Motorola Edge 30 Neo review: a vintage smartphone

The packaging of this Edge 30 Neo betrays the first “vintage” aspect of this device. Its content is indeed extremely rich. We have the 68W power supply (very compact), the USB-C / USB-C cable, the stereo headphones with USB-C connector and also a rigid transparent cover that does not increase the size of the device considerably.

Motorola Edge 30 Neo could be defined as a smartphone of other times. Mainly because it is compact, light and made entirely of polycarbonate. The weight of 155 grams is now a real rarity and coupled with the thickness of 7.8 grams it is truly a phone for everyone. In the Very Peri purple color (Pantone color of the year) it is something that hasn’t been seen for a long time. It doesn’t have certifications for water resistance but it is nonetheless splashproof.

We have nothing against choosing plastic instead of other materials, just don’t expect one feeling from premium smartphones.

Motorola Edge 30 Neo is powered by a 6 nanometer octa core Snapdragon 695 processor with a maximum frequency of 2.2 GHz and Adreno 619 GPU. however more for the second. However, we still have 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory, although unfortunately not expandable. The trolley is only for the double nanoSIM.

Good connectivity: USB-C 3.1, NFC and Bluetooth 5.1. Too bad only for the Wi-Fi B.C which also does not have support for variant 6. The fingerprint reader is positioned inside the display and is fast and accurate. Compared to the competitors we also have the glorious return of the notification LED, positioned all around the protruding block of the cameras. We also have great stereo sound and Dolby Atmos support. Too bad for the absence of the 3.5mm headphone connector, which would have made it truly a “vintage” product (in the totally positive sense).

Motorola Edge 30 Neo is equipped with two “only” main cameras and a front camera. It is a decidedly counter-current choice compared to its competitors, but it is perfectly sensible and indeed we encourage it. This is because the Edge 30 Neo has no useless cameras and still retains the ability to take macro photos thanks to the 13 megapixel ƒ / 2.2 wide-angle camera autofocus. The main sensor is instead a 64 megapixel ƒ / 1.8 optically stabilized.

The images taken by this smartphone are discreet but nothing more. The image is defined and the focus is fast and precise, but in some cases the final result struggles to amaze, with colors that are not entirely faithful or portions of the photo slightly out of focus. You can still take interesting shots, but it is better to check the result immediately and shoot again if necessary. The 32-megapixel ƒ / 2.4 front camera, which takes 8-megapixel images, is not well defined.

The videos are then recorded only in Full HD, a decidedly unexciting result, given that the definition of the image is not comparable to that of competing smartphones that record in 4K.

The 6.28 “screen of this Edge 30 Neo is an excellent P-OLED panel with refresh rate even up to 120 Hz. We have a maximum brightness of 1,020 nits, a FullHD + resolution (1080 x 2400 pixels) and support for both DC dimming than to the interactive screen, or the new name of the Moto Display that allows you to consult notifications even when the screen is locked, even if only when you touch or lift the smartphone and not always, as an always-on display would do.

Motorola has obviously equipped this Edge 30 Neo with clean software. We are talking about Android 12 with the security patches of September 2022. It is a pity that Motorola did not take the opportunity to launch it directly with Android 13. In any case, the software is very fast and snappy. There are no major customizations other than those always highly appreciated collected within the Motorola app, which also integrate a menu dedicated to customization.

We then have a good number of gestures (derived from the famous Moto Actions) and we also have the ability to project a sort of desktop mode on compatible TVs and monitors, even if only wirelessly.

Then there is also the option to virtually increase RAM, but it is deactivated by default.

The battery of this smartphone is obviously proportionate to size and weight, but not for this narrow. It is in fact a 4,020 mAh battery that guaranteed in our tests the whole full day of work, even with quite intense use. In this sense, the choice of opting for a less energy-intensive CPU has certainly paid off. The recharge is then at 68W, very fast for its category. And there is also wireless charging, albeit at 5W, still a rarity at this price.

Edge 30 Neo was launched on the market at 429 € not a low price, but taken lowered by online promotions. It is currently available on Amazon at € 325. In this price range Edge 30 Neo offers a lot to those looking for a different smartphone. A “vintage” smartphone. In the good sense of the term.