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The affordable flagship Motorola Edge launches in US with a $200 discount

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Lower price makes it easier to pick up unlocked – as no carrier is selling it.

Motorola Edge
(Image credit: Future)

The Motorola Edge can be preordered now to finally be available in the US starting July 31, and it’s coming in at a lower cost – with a $200 discount!

The Motorola Edge launched earlier this year as the more modest sibling of the Motorola Edge Plus that packed most of its perks at a lower price. While the standard Edge will retail for $699 normally, the current sale price of $499 should blunt the news that it won’t be sold by carriers, at least not yet – you’ll only be able to buy unlocked versions from Best Buy, B&H Photo, Amazon.com, and Motorola.com.

That’s still a good price for what we found to be a decent phone that cut some corners compared to its full-flagship sibling – most notably in its cameras, which we didn’t feel produced as impressive photos as competitors at the $699 tier. 

Still, on paper, the phone is competitive: a 6.7-inch Full HD Plus (2340 x 1080) OLED display with 90Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 765G processor that’s 5G-capable, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage (expandable up to 1TB via microSD), and 4,500mAh battery. The triple rear camera array includes a 64MP main shooter, 8MP telephoto with 2x optical zoom, and 16MP ultra-wide, with a 25MP front-facing camera.

Combine that with the expected Motorola UI and Moto Gestures, the Motorola Edge could offer brand fans an alternative to the high-cost Edge Plus. Of course, it’s also launching amid some very strong mid-range and budget phone competition.

Motorola Edge

(Image credit: Future)

Motorola Edge in the year of mid-range gems

The Motorola Edge is coming to the US at an auspicious time – or perhaps inauspicious, as the $399 iPhone SE 2020, $399 Samsung Galaxy A51, and $699 OnePlus 8 were all released in April, while the €399 (around $480) OnePlus Nord just launched.

Sure, it’s unclear if the Nord will reach the US, but it’s still a crowded mid-range market with more phones available for eager importers, like the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 (around $585) or LG Velvet (around $735). The Motorola Edge has its work cut out for it in 2020.

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David Lumb
David Lumb

David is now a mobile reporter at Cnet. Formerly Mobile Editor, US for TechRadar, he covered phones, tablets, and wearables. He still thinks the iPhone 4 is the best-looking smartphone ever made. He's most interested in technology, gaming and culture – and where they overlap and change our lives. His current beat explores how our on-the-go existence is affected by new gadgets, carrier coverage expansions, and corporate strategy shifts.