The Motorola Edge gets a 5G midranger price tag to challenge LG Velvet and OnePlus 8 directly
Motorola has finally announced the US pricing of its Edge midranger with 5G connectivity. Determined to put a lid on the ever-increasing 5G phone prices, it opted for the next best alternative to Snapdragon 865 with its new Edge phone, and equipped it with the more cost-efficient Snapdragon 765 instead, Qualcomm’s first integrated 5G chipset.
It also added a huge battery, 64MP camera, and… a headphone jack, for one of the most complete $700 packages you can find on a 5G-capable phone. Yep, just as we envisioned in our review of the Motorola Edge, as all rumors pointed to such a price tag, the official price of the handset in the US will be $699.99 when it launches in the US.
That’s way less than the $999.99 Edge+ with Snapdragon 865, and will clash the Edge directly with the other 765 warriors out there like the LG Velvet that is sold for the same price, and the eventual Google Pixel 5 that is said to arrive with the midrange Snapdragon 765 as well.
Its biggest competitor, however, will be the OnePlus 8 that ships with the power-dishing and gas-guzzling Snapdragon 865, and is $800 at Verizon, but $700 if you buy it directly from OnePlus without the mmWave 5G frequencies of Big Red.
Motorola Edge vs LG Velvet vs OnePlus 8 vs Pixel 5 specs and price comparison
| LG Velvet | Motorola Edge | OnePlus 8 | Google Pixel 5 (expected) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Snapdragon 765 5G | Snapdragon 765 5G | Snapdragon 865 5G | Snapdragon 765 (exp.) |
| RAM | 8GB | 6GB | 8GB/12GB | 6GB (exp.) |
| Storage | 128GB | 256GB | 128GB/256GB | 128GB (exp.) |
| Display | 6.7″ 1080p | 6.7″ 1080p | 6.5″ 1080p | 6.3″-6.7″ 1440p (exp.) |
| Camera | 48MP main + 8MP wide-angle + 5MP depth | 64MP main + 16MP wide-angle + 8MP telephoto | 48MP main + 16MP wide-angle + 2MP macro | main + wide-angle + telephoto (exp.) |
| Battery | 4300mAh | 4500mAh | 4300mAh | 4100mAh (exp.) |
Granted, the Edge offers a slightly larger battery, a telephoto camera, and more memory for its $700 price, as well as a bigger display than the OnePlus 8. Still, it will be a tough battle of the 5G midrangers this summer when the Motorola Edge finally launches, probably this month.