888. |
Throttle test | |
Max GIPS | 189227 |
Average GIPS | 177494 |
Minimum GIPS | 158950 |
% Throttle | 0.12 |
CPU Temp | 50° |
Comment | Excellent thermal management and rock-solid performance. Gamers will appreciate this. |
Comms
Wi-Fi Type, model | Wi-Fi 6 AX 2.4/5GHz |
Test 2m -dBm, Mbps | -26/1201 |
Test 5m | -47/600 |
Test 10m | -50/600 |
BT Type | 5.2 |
GPS single, dual | Single <4m accuracy |
USB type | USB-C 2.0 480Mbps – no display port audio/video data stream support |
ALT DP, DeX, Ready For | Only over Miracast |
NFC | Yes |
Ultra-wideband | No |
Sensors | |
Accelerometer | Yes combo |
Gyro | Yes combo |
e-Compass | Yes combo |
Barometer | |
Gravity | |
Pedometer | |
Ambient light | Yes |
Hall sensor | |
Proximity | Yes |
Other | SAR Sensor and Sensor Hub |
Comment | Standard Wi-Fi 6 speeds. USB-C 2.0 is standard for this class. |
LTE and 5G
SIM | Single Sim and eSIM |
Active | Both are 5G capable, and both are active except when one is in use |
Ring tone single, dual | Dual |
VoLTE | Carrier dependent |
Wi-Fi calling | Carrier dependent |
4G Bands | B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/20/ 26/28/32/38/39/40/41/42/43/66 |
Comment | All Australian and most world bands |
5G sub-6Ghz | n1/2/3/5/7/8/20/28/38/40/41/66/77/78 |
Comment | All Australian 5G sub-6 and low bands |
mmWave | No |
Test Boost Mobile, Telstra | |
UL, DL, ms | 27.9/31/25ms |
Tower 1 -dBm, fW or pW | -86/2-3.5pW |
Tower 2 | No |
Tower 3 | No |
Tower 4 | No |
Comment | It has ten antennae and excellent signal strength for one tower. As expected from MediaTek, it does not find the additional four towers. It is fine for city and suburbs where there is good signal coverage. Not for rural and remote use. |
Battery
mAh | 4400mAh 68W TurboPower |
Charger, type, supplied | 68W 5V/3A/15W, 9V/3A/27W, 15V/3A/45W, 20V/3.4A/68W, 11V//6.2W/68.2W Typically charges at 45W and drops off as the battery fills. USB-C to USB-C 3W cable provided. |
PD, QC level | PD 2.0 |
Qi, wattage | 15W |
Reverse Qi or cable | N/A |
Test (60Hz or adaptive screen) | Adaptive |
Charge % 30mins | Not relevant |
Charge 0-100% | 47 minutes |
Charge Qi, W Using Belkin Boost Charge 15W fast wireless charge | About 5 hours |
Charge 5V, 2A | Estimate 4 hours |
Video loop 50%, aeroplane | 17 hours 54 minutes |
PC Mark 3 battery | 9 hours 56 minutes (Accubattery 17 hours 27 minutes) |
GFX Bench Manhattan battery | 176.6 minutes (2.94 hours) 3916 frames |
GFX Bench T-Rex | 143 minutes (2.39 hours) 3923 frames |
Drain 100-0% full load screen on | 4 hours 24 minutes Accubattery 4 hours 51 minutes |
mA full load | 1300mA |
mA Watt idle Screen on | 350-400mA |
Estimate loss at max refresh | Tested on adaptive |
Estimate typical use | While the video loop time is quite respectable, the PC Mark (typical office use) shows 10 hours. In addition, GFX Bench tests (gaming loads 2-3 hours) and drain at full load (4.5 hours) show this processor uses a lot of power under load. We estimate that typical users will need to recharge daily. |
Comment | There is a good battery life for typical users, but heavy users could find the screen-on time too low. |
Sound
Tested | DA Smart Audio and Spatial Sound enabled |
Speakers | Top forward, up-firing and bottom down-firing stereo. |
Tuning | DA |
AMP | MediaTek |
Dolby Atmos decode | Yes to 2.0 |
Hi-Res | No |
3.5mm | No |
BT Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LHDCV2 and LHDC V3. aptX and aptX HD are now supported by MediaTek since Q2 2023 |
Multipoint | Can connect to two devices |
Dolby Atmos (DA) | Decode to 2.0 |
EQ | Yes – auto, movie, music, voice and games mode |
