Moto Edge 70 Pro: The Unexpected All-Rounder

Over the last week, I have been using the new Motorola Edge 70 Pro. This is a separate model from the Edge 70 that was released late last year. Whilst it shares some characteristics with the Edge 70, it builds on them in certain areas, which warrants a review. Over the course of this review period, I want to go through some of those hardware differences and highlight where this phone crosses lines between this model and the Motorola Signature, which I have also reviewed.

First, we need to do a 360-degree tour of the hardware.

360 Tour

The Moto Edge 70 Pro comes in a fairly unobnoxious-looking white box—at least my review unit did. It comes in a variety of colors, and the one I have here is referred to as "Pantone Titan." In reality, it is a navy/denim bluish color that shares a denim-like texture on the rear panel.

On that rear panel, we have a few things to note. In the center, there is a Moto logo, and on the upper-left quadrant is the slightly raised camera array. This camera array looks like it has four lenses; however, that is a design trick Motorola often uses, and in reality, there are three. The primary lens is a 50-megapixel sensor. In addition, we have a 3.5x telephoto lens supported by a 50-megapixel sensor, and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide. What looks to be the fourth lens is where you will find the dual LED flash. That makes up the full camera module. As mentioned, it is slightly higher than the rest of the back panel, but it is blended nicely via sloping edges into the rest of the back.

Moving around to the right-hand side, in the uppermost portion, we have our single volume rocker button, housing both up and down controls. Just below this, we have our power/sleep/wake button. Continuing down the right-hand edge, we find the obvious antenna break lines.

On the bottom edge of the phone is the USB Type-C port, which is capable of Motorola's 65-watt Turbo Charge. Next to this is the single SIM card slot, which has the obligatory gasket to ensure waterproof integrity. On the other side of the USB-C port is a downward-firing loudspeaker, which produces fairly accurate sound—but more on that later.

As we proceed around to the left-hand side, we find very little, apart from the upper quadrant where the Moto AI key is located. This key can be configured by Moto’s AI software to perform a few different actions, though in all honesty, I didn't use it often. I will cover the function of the Moto AI key later in the software section. Finally, the top edge houses a few microphones and a recessed earpiece, which doubles as a loudspeaker.

Around the front of the phone, we have a 6.78-inch Extreme AMOLED panel. It is a curved panel that slopes down to the side rails, mirroring the curve of the back panel. This creates a really nice feel in the hand and assists in performing swipe gestures. However, like all curved panels, getting a screen protector to fit edge-to-edge is somewhat difficult.

My device, being a review sample provided through the Motovator review program, has had some prior use. This is evident by some minor scratching to the Gorilla Glass 7i screen. Unfortunately, it seems Motorola is not providing a factory-fitted screen protector, which would have negated this issue.

I have not personally used a case as I really like the feel and texture of the rear panel; it provides more than sufficient grip and does not attract fingerprints. Also buried under the screen is the front-facing selfie camera, which sports a 50MP sensor which is more than adequate for selfies. In the lower third of the screen, we find an under-screen fingerprint sensor, which I presume is optical as opposed to ultrasonic.

As for what is in the box: since this is an EU variant, it is not surprising that we find no charger. You would have to purchase that separately if you want the Moto TurboPower charging brick. However, you will find the aforementioned clear TPU case, a SIM ejection tool, and a USB Type-C to C cable, which is approximately one meter in length.

Let’s take some time to check out the specs in the table below

Hardware

In terms of dimensions, the phone measures 162.7 x 75.6 x 7.19 mm and weighs 190 grams. This has been a very pleasant phone to use due to its light weight. During my review period, I was also fortunate enough to have an Oppo Find X9 Ultra, which is substantially heavier than the Moto Edge 70 Pro, though it targets a different audience.

I feel that, despite its lightness, the Moto Edge 70 Pro would stand up to significant use. I have not once been concerned about the fragility of such a thin and light device. The tapered edges make for a very comfortable feel, especially if you use the phone without a case. I am also really pleased to see that the phone has retained the IP 69/ IP68 Underwater protection  (you also have a water touch mode for using the screen when wet) and also the MIL-STD 810H rating. Essentially this is a solid phone that can take some abuse just be careful with the screen!

I enjoy the near edge-to-edge screen and the minimal bezels. The camera bump did not interfere when I was using the phone in landscape for viewing media or gaming.

