Motorola Edge 70 Pro Review: Safe Bet for Most Buyers

I don't think it would be wrong to say that Motorola has remained the uncontested champion of the midrange category, with last year's Edge 60 Pro still being one of my favourite smartphones in the segment. But with the launch of its successor, I noticed there was a lot of chatter about price hikes and downgrades online that worried me a little. But after spending a week with the phone, let me answer whether those worries are warranted or just unnecessary drama in this Motorola Edge 70 Pro review. 

Unboxing 

Taking a peek inside the box of the Motorola Edge 70 Pro, it doesn't seem to skip out on anything important. Here's what's included:

• Motorola Edge 70 Pro smartphone
• 90W charging adapter
• USB type-C-to-type-C cable
• SIM ejector tool
• Paperwork

Before starting with this Motorola Edge 70 Pro review, let's quickly check out its key specifications for reference. 

Motorola Edge 70 Pro Key Details

Processor

MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Extreme

• Mali-G720 MC8

Display

6.8" (144Hz)

• 1.5K p-OLED
• HDR10+

Battery

6500mAh (Silicon Carbon)

• 90Watt (wired)
• Charger in the box

Front Camera

50MP (Wide)

• SAMSUNG ISOCELL JN5
• 4k@60fps

Rear Camera

50MP (Wide-angle)

• Sony LYT-710

50MP (Ultra-wide)

• SAMSUNG ISOCELL JN5

OIS

4K@60fps

RAM/Storage

8GB (LPDDR5X)

• 256GB (UFS 4.1)

Design

Gorilla Glass 7i (Front)

• Fabric Finish (Back)
• Plastic Frame (Side)
• IP68/69 (Dust and Water Resistant)

OS

Android (Motorola Hello UI)

• 3 year(s) of OS Update

See full specifications

Design and Build 

• 7.3 mm thickness, 190 grams weight
• Plastic frame, eco leather back material
• IP 68/69 dust and water resistant

I have said it before, and I will say it again: the design team at Motorola deserves applause. I have with me the Tea Green colour of the Edge 70 Pro, and like a princess from a Disney movie, it looks unmistakably gorgeous with its 7.3 mm thickness and curvy design that catches everyone's eye. The shiny metal sides and the fabric back offer a nice contrast and prevent fingerprints from smudging its look. 

The in-hand feel is every bit as premium as the design, as the frame somehow feels like metal even though it is plastic. I don't know what sorcery Motorola is pulling off here, but I am not complaining. Despite having a bigger display than the Motorola Edge 70, the Pro didn't feel uncomfortable to hold over my week review period. 

That is also thanks to its lightweight design, even though it has a massive battery inside (more on that later). It weighs 190 grams, which is just a hair lighter than the Motorola Edge 70 Fusion, yet it somehow feels lighter. I genuinely think that the phone is playing tricks on my mind, because how is it even possible? 

The power and volume buttons are tactile to the press, and it also comes with an IP 68/69 rating, allowing it to survive a drop in water, offering additional peace of mind. 

Display and Audio Quality 

• 6.8-inch 1.5K 144 Hz p-OLED display
• 5,200 nits brightness (as claimed by the brand)
• Gorilla Glass 7i protection, dual stereo speakers

More than the design, the display of the Motorola Edge 70 Pro had me saying "Wow" because this is a massive 6.8-inch 1.5K p-OLED screen that looks completely bezeless when you have the phone in hand. I don't know why the company introduced a completely flat screen on the Edge 70 and made a sharp U-turn back to a quad curved display on the Edge 70 Pro. 

But I don't mind this change, as the screen looks fantastic with vibrant hues, deep black tones and clean colours. I have been rewatching the older seasons of my favourite show, "The Boys", during my Motorola Edge 70 Pro review period, and this screen is perfect for it, as even minor details in dark scenes look very sharp. However, there is no HDR support on Netflix. 

It also feels buttery smooth given the 144 Hz refresh rate, although most apps max out at 120 Hz. What stood out to me was the brightness, as the screen remained visible under the scorching summer sun of Delhi. This is why I wouldn't be wrong to say that it is one of the best display mobile phones under Rs 40,000. 

Even the audio setup is pretty solid, as you get a stereo speaker arrangement with a 30:70 split. These do get pretty loud, but the sound after 80% gets very flat. But I don't think you would need to max out the volume, as it already gets very loud to fill up a room. 

Performance Tested

• Mediatek Dimensity 8500 Extreme processor
• Up to 12 GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256 GB UFS 4.1 storage

To justify the "Pro" in its name, the phone comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Extreme chipset. This is a powerful processor, also seen on the Poco X8 Pro, which I described as a no-nonsense gaming phone in its review. You can expect a similar performance here with benchmarks to back it up. 

