Motorola Edge 50 Pro vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: Neck and neck

When it comes to Android phones, the Pixel 8 Pro is one of the best choices to get that flagship experience, sprinkled with AI magic, for not a ton of money. Now, Motorola has launched a serious competitor that threatens to take this crown away. The Motorola Edge 50 Pro.

This new offering from the iconic company that started it all more than 50 years ago comes with a very attractive price tag and some bells and whistles that might sway you the right way. Or the Motorola way.

Today, we're pitting against each other the Motorola Edge 50 Pro and the Google Pixel 8 Pro in this epic battle for the Android crown. Is the Pixel still the best choice for a full-blown flagship under $1000? Can Motorola challenge that with the Edge 50 Pro? Read on to find out!

Google moved away from the curved screen with the Pixel 8 Pro, leaving the 7 Pro as the last flagship of the company to get that feature. The Motorola Edge 50 Pro, on the other hand, sports a curved screen. According to Motorola, the decision was a result of careful consumer polling, so the company has done its homework.

Looking at the design, these two phones are pretty different from one another. The Pixel 8 Pro follows in the footsteps of its predecessors and relies on the Camera Bar design, which started way back with the Google Pixel 6.

The Motorola Edge 50 Pro also has some design cues from older Edge models, especially when we look at the camera bump and the configuration of the individual lenses. In the hand, both phones feel comfortable, but the Motorola is easier to handle because it's a narrower phone.

That's due to the different aspect ratio and also the curved screen, which adds some extra to the diagonal size without making the phone wider.

The Motorola is also lighter, and overall, it has a different feel to it, thanks to the vegan leather coating on the back. There's also a perloid edition, which adds a little pop, if that's your thing. Color-wise, we have similar options - the Pixel 8 Pro comes in Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay, and Mint, while the Motorola is available in Black Beauty, Luxe Lavender, and Moonlight Pearl.

Moving to the display part, these phones feature different panels. First, one is flat, and the other is curved, but also, the Pixel 8 Pro has a 1-120Hz LTPO panel, while the Motorola can do 144Hz but can't change the refresh rate dynamically.

The display of the Pixel 8 Pro is also brighter; it managed almost 1,500 nits in our brightness test, and even though the Motorola isn't a slouch either with its 1,233 nits, the brightness crown goes to the Pixel.

Display Measurements:

 

As far as resolution is concerned, we have very similar pixel density on both phones, 446 PPI on the Motorola and 489 PPI on the Pixel, and both look crisp and detailed. The color accuracy and temperature are great on both phones, and you won't feel like you've compromised with either of them.

The situation with the chipset is an interesting one. Motorola decided to go with a midrange processor, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, while the Pixel 8 Pro, as we all know by now, uses the proprietary Tensor G3 chipset.

We expected those two to be pretty close in terms of synthetic benchmarks, and they actually are. However, the Tensor G3 performs better across all of our tests, so even though it might not be on par with flagship Snapdragon silicon, it can take a 7 Gen 3 any day of the week.

Of course, synthetic benchmarks are most of the time just numbers, and modern smartphone processors are more than capable of handling pretty much everything you throw at them. In real life scenarios, you won't notice much of a difference, as both phones are snappy and responsive.

For the most part, the longevity of both phones is pretty similar. The larger capacity of the Pixel 8 Pro offsets any losses due to poor efficiency, and in the end, results are pretty similar across the board. When it comes to gaming, both phones can go for about 9 hours straight. The Pixel has a couple of hours on the Motorola Edge 50 Pro when it comes to browsing and video streaming, but nothing too drastic.

The battle for the fast charging crown is won by the Motorola Edge 50 Pro with its 125W insanely fast wired charging capabilities. The phone charges from 0 to 100% in 23 minutes. In comparison, the Pixel 8 Pro needs 91 minutes—one and a half hours! There is no competition whatsoever.

Here's a quick specs comparison for the specs nerds out there. We have a detailed Motorola Edge 50 Pro vs Google Pixel 8 Pro specs comparison if you want a deep dive, so check out that one as well.

These two phones are closer than it seems at first glance. The Motorola starts at 699 euros, which is close to the $899 price tag of the Pixel 8 Pro, and if you factor in deals and discounts (constantly happening), we're getting even closer.

The question is whether you want to opt for a long-term evolution or get something fresh and different now. Because the Pixel 8 Pro will be a different phone after a couple of Feature Drops, and we're not sure the same would apply to the Motorola Edge 50 Pro.

That being said, the Edge 50 Pro is pretty impressive device, especially for the price. It has a great camera system, cool design, bright and vivid screen, and is one of the fastest charging phones out there. Granted, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 is not a flagship processor but gets the job done. So, if you're in for the long haul and need the seven-year support cycle, go for the Pixel. If you like to try new things, and you swap your phone every two years, there's nothing wrong with the Motorola Edge 50 Pro.