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Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro European prices leak along with storage and color options
1:11 pm | September 2, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

A new report on the Pixel 8 family just came in, revealing the European storage options along with their respective pricing. We also get the color options. However, the bad news is that the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro will likely be pricier than their predecessors. The price hike is quite significant if we are to trust the source, of course. The Pixel 8 with 128GB of storage will ask for €874 with 23% VAT, while the 256GB variant goes up to €949. The Pixel 7 at launch started at €650. The Pixel 8 Pro is rumored to launch at €1,235 for merely 128GB storage and will ask €1,309 for the 256GB iteration....

Google Pixel 8 Pro leaks on Google Store
11:13 am | August 30, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

Google has not done its best to keep upcoming Pixel phones under wraps ahead of their announcements and the Pixel 8 Pro is no different. The Porcelain white version of the upcoming Google flagship was spotted on the Google Store for a brief time period which shows us yet another confirmation of its design. Google Pixel 8 Pro on Google Store While the image is not the best quality, we can see the updated unfied visor house the alleged 50MP main, 64MP ultrawide and 48MP telephoto modules. The cameras are housed next to the LED flash and the infrared temperature sensor which will...

Google Pixel 8 Pro leaks on Google Store
11:13 am |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

Google has not done its best to keep upcoming Pixel phones under wraps ahead of their announcements and the Pixel 8 Pro is no different. The Porcelain white version of the upcoming Google flagship was spotted on the Google Store for a brief time period which shows us yet another confirmation of its design. Google Pixel 8 Pro on Google Store While the image is not the best quality, we can see the updated unfied visor house the alleged 50MP main, 64MP ultrawide and 48MP telephoto modules. The cameras are housed next to the LED flash and the infrared temperature sensor which will...

Google Pixel 8a appears on Geekbench with underclocked Tensor G3 chipset
3:54 pm | August 24, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

The Pixel 7a is Google’s current midrange smartphone option which launched back in May but a new Geekbench listing is here to give us our first set of details on its successor – the Pixel 8a. Google Pixel 8a codenamed Akita appeared in a Geekebnch 5 listing alongside an underclocked version of the Tensor G3 chipset. Pixel 8a on Geekbench 5 The chipset on the Pixel 8a features a prime core clocked at 2.91GHz, 4x performance cores at 2.37GHz and four efficiency units humming at 1.7GHz. The GPU side is covered by the Mali G715. For reference the regular Tensor G3 which leaked a while...

Asus Zenfone 10 review: powerful and pocketable but performative
3:46 pm | August 23, 2023

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Asus Zenfone 10 two-minute review

If the Asus Zenfone 10 is a write-in for the title of ‘best small phone’, it’s only because it’s the only small phone to be released this year, with the ‘best’ designation used through gritted teeth.

Asus seems to keep bumping into the same problem with its Zenfone line of mini Android phones: in a world where mobiles are always getting bigger and bigger, what do you do with a device that’s defined by its small stature?

Not much, says the Asus Zenfone 10, because it’s a near clone of the Asus Zenfone 9 that we saw a year prior, but with a few specs tweaked and a higher price. And all in all, it offers the same package: it’s nice for people who want a one-handed phone, but its identity issues mean it’s not getting onto our list of the best Android phones.

Like a Michelin-star chef using cheap ingredients, Asus has a great recipe with its Zenfone mobiles but hasn't got the recipe right. There’s definitely a market for cutesy one-handed mobiles, but by combining both premium features (the chipset, the high-end price) and ones that leave a sour taste in your mouth (the camera, the design, the slow charging), the company is ending with a ‘jack of no trades’, so to say.

Case in point, the chipset. Asus has insistently pumped the newest and best Snapdragon chips into each entry of Zenfone series, which would ostensibly make them great for gaming – until you realize that they’re so small, that it’s hard to see what you’re doing in your game. 

The price is another sticking point, with the $699.99 / £749.99 (roughly AU$1,450) asking price putting the Zenfone at roughly the same price point as the iPhone 14 and Samsung Galaxy S22. Suffice to say, the Zenfone 10 is not a contender, given its weaker cameras and less impressive screen.

The Asus Zenfone 10 on a bench, with a field in the background

(Image credit: Future)

Asus has kept to its distinctly unimpressive specs in other areas. The camera array would feel at home on a mid-range mobile, while the charging speed gets beaten by many more affordable Android phones. 

