Motorola Edge 50 Neo Review: Is This the Best Mid-Range Phone Under ₹25,000?

If you’re hunting for a solid smartphone under ₹25,000, the market is packed with options that balance performance, cameras, and battery life. Motorola’s new Edge 50 Neo tries to stand out with a powerful MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chip, clean design, and an impressive five years of OS and security updates — something unheard of in this price segment.

It takes on strong rivals like the Nothing Phone 2a, OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G, Realme 13 Pro, Vivo T3 Pro, iQOO Z9s Pro, and Poco X6 Pro. But does the Edge 50 Neo have enough to beat them? Let’s find out.

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Price and Variants

The Motorola Edge 50 Neo is available in a single 8GB RAM + 256GB storage model priced at ₹23,999. However, during Flipkart or Motorola store sales, it often dips below ₹20,000, making it an even sweeter deal.

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Design: Slim, Stylish, and Easy to Grip

• Dimensions: 154.1 x 71.2 x 8.1mm
• Weight: 171g
• Colours: Grisaille, Latté, Nautical Blue, and Poinciana

The phone has a vegan leather finish, flat edges, and feels easy to hold even without a case. The Pantone branding on the back panel adds a nice touch, while the slightly raised camera bump means it won’t lie flat on a table.

Ports and buttons are standard: USB-C, SIM tray, speaker grille, and Dolby Atmos branding. Overall, it looks and feels premium for its price.

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Software: Clean but with Annoying Bloat

The Edge 50 Neo runs Android 14 with Hello UI — a near-stock experience with extras like Moto Unplugged (focus mode) and Family Space (kids mode). Classic Motorola gestures like a wrist flick for the camera or a chop for the flashlight are also here.

But there’s a downside: unwanted apps automatically install via MotoHub, spamming notifications every few hours. For a phone in the Edge series, this feels unnecessary and distracting.

The big positive? Five years of OS and security updates. That’s longer than some Samsung Galaxy A-series phones and promises updates all the way to Android 19.

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Performance: Smooth and Reliable

• Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 7300
• Memory: 8GB LPDDR4X
• Storage: 256GB UFS 2.2

The Dimensity 7300 is one of the best mid-range chips right now. Everyday tasks like browsing, streaming, and social media are seamless. Gaming was also smooth — BGMI, Call of Duty Mobile, and Asphalt Legends all ran without frame drops or throttling.

In benchmark tests, it outperformed the Nothing Phone 2a but lagged slightly behind the OnePlus Nord CE 4 (Snapdragon 7 Gen 3).

The 6.4-inch pOLED display (120Hz, 1,200×2,670 resolution) is bright, vibrant, and easy on the eyes, though colours can feel a little too punchy. Luckily, you can switch to Natural Mode in settings.

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Cameras: Reliable All-Rounder

• Primary: 50MP Sony LYT-700C (OIS)
• Telephoto: 10MP, 3x optical zoom
• Ultrawide + Macro: 13MP
• Selfie: 32MP

Daytime shots from the main sensor are excellent, with great colours and detail. Even the 2x in-sensor zoom delivers sharp results, including in low light.

The telephoto lens is solid in good lighting but struggles at night, while the ultrawide works well in the day but falls short in dim conditions. The 32MP selfie camera takes crisp daytime photos but softens images in the evening.

Both the main and selfie cameras record 4K/30fps video, with OIS helping stabilise clips. For low-light video, 1080p works best.

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Battery: Small Size, Big Endurance

• Capacity: 4,310mAh
• Wired Charging: 68W TurboPower (charger included)
• Wireless Charging: 15W

Even though the battery is slightly smaller than rivals, the Edge 50 Neo comfortably lasts over a day and a half with moderate use. In our video loop test, it managed 21 hours of playback.

The 68W fast charger juices it up in just over an hour, while wireless charging is slower but rare in this segment — a big bonus for users.

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Verdict: Should You Buy It?

The Motorola Edge 50 Neo delivers where it matters: a strong processor, dependable cameras, bright display, long-lasting battery, and the promise of five years of updates.

The only downsides are the preloaded bloatware and the slightly weaker ultrawide/telephoto cameras at night.

If you’re shopping under ₹25,000, the Edge 50 Neo is one of the most well-rounded choices right now. It even undercuts rivals like the OnePlus Nord CE 4 and Nothing Phone 2a with wireless charging and longer software support.

👉 In short: a feature-packed mid-ranger that punches above its weight.