The smartphone market continues to evolve, and Motorola, a company with a rich history in mobile communications, has been at the forefront of innovation. The Motorola Moto S50 is the latest addition to the brand’s lineup, blending cutting-edge technology with user-centric features. In this comprehensive review, we will dive deep into the various aspects of the Moto S50, including its design, display, performance, camera capabilities, battery life, software experience, and more. By the end, you’ll have a thorough understanding of what this device offers and whether it’s the right choice for you.
Design and Build Quality
The first thing that catches the eye with the Motorola Moto S50 is its design. Motorola has taken a modern yet timeless approach with this model, creating a device that looks premium and feels robust in hand. The Moto S50 features an aluminum frame sandwiched between Gorilla Glass Victus on both the front and back, providing durability while maintaining a sleek, polished appearance.
The device is available in a range of colors, including Midnight Blue, Frosted Silver, and Mystic Bronze, catering to different aesthetic preferences. The back panel has a matte finish, which not only resists fingerprints but also adds a touch of sophistication. The camera module is neatly integrated into the back, with a slightly raised bump that houses the advanced camera sensors.
At 7.9mm thick and weighing 178 grams, the Moto S50 is relatively slim and lightweight, making it comfortable to hold and use for extended periods. The curved edges and smooth transitions between materials contribute to a seamless and ergonomic design. The placement of buttons and ports is intuitive, with the power button and volume rocker on the right side, while the left side remains clean. The bottom edge houses the USB Type-C port, speaker grille, and SIM card tray, while the top edge is reserved for the secondary microphone and IR blaster.
Overall, the design and build quality of the Moto S50 are impressive, striking a balance between aesthetics and functionality. Motorola has managed to create a device that not only looks good but also feels solid and well-constructed.
Display
The Motorola Moto S50 is equipped with a 6.7-inch OLED display that boasts a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. This Full HD+ panel offers a pixel density of approximately 393 PPI, ensuring sharp and vibrant visuals. The OLED technology provides deep blacks and rich colors, making content consumption a delight. Whether you’re watching videos, playing games, or simply browsing the web, the display delivers an immersive experience.
One of the standout features of the Moto S50’s display is its 144Hz refresh rate. This high refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and fluid animations, enhancing the overall user experience. The display also supports HDR10+, allowing for a wider range of colors and better contrast, especially when viewing compatible content on streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube.
In terms of brightness, the Moto S50 doesn’t disappoint. With a peak brightness of 1200 nits, the display remains visible even under direct sunlight. The automatic brightness adjustment is responsive and adapts well to different lighting conditions, ensuring optimal visibility at all times.
Motorola has also included a suite of display customization options, allowing users to tweak the color temperature, saturation, and contrast to their liking. There’s also an Always-On Display (AOD) feature, which displays the time, date, notifications, and other essential information on the lock screen without significantly draining the battery.
In summary, the display of the Motorola Moto S50 is one of its strongest assets. The combination of OLED technology, a high refresh rate, and HDR support makes it a top-tier display that can compete with the best in the market.
Performance
Under the hood, the Motorola Moto S50 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, a flagship-level processor that offers exceptional performance across the board. This octa-core CPU is built on a 4nm process, featuring a combination of high-performance Cortex-X3 and Cortex-A715 cores, along with energy-efficient Cortex-A510 cores. The chipset is paired with the Adreno 740 GPU, which delivers excellent graphics performance, making the Moto S50 a capable device for gaming and demanding applications.
The Moto S50 comes with two RAM options: 8GB and 12GB, coupled with either 128GB or 256GB of UFS 4.0 internal storage. The ample RAM ensures smooth multitasking, allowing users to switch between apps seamlessly without any noticeable lag. The UFS 4.0 storage offers fast read and write speeds, contributing to quick app launches and reduced load times.
In benchmark tests, the Moto S50 performs admirably, consistently scoring high in both CPU and GPU benchmarks. In real-world usage, the device handles everything from everyday tasks like web browsing and social media to more intensive activities like gaming and video editing with ease. Games like Genshin Impact and Call of Duty: Mobile run smoothly on high settings, thanks to the powerful Adreno GPU and efficient cooling system that prevents thermal throttling during extended gaming sessions.
