Intro
When it comes to
Android phones, the
Pixel 8 Pro is one of the best choices to get that flagship experience, sprinkled with AI magic, for not a ton of money. Now, Motorola has launched a serious competitor that threatens to take this crown away. The Motorola Edge 50 Pro.
This new offering from the iconic company that started it all more than 50 years ago comes with a very attractive price tag and some bells and whistles that might sway you the right way. Or the Motorola way.
Today, we’re pitting against each other the Motorola Edge 50 Pro and the Google Pixel 8 Pro in this epic battle for the Android crown. Is the Pixel still the best choice for a full-blown flagship under $1000? Can Motorola challenge that with the Edge 50 Pro? Read on to find out!
Motorola Edge 50 Pro vs Google Pixel 8 Pro differences explained:
| Motorola Edge 50 Pro |
Google Pixel 8 Pro |
| Same screen size but more compact, due to the curved screen |
Wider due to the 19.5:9 aspect ration and the flat screen |
| Same 6.7-inch display but curved, higher 144Hz refresh rate |
6.7-inch, 120Hz flat display |
| Triple camera, including a wide, ultrawide, and telephoto |
Similar triple camera system, but with periscope zoom telephoto and more pixels |
| More storage and RAM on the base model (12+512GB) |
Less memory on the base model |
| Much more affordable at 699 euros |
A tad more expensive |
| Smaller 4,500mAh battery |
Larger 5,050mAh battery that could deliver better battery life |
| Super-fast 125W wired charging, 50W wireless, 10W reverse wireless |
Slower wired and wireless charging |
Table of Contents:
Design and Display Quality
The old curved vs flat battle again
The bump vs the Bar (Image credit – PhoneArena)
Google moved away from the curved screen with the
Pixel 8 Pro, leaving the 7 Pro as the last flagship of the company to get that feature. The Motorola Edge 50 Pro, on the other hand, sports a curved screen. According to Motorola, the decision was a result of careful consumer polling, so the company has done its homework.
Looking at the design, these two phones are pretty different from one another. The Pixel 8 Pro follows in the footsteps of its predecessors and relies on the Camera Bar design, which started way back with the Google Pixel 6.
The Motorola Edge 50 Pro also has some design cues from older Edge models, especially when we look at the camera bump and the configuration of the individual lenses. In the hand, both phones feel comfortable, but the Motorola is easier to handle because it’s a narrower phone.
That’s due to the different aspect ratio and also the curved screen, which adds some extra to the diagonal size without making the phone wider.
Side by side or rather on top of each other (Image credit – PhoneArena)
The Motorola is also lighter, and overall, it has a different feel to it, thanks to the vegan leather coating on the back. There’s also a perloid edition, which adds a little pop, if that’s your thing. Color-wise, we have similar options – the Pixel 8 Pro comes in Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay, and Mint, while the Motorola is available in Black Beauty, Luxe Lavender, and Moonlight Pearl.
To curve or not to curve… (Image credit – PhoneArena)
Moving to the display part, these phones feature different panels. First, one is flat, and the other is curved, but also, the
Pixel 8 Pro has a 1-120Hz LTPO panel, while the Motorola can do 144Hz but can’t change the refresh rate dynamically.
The display of the Pixel 8 Pro is also brighter; it managed almost 1,500 nits in our brightness test, and even though the Motorola isn’t a slouch either with its 1,233 nits, the brightness crown goes to the Pixel.
As far as resolution is concerned, we have very similar pixel density on both phones, 446 PPI on the Motorola and 489 PPI on the Pixel, and both look crisp and detailed. The color accuracy and temperature are great on both phones, and you won’t feel like you’ve compromised with either of them.
Performance and Software
Tensor vs midrange? Who wins?
Time for some hard numbers (Image credit – PhoneArena)
The situation with the chipset is an interesting one. Motorola decided to go with a midrange processor, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, while the
Pixel 8 Pro, as we all know by now, uses the proprietary
Tensor G3 chipset.
We expected those two to be pretty close in terms of synthetic benchmarks, and they actually are. However, the Tensor G3 performs better across all of our tests, so even though it might not be on par with flagship Snapdragon silicon, it can take a 7 Gen 3 any day of the week.
Of course, synthetic benchmarks are most of the time just numbers, and modern smartphone processors are more than capable of handling pretty much everything you throw at them. In real life scenarios, you won’t notice much of a difference, as both phones are snappy and responsive.
Performance Benchmarks:
The storage and RAM situation is also somewhat strange. Motorola listed just one configuration – 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, but we are told that lower versions exist. The
Pixel 8 Pro starts at 12GB/256GB, so it’s half the storage for more money, as it stands at the moment.
The software side of things is less complicated. If you want longer support and all the AI magic that Google will inevitably pour onto its Pixel lineup, then you should go with the Pixel 8 Pro. It offers seven years of OS updates, while the Motorola Edge 50 Pro promises only three.
Camera
Algorithms, algorithms…
Time to snap some samples (Image credit – PhoneArena)
The camera systems on both phones serve similar purposes, as they employ similar configurations. We have one main camera, one ultrawide, and finally, a telephoto. The Edge 50 Pro marks itself as a camera phone, and it comes with some interesting camera specs. The main camera uses a 50MP sensor under an f/1.4 lens, while the
Pixel 8 Pro relies on the same pixel count but has an overall larger sensor and a different aperture (f/1.7).
The ultrawide cameras are different too. The Pixel has a 48MP sensor under an f/2.0 lens, and the Motorola Edge 50 Pro has a 13MP, f/2.2 ultrawide. The telephoto on the Pixel 8 Pro uses a periscope zoom lens with 5x optical zoom capabilities, while the Motorola can only do 3x optical.
