If you’re in the market for a new Moto Edge phone but aren’t looking to shell out for the top-tier model, you have a couple of compelling alternatives. The Moto Edge 50 Fusion is a mid-ranger priced around €350, while the Moto Edge 50 Pro is a more premium option, coming in closer to €600. If you opt for the Fusion over the Pro to save some cash, what do you miss out on? Let’s put these two phones head-to-head and find out.
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Design and Build Quality
Both the Moto Edge 50 Fusion and the Moto Edge 50 Pro are feature-packed smartphones, though naturally, the more expensive Pro model has a bit more to offer. In terms of looks, the two phones are quite similar. They are approximately the same size and both are available in a vegan leather finish, which we have here for review.
The Pro stands out with its extra camera and a larger camera island, along with an aluminum frame, while the Fusion’s frame is plastic. Despite this, both phones offer solid ingress protection, rated at IP68. This means they are both resistant to dust and can withstand being submerged in water up to a certain depth for a limited time.
Design Highlights
- Moto Edge 50 Fusion: Plastic frame, IP68 rating, available in vegan leather.
- Moto Edge 50 Pro: Aluminum frame, larger camera module, IP68 rating, available in vegan leather.
The design differences might be subtle, but they add up, especially when considering the materials used. The aluminum frame of the Pro not only adds a touch of premium feel but also provides better durability compared to the plastic frame of the Fusion.
Display Quality and Features
Both phones come equipped with a 6.7-inch curved OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth scrolling and an overall fluid user experience. However, there are some differences in resolution and additional features.
Screen Specifications
- Moto Edge 50 Fusion: 1080p resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, 1,300 nits max brightness, no HDR support.
- Moto Edge 50 Pro: 1220p resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, 1,300 nits max brightness, HDR10+ support.
The Fusion’s display has a 1080p resolution, while the Pro offers a slightly sharper 1220p resolution. Although the difference in sharpness is hard to notice with the naked eye, it does make the Pro’s screen a bit crisper.
Both panels are equally bright, maxing out at around 1,300 nits, which is more than sufficient for comfortable use even under direct sunlight. The Pro, however, has the advantage of HDR10+ support, which enhances the viewing experience with better contrast and color accuracy when watching HDR content.
Refresh Rate
The highest 144Hz refresh rate on both phones can be unlocked through a mode in the settings. Otherwise, they max out at 120Hz, which can dial down to 60Hz when idling to save energy. It’s worth noting that there is a version of the Edge 50 Fusion sold in Latin America with a 120Hz display instead and an inferior chipset.
Audio Quality
When it comes to audio, both the Moto Edge 50 Fusion and the Moto Edge 50 Pro are equipped with stereo speaker setups. They performed similarly in our loudness tests, both earning a very good score. The sound quality is also quite nice, offering a rich and immersive audio experience whether you’re watching videos, playing games, or listening to music.
Audio Highlights
- Stereo speakers: Both phones feature stereo speakers with similar performance.
- Loudness and quality: Both earned very good scores in our tests.
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Software and User Interface
Both the Edge 50 Fusion and Edge 50 Pro run Moto’s new Hello UI on top of Android 14. This interface brings custom Moto features organized within the Moto app. The app has received a visual overhaul but retains all the functionality that Moto users have come to appreciate.
Software Support
- OS upgrades: Both phones will receive 3 years of OS upgrades.
- Security patches: Both phones are promised 4 years of security patches.
- Advanced connectivity: Both phones support advanced connectivity through Motorola Smart Connect.
- Video output: The Fusion lacks wired video output through its USB Type-C port.
Motorola’s commitment to software support ensures that both devices will stay updated and secure for years to come, which is a significant advantage for users looking to keep their phones for a longer period.
Performance and Hardware
The hardware and performance differences between the Moto Edge 50 Fusion and the Moto Edge 50 Pro are quite noticeable.
Chipset and Performance
- Moto Edge 50 Fusion (Global): Snapdragon 7s Gen 2.
- Moto Edge 50 Fusion (Latin America): Snapdragon 6 Gen 1.
- Moto Edge 50 Pro: Snapdragon 7 Gen 3.
The Edge 50 Fusion can come with one of two chipsets. The global version is equipped with the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, while the Latin American version comes with the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1. Our review unit is the global model. On the other hand, the Edge 50 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, a high-performing mid-range chip that outperforms both variants of the Fusion in every benchmark test.
