At the end of July 2021, Motorola announced the Edge 20 series. But that trio of devices wasn't destined for a US launch. Now, however, the US-only Moto Edge Gen 2 has been revealed – and, as far as we can see, it's the only Edge device anyone would ever need.
Indeed, the Edge Gen 2 really brings into question why international launches are so overly complex when it comes to specification and naming. From the point of view of a European buyer, the Gen 2 is a big-battery version of the Edge 20 – and at a lower price (in particular thanks to a $200 off pre-launch sale, ahead of the device's 2 September launch).
From a US buyer's point of view that's great though. The Gen 2 removes the confusion of the first-gen Edge and highly expensive Edge+ models, making for a far more compelling purchase option.
And there's some tasty specification on offer. The Edge Gen 2 has a large 5,000mAh battery, the mid-to-high level Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor, triple rear camera (including 108-megapixel main), and a super-fast 144Hz refresh rate screen.
That screen – a 6.7-inch OLED panel – is also flat, so there are no curved edges like the original models, putting to rest the original thought that the Edge series was named as such due to its curved edge panel (we still believe that was the case, however, and Motorola has simply changed tack).
Sure, there's no top-tier processor and bigger zoom lens, like you'll find on the Edge 20 Pro, but we think the Edge Gen 2 is the ideal balance of what users will actually want, wrapped into a well-designed body and, crucially, at a $499 opening price point that's truly enticing. Shame we won't get this model in wider territories, really.