Motorola has also optimized the software to work harmoniously with the hardware, ensuring that the device remains responsive and fast. The Moto S50’s performance is further enhanced by the inclusion of LPDDR5X RAM, which offers faster data transfer rates and improved energy efficiency compared to its predecessor.
Overall, the performance of the Motorola Moto S50 is top-notch, making it a suitable choice for power users, gamers, and anyone who demands high performance from their smartphone.
Camera System
The camera system on the Motorola Moto S50 is another area where the device excels. The triple-camera setup on the rear includes a 50MP primary sensor, a 16MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 12MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. This versatile camera array allows users to capture a wide range of scenes and subjects with ease.
The 50MP primary sensor features an f/1.8 aperture and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), ensuring that photos are sharp and clear, even in challenging lighting conditions. The sensor also supports pixel-binning technology, which combines multiple pixels into one to produce brighter and more detailed images, particularly in low light.
The 16MP ultra-wide-angle lens has a 120-degree field of view, making it perfect for landscape photography, group shots, and creative compositions. The ultra-wide lens also doubles as a macro camera, allowing users to capture detailed close-up shots with a minimum focusing distance of just 2.5cm.
The 12MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom enables users to get closer to their subjects without losing image quality. The telephoto lens also features OIS, which helps to reduce blurriness caused by hand movement, particularly when shooting at higher zoom levels.
In terms of software, the Moto S50’s camera app is user-friendly and packed with features. It includes a Pro mode for manual control over settings like ISO, shutter speed, and white balance, as well as various shooting modes such as Night Vision, Portrait, and Panorama. The AI-powered scene detection automatically adjusts settings based on the subject and environment, ensuring optimal results in different scenarios.
For video recording, the Moto S50 supports 8K resolution at 30fps, 4K at 60fps, and 1080p at 120fps, providing flexibility for different use cases. The video quality is excellent, with good dynamic range, accurate colors, and smooth stabilization, thanks to the combination of OIS and electronic image stabilization (EIS).
On the front, the Moto S50 sports a 32MP selfie camera with an f/2.2 aperture. The front camera delivers sharp and detailed selfies, with natural skin tones and accurate color reproduction. It also supports 4K video recording and includes features like HDR, portrait mode, and beauty filters.
Overall, the camera system on the Motorola Moto S50 is highly versatile and capable, making it a great choice for photography enthusiasts and content creators.
Battery Life and Charging
Battery life is a critical aspect of any smartphone, and the Motorola Moto S50 performs well in this department. The device is equipped with a 4,800mAh battery, which is slightly larger than the average capacity found in many smartphones today. Combined with the power-efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and Motorola’s battery optimization software, the Moto S50 offers impressive battery life.
In typical usage scenarios, including web browsing, social media, video streaming, and light gaming, the Moto S50 easily lasts a full day on a single charge. Even with heavy usage, such as extended gaming sessions or intensive camera use, the device manages to hold up well, requiring a recharge only towards the end of the day.
For users who are always on the go, the Moto S50 supports 68W TurboPower fast charging, which can charge the device from 0 to 50% in just 20 minutes. A full charge takes approximately 45 minutes, making it convenient for users who need to top up their battery quickly. Additionally, the Moto S50 supports 30W wireless charging, allowing for a cable-free charging experience, as well as reverse wireless charging, which can be used to charge other devices like wireless earbuds or another smartphone.
The battery management features in the Moto S50’s software help extend battery life by intelligently managing power consumption based on usage patterns. For instance, the Adaptive Battery feature prioritizes power for the apps and services you use the most, while limiting power for those that are less frequently used.
In summary, the Motorola Moto S50 offers excellent battery life, fast charging capabilities, and thoughtful battery management features, making it a reliable companion for users who need a device that can keep up with their busy lifestyles.
Software and User Experience
The Motorola Moto S50 runs on Android 14, with Motorola’s My UX skin on top. Motorola’s approach to software has always been to offer a near-stock Android experience, and the Moto