It’s not lost on anyone that smartphones today are converging. Especially with Android as the operating system, it makes little difference these days which phone you buy – purely if we look at interesting functions. The Motorola Edge 20 Pro has an asset up its sleeve. Not unique, but a well-developed asset. Does that make the smartphone an interesting option?
Motorola Edge 20 Pro
MSRP €699.99
Colors white and blue
OS Android 11
Screen 6.7-inch OLED (2,400 x 1,800, 144 Hz)
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 870
RAM 6 – 8GB
Storage 128 – 256 GB (expandable)
Battery 4,500 mAh
Camera 108, 16 and 8 megapixels (rear), 32 megapixels (front)
Connectivity 5G, 4G (LTE), Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 5, GPS, NFC
Format 16.3 x 7.6 x 0.80 cm
Weight 163 grams
Website www.motorola.com 7 Score 70 
- Pros
- desktop mode
- 144 Hertz
- stock android
- Negatives
- big and bulky
- Camera system
- Audio options
When the term ‘edge’ comes up, you may think of a curved screen edge (the Samsung marketing does its job well). In Motorola’s case, that’s not the point. ‘Edge’ in this case has to do with ‘cutting-edge’, in the context of technology. The Motorola Edge 20 Pro has – according to the manufacturer – been given the most modern developments within the IT area. That is of course a bit of an exaggeration, but we can already reveal that the device feels modern. Most importantly, does it work well and how do you like it?
Processor less cutting edge
Under the hood, the new Motorola is less cutting-edge than you’d expect. Instead of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, or other high-end processor, we see that the company opted for the Snapdragon 870. That is an update of last year’s top model. The processor is less high-end, but that does not have to detract from the idea of the smartphone. You hardly notice it in practice: the device is fast, responds accurately and does not show any more noteworthy problems. The device is also available in three configurations: 128 GB / 6 GB, 128 GB / 8 GB, 256 GB / 8 GB or 256 GB and 12 GB. The memory is of a modern level, namely UFS 3.1.
The phone has a relatively remarkable design. The device is quite wide and is therefore not always comfortable in the hand. In addition, you do not reach the buttons on the side as well as you would like, especially if you have small hands. You often move the device several times when you hold it in one hand. You do that for the fingerprint scanner on the right and certainly also for the Google Assistant button on the left. It sits remarkably high, so you hardly use it. The latter also applies to the volume buttons: they are simply too high. The camera module protrudes quite a bit, so the phone is never straight on the table. And carrying it in your pocket can be uncomfortable, especially with tighter pants.
No headphone jack
On the front is a large 6.7-inch OLED screen. The display has a refresh rate of 144 Hertz and a maximum resolution of 2,400 by 1,800 pixels. This results in a high pixel density of 447 pixels per inch. The images look sharp, very smooth and very colorful. In the middle of the screen is a front camera, which can sometimes get in the way of content. Especially when you watch a video horizontally. The single speaker on the bottom leaves something to be desired in terms of audio quality. Audio quickly sounds shrill and measured, but for listening to audio messages on WhatsApp it’s fine. A second speaker at the top, which are on devices from the competitors, could have absorbed that somewhat.
Another remarkable point: there is no headphone jack, while Motorola releases many devices with such a connection. You are free to use the usb-c port on the bottom or the bluetooth connection (version 5.1, not the most recent variant), so that you can of course connect headphones with an adapter or via the wireless connection. The battery has a capacity of 4,500 mAh and can therefore easily last a day, depending on use, of course. But keep in mind that the large screen and the high refresh rate demand a lot from the battery. It takes about an hour for the device to be fully charged. Not terribly fast, but not slow either. However, Chinese competitors can do this a lot faster, often.
Android 11 and desktop mode
The Motorola Edge 20 Pro comes with Android 11. The device can count on two years of software upgrades and three years of security updates. That’s nice, but also very standard. On the device you will find a lot of apps from Google and very few from Motorola. Fortunately, you can disable or uninstall many apps. Motorola rarely tinkers with the Android experience, so you can count on a stock version of the operating system. However, the company always adds Moto Actions. With those actions you quickly turn on the flashlight, you get to see information on your screen when you pick up your phone and there are still a number of options. The features never get in your way and are completely optional – generally they just enrich the experience.
