Motorola S50 Neo Smartphone Review – The Motorola S50 Neo is a new addition to the Moto S-lineup phones. Typically, the company releases the S series phone when they want to unveil their budget-tier phone in different markets. They often used this lineup to rebrand their mid-range phones in the mainland Chinese smartphone market. Unlike their Razr 50 series phone, which got a huge event in China, the company also unveiled this S50 Neo.
The key highlight of this phone would be the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 chipset with a pretty decent P-OLED display and appealing hardware and software features. However, it doesn’t mean that you should just go and purchase any phone. Everyone has different requirements when they are buying a decent device. So, let’s dive into the following Motorola S50 Neo to make an informed decision.
Table of Contents
Motorola S50 Neo Smartphone Review
Highlights
- The phone arrives with a 6.7 P-OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ for content.
- As for the software skin, you are getting the Android 14 custom interface with unique customization.
- In terms of the hardware configuration, the device handles Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 chipset.
- A 50MP dual camera setup with a 32MP selfie camera on the Motorola S50 Neo.
- Under the hood, it brings a 5000 mAh battery with 30W charging support.
Design and Display
Motorola has recently signed a partnership with Pantone, which allows them to provide stunning design layouts. The Motorola S50 Neo device is offered in three colors with a skin-friendly texture on the back panel. The Olivine and Surf paint job comes with a soft texture with a stylish touch. However, the Gray color variant comes with the standard plastic build, which looks pretty mediocre compared to those fancy options.
The back panel houses a dual-camera cutout that looks unique with the silicon and plastic panel. But, the Olivine color is something that stands out from the rest of the options. Motorola S50 Neo comes with a standard built with a 171-173 gram weight, while a 6.7-inch P-OLED FHD+ curved display appears on the front screen. Besides this, the phone attains a 120Hz refresh rate with HDR10+ contrast support.
The viewing experience will be great with an OLED panel with a small notch at the top. Thanks to the curved display, you will obtain a bezless panel. The colors and contrast are accurate, especially when you are streaming content online. In terms of the brightness level, the phone can easily push the limits up to 1600 nits brightness. As for the security aspect, the phone has an under-display biometric scanner and Face ID, whereas it lacks additional screen protection.
Memory and Internal
The Motorola S50 Neo hardware performance through the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 chipset is pretty moderate if you are looking for exceptional results in the first place. To be precise, the overall performance is similar to that of the Snapdragon 695 chipset, with changes in the octa-core processor. The device can easily support your daily activities with the 2×2.2GHz cloaking speed. We also tested 5G connectivity, which brings subtle internet speed.
At the same time, the software interface isn’t that boring either. Motorola introduced their custom interface based on the Android 14 with minor changes compared to the stock Android experience. You won’t notice that many pre-install apps, make a perfect place for minimalistic needs. However, you can customize the interface layout with different apps, widgets, and other personalization attributes. Yet, the gaming aspect might not be the strong point of this phone.
Still, the storage capabilities are something that you need to consider especially when you are picking a mid-range phone. With the Motorola S50 Neo, the users can choose between the 256GB to 512GB UFS 2. x storage with 8GB to 12GB RAM configuration. Typically, a 256GB storage is enough if you don’t store lots of media, apps, and other files. Alongside this, it’s also possible to expand the storage limit with the MicroSD card slot.
Camera
The primary camera setup of the Motorola S50 Neo houses a 50MP main sensor (Sony IMX882), which can produce high-quality images without any hassle. Alongside this, the device also equips an 8MP ultra-wide lens with precise control over the dynamic range. You can utilize the HDR settings through the camera app.
The daylight photos results do look crisp with accurate dynamic range. Besides, there are multiple camera modes that users can explore to click on their precious moments with ease. However, the lowlight images do fall behind, and noise and grains are noticeable in normal usage. Luckily, the users reduce this problem by using the night mode. Alongside this, the 32MP selfie camera is in the punch hole.
Through this, you can expect good enough colors to brighten up your selfies. Besides, there are plenty of filters, which users can try out in the meantime. Now, let’s talk about the video recording aspect. You can record up to 1080p resolution videos with this camera setup, while there’s no doubt that the phone lacks when it comes to video stabilization. But as a mid-range phone, the video recording capabilities aren’t that bad either.
Battery and Others
The Motorola S50 Neo attains a decent 5000 mAh battery that can provide 6+ hours of screen time. However, screen time can differ from user to user. If you are using the phone at a moderate level, it’s possible to obtain a decent battery for your day-to-day activities, including social media scrolling, online conversation, streaming, and a little bit of gaming. Further, the phone supports up to 30W wired charger.
In terms of the charging speed, the device can be refueled within one hour if the battery percentage is above 20%. On the other hand, if you look at the communication aspect, the device arrives with Bluetooth, NFC, and many other sensors. At the same time, the audio output is crisp and clear, even though the phone didn’t equip a stereo speaker. As for the price point, the Motorola Moto S50 Neo will priced around $191 (Rs 15,990 in India) approx. The overall cost could vary from country to country.
Motorola S50 Neo Pros and Cons
Motorola S50 Neo Specifications Detail
Down below you can see the full specifications of the Motorola S50 Neo smartphone.
| Specifications | Motorola S50 Neo |
| Network | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G |
| Announced | June 2024 |
| SIM | Dual SIM |
| Dimensions | 6.37 x 2.88 x 0.30 inches |
| Weight | 171-173 g |
| Size | 6.7 inches |
| Display | P-OLED 1B colors 120Hz HDR10+ 1600 nits brightness 20:9 ratio ~393 PPI density |
| Protection | No |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels |
| OS | Android 14 |
| Chipset | 6nm – Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 |
| CPU | Octa-core 2×2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold 6×1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver |
| GPU | Adreno 619 |
| Card slot | microSDXC |
| RAM | 8GB, 12GB |
| Internal | 256GB, 512GB UFS 2. x |
| Camera | 50 MP (wide), PDAF, OIS 8 MP (118Ëšultrawide) LED flash, HDR, panorama Max – 1080p@30/60fps |
| Selfie | 32 MP (wide) Max – 1080p@30fps |
| Loudspeaker | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No |
| WLAN | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| GPS | Yes |
| NFC | Yes |
| Infrared port | No |
| Radio | No |
| USB | USB Type-C |
| Sensors | Under display fingerprint; unspecified sensors |
| Battery | 5000 mAh 30W wired |
| Colors | Olivine, Surf, Gray |
| Expected Price | $191 (Rs 15,990 in India) approx |
Conclusion
The hype of AI intelligence isn’t going down, and Motorola S50 Neo didn’t fall behind in providing the latest tech. The phone also comes with a stunning design layout and a beautiful display quality. Despite this, we won’t recommend you judge this phone just by its outer cover. The hardware section is still lacking when it comes to providing top-notch performance according to the price point.
Hopefully, the camera quality isn’t bad you can capture accurate details with fabulous color control. As for the battery performance, the phone didn’t disappoint the user’s expectations. Still, you should always leave room for alternatives like Realme Narzo 70 Pro. It brings more performance, fast charging, and good camera support. Now, decide on a phone according to your needs.