Mics | 3 mics with noise cancelling |
Test dB – all on EQ flat DA off | |
Volume max | 82 |
Media (music) | 70 |
Ring | 80 |
Alarm | 75 |
Notifications | 70 |
Earpiece | 60 |
Hands-free | Three mics with noise reduction. Callers commented on clear calls. |
BT headphones | Average left/right separation. DA content makes little difference. |
Sound quality
Deep Bass 20-40Hz | Nil |
Middle Bass 40-100Hz | Starting at 90Hz and building to 200Hz |
High Bass 100-200Hz | Building |
Low Mid 200-400Hz | Flattening but unexplained dip at 400-500Hz |
Mid 4000-1000Hz | Flattish |
High-Mid 1-2kHz | Flattish |
Low Treble 2-4kHz | Flatish |
Mid Treble 4-6kHz | Flattish |
High Treble 6-10kHz | Steep decline to 20kHz |
Dog Whistle 10-20kHz | Steep decline to 20kHz |
Sound Signature type | Slight bias to the bottom speaker. Only as wide as the phone. DA content widens the sound stage and gives some height in the middle of the screen. Left and right separation is average. |
Soundstage | The sound signature is average, helped with a little high bass. Use headphones |
Comment | The sound signature is average, helped with a little high-bass. Use headphones |
Build
Size (H X W x D) | Vegan Leather 158.43 x 71.99 x 7.58mm |
Weight grams | 171 |
Front glass | Curved 3D glass (56°) with anti-fingerprint coating |
Rear material | Rear: Curved inlay; vegan leather |
Frame | Sandblasted aluminium |
IP rating | 68 – Liquid damage not covered under warranty |
Colours | Eclipse Black – Vegan Leather Viva Magenta – Vegan Leather Pantone |
Pen, Stylus support | No |
In the box | |
Charger | 68W |
USB cable | USB-C to USB-C 3A cable |
Buds | No |
Bumper cover | Yes |
Comment | It has a charger and clear bumper covers in the box (Samsung does not). Well made. |
OS
Android | 13 – Almost Pure Android |
Security patch date | 1 June 2023 |
UI | Personalise: Themes, Fonts, Colours, Icon shape, Display size and text, Layout, Peek display, Sounds, Dark mode, External display Gestures: Quick launch, Sidebar, Quick Capture, Fast flashlight, Three-finger screenshot, Lift to unlock, Flip for DND, Pick up to silence, Swipe to split Moto Secure: Secure folder, Network protection, Lock screen security, PIN pad scramble, Privacy dashboard, Security, Permission manager, Privacy controls Display: Peek display, Attentive display Play: Games, Dolby Atmos®, Media controls, Video call effects, Live preview Razr Tips: Take a tour, What’s new in Android 13, Getting started, Shortcuts, Calls, Camera, Apps & Transitions |
OS upgrade policy | At least two |
Security patch policy | Bi-monthly for three years |
Bloatware | Pure Android – all Google Apps. You can uninstall Facebook. |
Comment | My UX 3.0 adds both a light touch and value to pure Android. |
Security | |
Fingerprint sensor location, type | On-screen |
Face ID | Yes, 2D only |
Other | Lenovo ThinkShield is more for enterprise use |
Comment | Manage network security, control app permissions, and even create a secret folder for your most sensitive data. Moto Secure |
Rear Camera Motorola Edge 40
Rear Primary | Primary |
MP | 50MP bins to 12.6MP |
Sensor | Omnivision OV5A |
Focus | PDAF Omni Directional |
f-stop | 1.4 |
um | 1 bins to 2 |
FOV° (stated, actual) | 82.4° |
Stabilisation | OIS |
Zoom | 8x digital |
Rear 2 | Ultra-wide and Macro |
MP | 13MP |
Sensor | Hynix HI336 |
Focus | AF/Fixed Macro |
f-stop | 2.4 |
um | 1.12 |
FOV (stated, actual) | 120 |
Stabilisation | No |
Zoom | No |
Video max | 4K@30fps |
Flash | Yes |
Auto-HDR | Yes |
