Motorola Edge 40 Neo: Exceeding the limits of mid-range

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo is one of the most solid mid-range options that we can find in 2023. This smartphone brings to the table a quite attractive as well as resistant design (IP68), adding to its offer a slightly curved screen with 144Hz refresh rate and a competent Dimensity 7030 chip as the nerve center. We can also note that it has clean software and that it produces good photographs thanks to its 50MP main camera. In short, this device takes the formula of the well-known Motorola Edge 30 Neo to a new level, and that is something worthy of attention. Today we will examine it in detail, and you are more than invited to the occasion.

Design and screen

On an aesthetic level, this is a very attractive mobile phone that exudes ergonomics and class. With that in mind, it is a little heavier than the Edge 30 Neo (172 grams to be exact), but that is due to the material used for the back cover, which can be vegan leather or acrylic (buyer’s choice ) . Be that as it may, its dimensions and weight do not go beyond the values ​​that we would expect from a modern terminal. One aspect that does not convince us is the fact that the frame is made of plastic instead of aluminum, but as we will see later, this does not harm its resistance.

An element that adds a lot of value to the proposal is the IP68 certification that the Motorola Edge 40 Neo receives. This means that it is waterproof and dustproof, enough to be submerged in water 1 meter deep for at least 30 minutes.

Having said all that, we can purchase this terminal in three color presentations: gray, blue and black . It should be noted that the latter does not have a vegan leather version like the other color presentations.

Moving on to the screen of the Motorola Edge 40 Neo, a 6.55-inch OLED panel with FullHD+ resolution and, even more interesting, a 144Hz refresh rate awaits us here . As if that were not enough, it exhibits 360Hz touch sampling, has HDR10+ compatibility and incorporates a fingerprint reader.

In Christian terms that means that it is a very fluid screen that gamers will surely know how to take advantage of. Likewise, it offers a sharp image characterized by a wide range of very vivid colors. The only drawback is the brightness, which is insufficient for sunny outdoors.

Hardware, software and other details

Equipped with a Dimensity 7030 chip along with 8/12GB of RAM and 256GB internal storage, the Motorola Edge 40 Neo is well equipped for its range. For example, in Geekbench it obtains 2,563 points in the multi-core test and 511,077 in AnTuTu (v9), so it is above terminals such as the Galaxy A34, Oppo Reno10 and Realme 11 Pro in terms of performance, or at least. less that dictates the theory.

Leaving synthetic benchmarks aside, the Motorola Edge 40 Neo delivers excellent performance in everyday applications and also in demanding games. There is no app or Android title that can resist it, but it is not invulnerable to overheating a little during demanding use. The problem is not so much the heat, as the terminal never becomes bothersome to hold, but the fact that it reduces performance by up to 30% to keep the temperature at bay (Thermal Throttling).

In another order of ideas, the terminal is powered by a 5,000mAh battery that can provide a day and a half of normal use, or 13 hours of continuous video playback. It is important to note that the terminal supports 68W fast charging and in a matter of 15 minutes it can recover 50% of its capacity.

In terms of software, we’re looking at Android 13 alongside Motorola’s MyUX UI , which sticks pretty closely to a pure version of the Android aesthetic and contains little to no Bloatware. With that in mind, there are two years of guaranteed OS updates for this device.

At the connectivity level, it is a 5G mobile (Nano-SIM + eSIM) with the other connectivity standards of the moment.

Cameras

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo is very similar to its brother the Motorola Edge 40 in the camera department. In this sense, it boasts a dual rear camera setup, with a 50MP main sensor with OIS and a 13MP ultra-wide-angle lens with a 112-degree field of view.

Going into details, it’s a good camera setup to show off in favorable lighting conditions. Both the main and ultra-wide-angle cameras offer autofocus and a high shutter speed. The photographs you can capture are rich in detail, but the colors look oversaturated or heavily processed, something that not all users like, as it takes naturalness out of the equation.

Likewise, the dynamic range is acceptable, but nothing exactly spectacular. There are darker than ideal shadows that can detract from some scenes. The noise is minimal, while the details are very good for the range to which the mobile belongs.

Finally, selfies are taken care of by a 32MP sensor whose filming capacity is only 1080p at 30 FPS . In terms of image, it is rich in details, but it tends to accentuate facial details too much and show quite saturated colors like the main one.

PROS:

• Premium design with water resistance
• The on-screen fingerprint reader works very well
• 144Hz refresh rate
• Stereo sound signed by Dolby Atmos

CONS:

• Screen brightness leaves something to be desired outdoors
• It does not have a Micro-SD slot
• It gets a little hot

Motorola Edge 40 Neo Specifications: