Motorola Edge 70 5G (XT2601-2, XT2603-2), Moto X70 Air

The Slim Phone That Doesn't Make You Compromise (Too Much)

Here's the thing about ultra-thin smartphones — they're usually exercises in compromise. Apple's iPhone Air? Gorgeous, but a 3,149mAh battery that'll have you hunting for outlets by 4 PM. Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge? Stunning, but a 3,900mAh cell and 25W charging that feels positively archaic.

Then Motorola walks in with the Edge 70 and essentially says: "Hold our beer."

At 5.99mm thin and 159 grams, this is a phone that genuinely disappears in your pocket. And yet, it packs a 5,000mAh battery (in India), charges at 68W, and doesn't cost you a kidney at ₹29,999.

But here's the catch...

Design & Build Quality

The Edge 70 is the kind of phone that makes you do a double-take. Not because it screams for attention, but because it feels like holding the future. That 5.99mm profile isn't just a marketing number — it translates to a device that slips into tight jeans without creating an awkward bulge.

Motorola's made some clever material choices here. The aircraft-grade aluminium frame feels substantial without adding heft. The back panel uses a nylon-textured finish that Motorola calls "vegan leather" — it's grippy, resists fingerprints beautifully, and doesn't attract smudges like glass backs do.

The Pantone-certified colors deserve a mention. The Bronze Green I tested has a rich, sophisticated vibe with yellow-gold accents around the camera rings that genuinely stand out. Lily Pad offers a more playful option, while Gadget Grey keeps things conservative.

Now for the durability flex: IP68 + IP69 ratings mean this thing can handle both water submersion AND high-pressure water jets. Throw in MIL-STD-810H certification and Gorilla Glass 7i protection, and you've got one of the most durable slim phones ever made. That's not marketing speak — it's genuinely impressive engineering.

Design verdict: This is what happens when engineers actually care about how a phone feels in your hand.

Display

Motorola's ditched the curved display from the Edge 60, and honestly? Good riddance.

The 6.7-inch flat P-OLED panel makes content consumption a joy. That 2712 x 1220 resolution delivers crisp text and vibrant visuals, while the 120Hz refresh rate keeps everything buttery smooth.

The headline number here is 4,500 nits peak brightness. In real-world testing, GSMArena measured 1,458 nits with automatic brightness engaged — that's excellent for outdoor visibility. Even Mumbai's harsh afternoon sun couldn't make this display unreadable.

Color accuracy is Pantone Validated, which means what you see is what you get — particularly important if you're editing photos or creating content. The 10-bit color depth and HDR10+ support make streaming Netflix and YouTube a visual treat.

The not-so-great: HDR works on YouTube and Amazon Prime Video, but Netflix HDR support is reportedly inconsistent. That's a software issue Motorola needs to address.

Display verdict: One of the best screens under ₹30,000. Period.

Performance

And that brings us to the Edge 70's most polarizing aspect.

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 is a competent mid-range chip, but it's not winning any benchmark wars. AnTuTu scores land around 1.1-1.4 million (depending on the test version), while Geekbench 6 shows single-core scores of ~1,329 and multi-core around ~4,219.

Translation: It handles daily tasks, social media scrolling, and light multitasking without breaking a sweat. Apps launch quickly, the UI feels responsive, and 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM keeps background apps alive.

Gaming performance is where things get interesting. BGMI runs at Smooth graphics with 120 FPS support. Call of Duty: Mobile manages 90 FPS at lower settings. Genshin Impact? A playable 45 FPS, though don't expect to crank up the graphics.

The phone gets warm during extended gaming sessions, but never uncomfortably hot. GSMArena's stress tests showed 86% CPU performance retention after an hour — that's excellent thermal management for a phone this thin.

The reality check: If you're buying a phone primarily for gaming, the OnePlus Nord 5 with Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 absolutely smokes this at ₹31,999. The Edge 70's performance is "adequate," not "impressive."

Performance verdict: Good enough for most users, but gaming enthusiasts should look elsewhere.

Camera System

The camera story here is one of unexpected highs and frustrating omissions.

Main Camera (50MP, f/1.8, OIS): The 1/1.56" Samsung GNJ sensor pulls serious weight. Daylight shots are vibrant with excellent dynamic range, accurate white balance, and natural color reproduction. The Quad Pixel technology bins down to 12.5MP outputs that are sharp and detailed.

Low-light performance genuinely surprised me. The wide f/1.8 aperture and OIS work together to produce usable night shots even without Night Mode. Enable Night Vision, and you get noticeably brighter images with better noise control — though Motorola wisely avoids over-processing.

Ultrawide (50MP, f/2.0, PDAF): This isn't your typical mushy ultrawide. The autofocus capability means it doubles as a macro lens, getting as close as 3.5cm for detailed close-ups. Color consistency between main and ultrawide is excellent — a rarity at this price.