Shooting modes: Ultra-Res Portrait (24mm/35mm/50mm) Pro (w/ Long Exposure) 360° Panorama Night Vision Dual Capture Scan Spot Colour Artificial intelligence: Auto Smile Capture10 Google Lens integration Smart Composition Shot Optimisation Auto Night Vision Other features: Burst shot Timer Assistive Grid Leveller Metering Mode Watermark RAW photo output QR/Barcode scanner HDR Super Resolution Zoom Active photos Live Filters Quick Capture (twist-twist) Shooting modes: Timelapse (w/ Hyperlapse) Slow motion Portrait Dual Capture Macro Spot Colour Other features: Video Stabilisation Video snapshot Live Filters Audio Zoom11 External Microphone Support | |
QR code reader | Via Google Lens |
Night mode | AI |
Front – Motorola Edge 40
Selfie | |
MP | 32MP bins to 8MP |
Sensor | OV32B |
Focus | Fixed |
f-stop | 2.4 |
um | 0.7 bins to 1.4 |
FOV (stated, actual) | 82° |
Stabilisation | No |
Flash | Screen fill |
Zoom | No |
Video max | 4K@30 |
Features | Shooting modes: Pro (w/ Long Exposure) Dual Capture Auto Night Vision Portrait Spot Colour Artificial intelligence: Auto Smile Capture Gesture Capture Auto Night Vision Other features: Timer Assistive Grid Leveller Metering Mode Watermark Selfie Photo Mirror Selfie animation Face Beauty Face Super Resolution RAW photo output HDR Active photos Live Filters Quick Capture (twist-twist) Shooting modes: Dual Capture Timelapse (w/ Hyperlapse) Portrait Spot Colour Night Vision (portrait) Other features: Video Stabilisation Face Beauty Video Snapshot Live Filters External Microphone Support |
Comment |
Ratings – Motorola Edge 40
Features | 90 |
It is a black slab with a vegan leather back and no glass screen protection, so use the bumper cover and buy a tempered glass screen protector. | |
Value | 95 |
Excellent value for the price offering more features and value than the 2022 Samsung A73. Competes with the OPPO Reno8 256GB. | |
Performance | 90 |
Excellent performance in this price bracket. | |
Ease of Use | 90 |
2+2+3 warranty/OS/security patch and excellent My UX overlay adds useful features to pure Android. | |
Design | 90 |
It is a black slab with a vegan leather back, and no glass screen protection, so use the bumper cover and buy a tempered glass screen protector. | |
Rating out of 10 | 91 |
Final comment | A pleasure to use. Exceeded my expectations for this price bracket. Gets a definite buy recommendation. |
Pro | |
1 | Best pOLED screen in class |
2 | The camera rise above point-and-shoot class but has limitations with digital zoom. |
3 | Responsive processor and excellent power in class |
4 | Camera rise above point-and-shoot class but has limitations with digital zoom. |
5 | Excellent 2-2+3 warranty/OS upgrades/security patches |
Con | |
1 | The jury is out on vegan leather durability, so use the clear bumper cover |
2 | USB-C 2.0 means no USB-C to HDMI audio/video streaming |
3 | No micro-SD (no flagship has this anyway), but it has mountable, slow, external storage |
4 | 8X Digital zoom is a little limiting |
5 | Speaker sound could be improved |
Motorola Edge 40, Motorola Edge 40, Motorola Edge 40
Motorola Edge 40
$699Pros
- Best in class pOLED screen
- Great battery life and 68W/47-minute charge and Qi wireless charge
- Responsive processor and excellent power in class
- Camera well above point-and-shoot but has digital zoom limitations.
- Excellent 2-2+3 warranty/OS upgrades/security patches
Cons
- Jury is out on vegan leather durability so use the clear bumper cover
- USB-C 2.0 means no USB-C to HDMI audio/video streaming
- No micro-SD (no flagship has this anyway), but it has mountable, slow, external storage
- 8X Digital zoom is a little limiting
- Speaker sound could be improved
Brought to you by CyberShack.com.au