As expected, it handles day-to-day tasks with absolute ease. Whether I was watching "The Boys", swiping reels, checking updates on X or consoling my ex with ChatGPT replies, it didn't show any signs of slowing down whatsoever during the week-long Motorola Edge 70 Pro review journey. 

In gaming, I spent most of my weekend ranking up on Call of Duty: Mobile, where I was getting 120 FPS on Low graphics. BGMI also runs at Smooth graphics and Ultra Extreme framerate, while heavier titles like Genshin Impact are playable at 60 FPS with Highest settings.

The best part was that, even after playing for hours, the phone didn't heat up as I initially suspected it would. If you are looking for the best gaming mobile phone under Rs 40,000, then this should absolutely be high on your list. 

Software and Updates 

• Android 16 based Hello UI
• 3 years of software updates and 5 years of security patches

I have unashamedly bashed Motorola in my previous reviews for not optimising its software, and it seems they have finally listened. The Edge 70 Pro comes with Hello UI based on Android 16 out of the box, and this is the smoothest that Hello UI has ever felt. There are nice, jumpy animations everywhere, whether I was opening apps or toggling on or off quick settings. 

Even the camera app has improved with better animations and transitions when zooming in and out or switching lenses. This is exactly what I have been wanting from the company for years, and they seem to have finally delivered. The UI experience is also clean, as I didn't find any unwanted bloatware except for Facebook and LinkedIn, which I quickly uninstalled. 

There's also the classic Chop-Chop for flash, and pressing the button on the left brings up the AI assistant to Remember or Take Notes. Like with most AI features, I didn't get much mileage out of them. But with all the improvements I have seen during my Motorola Edge 70 Pro review, I can't wait for them to also arrive on other Moto phones. 

Cameras Reviewed

• 50 MP Sony LYT 710 primary camera
• 50 MP ultra-wide sensor
• 50 MP selfie camera

The camera department is a bit of a let-down over last year's Edge 60 Pro, as it loses out on a dedicated telephoto lens. But the main camera is a bit of an upgrade to the Sony LYT 710 in terms of sensor. 

The new 50 MP main camera is clearly an improvement as it takes stunning daylight photos, with lots of details, and excellent dynamic range. It managed to capture this difficult shot of Jama Masjid from the tomb, highlighting both the indoors and outdoors without blowing out the exposure. But the colours are quite boosted and look almost artificial as visible on the little red steam engine. 

It also does wonders at night, shooting well-lit photos with ample details and clarity in the shadows. The colours are on the saturated side, though. It also doesn't overexpose light sources, keeping everything consistent throughout the shots. I have talked at length about the Edge 70 Pro's camera capabilities in my camera comparison with the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro.

The 50 MP ultra-wide lens also delivered some exceptional photos. Its main advantage is its higher resolution, which allows it to capture grand-scale photos with a lot of detail. The results turned out so good that I found myself using the ultra-wide more than the main camera during the entire Motorola Edge 70 Pro review period. 

The ultra-wide also doubles as a macro camera, that can shoot some crisp close-up photos. 

There's another 50 MP lens for selfies, and the results from it were very impressive. The skin tones look natural, and the post-processing does not over-smoothen the face. You also get good portrait images, although it does struggle with edge detection from time to time. This is something I would love Motorola to improve moving forward. 

As for videos, it can shoot 4K @ 60 FPS from all lenses. Yes, you read it right! This means that there is no compromise in video quality, no matter which lens you decide to record from. The only thing holding it back from being the best camera mobile phone under Rs 40,000 is a telephoto lens. But if that doesn't bother you, then this isn't a bad choice either. 

Battery Life and Charging 

• 6,500 mAh battery capacity
• Supports 90W wired charging
• 5W reverse wired charging

The battery life might seem low on paper, especially given the competition from the likes of Vivo T5 Pro and the Realme P4 Power. But it held up pretty well in my usage, giving around 7.5 hours of screen time on average. Of course, this included hours of binging shows, browsing my socials and grinding on Call of Duty: Mobile. 

This is not at all bad and should easily get you through a busy day of work. The saving grace here was the 90W adapter that charged the phone in a flash, going from 0–100% in just about an hour. 

Motorola Edge 70 Pro Review Verdict: Should You Buy It? 

Considering the current smartphone market, I believe that the Motorola Edge 70 Pro is a great all-arounder smartphone, delivering a sleek and durable build, a stunning screen, high-end performance, and a good camera setup overall. Of course, unless you are planning on spying on someone, you should do fine without a telephoto lens. 

The Hello UI was the only thing holding me back from suggesting a Motorola smartphone before, and even that has been fixed, leaving very little room for me to complain about this phone. So, unless you are a hardcore gamer or a keen-eyed photographer, the Edge 70 Pro should be a suitable smartphone for many of you.