Moto Edge 40, Motorola’s alternative to the Galaxy S23, gets preliminary specs

Although it’s mostly known for its mid-range phone offerings, Motorola continues to be an active player in the high-end range as well, with the company readying a Galaxy S23 rival based on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.

Identified by the model name XT2301, it appears to be the replacement for the Moto Edge X30, a phone that was released exclusively for the Chinese market, but served as the “inspiration for the Motorola Edge+ (2022), available in Europe as well. Keeping the same pattern, the Moto Edge X30 is expected to be the Chinese version of the Motorola Edge+ (2023), the upcoming flagship model aimed at Western markets.

Certainly, the most important milestone is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the Qualcomm chipset we’ll find on most high-end phones ready for 2023.

With features that position it slightly lower than the rival Galaxy S23 Ultra, the Moto Edge X40 would come with a 6.67-inch OLED display, supporting 2400×1080 pixel resolution and 144 Hz refresh rate. Although, the latter aspect will recommend it to Android gaming enthusiasts, it remains to be seen if the temperatures of the new Qualcomm chipset will be able to be controlled well enough on smartphones that aren’t expressly designed for gaming.

Trying to strike a balance between features and affordability, Motorola has reportedly selected a 200MP main sensor camera for the new flagship, but it seems unlikely that this will be from the same top-end series developed for the Galaxy S23. We’ll also find an ultra-wide 50MP camera and 12MP camera with an as yet undefined role. Much improved compared to the 2MP solution found on the X30, this could still be a macro camera, or perhaps even a telephoto implementation serving the optical zoom function.

According to rumors so far, the equipment options will be 128, 256 and 512GB internal storage, respectively 8GB, 12GB and even 18GB RAM. The list of features could be completed with a front-facing camera hidden under the active screen surface, but only for the top trim, with the “standard” versions coming with a perforated screen. Apparently, there will also be two battery capacities, 4500 and 5000 mAh, at least the latter retaining the 68W fast charging supported and how the current model. Following the launch for the Chinese market, it could be a few months before we see the non-Asian market edition of Motorola’s new flagship.