The Motorola Edge 30 Neo in practice

Berlin (dpa / tmn) – – “Very Peri”, ever heard of it? Behind it is a kind of purple, the “color of the year 2022” proclaimed by the Pantone Color Institute. Motorola is hoping for an impetus from the trend color.

According to the Pantone people, however, “Very Peri” should not be called purple under any circumstances. According to their interpretation, the correct answer is: “a dynamic blue that, with an invigorating reddish-violet nuance, is reminiscent of periwinkle blossoms”.

You might smile at the naming. But “Very Peri” actually makes the new Motorola Edge 30 Neo an eye-catcher. The thin device feels good in the hand, especially since the surface doesn’t tend to collect fingerprints like on so many glossy models.

The Edge 30 Neo is the cheapest of the three new Edge 30 models. The two siblings that want to score more with technical performance data are called Edge 30 Fusion and Edge 30 Pro.

There are four colors to choose from

In addition to the model we tested in the color “Very Peri”, models in “Aqua Foam”, “Black Onyx” and “Ice Palace” are also available. So for us color laymen in green, black and white.

The narrow LED frame around the camera on the back is more than a design gimmick. It lights up briefly when a notification arrives. This is quite useful when the phone is on silent. However, the LEDs could easily shine a little brighter, otherwise it is easy to overlook the light signals.

But there is nothing to complain about when it comes to the screen. The 6.3-inch display of the Edge 30 Neo is on par with the much more expensive Samsung Galaxy S22, because it is also able to display up to 120 frames per second (120 Hertz). The screen not only reproduces content sharply and smoothly. It’s also exceptionally bright for a mid-range smartphone.

While the Neo scores a lot of points with the excellent display in the test, there isn’t that much to gain from the cameras. The main camera takes nice pictures during the day when there is enough light. An optical image stabilizer helps to ensure that the photos do not blur. The wide-angle camera weakens a bit because the images are a little blurry at the very edge.

In the dark, the camera turns off the lights

Noticeable differences to top smartphones like the Pixel 7 Pro can be seen in the evening or at night when the ambient light is sparse. There is a general lack of sharpness, image details are no longer displayed precisely and a slight color noise sets in. On the other hand, we were satisfied with the selfie camera, at least as long as it was still reasonably light.

The verdict on the power supply is good: The battery with 4020 mAh lasted a good ten hours in our standard test with a refresh rate of 60 Hertz. This is remarkable for a mid-range smartphone.

In addition, the battery can be recharged in a very short time. In the test with the included quick-charging power supply (68 watts), we needed just over 50 minutes to charge from zero to 100 percent: After 30 minutes, the Neo was already 73 percent charged, which is enough for more than eight hours of operation.

Wireless charging is also possible

Unlike the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion, the Neo and Pro can also be charged wirelessly. But with 5 watts this is much slower. While all Edge 30 models support fast 5G mobile communications (maximum 300 MBit/s), only the Fusion and the Pro offer the latest Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi standard.

As with all Motorola smartphones, the Neo offers an Android operating system that has not been made worse by proprietary software. The few additions, such as the shaking gesture to turn on the flashlight, are useful and sensible.

It’s a shame that Motorola only guarantees two major Android updates. And the larger security updates are over after three years. The manufacturer should fix that.

Conclusion: Pretty smartphone with a great display and minor weaknesses.

The Motorola Edge 30 Neo is an extremely pretty smartphone, not only because of its trendy color but also because of the slim design. The 120 Hertz display is bright and sharp. If the battery life, which is already quite good, is not enough for you, you can recharge at lightning speed.

And even some top smartphones don’t offer wireless charging. The cameras are only convincing in daylight. The list price for the Motorola Edge 30 Neo is 390 euros, but it has also been seen in stores for 360 euros.