If you’re looking for a small phone, though, you don't really have many other options. The market for new sub-6-inch mobiles basically gives you two options: Zenfone or iPhone SE, meaning Android phone fans will have to settle.

So far, the tone of this two-minute review has been negative, and that’s because it’s hard to recommend this phone to people who aren’t dead-set on getting a small phone, but there are some qualities to the Zenfone that make it worth considering.

Thanks to its small size, the Zen 10 is very easy to use one-handed, and it slips into even the smallest pocket or purse with ease.

Some of the Zenfone 10's improvements are welcome: the front-facing camera has gotten a lot better, and the selfie experience is noticeably improved. Plus, wireless charging will gain some converts into the Asus camp. We’ve also got to flag the wide variety of bright color options: Asus sees your ‘black or white’ binary choices for many modern mobiles and raises you red, blue and green to boot. 

But are more colors, more megapixels and more ways to charge that big of an upgrade, given the higher price? 

Why Asus won’t position its Zenfone devices as happy mid-rangers is a mystery to us – with some of the specs clipped, and at a more affordable price point, this mobile could do gangbusters. Sadly, that isn’t the Zenfone 10.

Asus Zenfone 10 review: price and availability

The Asus Zenfone 10 on a bench, with a field in the background

(Image credit: Future)
  • On sale in the UK & Europe from July 31
  • Pre-order in the US from August 22
  • Australian availability TBC
  • From $699.99 (128GB) / £749.99 (256GB)

After being unveiled on June 29, 2023, the Asus Zenfone 10 hit shelves on July 31 in Europe (including the UK). The phone hit pre-order in the US on August 22 and an Australian release hasn’t yet been confirmed.

The phone costs $699.99 (roughly £550 / AU$1,090) for the base 8GB RAM / 128GB storage variant (which seems to be a US-exclusive), $749.99 / £749.99 (roughly AU$1,450) for a bump to 256GB of storage and $799.99 / £819.99 (around AU$1,550) for the top-tier 16GB RAM / 512GB model. Our review unit was of the fully-loaded model, in its Aurora Green variant, but there are also white, black, red and blue options.

For some comparison, the Asus Zenfone 9 cost $699 / £699 / AU$1,199 for 8GB / 128GB and $799 / £749 (around AU$1,300) for 16GB / 256GB build. So there’s a slight price increase for each RAM model year-on-year, and while it arguably could be justified by the increased storage and other features, it does make the Zenfone even closer in terms of price to some top-tier rivals.

The Android champ, the Samsung Galaxy S23 costs $799.99 / £849 / AU$1,349 and the iPhone 14 costs $799 / £849 / AU$1,339; both for their base models, so although they’re both a touch costlier than the Asus, the margin between cheapest models is shrinking with each generation. And more importantly, the Zenfone 10 has crossed the border between ‘mid-range’ phone into ‘premium’, albeit at the cheaper end of the spectrum.

  • Value score: 3.5 / 5

Asus Zenfone 10 review: Specs

The Zenfone 10 arguably boasts more power than it could ever use effectively, but it's nice to know that this pint-sized smartphone has room to spare, regardless of what you might throw at it.

Asus Zenfone 10 review: design

The Asus Zenfone 10 on a bench, with a field in the background

(Image credit: Future)
  • One of the only noteworthy compact phones available
  • IP68 certified
  • Rare 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Numerous color options

The Asus Zenfone 10 is a real dead ringer for the Zenfone 9 – the one small tweak is the design of the camera system, but even I didn’t spot this minor change before reading the company’s comments pointing it out.

The phone’s selling point is its size. At 146.5 x 68.1 x 9.4mm, it’s one of the smallest modern mobiles on the market, with only the iPhone SE being smaller. This is reflected in the weight too, with the phone being nice and light at 172g.

With these dimensions, the phone is easy to use one-handed, with all but the extremities of the display as well as the buttons on the right edge being well within reach. Those buttons are the volume rocker and power button, with the latter embedded in a side-mounted fingerprint scanner that was reliable at picking up my thumbprint during testing.

In theory, the size would make the Zenfone incredibly comfortable to hold, but Asus balances this by following the flat-edge phone trend that’s become popular in the last few years (despite common sense). The corners of the handset, therefore, dig into the palm and fingers a little when you’re holding it.