Selfie Camera (50MP, f/2.0): Here's where things get weird. In good lighting, it captures crisp detail and realistic skin tones. But Motorola's beauty algorithms can over-soften faces and whiten skin tones — giving strong "2018 Vivo/Oppo" vibes. Manual adjustment helps, but the default processing needs work.

The Missing Telephoto Problem: The Edge 60 had a 10MP 3x optical telephoto. The Edge 70? Gone. You're limited to 20x digital zoom, which is acceptable up to 5x but gets increasingly mushy beyond that.

Video recording supports 4K at 60fps from all three cameras — impressive on paper. In practice, playback occasionally stutters and shows jerkiness. This feels like a software optimization issue that Motorola should fix via updates.

Camera verdict: Excellent for photos, frustrating for zoom, needs polish for video.

Battery & Charging

This is where the Edge 70 genuinely embarrasses its ultra-slim competition.

The India variant packs a 5,000mAh silicon-carbon battery — that's 1,100mAh more than the Galaxy S25 Edge and 1,851mAh more than the iPhone Air. In real-world usage, expect around 6 hours of screen-on time with 5G enabled. GSMArena's standardized testing showed an Active Use score of 13:36 hours — excellent for any phone, let alone one this thin.

Charging is where Motorola flexes harder. The bundled 68W TurboPower charger takes you from 0 to 48% in 15 minutes, 85% in 30 minutes, and full charge in 41 minutes. Compare that to iPhone Air's 20W or Galaxy S25 Edge's 25W, and the advantage is laughable.

Wireless charging is supported at 15W (via MagSafe-style magnetic case included in the box). It's not fast, but it's convenient — and neither Apple nor Samsung's slim phones offer it at all.

Battery verdict: The Edge 70 solves the slim phone battery problem. Others should take notes.

Software & Updates

Android 16 with Hello UI out of the box puts the Edge 70 among the first phones globally to ship with Google's latest. The experience is largely clean — near-stock Android with Motorola's thoughtful additions like gesture shortcuts (karate chop for flashlight, wrist twist for camera) and the excellent Moto app hub.

The AI pitch: Motorola's pushing Moto AI 2.0 hard, with a dedicated AI key on the left side. Features include AI Snapshot for action shots, AI Group Shot for keeping everyone in focus, and AI Image Studio for creative edits. Useful? Sometimes. Revolutionary? Not really.

Update commitment: Motorola promises 3 Android OS updates and 4 years of security patches for the India variant. The global version gets 4 OS updates and 6 years of security — a notable difference that feels a bit stingy for Indian consumers.

The bugs: Multiple reviewers (including 91mobiles and Beebom) reported UI stutters, animation drops, and occasional app crashes. Hello UI feels less polished than on the Edge 60 Pro. Spotify's control panel freezing, notification sync delays, and video playback jitters all point to software that shipped before it was fully baked.

Software verdict: Clean foundation marred by launch-day bugs. Wait for patches or proceed with patience.

Marketing Claims vs Reality

Claim: "Ultra-slim design without compromise"

Reality: The missing telephoto camera IS a compromise. So is the single storage option.

Verdict: ⚠️ Partial

Claim: "4,500 nits peak brightness"

Reality: Achievable only in specific HDR content on tiny screen areas. Real-world auto brightness peaks around 1,458 nits — still excellent, but not 4,500.

Verdict: ⚠️ Partial

Claim: "All-day battery life"

Reality: Absolutely delivers. 6+ hours SOT with 5G is legitimately impressive for a slim phone.

Verdict: ✅ True

Claim: "Military-grade durability"

Reality: IP68/69 + MIL-STD-810H is the real deal. This phone can take a beating.

Verdict: ✅ True

Claim: "50MP triple camera system"

Reality: It's technically dual rear + selfie. There's no telephoto. Marketing math at its finest.

Verdict: ❌ Misleading

Common Questions About Motorola Edge 70

Q: Is the Motorola Edge 70 worth ₹29,999 in India?

A: Yes, if you prioritize design comfort and battery life over raw performance. It's the only slim phone under ₹35,000 that doesn't force you to carry a power bank.

Q: Motorola Edge 70 vs OnePlus Nord 5: Which should I buy?

A: The Nord 5 offers better performance, brighter display (6,500 nits), larger battery (6,200mAh), and longer software support. The Edge 70 wins on design comfort and wireless charging. Choose based on priority.

Q: Is Motorola Edge 70 camera good for Instagram and YouTube?

A: Photos are excellent for social media. Video recording has some stuttering issues that need software updates. Not ideal for serious vlogging.

Q: Does Motorola Edge 70 support 5G in India?

A: Yes, with 16 5G bands. Jio and Airtel 5G work out of the box with no configuration needed.

Q: Why is Motorola Edge 70 cheaper in India than Europe?

A: The India variant has 8GB RAM (vs 12GB), 256GB storage (vs 512GB), and no charger-in-box incentives. The European price includes bundled accessories worth €200+.