Motorola is back with a VERY bright idea

Motorola has unveiled its new Edge 30 Neo – a more affordable (and colourful) sibling to the all-singing, all-dancing Edge 30 Ultra announced during the same event in Milan this week. The Edge 30 Neo arrives in four colours: Aqua Foam, Black Onyx, Ice Palace, and Veri Peri. These vivid shades are the result of a new partnership with industry veteran Pantone, which recently named Veri Peri as the colour of the year. While there’s no shortage of purple shades on store shelves already, Motorola has secured an exclusivity deal for Veri Peri.

And the exclusive colour isn’t only limited to the case.

Motorola has baked in the option to personalise the Android operating system by integrating the Pantone colour into the user interface, so that home screen widgets – like the weather and clock – as well as accent colours within apps, from Messaging to Calculator, are perfectly colour-matched to the shade of your case.

Aside from the new colour options, the Edge 30 Neo also has a bright new idea when it comes to notification alerts. Motorola has fitted some svelte LEDs around the camera bump on the back of the handset, which illuminates whenever a new app notification, text message, or incoming call buzzes your phone. Even when your phone is placed face-down on the table, you’ll be able to work out what’s happening with a quick glance.

That might remind you of the newly-launched Nothing Phone (1), which boasts an elaborate pattern of LEDs throughout the transparent rear case that flash in preset patterns to alert you about an incoming call or text. The light-show available on the Edge 30 Neo is a little more subdued by design, but still solves the same problem for phone owners.

Motorola Edge 30 Neo boasts a 6.28-inch OLED display. It’s a 120Hz high-refresh rate panel, so system animations should feel responsive and smooth. Motorola says its display is capable of displaying the full DCI-P3 colour gamut, which should ensure a cinematic experience with plenty of vibrant shades. The entertainment experience is enhanced by stereo speakers tuned with Dolby Atmos.

While the Edge 30 Neo misses out on the fastest charging found inside the Edge 30 Ultra, it still boasts 68W wired charging capable of topping up the battery with enough power up a full day in just 10 minutes. Qi wireless charging is also supported, albeit at a much steadier pace.

Flip over the Edge 30 Neo and you’ll find 64-megapixel camera with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS). There’s no ultrawide or telephoto in sight, so don’t expect to get the full gamut of options that you’ll find with the pricier options in Motorola’s Edge 30 lineup. On front, Motorola has equipped the Edge 30 Neo with a 32-megapixel camera for high-resolution selfies and video calls.

Motorola Edge 30 Neo costs £349.99 and arrives with 128GB of built-in storage. It’s available in Aqua Foam, Black Onyx, and Ice Palace on EE, Vodafone, Currys, Carphone Warehouse, ID Mobile, Amazon UK, Argos, John Lewis & Partners. Currys and Carphone Warehouse will be the only places to buy the Veri Peri colour in the UK.