There’s a USB-C port for charging your phone as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack, with the Zenfone rapidly becoming one of the last bastions for wired audio fans (alongside the Sony Xperia 1 V).

If you like a well-protected phone, you’ll be at home here: there’s an IP68 rating against water and dust, and the frame is made of plastic, which may not feel too premium in the hand but it’s certainly more durable than glass.

As stated, there are quite a few color options for the Asus Zenfone 10, making it a rare exception to the modern rule of boring phone shades. We tested Aurora Green, though from Asus’ images, red seems like the real vibrant standout.

  • Design score: 3.5 / 5

Asus Zenfone 10 review: display

The Asus Zenfone 10 on a bench, with a field in the background

(Image credit: Future)
  • 5.9-inch Full HD+ display
  • 144Hz refresh rate (up from 120Hz on Zenfone 9)
  • Small screen size can make gaming difficult

A small body means a small screen, and at 5.9 inches, this is one of the smallest displays you’ll find on a current-gen smartphone. It does match the last few generations of Zenfone, in the resolution as well as the size, with 1080 x 2400 Full HD+ making a return.

An improvement here is the refresh rate, which has crept up to 144Hz, meaning that the screen refreshes 144 times per second, for smoother motion. This is only actually available in games though, not for everyday use, so non-gamers won’t be able to make the most of it.

We’re not sure why gamers would pick a 5.9-inch screen phone for gaming though, as it’s just not big enough to see details. When you’ve got icons cluttering the screen and your fingers blocking your vision you’ll find yourself begging for a bigger display.

  • Display score: 3.5 / 5

Asus Zenfone 10 review: software

The Asus Zenfone 10 on a bench, with a field in the background

(Image credit: Future)
  • Zen UI atop Android 13 out of box
  • Smart Key is a great inclusion
  • Promised two years of OS updates, four years security updates

Like most Android phone makers, Asus likes to layer its own user interface over stock Android – for the Zenfone 10, Android 13 is embellished with Zen UI.

Unlike some Android forks, Zen UI is quite a gentle overhaul, and you’d be forgiven for thinking the Zenfone 10 ran stock Android, and that’s largely because Asus lets you pick between its own features and the Android alternatives.

Zen UI gives you a redesigned and improved volume slider, a unique call display, reorganized quick settings panels and more, but many of the changes are purely in the appearance.

One bigger improvement is Smart Key, which lets you activate various functions by double tapping or pressing and holding the side power key, however we found that this was less reliable than simply using the tried-and-tested methods for, say, checking notifications or skipping songs.

If you’re the sort that cares about support length, then you should know that Asus has confirmed the Zenfone 10 will get two years of operating system updates (so, up to Android 15) and two extra years beyond that for security patches.

  • Software score: 4 / 5

Asus Zenfone 10 review: cameras

The Asus Zenfone 10 on a bench, with a field in the background

(Image credit: Future)
  • 50MP main + 13MP ultra-wide
  • 32MP front-facer (up from 12MP on predecessors)
  • Improved AI image processing but no autofocus on ultra-wide

The Asus Zenfone 10 has a few changes over its predecessor, but I'm loathed to call these ‘upgrades’. Side-grades?

The main camera is the same as on the Zenfone 9: a 50MP f/1.9 snapper that uses the ever-popular Sony IMX766 sensor. This is a good mid-range sensor that picks up light well, making for colorful pictures, and you'll find it in plenty of budget and mid-range mobiles.

As you can see from the camera samples below, the photos taken were reasonably rich, with decent contrast and saturation – and it seems Asus has improved its AI image processing from previous mobiles.

Joining that on the back is a 13MP ultra-wide camera, with a 120-degree field of view, which is slightly higher-res and wider than last year’s alternative, but with the curious omission of autofocus. Oops? Autofocus isn’t as important on this camera as on the main one, but with many people opting to use UW cameras to take macro pictures, some might find the lack of this feature critical.

A more jarring issue that I found with this camera is that photos were noticeably more desaturated and flat than on the main camera. Goodbye color.

There are only two rear cameras here – clearly Asus is taking the wrong leaf from the iPhone playbook – and so if you like a versatile photographic experience, the lack of a macro or telephoto lens will disappoint you.

