The Motorola Edge 50 Neo is the neo middle child of the Edge 50 family. With the Edge 50 Pro and Edge 50 Fusion already holding court for a while, the latest entrant waltzes in with its comfortable form factor, flat display, and impressive cameras—all at a wallet-friendly price.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo
Rs 26,999
What Is Good?
- Compact phone, very lightweight
- Vegan leather finish, looks premium
- Awesome cameras
- 5 years of software support
- Reliable battery life
What Is Bad?
- Not for heavy gaming
- Sound output could've been better
- Red tint issue in selfies
But is it really the golden middle child like Alex from Modern Family, or just another entry in a sea of ever-evolving smartphones? Let’s find out in my review of the Motorola Edge 50 Neo.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo Review: Pricing and Availability in India
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo is available in a single variant on the online Motorola store and Flipkart.
| Variant | Pricing |
| 8GB RAM + 256GB Storage | Rs 26,999 |
Motorola Edge 50 Neo Review: Design and Display
The moment I saw the Pantone Latte colour option on this phone, I was instantly reminded of my foundation shade. It’s gorgeous, and the frames give off serious iPhone 16 Pro Desert Titanium vibes. The vegan leather finish on this phone just seals the deal—chic and premium all the way. It’s wonderfully compact and light, which is perfect since it slips into everything from my tiniest clutch to my biggest tote. That said, it’s not the slimmest option out there, and it doesn’t have the trendy curved design either.
| Design | Specifications |
| Weight | 171 grams |
| Thickness | 8.1mm |
| Colours | PANTONE Poinciana, PANTONE Latte, PANTONE Grisaille, PANTONE Nautical Blue |
| IP Rating | IP68 |
| Port and Button Placements | Bottom: SIM tray, Primary microphone, USB port, Speaker grille
Top: Secondary microphone Right Side: Power button and volume buttons |
I love how Motorola always prioritises the IP rating in check. The Motorola Edge 50 Fusion offers the same rating, even though it’s Rs 3,000 lighter on the wallet. The back panel on the Edge 50 Neo is almost identical to the Edge 50 Pro, but no curved display here. Now, I’m all about the sleek curves for that premium touch, but let’s be real—most people are all for the flat look, so this option could definitely win some hearts.
I’m not loving the size of the power and volume buttons—they’re tiny and sometimes hard to locate.
| Display | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Size | Main: 6.4-inch |
| Type | pOLED |
| Resolution | 1220 x 2712 pixel |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| Peak Brightness | Claimed: 2800 nits, Tested: 1979 nits |
| Minimum Brightness | 25 nits |
The pOLED display is vibrant and contrasty. Watching 1080p HDR videos on YouTube was a treat, with colours popping and the quality staying crisp. So, if you’re into multimedia, you’re all set. Plus, it does support Widevine L1 on Netflix—just no HDR.
The brightness holds strong, even in blinding sunlight. But, it doesn’t really become super dim at night. With the brightness cranked down to zero, it still felt like staring into a flashlight. My eyes were not happy.
When it comes to audio, this phone boasts dual stereo speakers. The sound output is decent, though you might notice a few distortions here and there. It’s good, but it could use a bit more clarity and crispness to really shine.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo Review: Performance and Software
The MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC makes its appearance in the OPPO Reno12, Realme 13 Plus, and the iQOO Z9s. In the Antutu v10 benchmark, it ranks lower than these phones, with the iQOO Z9s taking the top spot.
Overall usage on this phone was smooth, with no lags or stutters. That said, the camera app had a bit of a meltdown after extended use, but other than that, nothing major in regular usage.
| Hardware | Specifications |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 7300 |
| RAM | Up to 8GB LPDDR4X |
| Storage | Up to 256GB UFS 2.2 |
| Storage Test | 663415 |
| CPU Throttling Test | 91 per cent of its max performance |
| Software Version | Android 14
Five years of OS updates and five years of security patches |
| Connectivity Details | Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2 |
I tested Call of Duty: Mobile on this phone, and the experience was a bit of a mixed bag. In High quality and Max frame rates, I hit 60fps at best, but it dipped as low as 43fps, with lags and stutters aplenty. And yes, the phone got warm up top after just one session.
