Motorola is again giving Apple and Samsung a run for their money, and yet no one seems to care
This week's Moto X70 Air and Moto G100 announcements strongly suggest that Motorola should be taken more seriously as a true rival for Apple and Samsung.
Obviously, the two affordable mid-range Android handsets have nothing in common with Apple's high-end tablets and mixed-reality headset, but I believe that it says a lot about Motorola's standing in the tech industry that many more people seem to be paying attention to a repetitive "new" iPad than a potential iPhone Air killer with a huge battery under its hood.
Yes, the "impossibly thin" Motorola Edge 70 is coming (soon) to the West
I already know what you're going to say, so let me stop you before you even finish your thought. "Why should I care about a China-only device like the Moto X70 Air"? Simple: because it's only temporarily available in a single market.
How do I know for sure that the ultra-thin X70 Air will expand to the Western Hemisphere in the (very) near future under the Motorola Edge 70 name? If those rock-solid leaks from the last few weeks were not enough to shatter all doubt, the Lenovo-owned brand itself officially started teasing a (not so) mysterious November 5 launch event in a bunch of European countries recently.
The future has an edge. It’s closer than you think. Last week, we started with battery power. Now it is all about design & display, because the future looks sharper. Answer the question, unlock your reward, and get closer to discovering Motorola’s next big thing. pic.twitter.com/NuLnNlmo1c
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how Motorola plans to "unlock the future" across the old continent, as the "impossibly thin" global equivalent of the Moto X70 Air will apparently beat Samsung's Galaxy S26 Edge to the market by (at least) a good couple of months.
But did you pay enough attention to the company's social media channels or our news feed to get hyped about the Edge 70? I don't think you did, and I'm not just relying on the view count of yesterday's X70 Air announcement post on PhoneArena.
Are you ready to take Motorola more seriously?
Yes, but only if the Edge 70 is affordable enough
26.83%
Yes, but only if the Moto G100 is affordable enough
0%
Yes, but only if these phones come to the US
24.39%
I've been taking Motorola seriously for a while now
34.15%
No, it's still Apple or Samsung for me
14.63%
I also got the latest quarterly smartphone market reports to tell me that the vast majority of buyers out there don't really care about Motorola, instead favoring brands like Samsung and Apple (duh!) and even the likes of Xiaomi, Vivo, Tecno, and Infinix (who?!).
Now, I realize that the 6mm slim Moto X70 Air with a 4,800mAh battery inside is a first-of-a-kind device that's barely seen daylight, so its impact (large or small) will only be felt in future sales reports. But that brings me to the second order of business today.
Why aren't Moto G-series phones more popular?
As the proud user of my third consecutive Moto G-series device (yes, as a daily driver) over the last five or six years, I simply can't seem to find a sensible answer to that question no matter how hard I try to think of something.
Okay, maybe the software support on these puppies is not flawless, but can you really say that about a lot of sub-$200 or even sub-$300 phones from other brands? Meanwhile, the hardware on something like the new Moto G100 is practically unbeatable in the budget 5G segment, including a more than respectable Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor, silky smooth 120Hz refresh rate-capable LCD screen, and most importantly, an overwhelming 7,000mAh battery.
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How can you possibly ignore an ultra-affordable handset with such a gigantic battery? | Image Credit -- Lenovo
And you're seriously telling me you're considering the $999 and up iPhone Air when the Moto G100 costs less than $200 in China, which means its European price is likely to sit below the €300 mark soon?!
Once again, this is clearly not an apples-to-apples (pun intended) comparison, but that's only because I'm trying to prove a simple point here. If you're willing to give Motorola a (real) chance, I'm sure you'll be able to find an alternative for the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, S25 Ultra, or Galaxy Z Flip 7 in the Edge, Moto G, and Razr families that can satisfy you without costing an arm and a leg.
I'm not only thinking about the new Moto G100 and X70 Air, mind you, but also the impressively affordable Razr+ (2025) foldable, the perfectly acceptable Edge 60 mid-ranger, or the hard-to-rival Moto G Stylus (2025). Oh, and let's not forget about the 6,720mAh cell-packing Moto G86 Power 5G, which has been available outside of China for quite some time now.
All you have to do is open your mind to the "quirky" perspective of owning a phone not manufactured by either Apple or Samsung. Outrageous stuff, eh?
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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