Benchmark Performance
- Edge 50 Fusion: Solid performance, suitable for everyday use and lighter gaming.
- Edge 50 Pro: Superior performance, ideal for gaming and demanding tasks.
While the Fusion’s performance is solid, offering a smooth user experience and sufficient power for lighter gaming, the Pro is the better option if you’re a gamer or a power user, thanks to its more powerful chipset.
Battery Life and Charging
Battery life and charging capabilities are critical factors for many users, and here we see some significant differences between the two phones.
Battery Capacity
- Moto Edge 50 Fusion: 5,000 mAh.
- Moto Edge 50 Pro: 4,500 mAh.
The Fusion has a larger battery at 5,000 mAh compared to the Pro’s 4,500 mAh. In our battery life tests, both phones managed to earn a solid active use score, but nothing spectacular. However, the Fusion comes out on top, particularly in video streaming runtime.
Charging Speed
- Moto Edge 50 Fusion: 68W fast charging, no wireless charging.
- Moto Edge 50 Pro: 125W fast charging, fast wireless charging, reverse wireless charging.
The Pro model is the clear winner when it comes to charging. It supports 125W fast charging, allowing it to fill up almost its entire battery in just 15 minutes. In comparison, the Fusion achieves a 33% charge in the same amount of time and takes over an hour to charge to full. The Pro also supports fast wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, both of which are missing on the Fusion.
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Camera Performance
Now, let’s look at the cameras. The Moto Edge 50 Fusion and Edge 50 Pro both have a 50-megapixel main camera, but there are some differences in the sensor and additional cameras.
Camera Specifications
- Moto Edge 50 Fusion: 50 MP main camera (Sony IMX sensor), 13 MP ultra-wide camera with autofocus, 32 MP selfie camera.
- Moto Edge 50 Pro: 50 MP main camera (OmniVision sensor), 10 MP 3x telephoto camera, 13 MP ultra-wide camera, 50 MP selfie camera with autofocus.
The Pro’s main camera uses an OmniVision sensor and has more advanced autofocus compared to the Fusion’s Sony IMX sensor. Additionally, the Pro includes a 10 MP 3x telephoto camera, which the Fusion lacks. Both phones have a 13 MP ultra-wide camera, but the Pro has a 50 MP selfie camera with autofocus, compared to the Fusion’s 32 MP fixed-focus selfie camera.
Photo and Video Quality
- Main Camera: Both phones capture great photos, but the Fusion’s processing is more aggressive with extra sharpening, more contrast, and higher saturation.
- Zoom: The Pro has a dedicated telephoto camera, providing cleaner and more detailed shots compared to the Fusion’s digital crop.
- Ultra-Wide Camera: Similar performance on both phones, but the Fusion again shows more aggressive processing.
- Low Light: The Pro performs better in low light conditions with its main camera.
- Video Recording: The Fusion’s main camera delivers better detail and quality in 4K video recording. However, the Pro excels when recording while zooming.
- Selfies: The Pro’s selfie camera produces better skin tones and textures, with the added benefit of autofocus.
Conclusion
So, there you have it – the lower-tier Moto Edge 50 Fusion versus the more premium Moto Edge 50 Pro. Despite being much cheaper, the Fusion holds its own pretty well. While there are a few downgrades here and there, users can enjoy a similar high-quality design, user experience, and speaker quality. The Fusion also offers slightly better battery life when streaming videos.
Moto Edge 50 Fusion
- Pros: Affordable price, solid performance, good battery life, high-quality display, clean software experience.
- Cons: Plastic frame, lower resolution screen, no HDR support, slower charging, no wireless charging, less versatile camera setup.
Moto Edge 50 Pro
- Pros: Premium build, sharper screen with HDR support, fast and wireless charging, more powerful chipset, versatile camera setup with telephoto lens.
- Cons: Higher price, smaller battery capacity.
The Moto Edge 50 Pro has plenty of advantages to justify its higher price. It boasts a more premium build, a sharper screen with HDR support, much faster charging speeds, and a more powerful chipset. The camera experience is also better and more versatile, thanks to the inclusion of a 3x optical zoom camera.
There’s no doubt that the Edge 50 Pro is the better phone of the two, and if you need those features, it could be worth the extra investment. However, for casual users who don’t require all the bells and whistles, the Edge 50 Fusion is more than good enough and offers excellent value for money.
