Let’s be honest. Most of us are suckers for a good underdog story. Could be a movie, could be a sport, or even something as basic and mundane as a smartphone. Time and time again, we’ve seen brands rise from ‘nothing’ to create something wild and extraordinary. It doesn’t matter if it’s a one-off thing (like Nextbit’s cloud-centric Robin) or something more elaborate like say OnePlus’ “flagship-killing” theatrics.
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But being a rebel doesn’t always make money, and so, brands often need to restore and deprioritise what was once their big USP to stay relevant, or bear the consequences. It’s not a dig at OnePlus, but a gentle reminder that change is the only constant. But if history is anything to go by, you can be rest assured that there’s always going to be one or the other underdog story being written somewhere.
Enter Motorola
Last year, I happened to have a very interesting conversation with Motorola Mobility’s India MD Prashanth Mani about the changing dynamics at the company. (You can read the full interview here.) One of the catalysts behind its aggressive push in the flagship-killer space off-late comes from the “gap left from one of the competitors not innovating” in that space.
“For every product, there is a ruthless amount of discussion which happens where we ask ourselves, does it have the edge,” Mani had said, adding that “if you want to win in the premium segment, you must be differentiated.”
The Edge 30 was touted as the world’s slimmest device under Rs 30,000. This year’s Edge 40 takes it up a notch – it is being billed as the world’s slimmest 5G phone with an IP68 build. That is not the only design update. The Edge 40 has a metal frame and comes in a choice of PMMA and vegan leather. The hardware, too, except for the screen (which is still high-end 6.55-inch 144Hz pOLED with 1080p resolution, 1200nits peak brightness, and HDR10+ support) is getting a major facelift.
The Edge 40 is powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 8020 and comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage by default. The battery is bigger – 4,400 mAh – and the phone can charge faster, at up to 68W. Motorola went ahead and put wireless charging, too. This can peak 15W.
For photography, you get a 50MP main camera with OIS and another 13MP ultrawide with autofocus which is said to be able to double as a macro. On the front, there is a 32MP selfie shooter. All the three cameras can shoot at up to 4K@30fps.
Running the show is Android 13 with a guarantee of 2 years of major OS and up to 3 years of security updates.
The phone packs dual speakers. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 and NFC.
Motorola Edge 40 quick review
It’s too early to tell how the Moto Edge 40 uses all this great hardware to its advantage, but if it’s even half as good as the Edge 30, Motorola has its work cut out. Motorola has outdone itself in pricing, and for that it deserves a lot of credit. Even with a slew of welcome updates, the company has managed to keep the price below Rs 30,000. Moto Edge 40 8GB/256GB price in India is set at Rs 29,999. General availability is pegged for May 30.
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In a sea of sameness, Motorola has come out of nowhere and delivered a product that’s easy to get behind, but even more importantly, it reinvigorates a class of phones that seemed on course to extinction. Watch this space for our full Moto Edge 40 review coming soon.