Motorola Edge 50 Ultra: A Premium Flagship with a Few Caveats

The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra positions itself as a top-tier smartphone, offering a premium experience with a unique design and impressive performance. While it excels in several areas, there are some notable shortcomings that might sway potential buyers.

Design and Build Quality

The Edge 50 Ultra stands out with its distinctive design options. The wooden and vegan leather finishes elevate its aesthetic appeal, making it a truly premium device. The phone feels solid in hand, thanks to its aluminum frame, and is protected against dust and water with an IP68 rating.

Display

The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra features a 6.7-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1220p and a high refresh rate of 144Hz. The screen is covered by Gorilla Glass Victus, offering durability and resistance to scratches. The display's brightness can reach up to 1,500 nits, making it highly visible even in direct sunlight. While it supports HDR10+, it does not include Dolby Vision. The 144Hz refresh rate enhances smoothness, providing a superior visual experience compared to the more common 120Hz panels.

For audio, the Edge 50 Ultra is equipped with stereo speakers that deliver excellent sound quality. The speakers provide a robust bass, clear vocals, and well-defined highs, making for an immersive listening experience. The device also features an under-display fingerprint scanner that is both fast and reliable.

Performance

Powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, the Edge 50 Ultra offers flagship-level performance. It handles demanding tasks, such as gaming and multitasking, with ease. However, the phone tends to throttle under sustained heavy load, which might be a concern for avid gamers or users who frequently push their device to its limits.

Camera

When it comes to photography, the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra features a triple-camera setup that includes a 50MP main camera, a 64MP telephoto lens with 3x zoom, and a 50MP ultra-wide camera. The main camera excels in daylight conditions, capturing vibrant colors and high detail. In low light, it performs well with good dynamic range and detail, though the color rendition could be more vivid. The telephoto lens provides respectable quality for zoomed shots, though it does have some graininess and less sharpness at higher zoom levels. The ultra-wide camera delivers decent performance with a wider dynamic range and good color accuracy, although low-light shots can be softer.

Video recording, however, is a weak point for the Edge 50 Ultra. While it supports 4K video, the footage can appear overprocessed with heavy sharpening, resulting in some loss of fine detail. The electronic stabilization is effective but can't be turned off, which might not appeal to all users.

Battery Life and Charging

The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra is equipped with a 4,500mAh battery that performs admirably in battery life tests, providing just under 13 hours of active use. It supports 125W fast wired charging, which is incredibly swift, capable of charging the device from 0% to 81% in just 15 minutes and achieving a full charge in 21 minutes. Additionally, the phone supports 50W fast wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, offering versatile charging options.

Conclusion

The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra is a compelling smartphone with a premium design, excellent display, and strong performance. While the camera system's strengths lie in photography, video recording is an area where it could improve. If you prioritize a unique-looking device with fast charging and a solid overall package, the Edge 50 Ultra is worth considering. However, if video recording is a top priority, you might want to explore other options.