On the front of the phone, the camera hardware has undergone a more drastic change, with the 12MP selfie snapper of years past ditched in favor of a 32MP shooter. This makes a marked increase on selfie quality – not only are they more high res, letting you edit and play with them more, but Portrait mode and AI processing upgrades are abound too. In this department, at least, Asus has sussed out how to upgrade its phones.

Video recording maxes out at 8K/24fps or 4K/60fps, or if you want to embrace slow-mo there’s 4K/120fps, FHD/240fps or HD/480fps. The other modes on the Camera app tick all the standard boxes: there’s time-lapse, portrait, light trails, Pro and night mode.

Please note, the two selfie camera samples had to be cropped to 1:1 in order to upload successfully. By default, the phone captures in 4:3.

Asus Zenfone 10 camera samples

Image 1 of 6

A camera sample from the Asus Zenfone 10

A nice flower in a field, captured on the main camera. (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 6

A camera sample from the Asus Zenfone 10

A wide field, taken on the main camera... (Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 6

A camera sample from the Asus Zenfone 10

... the same field captured on the ultra-wide camera. (Image credit: Future)
Image 4 of 6

A camera sample from the Asus Zenfone 10

(Image credit: Future)
Image 5 of 6

Examples of a selfie on the Asus Zenfone 10

A photo taken on the standard Zenfone 10 front-facing camera mode. (Image credit: Future)
Image 6 of 6

Examples of a selfie on the Asus Zenfone 10

A photo taken on the Zenfone 10's portrait mode. As you can tell I'm smiling more, and that's because I look better in portrait mode. (Image credit: Future)
  • Camera score: 3.5 / 5

Asus Zenfone 10 review: performance and audio

  • Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is overkill for a phone of this size
  • Gaming is smooth but cramped
  • Versatile audio experience

We’ve touched on the Asus Zenfone 10’s chipset already; it’s the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the current most powerful processor available to Android phones and found in lots of the top models. Asus tends to use the best chips available to it, and the Zenfone 10 is no exception.

This amount of processing power is, unfortunately, totally unnecessary – with its small screen size, it’s really hard to use the Zenfone for power-hungry applications like games, photo editing and so on. Bear in mind that a 16GB RAM version of the phone is on sale!

I played lots of Call of Duty Mobile and PUBG Mobile to test the phone, and ran into multiple problems. On-screen icons were, by default, way to small to be reliably pressed at a moment’s notice, and resizing them only goes so far to fix this. My hands also ended up covering lots of the screen, my thumbs would frequently smash into each other when I was trying to run one way and look the other, and even short gaming bouts resulted in some serious hand cramp from grasping this tiny mobile – gaming on this device was really tough (somewhat ironic as Asus also makes the best gaming phone on the market).

Remove the human element, and games play well – toggle the 144Hz screen option, and the highest graphics options available, and the Asus still tanks through games (well, other than the long-running overheating issue of Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets). But you’d be hard-pressed to notice if you can barely see the screen.

It’s getting tiring complaining about the Zenfone’s bizarre chipset choice – a Snapdragon 7-series chipset would let Asus sell its phone for less, would remove the overheating issue, and wouldn’t have a noticeable effect on the way people use the phone anyway. 

In terms of audio, the Zenfone has built-in speakers that are absolutely fine, but with a 3.5mm headphone jack and Bluetooth connectivity you can easily use your own headphones too.

  • Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Asus Zenfone 10 review: battery life

The Asus Zenfone 10 on a bench, with a field in the background

(Image credit: Future)

On any other phone, a 4,300mAh battery would throw up red flags: this mid-sized battery wouldn’t normally support a mobile with a top-end chip, 5G connectivity and high-refresh-rate display for very long at all. Thankfully, the Zenfone’s small screen lets it skirt around this issue, and it ends up having a pretty standard battery life.

In our testing we comfortably used the Zenfone 10 for a full day of use without needing to charge it up, which is what you expect from the average mobile. It won’t serve you for two days – realistically no phone will – but you won’t need to worry about it running out of charge over the course of just one.

Charging is done via the USB-C port at 30W, which is pretty slow in the grand scheme of Android phones, and it’ll take you at least an hour to power it to full. There’s a new feature here in the form of wireless charging, which comes in at 15W. Again, that’s not fast, but it’s a useful extra feature for people who like charging docks or pads.

I’ve frequently tested phones that are so big that they’re tricky to use on wireless charging stands, but the Zenfone’s size made it easy to place and readjust against some of the chargers it was placed upon.

  • Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Asus Zenfone 10?

The Asus Zenfone 10 on a bench, with a field in the background

(Image credit: Future)

Buy it if...

You want a tiny phone
Sick of struggling to reach the edges of your phone screen? This pint-size mobile is small enough that your woes will be gone.

You love the headphone jack
Asus is one of the few companies reliably using a 3.5mm headphone jack on mid-range and premium mobiles, so audio fans can rest easy here.

You're a selfie fan
With a new higher-resolution front camera and a few new AI tricks and tweaks, the Zenfone is a good phone for selfies. Plus, it's not going to block light when you hold it high, unlike some other rivals.

Don't buy it if...

You like your screen space
Whether you like watching Netflix on the go, play games a lot or simply like seeing lots of your email at once, many people want lots of screen space. If you have big hands too, you'll get cramp using this little phone.

You're a gamer
We can't overstate how many issues accompany this small form factor phone to make it a gaming nightmare. Small display, quick to overheat, hand cramp abounds.

You find the Zenfone 9 on sale
Not much has changed here from the Zenfone 9, and while we weren't blown away by that, a year's worth of sales could make it a much more affordable alternative.

Asus Zenfone 10 review: Also consider

Asus has settled into its comfort zone for the Zenfone 10, not changing much from the Zenfone 9, and if that didn't impress you then this won't either. In that case, here are some alternatives.

Google Pixel 6a
Another small phone, but this one has better cameras, a much lower price and cleaner software. Plus, it's not so small that your hand threatens to collapse in on itself. We prefer this to the Pixel 7a, especially with its ever-lowering price.

iPhone 13 mini
Is the whole 'Android' thing putting you off? In that case, consider the iPhone's small option (though not the too-small and otherwise-flawed iPhone SE). This is powerful, has great cameras and, most importantly for you Android naysayers, runs iOS.

How I tested the Asus Zenfone 10

The Asus Zenfone 10 on a bench, with a field in the background

(Image credit: Future)
  • Review test period = 2 weeks
  • Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
  • Tools used = Geekbench 5, Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, GFXBench, native Android stats

I started using the Asus Zenfone 10 when it was shipped to me to review, using the 512GB storage and 16GB RAM unit in green, as you can see from the pictures accompanying this review.

I used the phone as my normal device during the testing period which included bouts of photography, gaming and streaming shows, but I mainly just used it for everyday tasks; to listen to music on the way to work, doomscroll through social media during work and work or play after work.

Having previously spent time in the TechRadar phones team, including as a staff writer and also Deputy and Acting Editor for the section, I have lots of experience testing many different mobile devices including phones, tablets and wearables, and have tested many of the Asus Zenfone 10's rivals and predecessors. Plus I go climbing, so know some handy hand exercises to stop the cramp from using the thing hurt quite so much.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2023

Google Pixel 8 Pro’s leaked promo video shows Audio Magic Eraser in action
5:45 pm | August 12, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

The Magic Eraser feature introduced by Google with the Pixel 6 lets you remove subjects from the background in your photos, and a video that has surfaced on X (formerly Twitter) shows Google has developed a version of Magic Eraser for audio, aptly called Audio Magic Eraser. The short clip suggests Audio Magic Eraser will debut with the Pixel 8 series, and like the Magic Eraser, it will be accessible through the Google Photos app, allowing you to remove the background noise from the video. The editor will have a slider to let you choose how much background sound you want to filter...

Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro versions leak
4:47 am | August 8, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

Google's upcoming Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are only going to be announced in October, if history repeats itself and the company sticks to its usual timeline. Despite that, they've been leaking for months now. As we get closer to the launch event, more minute details are starting to pour out. Today, a usually reliable source brings us information about the versions in which the two models will be sold. Pixel 8 Pro leaked renders The Pixel 8 will allegedly come with 128GB or 256GB of storage, which is exactly like its predecessor. Those hoping for a bump to 256GB for the entry-level...

Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro versions leak
4:47 am |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

Google's upcoming Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are only going to be announced in October, if history repeats itself and the company sticks to its usual timeline. Despite that, they've been leaking for months now. As we get closer to the launch event, more minute details are starting to pour out. Today, a usually reliable source brings us information about the versions in which the two models will be sold. Pixel 8 Pro leaked renders The Pixel 8 will allegedly come with 128GB or 256GB of storage, which is exactly like its predecessor. Those hoping for a bump to 256GB for the entry-level...