But those are just numbers, and as we all know, nowadays, smartphone photography is very dependent on the algorithms used. So, time for some side-by-side samples.
Main Camera
On a bright and sunny day, both phones produce decent pictures, but here we like the Pixel 8 Pro sample better. The Edge 50 Pro tends to blow out the light areas and oversaturate the colors to the point they don’t look real. On the other hand, the Pixel 8 Pro has a discernable HDR feel to the image, check out the grain of the asphalt and also the leaves in the background.
Low-light shots are much closer in quality, with the Pixel 8 Pro brightening the picture a bit too much. We like the Edge 50 Pro sample better, as it preserves much of the detail without making the photo unrealistically bright.
Zoom Quality
3X zoom:
5X zoom:
10X zoom:
The zoom shots are pretty similar in quality, we liked the 3X sample from the Pixel 8 Pro a little better, but overall, it’s not a night-and-day difference. At 5X and 10X magnification, both phones are pretty close when it comes to image quality, with the Pixel producing again brighter and warmer results that are closer to what our eyes saw during the test.
Ultra-wide Camera
The ultrawide camera of the Pixel 8 Pro does a better job here (or the algorithms, most likely), as the shots from the Motorola Edge 50 Pro look overexposed. The Pixel also has a wider field of view and preserves more detail. The dynamic range on the Pixel 8 Pro also looks better.
Selfies
The 50MP front camera of the Motorola Edge 50 produces decent selfie pictures, which look a bit softer and darker compared to the samples from the Pixel 8 Pro. In reality, though, the Motorola’s depiction of the scene is closer to what we saw with our own eyes, while the Pixel boosts the brightness, and the image also looks a bit too sharp. Both phones will pass the Instagram or TikTok test, so don’t worry about that.
Video Quality
Here’s a quick video comparison between the two phones. Which one do you like better for video recording?
Audio Quality and Haptics
Now, neither of these phones will sound like a
Bluetooth speaker, as they use the tried and tested stereo combo where the earpiece doubles as a second loudspeaker. This inevitably compromises the balance and the quality of the sound, but for all intents and purposes (which aren’t to get the party started with your phone), both the Motorola Edge 50 Pro and the
Pixel 8 Pro sound decent.
The Pixel 8 Pro probably has a slight edge (no pun intended) over the Edge 50 Pro, but it’s not a night-and-day difference. There is no audio jack on either of these, so you need to go Bluetooth or use an adapter. Haptics are good, tight, and snappy on both phones.
Battery Life and Charging
Efficiency
One port to rule them all but very different charging speeds… (Image credit – PhoneArena)
We have two variables here. One is the pure battery capacity. The Pixel 8 Pro comes with a 5,050mAh battery, while the Edge 50 Pro has a 4,500mAh cell onboard. The second factor is the efficiency of the chipset; it’s a midrange Snapdragon vs a third-generation Tensor.
PhoneArena Battery Test Results:
For the most part, the longevity of both phones is pretty similar. The larger capacity of the Pixel 8 Pro offsets any losses due to poor efficiency, and in the end, results are pretty similar across the board. When it comes to gaming, both phones can go for about 9 hours straight. The Pixel has a couple of hours on the Motorola Edge 50 Pro when it comes to browsing and video streaming, but nothing too drastic.
PhoneArena Charging Test Results:
The battle for the fast charging crown is won by the Motorola Edge 50 Pro with its 125W insanely fast wired charging capabilities. The phone charges from 0 to 100% in 23 minutes. In comparison, the Pixel 8 Pro needs 91 minutes—one and a half hours! There is no competition whatsoever.
Specs Comparison
Here’s a quick specs comparison for the specs nerds out there. We have a detailed Motorola Edge 50 Pro vs Google Pixel 8 Pro specs comparison if you want a deep dive, so check out that one as well.
| Specs |
Motorola Edge 50 Pro |
Google Pixel 8 Pro |
| Dimensions |
161.23 x 72.4 x 8.19 mm |
162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8 mm |
| Weight |
186 g |
213 g |
| Screen |
pOLED 6.67”, 144Hz, HDR10+, 10-bit, 2500nits peak | |
6.7″ OLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2400 nits peak |
| Processor |
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 |
Tensor G3 |
| RAM, Storage and Price |
12/512GB for 699 euros |
12/256GB for $899 |
| Cameras |
50MP main, f/1.4
13MP ultra-wide, f/2.2
10MP telephoto, f/2.0
50MP front |
50MP main, f/1.7
48MP ultra-wide, f/2.0
48MP 5X zoom, f/2.8
10.5MP front |
| Battery Size |
4,500 mAh |
5,050 mAh |
| Charging Speeds |
125W wired
50W wireless
10W reverse wireless |
27W wired
15W wireless
|
Which one should you buy?
Time to decide (Image credit – PhoneArena)
These two phones are closer than it seems at first glance. The Motorola starts at 699 euros, which is close to the $899 price tag of the Pixel 8 Pro, and if you factor in deals and discounts (constantly happening), we’re getting even closer.
The question is whether you want to opt for a long-term evolution or get something fresh and different now. Because the Pixel 8 Pro will be a different phone after a couple of Feature Drops, and we’re not sure the same would apply to the Motorola Edge 50 Pro.
That being said, the Edge 50 Pro is pretty impressive device, especially for the price. It has a great camera system, cool design, bright and vivid screen, and is one of the fastest charging phones out there. Granted, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 is not a flagship processor but gets the job done. So, if you’re in for the long haul and need the seven-year support cycle, go for the Pixel. If you like to try new things, and you swap your phone every two years, there’s nothing wrong with the Motorola Edge 50 Pro.
