Motorola, once the undisputed king of mobile, may have fallen from the throne, but it’s far from banished from the kingdom. While Samsung, Apple, and Google dominate the market, Motorola continues to carve out its niche with a lineup of impressive devices. From budget-friendly options to high-end flagships, Motorola offers something for everyone. Its recent foray into foldable phones and commitment to delivering top-tier performance have garnered significant attention. Let’s dive into the best Motorola smartphones of 2024 and discover why this iconic brand is still a force to be reckoned with.
Motorola Edge Plus (2023)
The Motorola Edge Plus (2023) is a flagship phone that challenges the best from Samsung and Google. Its standout features include a stunning 6.7-inch pOLED display with a variable refresh rate of up to 165Hz – a feature typically found in high-end gaming phones. This makes for an incredibly smooth and responsive user experience, and the screen’s curved edges create a nearly bezel-less look that’s visually captivating. The Edge Plus also boasts an impressive battery life, lasting for almost two days on a single charge thanks to its 5,100mAh battery. Fast charging capabilities with 68W speeds ensure you won’t be waiting long for a full charge.
Performance is another highlight. Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, the Edge Plus delivers lightning-fast speeds, handling even the most demanding 3D games with ease. While it might not be as fast as the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the difference is unlikely to be noticeable for most users. The camera, while not groundbreaking, delivers solid results and won’t disappoint. The clean Android interface with minimal preinstalled apps adds to the user experience. The Edge Plus does have some drawbacks, such as the lack of an always-on display and mediocre speakers. Nevertheless, it stands as a strong contender in the flagship smartphone market, offering a premium experience at a competitive price, starting at $800 for 512GB of storage.
Motorola Edge (2023)
The Motorola Edge (2023) is a more affordable version of the Edge Plus, offering many of the same strengths but at a lower price point. It shares the Edge Plus’s impressive battery life, with its 4,400mAh cell lasting for about a day and a half on a single charge. The 68W fast charging also carries over, ensuring quick recharge times. The Edge maintains the Edge Plus’s sleek design with soft curves and a bezel-free display, adding a touch of luxury with a vegan leather back. The 6.6-inch pOLED display is equally impressive, boasting a 144Hz variable refresh rate and a 2400 x 1080 resolution.
Where the Edge falls short is in performance. While powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7030, a strong chip, there are occasional hiccups in performance, like slight pauses when pulling down the notification shade. This inconsistency also manifests in the camera, where shutter presses can take a moment to register and the app itself is slow to start. The camera lenses themselves are serviceable but lack the wow factor. The update policy is another area of concern, with only one more Android update planned. The fingerprint scanner also proves unreliable at times. Despite these shortcomings, the Edge remains a solid phone. It excels in areas like battery life and design, and at a discounted price, it becomes a compelling option.
Motorola Razr Plus 2024
The Motorola Razr Plus 2024 is a stunning folding phone that elevates the Razr series to new heights. The leather-backed flip phone addresses the shortcomings of previous foldables. The hinge is exceptionally smooth and durable, with minimal crease visibility on the inner screen, and it’s even water-resistant. The cover screen is now a massive 4 inches with a remarkable 2,400 nits of brightness. The inner 6.9-inch display is equally gorgeous. The cameras have gone from a weakness to a strength, with the 50MP primary shooter delivering excellent detail and colors. Performance is snappy, battery life is solid, and the software experience is fun and whimsical.
The Razr Plus 2024 builds upon the strengths of its predecessor, the 2023 Razr Plus, which was already a favorite amongst many. While the 2023 Razr Plus struggled with camera quality, battery life, and hinge durability, these issues have been effectively addressed in the 2024 model. The Razr Plus 2024 boasts a more reliable hinge, a larger cover display, significantly improved camera quality, longer battery life, and faster charging speeds. These improvements, achieved without a price increase, make the Razr Plus 2024 a compelling choice for those seeking a premium foldable experience.
Motorola Razr 2024
The Motorola Razr 2024 offers the foldable phone experience at a significantly more affordable price point. At just $700, it delivers a remarkable set of features that punch above its weight class. The Razr 2024 boasts a 3.6-inch cover display that makes one-handed use a breeze, along with a gorgeous 6.9-inch inner folding screen with a minimal crease. The phone also features a sleek design and comes in fun color options like Spritz Orange, adding a touch of style. The Razr 2024 delivers excellent battery life, decent cameras, and smooth performance for everyday use. While it may not match the sheer power of higher-priced foldable phones, it proves that you don’t have to spend a fortune to join the folding phone revolution.
Motorola has made significant changes to the Razr 2024 this year. It stands as a viable alternative to its sibling, the Razr Plus 2024. For $700, you get a 3.6-inch cover display, comparable to last year’s Razr Plus, a solid camera system, and excellent battery life. However, some compromises have been made. The Razr 2024 uses a MediaTek processor and less RAM, lacks reverse wireless charging and faster charging speeds, and opts for a 13MP ultrawide camera instead of a telephoto lens, unlike the Razr Plus. Despite these differences, the Razr 2024 remains a very good phone. If you value a larger 4-inch cover display, a 165Hz refresh rate screen, more power, faster charging, reverse wireless charging, and a telephoto lens, then the Razr Plus 2024 might be worth the extra $300. However, at $700, the Razr 2024 is still a compelling option for budget-conscious foldable phone enthusiasts.
Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G 2024
In a market where stylus phones are becoming less common, the Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 stands out as a shining example. This budget-friendly phone delivers an impressive blend of features for just $400. It boasts a stunning OLED display, solid performance, a surprisingly capable camera system, and excellent charging speeds. The Moto G Stylus 5G 2024’s standout feature is its remarkable battery life. During testing, the 5,000mAh battery easily lasted two full days between charges, even with heavy usage like gaming and video streaming.
While there are some minor drawbacks, such as preinstalled ads and limited software updates, the Moto G Stylus 5G 2024’s strengths far outweigh the cons. It’s a budget beast that showcases Motorola’s ability to deliver killer affordable phones. The Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 is a solid choice for those seeking a budget-friendly stylus phone with excellent battery life and a range of other appealing features. Motorola has clearly shown that it can still make great budget phones, and the Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 is a testament to this.
