Last week’s poll shows Motorola is on the right track – the Edge 30 trio received a mostly warm welcome, with people showing a preference for the flagship Ultra and a preference for the Fusion. It’s really only the mid-range Neo that’s in the red (and even then, the positives and negatives are almost evenly balanced).
We start with the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra. If you missed them, check out our written and video reviews. One important thing to note is that Motorola has addressed one of the biggest criticisms of its phones – software support. The Ultra will get three major operating system updates (which should bring it to Android 15) and security patches for four years. Motorola tells us that they will arrive monthly. Do you see that Sony?
The Edge 30 Ultra is a good all-rounder with the upgraded Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and a very high refresh rate display and powerful 125W fast charging. The 200-megapixel camera performed well for a first outing, but the other two modules left a lot to be desired. 4K video for one, but a little more magnification on the telephoto lens wouldn’t have hurt. However, considering the price of the phone, it’s a strong contender, especially for those looking for stock Android or a desktop mode.
The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion, which we also tested (including a video review), also convinced voters. It doesn’t have the wow factor of a 200MP camera, but the faux leather design and a two-tone camera give it a classy look.
Unfortunately, the Fusion doesn’t enjoy the expanded software support of the Ultra. You only have 2 OS updates and 3 years of security patches to look forward to. The phone also runs on last year’s Snapdragon 888+ chipset, but you can still do some gaming with a high-quality 144Hz display. Also, unlike Galaxy A series phones, this device supports Motorola’s Ready For Desktop mode.
The Motorola Edge 30 Neo is the cheapest of the three, but not necessarily the one that gives you the most bang for your buck. Pros for this are its relatively small size (it’s the same size as the Pixel 6a but has a smaller screen) and fast 68W charging, as well as Motorola’s clean Android implementation. Some customization and gesture features are available in the Motorola app, but you don’t have to use them if you don’t want to.
Once the brand of an Android fanatic, Motorola took a back seat a few years ago. Phones like the Edge 30 series are just what it takes to bring it back into the limelight.
