Google’s Pixel phones have been one of the most popular on the Android market for a long time, but this year it looks like their competition is stepping up with Motorola’s Edge 40 Pro. Although Pixels have plenty of top-of-the-line features users love, they have also had a history of being unreliable when it comes to performance and battery life. If Google’s next-generation Pixel 8 Pro wants to win users back, it needs to be able to beat the Motorola Edge 40 Pro in terms of both the user experience and reliability.
Motorola has been around since the 1920s, but it was the release of the Moto X series in 2013 that caught the attention of reviewers and buyers alike. While Google briefly owned Motorola between 2012 and 2014, they eventually sold it off to Lenovo, who has kept the Motorola name alive in the years since. The Motorola phones pride themselves on offering a user experience that is just as clean and reliable as Google’s own.
In terms of budget phones, Google’s Pixel A-series easily outclass the Motorola’s offerings, but when it comes to more expensive devices, the gap becomes narrower. The Motorola Edge 40 Pro has been praised for its predictably reliable performance. The screen is bright and colorful, the fast-charging lives up to its promise, and the battery life is excellent. The only area where the phone could use improvement is with its slightly above-average camera. Meanwhile, Pixel phones might have great features, but have often been reported to suffer from unexpected slowdowns, unimpressive battery life, and problems with AI updates. This unpredictability has frustrated users.
Google’s software improvements over the years have been impressive and it would be great if they managed to create a phone that could combine this software expertise with some of the cutting-edge hardware from other players in the market, such as Oppo and Xiaomi. Perhaps the next Pixel 8 Pro could have a powerful Tensor chip that intelligently manages battery use, or a 200MP main camera. The possibilities are exciting.
Ultimately, it is up to Google to come up with the next big Pixel that can beat the stability and reliability of the Motorola Edge 40 Pro. The only thing users can be sure of is that Motorola phones will continue to look favourably upon unspectacular but useful features, and Google’s phones will continue to deliver big features, but with the risk of unpredictable surprises.