On Low quality with Max frame rates, it was a smoother ride, with fps holding mostly at 60, dipping to 55fps. And in Low quality with Low frame rates? Finally, the gameplay remained steady at 60fps—easily the best experience.
So, if you’re a serious gamer, I’d say look at the Realme 13 Plus or iQOO Z9s instead. This phone’s a decent all-rounder, but hardcore gaming isn’t really its thing.
When it comes to software, the experience was smooth and pretty user-friendly. The only bloatware I found was Facebook, which is rare for Motorola—they usually keep things squeaky clean, but this time it’s just almost there.
The Edge 50 Neo packs some cool features like Always-on Display, funky fingerprint animations, vibrant Lock Screen wallpapers and icons, app security, and more. So yeah, the software is fun and functional. And, I like the fact that they’ve upped the software support to five years—a solid win for anyone wanting to hang onto their phone for a while.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo Review: Cameras
Now, let’s talk about my favourite feature—the cameras. This phone sports a triple-camera setup, and it’s bringing its A-game.
The daylight pictures are bright, colourful, with spot-on dynamic range and sharp details. Plus, the weather played along—my society looked like a scene from a postcard with that sky! The camera captured everything perfectly, from the trees and clouds to vibrant cars—it nailed it.
The ultra-wide shots were stunning too, offering that wider view without skimping on the details. Even the edges stayed sharp, which was a nice surprise.
| Camera | Specifications |
| Primary Camera | 50-megapixel rear main camera with OIS f/1.7 aperture |
| Secondary Camera | 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera, f/2.2 aperture |
| Tertiary Camera | 10-megapixel telephoto camera, f/2.0 aperture |
| Selfie Camera | 32-megapixel autofocus selfie camera, f/2.4 aperture |
| Video Recording Capabilities | Up to 4K at 60fps |
The telephoto lens did a solid job at 2x mode. But at 3x, the colours got a little too vibrant, making the scene look a bit over-processed and artificial.
This phone totally exceeded my expectations in low light conditions. The details, lighting, and colours were consistent, though there’s a lens flare issue. But sometimes the flare looked artistic, so I wasn’t too mad about it.
In the portrait department, while skin tones stayed true, the edge detection could use some work. From afar, everything looks great, but zoom in and you’ll see the cutout isn’t quite perfect.
The autofocus selfie camera knows exactly when to widen the frame if someone else jumps in. Skin tones are on point, but I did notice a red tint around my eyes, lips, and chin, which looked slightly artificial.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo Review: Battery and Charging
It’s a bit of a letdown that this phone packs a 690mAh smaller battery than the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion and falls 190mAh short of the Motorola Edge 50 Pro—especially when almost every other phone is packing a 5000mAh battery these days.
| Battery | Specifications |
| Battery | 4310mAh |
| Charging Adapter | 68W, charger in the box |
| Charging Time | 45 minutes |
| PCMark Battery Test | Error occurred twice |
But here’s the upside: it only took 45 minutes to go from dead to fully charged, which is a lifesaver when you’re in a hurry and need a quick boost.
As for battery life, this phone easily breezes through over a day with light to moderate use. I put it through everything—casual tasks, hardcore gaming, camera marathons, you name it—and it didn’t quit until the next morning. So, if battery life is your thing, the Edge 50 Neo has got you covered.
Motorola Edge 50 Neo Review: Verdict
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo flaunts an utterly (chef’s kiss) compact and lightweight design, paired with a flat display that many users adore, impressive cameras for the price, and a battery life that’s reliably solid. This phone can tackle just about everything you throw at it—except heavy gaming.
If gaming is a priority for you, the iQOO Z9s or the Realme 13 Plus are good options. However, if you’re ready to splurge a little more, the POCO F6 is an absolute gaming powerhouse.
But if you’re a camera freak like me and someone who has a knack for stylish phones, the Edge 50 Neo has got you covered.
