The Motorola Edge Plus (2022) Looks Dapper in Cosmos Blue

There's a lot to like about the new Motorola Edge Plus. Not only is it the first truly premium phone that Motorola has launched in the US since 2020, but the 2022 version of the Edge Plus packs a big battery, a high-refresh-rate display and multiple rear cameras -- plus it's powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. If those specs sound similar it's because phones from Samsung and OnePlus have nearly identical ones.

What makes the Edge Plus stand out are the excellent ways Motorola's software additions complement a near-untouched version of Android 12. 

Add in some of the best cameras found on any Motorola phone ever and the Edge Plus seems like a must-buy. But the $1,000 price is where things get complicated.

The Edge Plus is a 5G phone. The one I tested works on Verizon's ultrawideband 5G and includes the very fast and very elusive mmWave flavor of 5G.

The Edge Plus has a 6.7-inch OLED with straight sides and a 144Hz refresh rate. Clearly this is a place Motorola wanted to flex. 

Phones from Samsung, Apple, Google top out typically at 120Hz. But the Edge Plus' 144Hz screen puts it more on par with specialty gaming phones like the Asus ROG Phone 5.

The telephoto camera from the 2020 Edge Plus is officially gone and what's left on the 2022 Edge Plus is a depth camera, a wide angle camera and an ultra wide angle camera.

Here's a closer shot of the camera bump on the Edge Plus.

The main camera has a 50-megapixel sensor with an f/1.8 wide angle lens and optical image stabilization. There is a 50-megapixel ultra wide angle camera with an f/2.2 aperture lens. 

Both cameras use pixel binning to combine four pixels into a single one. The results are brighter photos, that retain better detail with less image noise. 

These are the best cameras on any Motorola phone I tested.

The selfie camera on the Edge Plus has a 60-megapixel sensor.

For more about the Motorola Edge Plus, check out my in-depth review on CNET.

Keep checking out more slides to see more photos of the Edge Plus.