Regarding thermals, I am pleased to say that I have not noticed any discernible heat build-up during intensive processes like gaming, media playback, or camera use. This is down to its internal construction and the efficient MediaTek 8500 Extreme chipset. While some might prefer a Snapdragon chip, the MediaTek 8500 Extreme cannot be faulted for efficiency, longevity, or performance. Rest assured, you will struggle to find anything this phone is not capable of in normal day-to-day use.

The other critical component is the battery. The onboard silicone carbon battery has grown by a third compared to the standard Edge 70, giving us a capacity of over 6,500mAh. This means the phone will easily get most users through a full day with plenty left for the second day. In my light use during work, I have been able to get through two days. When pushing the phone harder with camera usage and tracking walking trails, it still lasted a full day, needing a charge midway through the second day.

You can easily juice the battery back up in well under an hour using an adequate charger. I have been using a 65W GaN charger from Anker, and an hour's charge gets me to 100%. If I want to charge wirelessly, there is a 15W wireless charger hidden below the textured back panel. The Wired TurboCharge will reach up to 90W when a high enough powered charger is used. The phone can also support 10W Wireless reverse charging and 5w Wired reverse charging.

Display and Audio

The 6.78-inch curved AMOLED display is wonderful. It represents colors realistically and vividly due to its being able to display 1o bit colour space and 100% of the DCI-P3 colour space, with modes to tweak the representation to your preference. With this being a Moto device you do of course have the Pantone Skintone and Colour validations technologies to help improve the visual experience. It has a refresh rate of up to 144Hz, meaning the interface is smooth and fast when scrolling or gaming.

It is capable of displaying most games at 60 frames per second, and using Motorola's built-in game mode, you can push the frame rate higher if the game supports it. We also have a very high touch sampling rate of 360Hz which will help in those critical game play moments. 

YouTube and other video content are enjoyable, and while the speakers don't fill a room and distort slightly at high volumes, they are adequate for shorts and podcasts. For long sessions, I paired the phone with Bluetooth headphones. The audio is boosted by an inbuilt Bose app that supports Dolby Atmos for a better audio experience.

Performance

During day-to-day use, I encountered no stutters, no lag, and no slow app openings. Everything I threw at the phone was handled easily. 

The phone uses 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and fast 512GB storage. It is efficient, and I did not need to turn on the RAM expansion option, which is available in settings. This can boost RAM by another 12 GB using a memory swap process from your storage to give you 24GB total.

I also liked that when the phone was in standby, there was very low battery drain; I could leave it overnight and only see a couple of percentage points drop. Overall, this phone covers 95% of use cases for most users. As previously mentioned whilst gaming I found the phone enjoyable and comfortable to use. 

As is normally the case I did not run any super intensive games during my time with the phone but I did play a few sessions of Asphalt Legend’s and this performed as expected over an hour or two. It looked and felt smooth and flowed nicely with some minor heat building up on the back near the processor area, but nowhere near uncomfortable and I could have played for many more hours if I had the time or the inclination to do so.

Camera

I was cautiously wary of the performance I would get from the Edge 70 Pro's cameras, as it does not use the same sensors as the higher-end Signature or the foldable Razr. However, I was impressed with the results from the triple camera setup.

The Moto Edge 70 Pro features a sophisticated triple-camera system, providing high-resolution sensors across all three focal lengths. The primary lens utilizes a 50MP Sony LYTIA 710 sensor for detailed and vibrant shots. Complementing this is a 50MP Ultrawide lens with a 122° field of view that also supports Macro photography for close-up detail. Finally, the setup includes a 50MP Periscope Telephoto lens offering 3.5x optical zoom for crisp long-range subjects.

Here are some sample images cross various lenses and Zoom levels.

The 3.5x telephoto lens produced truly remarkable results. Anything above that is AI-assisted zoom. Once you go higher than 20x zoom, Motorola's "Super Zoom" comes into effect. Results here can be mixed; when taking photos of animals or people, it can lead to interesting outputs, but for buildings and landscapes, it works remarkably well.

The 3.5x telephoto option is also available using Night Vision, which is very useful for evening shots.

I tended to do most of my photography using the Auto mode, assisted by AI. Nine times out of ten, the end result is an accurate recreation of the subject.

