Is the Motorola Edge+ camera any good? In a world dominated by Apple, Samsung, and Google, how can Motorola hope to compete? For context, the original Motorola Razr was released in 2005 and the company actually exited the flagship smartphone industry for awhile. But, Motorola’s Edge lineup signals their return to flagship smartphones and, to be frank, it’s better than expected.
In this Motorola Edge+ camera review we’ll discuss the technical specs of the device as well as how it compares with similar options at the price point.
Is The Motorola Edge+ Good?
Surprisingly to some, yes. The Motorola Edge is kind of like a slightly underwhelming Frankenstein’s monster of smartphones – it has the Huawei P30 Plus edge to edge display, the Samsung Galaxy S21+ battery, the Xiaomi Mi 10 camera setup, and the simplicity of Google’s user-face. The Motorola Edge lineup is good, especially for the cost, but not without its faults.
The edge to edge display isn’t all it’s cracked up to be as it pushes the side power and volume buttons back from their standard location, which is awkward. The camera setup is impressive, but not as much so as you may guess based on the technical specs. For example, that 108MP camera isn’t used in the normal camera mode. The main camera in the normal camera mode takes cropped 27MP photos – you’ll have to enter a whole other camera mode to unlock all those megapixels. While this isn’t a deal breaker, the rear camera bump itself may be as it makes the phone not sit flush on flat surfaces. While Motorola’s user-face is straightforward and useful it does lack some of the flair of other operating systems.
Motorola Edge+ Camera Review
Simply put, the Motorola Edge and Edge+ cameras are technically proficient but not a homerun by any means. As is the case with every smartphone camera on the market in 2021, tech specs do not ensure a positive mobile photography and filmmaking experience for users. At the price point, however, the Motorola Edge lineup offers flagship performance at a slight discount. While other lineups are bloated and never-ending, Motorola’s Edge lineup is a breath of fresh air.
Both phones come with triple-camera rear set-ups that are par with the biggest offerings in 2021. The Edge+ features a 108MP main camera, a 16MP ultrawide camera, and an 8MP tele camera. Additionally, the Edge+ comes with Macro Vision – a quasi-mobile-macro photography equivalent – and 6k video capability. The 6k video captured on the Motorola Edge+ isn’t as impressive as the 8k video captured on the likes of Samsung, Xiaomi, and Huawei phones but it is better for more volume-heavy video shoots as it takes up less storage.
It must be noted that there is a consistent issue with the focus point (where the camera focuses) between the viewfinder and the end photos. In many cases, you can snap a photo thinking that you nailed focus only to check your camera roll later on to see that the focus point shifted. If you purchase the Motorola Edge+ or Edge then you’ll either need to be patient with this or learn to work with it.
Motorola Edge+ vs Motorola Edge
With a price difference of around $200, the Edge+ features a 108MP main camera whereas the Edge features a 64MP main camera. The differences don’t stop there though as the Edge+ includes an improved processor, more impressive RAM and storage, and 500 more mAH in the battery. In addition to those things, the Motorola Edge+ is also wireless charging compatible, which in 2021 is a nice touch to include.
So, if you care about mobile photography and filmmaking then this choice is clear – the Motorola Edge+. For $200 more the whole of the phone’s performance improves leaps and bounds, not just the camera.
Motorola Edge+ vs iPhone 12 Pro
With a price difference of around $650, this comparison is the most unfair of the bunch. The iPhone 12 Pro is the undisputed smartphone camera champion in terms of overall usability and performance, though, up against the Motorola Edge+ it is technically inferior. That being said, the results from the iPhone – in terms of both photos and videos – are preferred because tech specs mean nothing. The Apple iOS also beats out Motorola.
Now, while all this is true the difference of $650 in price is enough to make many would-be-iPhone-purchasers to run for the hills. The Motorola Edge+ offers a competitive camera in a well-considered package. While nothing about the Motorola Edge series will blow you away other than in 5000mAH battery, nothing will disappoint you too much either. Think about it, for the cost of one iPhone 12 Pro you could buy a Motorola Edge+, a BeastGrip Pro Lens Adapter, and a few Moment lenses!
Motorola Edge+ vs Samsung Galaxy S20
With a price difference of around $115, the Motorola Edge+ and Samsung Galaxy S20+ feature very similar camera setups. While the Galaxy S20+ camera is in a sleeker package, it doesn’t perform much better. Do note that purchasing the Samsung Galaxy S20 instead of the S20+ is like choosing the Motorola Edge over the Edge+.
Samsung’s camera feature more flair, like hybrid zoom and dual aperture, while Motorola’s cameras focus more on the shooting experience. The latter offers a clean camera app without anywhere to get confused. It would be nice to swap the Macro Vision in the Motorola Edge series with something a little more usable as the macro photos produced by the mode aren’t very impressive when compared to Moment or Sandmarc’s macro lenses on the right phone.
It must be noted that the Samsung Galaxy S20 lineup woefully underperformed and that users were disappointed with the phone and its camera. Samsung did make improvements in the S21 series.
Motorola Edge+ vs Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
With a price difference of around $10, the Xiaomi Mi 10 is perhaps the most similar to the Motorola Edge+. Obviously the cost of the phones is similar, but their camera setups are nearly identical. While the Edge series features Macro Vision the Xiaomi Mi 10 packs some serious software wallop too, by way of Hybrid Zoom capability and improved 8k video capture. In practice though, these frills on the Xiaomi Mi 10 aren’t as useful as initially anticipated and in the end don’t provide the device with that much of a leg up on the competition. If you have to do x, y, and z to use the features and then the end results takes up a lot of storage, then the features simply won’t be used by the vast majority of users.
Motorola Edge+ vs OnePlus 8 Pro
With a price difference of around $100, the OnePlus 8 Pro is perhaps the most direct competition for the Motorola Edge+. Both phones cost about the same and you get very similar performance from each. That being said, OnePlus designed their camera system more like Apple, whereas Motorola went the Samsung and Xiaomi route. To explain, the OnePlus 8 Pro features a balanced triple camera setup with a 48MP main, a 48MP ultrawide, and a 8MP tele with optical zoom of 3x. The Motorola Edge+, on the other hand, come with a 108MP main camera, a 16MP ultrawide camera, and an 8MP tele camera. When you open the native camera app on the Motorola Edge however, the main camera shoots in 27MP so you’ll need to switch camera modes to get the full resolution.
Reviewing the Motorola Edge+ Camera
So, what’s the verdict on the Motorola Edge+ and Edge? For the money, Motorola has put forward a competitive unit especially when one considers their hiatus from the flagship smartphone space.
That being said, both the Motorola Edge and Edge+ have their share of issues, though, not really in terms of the camera. While the native camera app experience is similar to the Xiaomi Mi 10 and Samsung Galaxy S20+ the less popular Motorola does have issues with the focus in the viewfinder not mirroring the focus in the end photo. These issues are prevalent but patience and adaptation allows experienced mobile photographers and filmmakers to still get competitive results.
If you like what you see in the Motorola Edge+ and Edge cameras then consider learning more about the Google Pixel 4a with 5G as Google put the camera from the Pixel 5 into a budget body.