The manufacturer is also investing heavily in Ready For with this device. This is a desktop environment for your smartphone, which you activate by using the supplied USB-C to HDMI cable. When you connect your phone to a (supported) TV or monitor, the software environment will open automatically. You then use the apps that are already on your smartphone to work, for example. But you can also play games or view content this way. It’s an added asset in the hands of Motorola, but it’s not unique. Samsung and Huawei offer similar features, but Motorola is now bringing the option to the forefront by providing the necessary cable. To really get the most out of it, you do need a keyboard and mouse, of course.
The same caveats apply to desktop mode as to comparable modes on competing models. Not everyone sees this now and that’s okay. Such a mode is useful to have on hand. Imagine you are at a trade show or with friends and you want to get something done quickly with files that are only on your smartphone. Grab the cable, connect some accessories (which can be done via bluetooth) and you’ll be working within seconds. The environment itself is well-arranged and resembles Windows with an Android sauce over it. In addition, it is great to see that you can also mirror the image of your smartphone, so that you do not have to grab it when you receive a message. Unfortunately, you can’t charge your smartphone while working, because the USB-c port at the bottom is in use and there is no wireless charging.
Camera is quite disappointing
The Motorola Edge 20 Pro has a striking camera module with large sensors. One sensor stands out because it is square. The camera island consists of a 108-megapixel sensor, a 16-megapixel sensor with a wide-angle lens and an eight-megapixel periscope lens that optically zooms in up to five times. That makes the Edge 20 Pro a strange duck in the bite, in a positive sense: you will find that last camera sensor more often on real high-end models. Overall, the camera module leaves a mixed impression in terms of quality. It just depends on which sensor you take a photo with, for example.
The periscope camera, for example, takes relatively nice shots thanks to the optical image stabilization and also has a large, dynamic range. But in terms of quality, the outcome does not come close to, for example, a device such as the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (which is of course also a skewed comparison, because of the price difference). In addition, you can zoom in up to fifty times, but we do not recommend that. You can still see roughly what you took a picture of, but that’s about all. That mode produces photos that show far too many pixels, making it virtually unusable.
In addition, it is striking how poorly the camera handles photos that you take with less light or in the dark. Details disappear very quickly, while the opening of the main camera is large enough and the 108 megapixel camera must offer enough space for those kinds of circumstances. In the right circumstances (in a well-lit environment or during the day when the sun is shining), there is little to measure on the quality, provided you use the main sensor. The wide-angle lens makes colors somewhat dull and less dynamic, namely. The selfie camera on the front leaves a positive impression.
Motorola Edge 20 Pro – conclusion
When you market a device as a ‘cutting-edge’, it is rather silly to put salt on all kinds of snails just to show that a device is not that. But we don’t do that with the Motorola Edge 20 Pro and we still come across all the previous points of criticism. In daily use, the device performs well: it is nice and fast, there is enough working and storage memory, Android is bare and the software additions are real additions. The desktop mode is well developed and allows you to perform work in a variety of situations in an accessible manner – provided you have the right hardware at your disposal.
But we can’t get around the lack of quality regarding the camera. The colossus also disappoints in this segment. Photos only come out well when the conditions are ideal. Maybe fine for social media, but almost not for everything outside of it. In addition, the device is quite wide and high, the buttons are difficult to reach and the device is also disappointing in terms of audio. Admittedly, The Motorola Edge 20 Pro is a complete package, but it is also an extremely average outcome when you put everything together.
With a price of about 700 euros, you can also consider other devices. For example, we have placed an overview containing the best devices up to 600 euros. The Realme GT, for example, is a nice phone that offers a good price-quality ratio, but also doesn’t have really great cameras. It is also striking how the OnePlus 8T drops in price quickly, so that you get a lot of smartphone for a relatively low amount. And for the same amount as the Motorola Edge 20 Pro, you also get the Asus Zenfone 8, but take into account a moderate update policy.
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