 

Compared to the high-end Oppo X9 Ultra, the photos are very close in good lighting. However, as the lighting dips and you push the zoom further, you can notice where the X9 Ultra has its edge. The Edge 70 Pro is not a camera-focused smartphone; it is a capable camera bolted onto a very good all-rounder phone.

Main camera footage is generally sharp and detailed with a natural feel though some graininess is noticeable in shadows. To help with handheld shooting, the phone includes “Adaptive Stabilisation” and “Horizon Lock” – the latter useful for keeping a level frame during movement.

This device offers versatile video recording up to 4K 60fps across all three rear lenses. For enhanced dynamic range, HDR10+ recording is available at 4K 30fps on the rear sensors.

Recording has some limitations. Zooming between focal lengths isn’t perfectly seamless and shows distinct shifts as the software switches between physical lenses.

Here are some samples of video which has been recorded across all lenses at 4K 60 FPS.

4K 60FPS  Sample from rear camera

4K 60FPS Smaple from front camera

 4K 60FPS Sample Wide Angle

4K 60FPS Sample Cat Video 

As usual with Android video, stuttering is a common issue. However, for social media or personal use it’s more than adequate. The selfie camera lives up to its name and for those who want it there’s an inbuilt beauty mode for AI enhancement.

Software

One of the standout features of any Motorola device is the "Hello UI." It is built on a clean foundation of Android AOSP, adding thoughtful functionality without the bloat found on other skins.

Moto uses its own custom typeface to give the interface a distinct identity, and the refreshed Moto app acts as a centralized hub for all your settings. Everything feels more organized and efficient, making it easy to access system-wide controls—including those signature motion gestures like the "karate chop" to toggle the flashlight or the double-wrist-twist to fire up the camera.

With the Edge 70 Pro, Moto has leaned into Moto AI and Google Gemini integration. Moto AI is baked into the system and is incredibly easy to access; you can pull it up via a prompt bar in the app drawer, a double-tap on the rear panel, or by using that customizable Moto AI key. It goes beyond mere proofreading, offering the ability to summarize your notifications, transcribe live conversations, or give you a quick rundown of what is on your screen. For those feeling creative, there is even an "Image Studio" buried within Moto AI that generates visuals from simple text prompts.

The Moto AI key also unlocks the 'Remember This' function, a clever tool designed to help you retain information without needing to manually organize it. By simply activating the feature when you're looking at a photo, a note, or even a screen capture, Moto AI can memorize specific details, context, and facts.

When you need that information later—whether it's a specific date from an event flyer, a detail from a document, or a fact from a web page—you can prompt the assistant to recall it, making it an excellent companion for capturing quick, fleeting information that you might otherwise lose track of.

In terms of multitasking there are a few modes to be aware of we of course have the standard split screen that you would expect but there is also minimised app option which allows for a floating window.

If you need to get work done across multiple devices, Smart Connect handles the heavy lifting. This all-in-one suite streamlines your workflow by supporting wireless display casting, a dedicated desktop mode, and seamless file transfers. You can even sync your clipboard between the phone, a Windows PC, and your tablet. However, it is worth noting that while wireless connectivity is robust, the USB-C port does not support native wired display output.

On the security front, things are anchored by the Moto Secure app and the ThinkShield mobile security suite. These provide enterprise-grade protection with granular permissions, privacy controls, and secure folders for your sensitive data.

As for longevity, Moto is committing to 3 major Android OS upgrades and 5 years of security patches for the Edge 70 Pro, which should keep the device protected and feeling current for a good while.

Hello UI is a refreshingly clean user interface, and I would place it in my top three, alongside Pixel UI and ColorOS in no particular order.

Conclusion

I was expecting to be left wanting, perhaps perceiving this as a mid-tier phone that wouldn't appeal to me. I was wrong; the Edge 70 Pro is a very capable, high-performing smartphone.

The hardware feels great, the textured back is fantastic, and I didn't feel the need for a protective case. The long battery life and solid performance across the board made it a joy to use. While I, as someone who needs a camera-focused phone for content creation, might lean toward the Motorola Signature, for most people—using it for web browsing, social media, messaging, and casual photography—this phone would be more than satisfactory.

If you are looking for a reasonably priced, high-spec phone that lasts well into a second day and delivers better-than-expected results, the Edge 70 Pro is worth a look, especially if you can pick it up on sale. At the current retail price of £749.99, it is a fair deal, though do check the Motorola Signature prices, as they are currently retailing around £799 with gifts often bundled in.