Motorola Edge 50 Ultra review: A premium smartphone with surprisingly sleek camera bump

Motorola Edge 50 Ultra review:For the past few years, Motorola has been transitioning to build its name in the mid-range and premium smartphone market. Motorola’s Edge series has evolved drastically over the years with unique and premium features. This year, the company announced the Motorola Edge 50 Pro with a curved display, sleek design, and advanced AI features. Now, last week Motorola announced another premium smartphone in the series, the Edge 50 Ultra which introduced Moto AI and smart connect in the high-mid range market. While the smartphone has become the talk of the town for its wooden-like back panel and sleek camera bump, but does it provide a premium-like performance at Rs.59999?

I used the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra as my main smartphone for a week to test its day-to-day functionalities, features, camera, battery, and more. While I was impressed with its sleek and lightweight design, I do have my doubts about a few areas which could have been improved considering that it’s a premium smartphone and comes with a hefty price tag. Read the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra review to know if the smartphone is a hit or a miss for a smartphone under Rs.60000.

Also read: Motorola Razr 50 Ultra launching on July 4 in India

Motorola Edge 50 Ultra review: Design

The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra was introduced with three colour variants with different back panel finishes. While the Forest Grey (Black) and Peach Fuzz variants feature a silicon vegan leather back. However, both options have a different touch and feel. The third variant is the popular real wood colour variant which is called “Nordic Wood.” Motorola specialises in bringing a unique and eco-friendly unboxing experience with recycled and fragrance-filled packaging that will instantly make you feel special.

In terms of design, I received the Nordic Wood variant which has a sleek design and features a wooden back panel (Note that the material is not entirely wood but made up of recycled material). The smartphone comes with an aluminium frame, making the device look sturdy and premium. As much as I was blown away by the wood-like panel, I was instantly filled with questions when I received the review unit. In my opinion and time of usage, the Nordic wood variant is sensitive to stains and it will be easier to get rid of the stains. Therefore, you must use the provided smartphone case at all times. Secondly, I was also sceptical about its longevity but since it is IP68-rated, it may handle light water or splashes.

Apart from the back panel, Motorola has excelled in minimizing the camera bump unlike other smartphones with bulky camera modules in a similar price range. On the other hand, the 3D-curved display also enhances the look and feel of the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra, making it a perfect balance of style, elegance and simplicity.

Also read: Motorola Edge 50 Ultra vs OnePlus 12

Motorola Edge 50 Ultra review: Display

The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra features a 6.7-inch pOLED curved display with 1.5K resolution, HDR10+, 10-bit colours, and more. In terms of colour tones, clarity, and detail, the smartphone provides an impressive viewing experience. Be it gaming or streaming content via smartphone, you will surely not miss the punch. However, with a price tag of Rs.59999, Motorola could have integrated the LTPO technology as well. The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra offers up to 144Hz screen refresh rate making the smartphone quick and responsive even when juggling between apps several times. The smartphone also offers 2500nits of peak brightness which provides a bright viewing experience even during direct sunlight conditions.

While I like the curved display due to the looks and bezel-less experiences, but it also comes with several problems. You will come across several unwanted touches, especially when gaming which may ruin your gaming experience. Over the last year, I have tested several curved-display smartphones, however, with Motorola it is very frequent. Apart from the sensitive touch on the screen, the overall display quality and experience are quite fluid and enjoyable.

Also read: Realme GT 6 to Motorola Edge 50 Ultra: Smartphones launched this week

Motorola Edge 50 Ultra review: Camera

As much as the minimised camera bump makes me happy, the camera quality is average due to the over-processing of the images which makes natural tones look edited. The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra features a triple-camera setup that consists of a 50MP main OIS camera, 50MP ultrawide + macro, and a 64MP 3x telephoto camera. While the main camera captures decent images, it takes a few seconds to process the image and provide an enhanced version which brightens the colour tones.

In daylight photography, it works impressively, but again the images look edited and unnatural. However, I must mention that it captures clear and detailed images as every object on the screen is clearly visible without any blur. The 64MP telephoto camera with 3x zoom captures decent images, but with 100X zoom, it makes the subject look blurry and grainy. The ultra-wide camera is also promising and brings clarity to the subject but you will notice the overexposure. In my opinion, the overall camera performance is acceptable and social media-worthy and in most cases, it works fine. Its 50MP auto-focus selfie camera manages to capture natural skin tones with breeze and makes the image look detailed and clear.

Also read: Xiaomi 14 Civi vs Motorola Edge 50 Ultra

Motorola Edge 50 Ultra review: Performance

The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra offers a flagship-like performance with a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor paired with 12GB of RAM and offers 512GB of internal storage. The processor also powered older high-mid range smartphones such as Realme GT 6, Xiaomi 14 CIVI, and Poco F6, where the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra is priced a little higher. While I have used two of these devices, I must say that Motorola has used the capabilities of the processor exceptionally well, when it comes to performance, AI, and multitasking.

I played some of the most played graphic-intensive games on the device such as BGMI and Call of Duty and I did not face any stutter while playing, even for extended periods. While the competitor devices showcased overheating, the Edge 50 Ultra has very minimum smartphone heating and it can be balanced if you play in the Turbo mode. Additionally, conducting day-to-day smartphone tasks such as browsing, scrolling social media, streaming content, calling and multitasking was a breeze, making your overall experience smooth and enjoyable.

Apart from performance, the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra offers Moto AI features such as Magic Canvas generate wallpaper based on text prompts, style sync, and other features integrated to improve performance, battery, Camera and RAM. The smartphone runs on MotoUI based on Android 14 which is quite clutter-free and includes very little bloatware, however, you will see some of the Moto apps.

Motorola Edge 50 Ultra review: Battery

The Motorola Edge 50 Pro is backed by a 4500mAh battery which may seem smaller in terms of capacity, however, it offers adequate battery life which competitors also offer. With light gaming, streaming, and conducting other day-to-day activities, the Edge 50 Ultra could easily last up to a day with a single charge. Additionally, the smartphone supports 125W fast charging which power up the device in just 30 minutes. Note that it also offers 50W wireless charging.

Motorola Edge 50 Ultra review: Verdict

Motorola Edge 50 Ultra is a good option for some looking for a sleek and lightweight smartphone under the price range of Rs.60000. The design, sturdiness and overall looks of the smartphone are impressive and eye-catching. Additionally, you can easily carry out your day-to-day tasks without facing any challenges, making it an ideal option. However, the camera lacks the hype and came out to be an average smartphone in terms of photography.