Motorola Edge 30 review
5:29 pm | August 7, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: | Comments: Off

Motorola Edge 30 two-minute review

The Motorola Edge 30 is a slim, light, good-looking phone with a great screen and an attractive price tag. Its camera is also competitive, given the phone's price, and the Edge 30 isn't too shabby when it comes to performance either, whether thumbing through the interface, browsing the web, or blasting your way through games.

What holds back the Edge 30 from being an across-the-board champ is its battery. It's smaller than we'd expect from a phone today, and that compromise is no doubt how Motorola achieved the phone's 6.8mm profile.

The Edge 30's camera is also noteworthy. It combines a high-resolution 50MP primary camera with OIS, and the ultra-wide camera crams in autofocus. This ensures it captures a range of quality shots – from close-up macro snaps to landscapes, mid-range photos, and more. While Motorola's photo processing is heavy-handed, at the price, the Edge 30 is still a solid camera phone. 

If you're not a power user who uses your phone non-stop and needs a battery that can keep up, the Motorola Edge 30 is a mighty option. It's perfect if you're after a brilliant, big screen, a decent camera mix, and very slender styling. 

If you're sold on Motorola, but not on the Edge 30, then check out some of the best Motorola phones on the market, and if you're on a tight budget, here's our list of the best cheap phones out right now.

Motorola Edge 30 review: price & availability

A photo of the Motorola Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)

You might expect a phone with a super-smooth 144Hz refresh rate screen to cost flagship dollar, but at the time of writing this review, the Edge 30 costs as little as £279 in the UK, though its RRP is £379 – still a great price for that display. 

While you can't pick the Edge 30 up in the USA, you can get the Edge (2022), which has similar specs, a slighting beefier battery and design, and that costs $499 ($599 with a bundled tablet). The Edge 30 is also not available in Australia, though the Edge 30 Neo is a nifty alternative, and costs AU $599.

  • Value score: 4 / 5

Motorola Edge 30 review: design

A photo of the Motorola Edge 30's slim profile

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)
  • Exceptionally thin and light
  • No headphone jack
  • Water repellent design

The Motorola Edge 30 is nothing short of waif-like. Its skinny profile measures just 6.8mm, and it weighs 155g. For context, an iPhone 14 Pro Max measures 12.03mm when including the camera bump, and weighs 240g. Motorola's slender contender still sports an ample footprint, thanks to its ample 6.5-inch screen.

When it comes to build quality, the Edge 30 feels about right for a midrange, relatively affordable phone. It's made of plastic around the sides and back, so definitely isn't super premium. But still feels relatively special, with a frosted finish around the back and that super-thin body.

A photo of the Motorola Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)

The Motorola Edge 30 is splashproof, with a water-repellant design, and the display is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. In the box, you get a case to help add a little extra life-proofing, and thanks to the plastic back, only one side of the phone is likely to smash if you drop it. This all means it probably isn't as fragile as some glass-on-glass phones like the Nothing Phone 1.

Unsurprisingly for a phone this thin, there's no headphone jack, and ports are limited to a single USB-C port at the base. On the right side are all the buttons – volume and power, and around the back is a modest camera bump.

Thanks to easy-to-grip, flat sides, we didn't find the Edge 30 slippery or fiddly to use despite being so thin, and the slightly rounded sides add a pleasant, soft quality to the hold.

So while Motorola's thin phone isn't the most premium around, we'd say it strikes the right notes given its price. Could its style be a bit more refined? Absolutely. Does it feel like it's made of plastic? Definitely. But it also still feels unique, a great balance of life-proof, slender, and fit-for-purpose.

  • Design score: 4 / 5

A photo of the Motorola Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)

Motorola Edge 30 review: display

  • 6.5-inch Full HD+ AMOLED
  • 144Hz refresh rate
  • Best-in-class display

The Motorola Edge 30 has a 6.5-inch AMOLED screen. This is already a great start for the price, but its 144Hz high refresh rate is unheard of and makes the phone's screen best-in-class for the price.

Going into a bit more detail on those two points – AMOLED, and 144Hz, lets' start with explaining AMOLED displays. Typically, they feature richer-looking images with deeper blacks than LCDs. This gives pictures displayed on them higher contrast and makes them look more dynamic. These are all characteristics carried forward by the screen on the Edge 30.

