Motorola Edge 50 Ultra Review: Aesthetic appeal undone by erroneous pricing

The 50 series of Motorola has welcomed a new member – the new Motorola Edge 50 Ultra. With this launch, there are now 3 iterations of the 50 series – the Fusion, Pro, and the Ultra. The latest one is positioned in the flagship segment of the Indian smartphone market. Selling at ₹59,999, the new Motorola Edge 50 Ultra comes with the latest Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, 144Hz pOLED display, 125W fast charging and features a unique Nordic wood colour body.

However, it will be interesting to see if the new Motorola Edge 50 Ultra can justify its flagship price. So, let’s find out!

Design

The design of the latest Motorola Edge 50 Ultra is similar to the Motorola Edge 50 Pro, but there is a twist. The Ultra variant comes with a Nordic wood colour body that adds an aesthetic appeal to the phone. The phone maintains the sleek and lightweight body, which we saw in the previous Edge 50 Fusion.

We liked how the frame of the rear cameras is infused in the body, giving a clean, woody look. The front side houses the curved display, and towards the top, you can find the punch hole with the selfie camera in it. There is an inbuilt fingerprint sensor on the display which is quite fast in response. The ports and buttons remain at their usual positions, just like we saw in the Edge 50 Pro. The phone also comes with an IP68 certification.

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Display

The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra features the same display seen in the Edge 50 Pro. It comes with the same 6.7-inch pOLED display, 1,220×2,712 pixel resolution, smooth 144Hz refresh rate, and vibrant 10-bit colour depth with HDR10+ support. The display delivers a top-tier visual experience. However, the screen’s standout feature is the 2,800 nits peak brightness.

Protected by slightly curved Gorilla Glass Victus, the display also includes eye-friendly features like DC dimming and a high 720Hz PWM rate. The screen supports HDR10+ and Widevine L1 certification for FullHD playback.

OS

The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra comes with Android 14 out of the box, enhanced by Motorola’s custom Hello UI. This software combination promises a clean, user-friendly experience with some unique touches from the brand. The company has committed to 3 major OS updates and 4 years of quarterly security patches.

And yes, the phone has some interesting AI features like Turbo Fusion Pro, Adaptive Shutter, and Smart Color Segmentation. These AI features aim to enhance photography, user interaction, and overall performance, making the Edge 50 Ultra’s software experience both cutting-edge and practical for everyday use.

Processor and Performance

The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra impresses with its Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, a powerful 4nm processor that, while not quite matching the top-tier Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, delivers performance close to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Interestingly, users can find the same processor at a lower price point in Realme GT 6.

This chip features a 1+4+3 CPU configuration, combining a 3.0 GHz Cortex-X4 core, four 2.8 GHz Cortex-A720 cores, and three 2.0 GHz Cortex-A520 efficiency cores, alongside an Adreno 735 GPU. Paired with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of fast UFS 4.0 storage, the phone handles demanding tasks with ease. The gaming experience was very good, thanks to the smooth display and processor. We were able to run the games at their highest settings without drops in the frame rates.

In our Geekbench tests, it scored 1945 in single-core, 5077 in multi-core, and 8786 in GPU performance. The figures recorded were very similar to what we saw with the Realme GT 6.

Camera

The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra comes packed with a seriously impressive camera setup that’s sure to catch the eye of photography enthusiasts. At its heart is a 50MP main shooter with a large 1/1.3” sensor featuring optical image stabilization and quick autofocus. This camera is a real star in daylight, capturing photos with vibrant colours, excellent detail, and a punchy contrast that really makes images pop. Whether you’re shooting landscapes or portraits, the results are consistently impressive.

Alongside the main camera, you’ve got a 50MP ultrawide lens that offers a super-wide 122° field of view. This is perfect for capturing expansive scenes or getting creative with your shots. The ultrawide doesn’t disappoint in quality either, producing images with good colour and dynamic range, though the detail might look a tad more processed compared to the main camera. For those who love to get up close and personal, this lens doubles as a macro camera, allowing for some fun and striking close-up shots.

Rounding out the rear camera trio is a 64MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. This lens is great for getting closer to your subject without losing quality, and performs admirably in good lighting conditions. Portrait mode shots at various zoom levels look particularly good, giving you plenty of options for framing your subject.

Low-light performance across all cameras is solid, with the main camera especially shining in nighttime shots. There’s a Night mode available, but honestly, the auto mode does such a good job that you might not need it often.

Let’s not forget about selfies – the 50MP front-facing camera is a real powerhouse. It captures incredibly detailed self-portraits with accurate skin tones and colours. The autofocus feature is a nice touch, allowing for some creative framing while keeping your face sharp.

Battery

The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra comes equipped with a 4,500mAh battery, which is interestingly the same capacity as its sibling, the Motorola Edge 50 Pro and comfortably lasts a full day. The phone comes with a fast 125W wired charging, speedy 50W wireless charging, and even 10W reverse wireless charging. There’s a nifty ‘Charging boost’ toggle that, when enabled, pushes charging speeds even further.

Verdict

The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra represents a significant step forward for Motorola, showcasing the company’s commitment to compete in the flagship smartphone market. The device stands out with its aesthetic appeal, top-tier display, and capable camera setup excelling in photography.

However, considering its flagship price point, the Edge 50 Ultra faces stiff competition. While it’s a solid addition to Motorola’s lineup, it doesn’t push the envelope significantly. The display and battery capacity remain unchanged from its predecessor, the Edge 50 Pro, which may disappoint those expecting more substantial upgrades.

Moreover, the presence of the same Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor in the affordably priced Realme GT 6 raises questions about the Edge 50 Ultra’s value proposition. This similarity in performance at a lower price point could make budget-conscious consumers think twice.

In essence, while the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra demonstrates that the company can produce a competitive high-end smartphone with attractive features, it may struggle to fully justify its premium pricing in a fiercely competitive market. For Motorola fans and those drawn to its unique design and camera capabilities, it’s a worthy contender. However, for others, the value exchange might not be as clear-cut when compared to alternatives available at lower price points.