Magicnation Forum

Hey Explorers!
Moto Edge 50 Pro, a recent launch from Motorola boasts premium features typically found in flagship phones, such as a Telephoto Lens, 50W Wireless charging, 144Hz LTPS display, Metallic frame, IP68, etc. However, at the same time, it also depicts characteristics of an upper midrange device as being powered by Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, a midrange Soc. And for that reason, I referred to it as a midrange flagship.

Despite being equipped with these impressive features, a controversy arose when we came to know that it is packed with UFS 2.2 storage type instead of UFS 3.1, despite its starting price of 32K for the 8GB+256GB variant. In fact, upon researching you will find that many prominent tech YouTube channels and websites have attempted to portray it as either very close or equivalent to UFS 3.1. Let's take a deep dive to check the reality which helps you with your purchasing decision. I will also share the pros and cons and my opinion. Be with me, you will get to know many things regarding the same.

Please Note:- I don't own the device. The analysis is totally specs and research-based.

UFS 2.2 and UFS 3.1: A short theoretical and practical analysis

UFS 2.2: A slightly enhanced version of UFS 2.1. Theoretically, UFS 2.1 offers 6Gbps, translating to approximately 800 MB/s of read speed, while UFS 2.2 provides 1000MB/s of read and 260MB/s of write speed as it's a slightly improved version of 2.1. However, in real-world scenarios, upon testing with AnTuTu apps, it shows the same 1000MB/s read but a write speed of approx 500MB/s which may be a result of dual channeling of memory and a few other optimizations. So we will take this as base of our evaluation.

UFS 3.1: It theoretically provides up to 2100 MB/s in read speed and 1200 MB/s of write speed. Again upon checking with AnTuTu apps, it shows the same read but a boosted write speed of approx 1800-1900 MB/s which will be our base for evaluation.

What's the Controversy?

In the two recent cases of Nothing Phone 2A and Moto Edge 50 Pro, we saw that despite being equipped with the UFS 2.2 storage type, both the devices showed a sequential read and write speed of up to 1000MB/s. In fact, Moto managed to get a random read and write very close to UFS 3.1. This seems somewhat surprising and difficult to digest.



This might be a result of some multiple channeling of memory and a few other optimizations but still, this much write speed with UFS 2.2 is difficult to digest. Nevertheless, even if we assume these results are accurate, however, the main question remains:
Q) Does this mean these two devices with UFS 2.2 have a similar or very close performance and responses as UFS 3.1?
Ans)  NO, Not even close.

Reason:
Mine HONOR X9b comes with a UFS 3.1 storage, and upon testing provides a sequential read and write speed of approximately 2000MB/s and 1900MB/s respectively. These storage speed test results are double that of the Moto and Nothing with 2.2 and clear that those two devices with UFS 2.2 are not even close to devices with UFS 3.1. Kindly take a look at the In-Depth review of HONOR X9b to verify and learn more about the performance.
Now, here's the interesting point: however the data transfer speed is crucial, but several other important factors also collectively determine overall performance. These include:

• Latency - The time delay between data request and response. The UFS 3.1 has a much better latency when compared to UFS 2.2 hence a better response time.
• IOPS (Input/output operations per second) - As the name suggests, it means how many operations or tasks a storage device carries out every second. UFS 3.1 has a much better IOPS than UFS 2.2
• Power Efficiency: UFS 3.1 consumes less power than UFS 2.2, extending the battery life.

These things combined took the user experience to a different level with evolving generations. Hence we can't replace a UFS 3.1 with a 2.2 storage type and can't say that they are approximately the same. Yes, Motorola had done a good optimization to provide a better result and experience than any other devices with the same UFS 2.2, this is appreciable. But it will not deliver you the same experience that a device with UFS 3.1 can.

Should we consider buying Moto Edge 50 Pro with UFS 2.2?

It's all about what's your needs and preferences. If the UFS 3.1 storage type is your priority in this budget range, this device is not for you. But if you are fine with UFS 2.2 performance and other specs seem to provide more value, you can definitely consider this device under 30K with offers.
It's essential to prioritize your needs while finalizing any smartphone. For instance, this device supports 50W wireless charging, but how many of us actually going to use this, and that too when a 50W wireless charging adapter for Moto is even not available? Below I am highlighting a few Pros and Cons that will help you with your purchasing decision.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• A pOLED LTPS curved display with 144Hz refresh rate and 2000 nits of peak brightness
• 10MP Telephoto Lens with 3x Optical Zoom and OIS
• NFC and WiFi 6E support
• Metallic Frame with Vegan Leather Back hence a premium build
• Support of up to 125W charging (Only 68W adapter is bundled with 8GB)
• USB 3.1 Type-C Port
• Dual speaker with Dolby Atmos
• Motorola ready for

Cons:

• UFS 2.2
• Only 4500 mAh battery with 144 Hz 1.5K resolution display
• Not-so-good history of Software Updates
• Heating (Reported by many users - found while researching)
• Decent Haptics
• AOD not available
• No eSIM support compared to the previous Edge 40 Pro

My Opinion

Motorola's job is commendable this time. They tried to provide many flagship features in this budget which no other brand is doing. But made a blunder with the UFS 2.2 selection. If you don't have any issues with UFS 2.2, you can consider giving it a chance when available under 30K, but please evaluate the above-mentioned pros and cons before that.

Personally, the 10 MP Telephoto, Metal frame, USB 3.1 port, and features like NFC & "ready for" are grabbing my attention as these features contribute to our regular use. Other features like 50W wireless charging and IP68 will not influence my purchasing decision. For me, it's not a perfect device. Yes, it features many flagship things but missed a few basic implementations. Therefore, this device doesn't meet my needs and I might not purchase it.

Your preferences may be different, so evaluate accordingly and remember that software optimization is the most important factor which can only be reviewed when you have the device.

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That's all for today. I hope now your confusion regarding UFS 2.2 has cleared. If have any questions, please ask in the comment section. Thank You!
Signing Off
 

The specs on paper always tells a different story compared to real life usage. I myself don't focus much on specs as long as usage experience is top notch. Btw great explanation bro !  

Well explained
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