As for what 144Hz means – it refers to the number of times the screen refreshes per second. Typically, screens are 60Hz, so refresh 60 times per minute. Lately, midrange and high-end phones have tended to cap out at 120Hz – that's the refresh rate of the iPhone 14 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Motorola blows expectations out of the water by including a 144Hz panel on the Edge 30 – speeds usually reserved for gaming phones.

The higher the refresh rate, the smoother content looks when swiping through feeds, and menus, and playing compatible games.

A photo of the Motorola Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)

The Motorola 30's screen is also 10-bit, so showcases up to a billion colors, and supports HDR10+ footage. It also gets nice and bright for comfortable viewing in most conditions at around 700 nits, though if you're in extremely bright direct sunlight, you might struggle a bit.

As for clarity, with its Full HD resolution, despite not being the sharpest screen in the phone shop, at its price, the 1080 x 2400 pixel display is exactly what we'd expect. And with its expansive 86 percent screen-to-bezel ratio, its small borders ensure everything looks immersive. 

If we really had to nitpick, the screen's weakest area is brightness – and even that is competitive at the price, making the Motorola Edge 30's display its high point.

  • Display score: 5 / 5

Motorola Edge 30 review: software and performance

A photo of the Motorola Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)
  • Runs Android 12
  • Basic Motorola Ready For support
  • Snapdragon 778G+ chipset
  • In-display fingerprint scanner

With Motorola's interface being the same across all its phones, if you're coming from an old Moto phone, you'll know what to expect. It’s clean and simple, with much less added software than in rival phones from Xiaomi, Realme, and Samsung. What you might not have seen before, though, is Ready For – a way of pairing the phone to an external display wirelessly via Miracast. 

The Ready For feature also enhances the pairing experience with a PC, so your Edge 30 can double up as your webcam, and you can easily manage your mobile life from a Windows device. This worked well in our tests and is a fantastic value add at the price. One point to note, the phone doesn't support video out via the USB-C port, so Ready For projection can only be fired up via Miracast, or when hooked up to a PC.

There’s a Moto app to turn the handful of Moto extra features on and off, a Motorola Notifications app (this one is largely bloatware), and Dolby Atmos, which is behind the phone’s audio optimization.

What are those extra Moto features? Peek Display, Attentive Display, and Gestures. Peek Display is a custom lock screen that lights up when you pick up the phone while in standby. It shows the time, battery life, and icons, to denote any recently received notifications.

A photo of the Motorola Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)

At the heart of the Motorola Edge 30 experience is Google's Android 12 operating system, and the light approach to software skinning means you get to see the visual changes Google made in this version of the OS. Feature toggles in the drop-down menus sit in colorful blocks, for example, and you can choose the color to alter Android’s personality a bit.

The interface experience isn't let down by the hardware on the Edge 30, thanks to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ chipset. This isn't a speedster when it comes to 3D gaming, but for general day-to-day tasks, it hits the mark. What makes the Edge 30 feel even more premium is its 144Hz screen, which takes UI smoothness to another level.

A photo of the Motorola Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)

Anyone who games will probably want to know how the phone benchmarks, and the Motorola Edge 30 scores fairly for the price, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 2677, and a 3D Mark score of 2791 on the Wild Life benchmark.

This all means that while performance is far from flagship – a little worse than top-tier phones from a couple of years ago, it's still good enough for most apps and games to run smoothly.

Also handy, the phone has an in-display fingerprint scanner, which is not always seen at the price, and it worked quickly for secure unlocking.

  • Software and performance score: 4 / 5

Motorola Edge 30 review: camera

A photo of the Motorola Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)
  • 50MP primary camera with OIS
  • 50MP ultra-wide camera with autofocus
  • 2MP depth sensor

The Motorola Edge 30 has three rear cameras, though only two actually take pictures – the primary and ultra-wide cameras. The third camera is a depth sensor, so should help with cleaning up portrait mode style photos (the ones with blurry backgrounds and sharp foregrounds), but you won't take pictures using it standalone.

A photo of the Motorola Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)

Starting with the hardware, and the fact the main camera has optical image stabilization, which helps compensate for handshake when capturing photos and videos, is a great start. 

