Motorola Edge 20, Lite and Pro review: Which device is convincing?
A TEST REPORT from Nils Ahrensmeier 
on August 28, 2021, 10:02 pm | 1 comment
With the Motorola Edge 20 series, the Chinese manufacturer "Motorola" would like to build on the Edge series from 2020, but without the "Edge". TechnikNews has tested the devices.
All Edge 20 devices come with a 30 watt charger and a TPU case.
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Design and workmanship
The differences between the 20 and the Pro are minimal, the Lite has bigger differences. The Edge 20 Pro and the Edge 20 both come with a glass back and the identical display. The back of the Lite model only with “plastic”. This is noticeable and makes a big difference in use. In terms of design, the devices themselves are very similar. The front camera is in the center of the display, the volume up/down rocker is on the top right, with the on/off button below it. The fingerprint sensor is located directly on the button itself, on the Lite model it is also in a small "hollow". The Lite's display edges are a lot larger than those of the two "better models".
The Motorola Edge 20 series fits together well in terms of design, only the workmanship is not on the "flagship" level (picture: TechnikNews)
The normal Edge 20 has a special feature, the model is the lightest and at the same time thinnest (163 mm) with its 7 grams. The cameras of the Edge 20/Pro are positioned vertically in a small hump, the Lite model follows more the strategy of the Xiaomi Mi 11. I actually like the design a lot, but the devices are really huge. Even with large hands it is difficult to get to the on / off switch, without changing my grip there is no way I can reach the volume up / down rocker switch. The Google Assistant button can only be reached by changing your grip, so it is pointless in everyday life.
Processing is just okay. Compared to other devices from the price range (Edge 20 Lite vs Redmi Note 10 Pro or OnePlus Nord CE, Edge 20 vs Nord 2, 20 Pro vs Galaxy S21), the Edge 20 range feels relatively cheap. The frame is only plastic and the backs are not made of Gorilla Glass. The fronts do, but in my time with the Edge 20 Pro a scratch came in from an "everyday fall". The manufacturer does not install bulletproof glass like other companies, which is a shame. Here must when buying Kompromissed, these can otherwise be solved by the case and bulletproof glass.
Displays
With the Edge 20 series, Motorola relies on consistency on paper. All devices have a 6,7-inch full HD+ OLED display with 90 Hz for the Lite and 144 Hz for the Edge 20 and Pro. The displays are good, but not "on par" as the data sheet says it should be. The Lite model's display is quite a bit dimmer, the displays of the 20 and Pro model but surprisingly good. Beautiful colors, easy to read even in sunlight and the fast refresh rate makes for a very smooth experience. The difference between 90 and 144 Hertz is clearly noticeable, but should not be an "absolute purchase argument" for many.
The displays of the Edge 20 series are all the same size, only the display edges are larger on the Lite (picture: TechnikNews)
Hardware
The hardware of the devices is different in many aspects, especially with the Proprocessor. While a MediaTek works in the Lite model, the group uses the 20 and Pro-Model a Qualcomm SoC. The MediaTek only delivers average values with a multi-core score of 1.655 in Geekbench. In terms of performance, it's on par with that Little X3 NFC from last year, but this only costs around 200 euros instead of the 349 euros RRP of the Edge 20 Lite. Noticeably better than with the Poco X3 NFC, however, is the coordination with the software. With a few "additional functions" and no bloatware, Android 11 runs very smoothly on the device. This is also due to the 8 gigabytes of RAM memory, of the 128 or 256 gigabytes of mass storage, 20 GB is already occupied.
