Moto Edge vs Moto Edge+: What's the difference?

It's been a long time coming, but Motorola is now back in the flagship space with its Edge+ device.

But, wait, what's this - there's two Edge devices? Yes, not content with delivering all the top-end goodness in one device, the company is also offering a cut-price version with various specification cuts.

Here's what to expect from the Moto Edge+ and Edge handsets.

Design

• Edge+: 161.1 x 71.4 x 9.6mm dimensions / 203g
• Edge: 161.6 x 71.1 x 9.29mm dimensions / 188g
• Both devices: Waves Audio stereo speakers
• Both devices: In-display fingerprint scanner
• Edge+: Smoky Sangria, Thunder Grey
• Edge: Solar Black, Midnight Magenta
• Both devices: 3.5mm jack

Visually speaking the two handsets look more or less the same. The Edge isn't quite as thick or heavy as the Edge+ (because it has a less capacious battery), although both devices are rather tall on account of their 21:9 screen aspect ratio.

Interestingly both the handsets offer a 3.5mm headphone jack, so you can enjoy wired or wireless listening. Many brands cut the wired version out of their flagships in recent years, but not Motorola.

Both devices also offer dual stereo speakers, tuned by Waves Audio, to deliver a big sound that you won't cover up when watching your favourite shows or gaming (just don't leave it blaring when on public transport, eh?).

Display

• Both devices: 6.7-inch 'Endless Edge' curved OLED display
• Both devices: Full HD+ resolution (1080 x 2400)
• Edge+: HDR10+ / Edge: HDR10
• Both devices: 90Hz refresh rate
• Both devices: 21:9 aspect ratio

But the real feature that defines both Edge devices is, of course, that edge-to-edge screen. You can see where the name came from, right? Motorola calls this curved panel an Endless Edge display, as the sides curve right around to deliver effectively zero bezel. These curves can be used for additional controls - such as virtual buttons in games, swipes in the operating system, or for opening a pop-up pill with select apps - or you can switch them off as you wish, per app, to tailor your experience.

You might think the Edge+ has the better display of the two. It does, to some degree, in that it's HDR10+ certified (the standard Edge is 'just' HDR10 - but we doubt many will notice). Other than that, however, the two screens are the same size, same aspect, same refresh rate, same resolution, with the same curvature. So there's not really any difference whichever one you buy.

Cameras

• Both devices: triple rear camera system, additional Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor
  
  • Edge+:
    • Main: 108-megapixel, 1/1.33in sensor size, f/1.8 aperture, optical stabilisation (OIS)
    • Zoom: 3x optical, 8MP, 1/2.25in, f/2.4, OIS
    • Wide (117-degrees) & Macro: 16MP, f/2.2
  • Edge:
    • Main: 64-megapixel, 1/1.72in sensor size, f/1.8 aperture
    • Wide (117-degrees) & Macro: 16MP, f/2.2
    • Zoom: 2x optical, 8MP, f/2.4
• Both devices: 25MP f/2.0 selfie camera

Another core aspect to any modern flagship phone is its camera setup. Both these handsets offer a triple rear camera system. The standard Edge may look as though it has four cameras, but that fourth circle is where the Time-of-Flight depth sensor lives - in the Edge+ it's more neatly integrated into the dark panel where the LED flash lives.

The Edge+'s big sell is its ultra-resolute main camera. It's the same 108-megapixel one you'll find in the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. That means heaps of resolution for use with not only very high-res images, but also for aiding hybrid zoom by delivering additional information. By default this main camera uses Quad Pixel technology to create one pixel from four, by oversampling, for extra detailed 27MP results. The Edge, by comparison, has a 64MP main camera, which also uses a smaller sensor size.

Both devices also offer zoom lenses: the Edge+ and 3x, the Edge a 2x. Notably the standard Edge has no optical image stabilisation (OIS) on any of its optics, whereas the Edge+ has this on both its zoom and main camera.

For the wide-angle and macro camera combination, both devices use the same 16MP solution. Same goes for the selfie camera - a 25MP solution, also with Quad Pixel technology for 6MP results - which lives in the punch-hole on the front.

Hardware spec

• Edge+ 5,000mAh battery, TurboPower Wired (18W) & Wireless (15W) fast-charging
• Edge: 4,500mAh battery, TurboPower Wired (15W) fast-charging
• Edge+ Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, 12GB RAM (DDR5)
• Edge: Qualcomm Snapdragon 765, 6GB RAM (4GB in USA)
• Edge+: 256GB storage (UFS 3.0), single SIM, no microSD
• Edge: 128GB, dual SIM/microSD card expansion
• Edge+: 5G connectivity (mmwave & Sub-6GHz)
• Edge: 5G connectivity (Sub-6GHz only)
• Edge+ only: Wi-Fi 6

It's in the hardware where the Edge+ really sets itself apart from the standard Edge. It's got a bigger battery, faster processor, much more RAM, and more internal storage.

While both handsets offer 5G connectivity, it's only the Edge+ that caters for both mmwave and Sub-6GHz (the Edge is just the latter). In the right areas, on the right network, that'll make for super-fast connectivity. The Edge+ also has Wi-Fi 6 connectivity to ensure super-fast connections there too.

The only area the standard Edge offers 'more' is with its dual SIM slot. The second can be used for microSD expansion. The Edge+ is a single SIM.

Software

• Both devices: Android 10 operating system
• Both devices: New MY UX, Moto app

No differences here. Motorola delivers Google's Android 10 OS and doesn't much about with it.

However, there is a Moto app, plus MY UX. The latter offers the ability to hook into settings to adjust themes, styles and fonts as you wish. The former is for Moto Display, Moto Actions, and Moto Gametime to handle the respective always-on display, physical actions returning feature activations, and DND gaming space.

Release date and price

• Moto Edge+: €1199 / Release date: May 2020
• Moto Edge: €599 / Release date: May 2020

So the big question: how much will all this cost? Well, it doesn't come cheap. The Moto Edge+ will retail for €1199.

The standard Edge is a whole lot less, though, at €599. You lose the 108MP camera, mmwave 5G, Wi-Fi 6, HDR10+, and top-spec processor and RAM combination (and some battery capacity), but as the screen is otherwise the same type, scale and resolution it could make this more affordble handset the pick for many.

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