This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
The Motorola Edge 70 in one of its Pantone Colors—Lily Pad. | Image by PhoneArena
Last year was a weird one. Samsung and Apple tried to revive super-thin phones with the Galaxy S25 Edge and the iPhone Air, but neither proved super popular with buyers.
But it seems Motorola still wanted to try out this new trend in its own way, which is where the recently released Motorola Edge 70 comes in.
It’s not as thin as Samsung's and Apple’s entries, but it comes pretty close, and it is in fact lighter than both.
Unlike those other two, though, Motorola didn’t slap a super high price on its super-thin phone. The Edge 70 goes for £700 in the UK and €800 in the EU, and it has some great things going for it.
The thing is, I’m now more than convinced that this form factor does not have a future…
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: the Motorola Edge 70 feels fantastic in the hand, just like the S25 Edge and iPhone Air.
It measures 159.9 x 74 x 6 mm and weighs 159 grams. For comparison, the Galaxy S25 Edge is 5.8 mm thick and weighs 163 grams, while the iPhone Air comes in at 5.6 mm and 165 grams.
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In other words, Motorola is right there with the two representatives of this type of phone.
However, unlike the S25 Edge and iPhone Air, the Edge 70 does not give you the type of battery anxiety you experience from these other two.
Inside that thin 6 mm chassis, Motorola managed to fit a 4,800 mAh battery. That’s a lot more than the Galaxy S25 Edge’s 3,900 mAh and miles ahead of the iPhone Air’s 3,149 mAh battery.
In our lab, the Edge 70 managed to get an estimated battery life of almost 8 hours. That’s comfortably ahead compared to its two rivals. In fact, it generally matches the results we got with the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
In other words, Motorola has essentially eliminated one of the main problems with super-thin phones here.
And much like other Motorola phones, the Edge 70 charges much faster than other phones at its price point. I managed to fully juice it up in about 40 minutes, with the battery percentage hitting above 80% in 30 minutes.
For comparison, the Galaxy S25 Edge takes over an hour to completely charge up, while Apple’s Air relies on modest wired and takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Everything comes at a cost
Unfortunately, the rest of the Edge 70 is not as great as its battery life and charging speeds. When it comes to performance, it leaves a lot to be desired.
The Edge 70 runs on a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, which is a capable midrange chip, but it’s not playing in the same league as the Snapdragon 8 Elite inside the Galaxy S25 Edge or Apple’s A19 Pro in the iPhone Air. This decision is probably what helped Motorola reach such long battery life to begin with, so it is a clear tradeoff.
But do you buy a super-thin phone to get the ultimate performance? I think Motorola chose where to place its focus more wisely here. It is not like the Edge 70 does not feel smooth. It is still fluid and responsive for your usual social media scrolling and simple use.
But while I think it was the wiser decision, it is still clear that the severe limitations of these types of phones cannot be avoided (yet).
The benefits are not strong enough
Besides the fact that these super-thin phones can’t offer the same all-around polish of regular phones, the truth is that they also don’t offer much in return. Yes, they are thin, but a multipurpose product like the modern phone cannot be replaced just with a slightly thinner alternative.
Motorola just gave another piece of proof. Proof that thin phones are just a novelty and an example of why this trend is about to end with the Edge 70.
Still, phones like the Edge 70 are important. They push manufacturers to their limits, which later can result in improvements to the regular flagships we love to use. They also embody the need for growth, innovation and inspiration, which are essential pieces in progressing tech towards the future.
If you want a super-thin phone, the Motorola Edge 70 might be the one for you
We rated the Motorola Edge 70 lower than the iPhone Air and Galaxy S25 Edge, but like I already said, its longer battery life and fast charging are much more important to me than a fast chipset.
The Edge 70 even comes with two 50 MP cameras, a main (wide) and an ultrawide, which is more than what the iPhone Air offers.
Alongside its beautiful display, I think the Edge 70 is the perfect middle ground when it comes to this super-thin phone trend, and if we do see this form factor in the future, I’ll have my eye on where Motorola takes it.
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Aleksandar is a tech enthusiast with a broad range of interests, from smartphones to space exploration. His curiosity extends to hands-on DIY experiments with his gadgets, and he enjoys switching between different brands to experience the latest innovations. Prior to joining PhoneArena, Aleksandar worked on the Google Art Project, digitizing valuable artworks and gaining diverse perspectives on technology. When he's not immersed in tech, Aleksandar is an outdoorsman who enjoys mountain hikes, wildlife photography, and nature conservation. His interests also extend to martial arts, running, and snowboarding, reflecting his dynamic approach to life and technology.
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