Motorola Edge 70 Review: A 6mm Phone That Doesn't Feel Like a Compromise, Mostly
The Motorola Edge 70 pairs a genuinely thin 6mm body with a 4,800mAh battery and 4,500-nit display — real ultra-slim engineering without the usual trade-offs, aside from the missing telephoto lens and mid-range chip.
The ultra-thin phone trend that produced the iPhone Air and Galaxy S25 Edge has largely cooled off, but the Motorola Edge 70 — the global version of the China-locked Moto X70 Air — arrives making a strong case that Motorola simply did it better. PhoneArena's review put it plainly: "finally a thin phone done (mostly) right."
Design and Build
At 159.9 x 74.0 x 6.0mm and 159g, this is a genuinely remarkable engineering feat — a phone this thin that still packs a 4,800mAh battery, full IP68/IP69 water and dust resistance, and MIL-STD-810H durability compliance. Available in Gibraltar Sea, Tuxedo Black, and Marshmallow, with a Gorilla Glass 7i front. Multiple reviewers specifically praised the design as standing out from typical flat-glass flagships without sacrificing the durability that thin phones often compromise on.
Display
A 6.7-inch P-OLED panel at 120Hz with a genuinely bright 4,500 nits peak brightness — TechAdvisor specifically noted this beats both the iPhone Air's 3,000 nits and the Galaxy S25 Edge's 2,600 nits, a real, measurable advantage over its closest ultra-thin rivals. HDR10+ support and Gorilla Glass 7i protection round out a display that's consistently been one of this phone's most-praised features.
Camera
The dual 50MP main and 50MP ultrawide setup delivers what Uswitch called "great" camera results for the price, with strong daylight dynamic range and natural colour reproduction. The honest, consistent caveat across every review: there's no telephoto lens, so zoom relies entirely on digital cropping. Amateur Photographer called the missing telephoto "a reasonable trade-off" for most users given everything else the phone gets right, while noting zoom shots specifically suffer softer detail as a result. The 50MP selfie camera has been a genuine highlight across reviews, supporting sharp 4K video at 30fps.
Performance
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, paired with 12GB of RAM, is a deliberately mid-range choice — CyberShack's review suggested this may be a thermal decision as much as a cost one, since the thinner chassis has less room to dissipate heat than a flagship-tier chip would generate. Reviews have been mixed but fair: 91Mobiles found it handled everyday use and even demanding games like BGMI reliably, while CyberShack and ITdaily both noted occasional hitching and slower app-switching compared to flagship-tier rivals. It's a real, honest trade-off for the thin design rather than a flaw Motorola overlooked.
Battery and Charging
A 4,800mAh battery is a genuinely large capacity for a 6mm-thick phone, backed by Motorola's silicon-carbon battery chemistry for better long-term reliability. 68W wired and 15W wireless charging round out a battery package that multiple reviewers singled out as the phone's standout strength — excellent life for the size, not just adequate.
Verdict
GSMTechTok Verdict
The Motorola Edge 70 proves ultra-thin phones don't have to feel compromised — a genuinely bright display, excellent battery life for its size, and a durable, distinctive design come together in one of the better thin-phone efforts on the market. The missing telephoto lens and mid-range Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chip are honest, consistent trade-offs rather than surprises, and it remains unavailable through official US channels. For UK and European buyers specifically, it's a genuinely strong value pick in the thin-phone category.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Motorola Edge 70 sold in the US?
No, and this is worth knowing upfront: like most numbered Motorola Edge phones historically, it has no official US retail or carrier channel. It's officially sold in the UK and across Europe, but US buyers would need to import.
Does the Edge 70 have a telephoto camera?
No. The dual rear camera system is a 50MP main and 50MP ultrawide, with no dedicated telephoto lens — zoom beyond 2x relies on digital cropping rather than optical magnification, a common trade-off among ultra-thin phones in this category.
How does the Edge 70 compare to the pricier Edge 70 Pro?
The Edge 70 uses the more modest Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chip versus the Pro's Dimensity 8500 Extreme, and drops the Pro's telephoto lens entirely. In exchange, it's noticeably cheaper and even thinner at 6mm versus the Pro's slightly thicker build — a genuinely different trade-off, not just a cut-down version of the same phone.
Price history · 90 days · GBP
Edge 70
Current
£549
90d Low
£513
23 Jun
90d High
£560
16 Jul
Launch price
£549
All-time low ↓
Price tracking from major UK retailers. Updated daily. Prices may vary.
How it compares: Edge 70 vs Edge 70 Pro
Motorola
Edge 70
From £549
Motorola
Edge 70 Pro
From £479 (import only)
Snapdragon 7 Gen 4
Chip
Dimensity 8500 Extreme
50MP + 50MP ultrawide
Main cam
50MP + 50MP periscope
4,800mAh · 68W
Battery
6,500mAh · 90W
From £549
Price
From £479
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