The benchmark results of the Edge 20 series are okay, but other manufacturers are on par / better (picture: TechnikNews)
The Edge 20 is probably the best model in the series in terms of price-performance ratio. The Snapdragon 788G shows little performanceProproblems in games like PUBG or Asphalt 9. The Motorola Edge 20 Pro does not use the "best" like the Edge from 2020 Prozessor" on the market (currently that would be the Snapdragon 888), but the "second best", the Snapdragon 870. That was the absolutely right decision by Lenovo - why? Because the Snapdragon 888 Proproblems with the heat and the battery life would have been very bad with a 144 Hertz screen. The best examples are this My 11, My 11 Ultra or Realme gt. The performance at the 20 Pro with 12GB of RAM is excellent. none ProProblems in the software and the device is also suitable for gaming. The memory is only expandable on the Lite model, the choice between 128 or 256 on the "normal" Edge 20 and Pro so it's final. 5G is supported on all models, as is WiFi 6 - on all models except the Lite.
The hardware does not only include the performance, but also everything related to it. So is the largest hardwareProblem for me the somewhat cheap vibration motor. The competition is already installing much better motors, and Motorola definitely needs to improve this. Stereo speakers are also missing from all models, and the mono speaker can easily be covered. Only the Lite model has a 3,5 mm jack connector, all models lack wireless charging, but they are waterproof to IP52.
Camera
The entire Edge 20 series has a 108 megapixel main camera and a 32 megapixel front camera. The Lite model is also equipped with an 8 megapixel ultra wide-angle camera and a 2 megapixel camera for depth information. The Edge 20 (Pro) is equipped with 16 megapixel of ultra wide angle, the 8 megapixel telephoto lens has a little difference. While the Edge 20 can only optically zoom 3x, with the Pro Model "only" 5x possible. Both models also have a microphone on the camera.
How do the cameras perform in everyday life?
The Motorola Edge 20 and Edge 20 Pro take good photos. In daylight the images are sharp enough for the price, the colors are okay. Personally, I prefer photos that are a little more saturated, but that's a matter of taste and can be quickly adjusted using apps like "Snapseed". The ultra wide-angle camera of the Edge 20 and the Edge 20 Pro also take good pictures in daylight. For such a large "field of view" (119 degrees), many details are still captured.
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- The main camera of the Edge 20 series (Image: TechnikNews)
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- The front camera of the Edge 20 series makes good selfies (Image: TechnikNews)
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- A few pictures with the "macro camera" (picture: TechnikNews)
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- The zoom of the Edge 20 series varies depending on the model (Image: TechnikNews)
The ultra-wide-angle camera can also be used for macro pictures, but this requires patience and focus. The telephoto camera also does its job, if you want to get a little more out of the camera, you can go to the Pro to grab. The 5x optical zoom doesn't make a huge difference. The images are not as sharp as competing devices with "only" 8 megapixels, but they are not bad. Photos with the front camera also look good. Not because of me, but because of the good camera AI, which optimizes selfies well. The bokeh is a bit too strong, but that's the case with most "cheaper" flagships.
The main camera of the Edge 20 Lite still looks good, but many details are lost, especially with the ultra-wide-angle camera. Pictures with the selfie camera also look rather blurry, you shouldn't expect too much here. The colors are well coordinated with the cameras, sometimes even better than with the two better models. This could also be due to a lack of updates; we used the images with beta software before the market launch. Unfortunately, the performance of the camera app is sometimes slow, it takes 1 to 2 seconds to take a photo.
Motorola Edge 20 series battery
The battery of the devices varies from 4.000 on the Edge 20, over 4.500 on the Promodel, up to 5000 mAh on the Lite device. How good are the batteries? With the Prodevice I came without Protedious through the day, mostly at 40 to 50 Procenter home. This with about three hours of “screen on” time. With intensive use, the value was around 20 to 30 Procent, this with four to five hours "screen on". The refresh rate was set to automatic. If you force it to 144 Hertz, you can just about get through the day, with 60 Hertz probably two days.
