We asked, and we received: Motorola is bringing its latest flagship to the US as the Motorola Edge Plus (2023). It’s $799 for the base model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which falls short of the $899 Google Pixel 7 Pro and $999 Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus by a wide margin, and it’s equipped with a lot of things you might expect. From the leading Android phone in 2023: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, large and smooth 165Hz display, stable main camera, robust IP68 weather resistance rating, and wireless charging.
Oddly enough, though, none of the three major US wireless carriers will sell the device — Motorola’s partners for Edge include Plus Boost Infinite (yes, that) and Consumer Cellular. It will be sold unlocked by Amazon and Best Buy, but since people in the US tend to get their phones from their carrier, the Edge Plus will be at a disadvantage.
This is the bad news. The good news is that the Edge Plus looks really promising: there’s a 6.7-inch Dolby Vision-certified OLED screen with a higher 165Hz refresh rate (though only 1080p, if we’re paying attention), a large 5,100mAh battery, and fast 68W wired charging (charger included!) and 15W wireless charging. The 8 Gen 2 chipset is paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of onboard storage. There is support for several 5G networks, of course, and both Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7.
It’s designed with an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Victus on both the front and back panels, with an IP68 rating for dust protection and full immersion in water. It also comes with a promise of three years of OS updates and four years of security updates, which is an extra year in both categories compared to previous Motorola flagship phones.
There is a 50-megapixel f/1.8 main camera with optical stabilization and a 12-megapixel f/2.2 2x “portrait” telephoto camera. The 50MP ultrawide camera with autofocus doubles as a macro camera. If you’re keeping the score home, Motorola is three to three when putting useful cameras on this phone — there’s no depth-sensing or low-res macro (see also: last year’s Edge Plus) in sight. There’s a new portrait mode for video on this year’s model, too, and standard video recording tops out at 8K/30p. On the front, there is a 60MP selfie camera.
Motorola also announced two budget-friendly devices: the new 4G-only Moto G Stylus and the Moto G 5G. The 2023 G Stylus comes with a MediaTek Helio G85 processor, a 6.5-inch LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate, and a low $199 price tag (along with the stylus, you know). The 2023 5G offers a Snapdragon 480 chipset, a 6.5-inch LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, and a slightly higher $249 price tag.
The 2023 Motorola Edge Plus will go on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Motorola on May 25 with availability on Boost “in the coming weeks.” The Motorola G 5G will also go on sale May 25th, with availability on T-Mobile and AT&T sometime after that. The Moto G Stylus arrives May 5th open and will be sold at Cricket, Straight Talk, and Walmart “in the coming months.”
The Edge Plus may not launch for a few more weeks, but in the meantime, dive into the detailed specs below to see just what’s in store.