While the camera uses an OmniVision sensor – known for not being quite up to snuff when compared to Sony and Samsung sensors, at the price point, the Edge 30 is a competent camera phone. For context, the much pricier Motorola RAZR 2022 features the same main camera and captures similar results.

Specs-wise, the OmniVision OV50A sensor reads well – it measures 1/1.55 inches, and the large sensor (for the phone's price) is matched with an f/1.8 lens.

As for the ultra-wide camera, it's a 1/2.76-inch Samsung S6KJN1 sensor, matched with an ultra-wide 118º field of view, f/2.2 lens.

Motorola Edge 30 review: camera samples

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A photo captured on the Motorola Moto Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)
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A photo captured on the Motorola Moto Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)
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A photo captured on the Motorola Moto Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)
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A photo captured on the Motorola Moto Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)
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A photo captured on the Motorola Moto Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)
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A photo captured on the Motorola Moto Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)
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A photo captured on the Motorola Moto Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)
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A photo captured on the Motorola Moto Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)
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A photo captured on the Motorola Moto Edge 30

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A photo captured on the Motorola Moto Edge 30

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A photo captured on the Motorola Moto Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)
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A photo captured on the Motorola Moto Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)

Motorola is known for pumping its smartphone photos with contrast, so they look dramatic, but miss out on dynamic range. This means dark areas can look like blobs of black, lacking discernable detail. Far from limited to Motorola's affordable phones, the quality is visible from the cheapest through to the premium, 200MP Edge 30 Ultra.

While this isn't quite so easy to justify when paying premium prices, the effect doesn't hold the Edge 30 back too much. Its photos still pack ample image detail. Colors are vibrant, and the phone performs relatively well across environments, mainly struggling with high-contrast artificial light and very dark scenes.

Also handy, the Edge 30's camera is fully featured on a software front. You can take RAW photos, adjust manual settings, and you can do so across both cameras. So while its hardware and processing aren't the best out there, enthusiasts can override Motorola's processing easily.

As for video capture, the Edge 30 can record up to 4K video at 30fps, and the footage looks fair. Noise handling isn't great, but things look steady enough, and in well-lit environments, results are on the money.

  • Camera score: 4 / 5

Motorola Edge 30 review: battery life

A photo of the Motorola Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)
  • Small 4,020mAh battery
  • Supports 33W charging
  • Ships with fast charger

The Moto Edge 30 battery story has wins and woes. The wins come in the form of the charging speeds, times, and the fact you get a fast charger in the box. Powering up at 33W, while the phone isn't the fastest charger at the price, it powers up in around 45 minutes – great going.

As for the Edge 30's battery woes – that comes in the form of how long it lasts with intensive use. 

One hour of playing a simple 2D game, Marvel Snap, at 60 percent brightness drained the battery by 35 percent – so if you want a long-haul flight gaming phone, pack a charger.

A power-hungry day of being a tourist, roaming, using 5G, photo and video capture, and map usage will likely leave you needing a top-up by the early evening. Moderate use, though, did surprise us. We were able to get through a full day when we used the phone normally. That means Spotify listening on the commute, occasional YouTube watching, messaging, and replying to emails.

If you don't consider yourself a power user, therefore, and appreciate a sleek profile over the possibility of two-day battery life, the Edge 30's modest milliamp hours could suffice.

  • Battery score: 3 / 5

Motorola Edge 30 score card

Should I buy the Motorola Edge 30?

A photo of the Motorola Edge 30

(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

Google Pixel 6A
Despite costing more than the Edge 30, the Pixel 6a falls behind in a number of key areas – namely display quality, and charging speed. Nevertheless, its camera performance is more refined than that of the Edge 30, even if it does miss out on Moto's manual photo controls. 
Read our Google Pixel 6a for more

  • First reviewed January 2023
New leak reiterates Google Pixel 8 Pro specs
10:59 pm | July 17, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

If Google sticks to its usual schedule, and so far we've seen no indication it plans not to, then the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro should be getting official at a special event taking place in California in October. And yet, we've already seen multiple leaks regarding the upcoming duo, even though we're still about three months away from that point. Today, a full list of the Pixel 8 Pro's most important specs is doing the rounds, so let's dive in. Google Pixel 8 Pro- 6.7" QHD+ LTPO OLED, 120Hz- Google Tensor G3 + Titan chip- 12GB RAM- 128/256GB storage- Camera: 50MP (OIS) + 64MP UW + 48MP...

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