Motorola Edge S with Snapdragon 870 rewrites rules for budget flagships in 2021

Motorola has just launched a device that will likely define the budget flagship segment in 2021. The latest offering from the Lenovo-owned company is called the Motorola Edge S, and it is the first smartphone in the market to come equipped with Qualcomm’s fresh-out-of-the-oven Snapdragon 870 SoC. Plus, there are three cameras at the back, two snappers on the front, 5G support, and a 90Hz display. And all that starts at just CNY 1,999 (~ $310), which is just too good to be true. Yet, that’s what the real price of the phone’s 6+128 GB base configuration is.

90Hz display, 64MP rear camera, 5G support, and a 5,000mAh battery

Dissecting the spec sheet of Motorola Edge S, you come across a 6.7-inch FHD+ HDR10 certified display with a 21:9 aspect ratio and a 90Hz refresh rate. There are two circular cutouts at the top-left corner for the selfie snappers. Inside, Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 takes care of things, ticking alongside up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. A sufficiently large 5,000mAh battery provides the juice, and supports 20W fast charging too.

In the camera department, you get a 64MP primary snapper at the back that can shoot 4K videos at up to 60FPS frame rate. It sits alongside a 16MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 2MP depth sensor, and a ToF camera as well. On the front, you’ll find a 16MP primary snapper camera accompanied by an 8MP secondary camera handling the selfie and video calling duties on the Motorola Edge S. Camera tricks include a vlogger mode, audio zoom, and a dedicated night mode for low-light photography. Wireless connectivity is handled by 5G and WiFi 6.

It might debut internationally as Moto G100

The Motorola Edge S is now up for pre-orders via Lenovo’s official website in China, and will go on sale in the first week of February. As for color options, buyers can choose between silver and blue shades with a cool gradient finish on top. The company is yet to reveal details about the phone’s international availability, but it is rumored to debut in the international market as Motorola Nio or even carrying even Moto G100 moniker.