Motorola Edge 2022 Packs 144Hz Display For Under $500

The launch team at Motorola has had a busy August so far, as this month has seen the company launch two flagship-grade devices in China. These new models include the company's improved foldable smartphone — the Motorola Razr 2022 – and the Motorola X30 Pro. While the rest of the world awaits the global launch of these smartphones, the international team at Motorola seems to have decided to give its mid-range lineup a much-needed boost.

The company recently took the wraps off a new smartphone model from its popular Edge series. The latest Motorola handset in town goes by Motorola Edge 2022. If not already evident, this device succeeds two other Motorola Edge devices that predate it: the first-gen Motorola Edge from 2020, and the Motorola Edge 2021.

Unlike the Motorola Razr, which received a fairly extensive set of upgrades, the changes to the Motorola Edge 2022 seem modest in comparison. The new Edge model largely retains the same design language as its predecessor, with minor changes to the camera hardware. Apart from featuring a smaller display, the new device has also managed to shed some flab in the process. As opposed to the 6.8-inch panel on last year's model, the 2022 edition gets a 6.6-inch display. In addition, the weight sees a reduction to 6 ounces from a fairly hefty 7 ounces.

While the Motorola Edge 2022 seems to have received an incremental update in terms of its physical aspects and overall design language, the same cannot be said about some of its core hardware specs. The most significant change to the phone in 2022 is the move to a MediaTek chipset, which in this case, is a new processor called the Dimensity 1050. For most Edge users, this is a major change, given that the past two editions of the phone came with Snapdragon chips. As for the chipset itself, the MediaTek Dimensity 1050 is based on TSMC's 6nm manufacturing process and stakes the claim for becoming MediaTek's first chipset to support both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G bands.

While the 6.6-inch OLED display used by the Motorola Edge 2022 supports FHD+ resolution, it supports the same refresh rate as the device from last year: 144Hz. As for the camera setup, the 2022 edition of the Motorola Edge gets dual rear-facing cameras starting with a 50-megapixel primary camera and a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera. The front-facing camera, on the other hand, gets a 32-megapixel sensor.

In addition to the decently specced camera, the battery capacity on the Edge 2022 remains unchanged at 5,000 mAh. The device also supports 30-watt fast charging, 15-watt wireless charging, and 5-watt reverse charging. The Motorola Edge 2022 will run Android 12 at launch and should soon receive the official nod to Android 13. The model comes in two RAM options (6GB and 8GB) with two storage variants on offer. While T-Mobile intends to sell the handset for an introductory price of $498, the unlocked version of the phone will be slightly more expensive, with prices starting at $499.