The Motorola Edge (2023) is a mid-range phone announced on October 10, 2023. It went on sale unlocked in the US the same day. It launched at $599.99 with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. In Canada, it cost CAD 849.99. The phone takes the curved display and slim design of the Edge+ (2023) to a lower price. Motorola no longer sells it, and the Edge (2024) replaced it.
Design and display
The body uses a sandblasted aluminum frame and a vegan leather back. It measures 7.64 mm thick and weighs 168 g. The phone is rated IP68 for dust and water resistance. It came in one color, Eclipse Black.
The 6.6-inch pOLED screen curves at the sides. It has a 2400 x 1080 resolution, 402 ppi, and a 144 Hz refresh rate. It supports HDR10+ and 10-bit color, and peak brightness reaches 1,200 nits. An optical fingerprint reader sits under the display.
Performance
The phone runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7030, a 6 nm chip. It has two Cortex-A78 cores at 2.5 GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores at 2.0 GHz. Graphics come from a Mali-G610 MC3 GPU. There is 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256 GB of UFS 2.2 storage. The storage is not expandable, as there is no microSD slot.
Cameras
The main camera has a 50 MP sensor with a 1/1.5-inch optical format. It uses an f/1.4 lens, optical image stabilization, and omnidirectional phase-detection autofocus. A 13 MP ultrawide camera covers a 120-degree view and doubles as a macro camera.
On the front, a 32 MP camera has autofocus, which is rare in this class. All three cameras record 4K video at 30 fps. The main camera also shoots slow motion at up to 240 fps in HD.
Battery and charging
The battery holds 4,400 mAh. The phone supports 68W TurboPower wired charging, but the 68W charger was sold separately in the US. It also charges wirelessly at 15W. It can share 5W of power with other devices, such as earbuds.
Software and updates
The Edge (2023) shipped with Android 13. Motorola promised two major Android upgrades and three years of bi-monthly security updates. Other connectivity includes 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, NFC, and a physical SIM plus eSIM. There are stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos tuning, but no headphone jack. The USB-C port runs at USB 2.0 speed.
Should you buy the Edge (2023)?
The phone suits buyers who want a curved OLED screen, IP68 protection, and fast charging for a mid-range price. However, it is no longer produced, and its update window is short. Its successor, the Edge (2024), is the newer choice from Motorola. If you buy the Edge (2023) today, check that the unit is new and unlocked.
