The Motorola Edge 2025 is my carrier discount darling

I’ve reviewed several Motorola Edge devices, and the story is always the same. Its $550 initial MSRP is a nonstarter, especially with better midrange phones available, such as the Google Pixel 9a and OnePlus 13R. However, you’re not going to buy a Motorola Edge 2025 for $550. With the numerous sales from Motorola and carrier discounts, many people will be able to score an Edge 2025 for a lower price.

Instead of bashing it for its deficiencies for $550, I’ll skip ahead three months, to when the Edge 2025 is selling for $350 to $450. You may not see it now, but this year’s Edge will become an excellent midrange value. Here’s why.

Price, specs, and availability

The Motorola Edge 2025 is available through Motorola, Amazon, and Best Buy for $550. It’s sold in a single configuration, featuring 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. If you’re looking for variety, there’s bad news. The Edge 2025 comes in one color: Deep Forest. It’ll look mostly black indoors, but you’ll see the deep green shine through when in the sunlight.

What I like about the Motorola Edge 2025

Fantastic display and outstanding battery life

If there is one feature of this year’s Edge worth the full $550, it’s the display. Last year’s panel was excellent, but Motorola made improvements for 2025. It sports a 6.7-inch pOLED screen with a 1220p Super HD resolution and 446ppi. It’s sharper than last year’s display, and I had no trouble with outdoor viewing, thanks to its maximum brightness of 4,500 nits.

I’m impressed every time I pick up the Motorola Edge 2025, and you’ll enjoy the viewing experience for movies and games. If you’re a fan of curved displays, the Edge features a tapered glass panel.

Motorola improved durability throughout its smartphone lineup in 2025. I’ve seen it on the Moto G Power and Moto G Stylus from this year, and now it’s displayed on the Edge. In addition to its IP69 dust and water resistance rating, the Edge is MIL-STD-810H drop test compliant. The company gave the screen a protection upgrade, opting for Gorilla Glass 7i this year.

I don’t recommend tossing your phone around carelessly, but I’m comfortable rocking this year’s Edge without a case. It’s not overly impressive for $550, but for $400, it’s one of the best-made smartphones you can buy.

The MediaTek Dimensity 7400 powering the Edge is a midrange chipset. I don’t have any complaints about performance, and the experience is comparable to last year’s Snapdragon 7s Gen 2. Genshin Impact was enjoyable on the lowest graphics settings, but you’ll notice occasional slowdowns during gameplay. Pokémon GO and similar titles are the games I’d stick to on the Edge.

You’ll encounter no problems with Instagram scrolls or responding to WhatsApp messages, as the Edge’s 8GB of RAM is enough to keep things running smoothly. It’s not a powerhouse, but it’s what you’d expect and enjoy from a $400 phone.

Gaming performance may not be outstanding, but battery life is. Motorola claims two days of use on a single charge from the phone’s 5,200mAh cell, and that has been borne out in testing. Thanks to the Edge’s power-efficient chipset, I could stretch a third day if needed.

I’ve been impressed with the battery performance on midrange devices this year, especially the Google Pixel 9a, but the Edge takes it a step further. Motorola fitted the phone with 68W wired recharging, making it easy to top off the Edge in a hurry. There’s also 15W wireless charging for those who have removed wires from their setup.

Android 15 runs well on the Motorola Edge, with Hello UI growing on me. I enjoy Moto’s relatively stock Android experience, with Moto’s software suite on top. Moto Secure is a fantastic piece of software, reminiscent of what it was like to own a BlackBerry. It allows granular control over your security.

While I understand that Android can only be so secure, I appreciate having information laid out in a clear and friendly manner. I can see which apps have permission to use the microphone and camera, and if an app is accessing an unwanted area on my phone, such as my calendar, I can stop it.

Motorola Smart Connect is another personal favorite. I don’t like saying it’s better than Samsung DeX, because I fear the hate mail, but it’s an excellent program. It’s a versatile way to extend the capabilities of your phone, and I love that it runs on multiple Android devices.

The Edge’s cameras are what I’ve come to expect from a midrange Motorola, but that’s not bad. I enjoy the versatility a 10MP 3x optical zoom lens provides, and I appreciate that the 50MP ultrawide doesn’t result in images that drop off too sharply from the 50MP primary sensor. Photos are vibrant and with deep contrast, and I love that Motorola cranks up the saturation.

It’s capable of a social media-friendly photo, precisely what I’d expect in this price range. I am pleasantly surprised by how well the Edge’s camera captures motion. I took a picture of a rooster in a full flapping fit, and the Edge snapped the shot perfectly. An image like that on my Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra would have been a mess, but the midrange Motorola delivers.

What I don’t like about the Motorola Edge 2025

Bloatware and Moto AI

I’ve made peace with Motorola’s lackluster software support, but I refuse to stop complaining about the bloatware. I don’t need Motorola to suggest any number of apps for download during initial setup, and I can’t stand that I’m forced to have a gaming folder that includes other suggestions. It’s something you expect to see on phones from niche manufacturers, barely holding things together, not an established smartphone maker like Motorola. It cheapens the product, and it’s a shame, because I’ve been a supporter of the company.

I also don’t love that Motorola leaned heavily into AI on its devices this year. Moto AI seems uninspired in its current form, more of a nuisance than anything else. The Edge features a dedicated button along the left side of the device, which activates Moto AI when held. I groan every time I accidentally hit it, and I’m not happy that I need a Moto ID to use AI features on my device. You can sign up quickly with a Google account, but it’s still an extra step I didn’t need.

I wouldn’t mind as much if the features were valuable. I’ll admit I’m jaded towards AI, but every implementation, including Moto AI, seems more effort than it’s worth.

My disappointment stems from the hope that Motorola could be the anti-AI smartphone maker. While it needs to include the base Google Gemini package and features like Circle to Search that people have come to expect, beyond that, it should include nothing else.

I want Motorola to maintain its focus on what the company does well, providing a solid smartphone experience at a competitive price. If AI development diverts resources away from what the company needs to extend software support or deliver updates in a timely fashion, I’ll pass.

An excellent smartphone for the right price

The Google Pixel 9a and OnePlus 13R are better midrange smartphone options for a similar price to the Motorola Edge 2025. If you’re a hardcore gamer, the OnePlus 13R has the performance you’ll need. Additionally, the Pixel 9a offers the best value for money at $500. However, I’m reviewing the Edge for the future, and I’m not worried about its current $550 price tag. In three months, the Edge will be $400 or less, making it an exceptional value for a satisfied buyer.