The battery life of the Edge 20 series varies depending on the frame rate and device (picture: TechnikNews)
The normal Edge 20 manages about 10 hours of video playback in the battery test, which translates into about three to four hours of screen time in normal use. This should easily get most users through a day. The Lite model even manages 15 hours in the battery test, so 1 1/2 days could be possible for many customers. All models charge with 30 watts, which is good for the Lite model, for the Edge 2o and Edge 20 Pro but are just okay. Many other manufacturers such as OPPO, OnePlus or Xiaomi already offer 60 watts and more. With Samsung, Apple or Google, there are still companies that are currently not able to keep up.
Smartphones software
Android 11 runs on all devices without major changes. This also enables smooth performance, since little is running in the background. Solely the Moto app is pre-installed, which offers some adjustments in the software and the "Motorola gestures". I only realized how much I missed this when I used a Motorola device for the first time. Are they a "killer feature"? no But are they a very nice help? Yes. Gestures such as "tap twice to activate flashlight" are very useful in everyday life, as is "twist to launch camera". Motorola also advertises its "Ready for Platform" with the devices, which is a mixture of desktop mode and entertainment system. during that pro If the device supports both wired and wireless, the Edge 20 can only do it wirelessly. The Lite model can only be "mirrored" to a Windows device.
This is what the software looks like on the Edge 20 devices (picture: TechnikNews)
Conclusion on the series
The Motorola Edge 20 series is good, but only the Edge 20 is worth it in my opinion. With the Edge 350 Lite you get a good device for 20 euros, but the competition from OnePlus (Nord 2), Xiaomi (Mi 11 Lite 5G) or (POCO F/X 3 Pro) is also strong. Here you have to see where your priorities lie, but the Edge 20 Lite is definitely a good device. Then there is the Edge 500 for 20 euros, which is the best device in the series in terms of value for money. Goods Proprocessor, excellent display and light device with a good battery. Only the mono speaker and vibration motor need improvement. That Promodel only offers a little more, but for 700 euros you already have a Galaxy S21, iPhone 12 or Xiaomi Mi 11.
"With Samsung, Apple or Google, there are still companies that are currently not able to keep up.”
But I ask myself why is that? Don't the manufacturers mentioned offer updates for 4 to 6 years? Didn't Samsung say that more is not good for the battery? If you look at Xiaomi, there have been no more than 2 years. Can't you charge it very quickly and think that the battery has survived for 2 years? I already understand that others are playing it safe. I'm also sure that named manufacturers could if they wanted to. I am also sure that Samsung has learned from the disaster with the Note 9 and the battery.
Isn't it still the case that slow charging saves a battery and you should only charge it to about 80% and let it run almost empty?
And sorry, I don't care if a battery can be charged with 65 watts or not. It is important to me that it lasts for a long time. What good is it if the battery runs out quickly, as with the Mi11, and I then have to lug around the right power supply unit and have to look for a socket in order to get it sufficiently charged in 15 minutes?
Manufacturers should rather work on efficiency.
But you're right, at this price point the Apple or the Samsung is a better choice. The update time alone wins. The Mi11 is not better, however. The Motorola should receive 2 updates, Xiaomi does not look any better. From my own experience with both manufacturers, I can also say that Xiaomi is neither better nor worse than Motorola in terms of update distribution.
But I would also be interested in whether you could go into the functions of the camera app a little more?
Xiaomi misses some functions directly in the app. E.g. spot color. There is no such thing with Xiaomi. Sometimes you can improve something in the gallery.
I would also be interested in more sample pictures and further information. Is there an optical stabilization of the camera? How do pictures look like at dusk? You repeatedly emphasize in daylight. And otherwise?
I would also find more pictures with zoom interesting.
After all, that is the point where none of the alternatives mentioned are offered. Doesn't this only exist with the S21 Plus / Ultra and the Mi11 Ultra, which has now risen in price to 1500 €?
I would bet, like their predecessors, these Motorola devices will drop in price by up to 50% in their first year. It was the same with the others and even in the Motorola shop.
If so and the price from Pro If Black Friday is 450-500€ or even less, then I would naively claim that it is a good choice.