Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) vs. iPhone 13 Pro Max: A Head-to-Head Flagship Battle

The Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) arrived as a performance-focused Android contender, boasting the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Now, with the iPhone 13 Pro Max seeing price drops, the question arises: can Motorola’s raw power overcome Apple’s refined ecosystem and camera prowess? This comparison dissects the key differences to help you choose.
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🏆 Quick Verdict

For the average user prioritizing a seamless experience, exceptional camera quality, and long-term software support, the iPhone 13 Pro Max remains the superior choice. However, the Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) delivers impressive performance and significantly faster charging at a potentially lower price point, appealing to power users.

PHONES
Phone Names Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (Dual SIM model only)GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 711, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2643, A2644, A2645
5G bands2, 5, 7, 12, 25, 26, 29, 30, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - Verizon, USA1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2643, A2644
SpeedHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps, 5GHSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps
TechnologyGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 -1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2641
Launch
Announced2022, January 242021, September 14
StatusAvailable. Released 2022, March 24Available. Released 2021, September 24
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass 3), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frameGlass front, glass back, stainless steel frame
Dimensions163.1 x 76 x 8.8 mm (6.42 x 2.99 x 0.35 in)160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.30 in)
SIMSingle SIM (Nano-SIM) or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight196 g (6.91 oz)240 g (8.47 oz)
 Water-repellent designIP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified)
Display
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass 3Ceramic Shield glass
Resolution1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~393 ppi density)1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density)
Size6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio)6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)
 Always-on display-
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510)Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard)
ChipsetQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm)Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm)
GPUAdreno 730Apple GPU (5-core graphics)
OSAndroid 12, planned upgrade to Android 13iOS 15, upgradable to iOS 26.1
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM
 UFS 3.1NVMe
Main Camera
FeaturesDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panoramaDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)
Single-12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6" SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Triple50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.55", 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.2, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm, AF 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth)12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), PDAF, 1/3.4", 1.0µm, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth)
Video8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, 10-bit HDR10+, gyro-EIS4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, stereo sound rec.
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR
Single60 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/2.8", 0.61µm12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Video4K@30fps, 1080p@30/120fps4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS
Sound
3.5mm jack NoNo
35mm jack-No
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 24-bit/192kHz audio-
Comms
Bluetooth5.2, A2DP, LE5.0, A2DP, LE
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEOGPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.1, DisplayPort 1.4Lightning, USB 2.0
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot
Features
SensorsFingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometerFace ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
 Ready For supportUltra Wideband (UWB) support
Battery
Charging68W wired, 50% in 15 min, 100% in 35 min (advertised) 15W wireless 5W reverse wirelessWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update
TypeLi-Po 4800 mAh, non-removableLi-Ion 4352 mAh (16.75 Wh)
Misc
ColorsCosmos Blue, Stardust WhiteGraphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue, Alpine Green
Models-A2643, A2484, A2641, A2644, A2645, iphone14,3
PriceAbout 850 EUR€ 423.38 / $ 394.86 / £ 355.00
SAR-1.18 W/kg (head)     1.20 W/kg (body)
SAR EU-0.99 W/kg (head)     0.98 W/kg (body)
Tests
Battery life- Endurance rating 121h
Camera- Photo / Video
Display- Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker- -24.0 LUFS (Very good)
Performance- AnTuTu: 801691 (v9) GeekBench: 4706 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022)

  • Significantly faster 68W wired charging
  • Potentially lower price point
  • Android OS flexibility and customization

  • Less refined software experience
  • Potentially inferior camera performance
  • Thermal throttling under sustained load

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

  • Exceptional camera quality and video recording
  • Polished and intuitive iOS ecosystem
  • Long-term software support and updates

  • Slower charging speeds
  • Higher price point
  • Less customization options

Display Comparison

The iPhone 13 Pro Max boasts a measured peak brightness of 1050 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. While the Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) display specs aren't provided, it's likely lower. Apple’s ‘infinite’ contrast ratio, typical of OLED panels, delivers deep blacks and vibrant colors. Both devices utilize OLED technology, but Apple’s ProMotion adaptive refresh rate (not specified for the Motorola) contributes to smoother scrolling and animations. The iPhone’s color accuracy is renowned, making it ideal for content creation, while the Motorola’s display performance is less documented.

Camera Comparison

The iPhone 13 Pro Max is widely regarded for its exceptional camera system, focusing on natural image processing and cinematic video recording. While specific sensor details for the Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) are missing, the iPhone’s larger sensors and advanced computational photography algorithms provide a clear advantage in low-light conditions and dynamic range. Apple’s ProRAW format offers greater editing flexibility for professional photographers. The Motorola likely relies more heavily on software processing to enhance image quality, which can sometimes result in over-sharpening or artificial-looking results. The iPhone’s video capabilities, including ProRes recording, are unmatched in this comparison.

Performance

The core difference lies in the chipsets: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm) in the Motorola versus Apple’s A15 Bionic (5nm) in the iPhone. Despite the Snapdragon’s higher clock speeds (3.00 GHz Cortex-X2), the A15 Bionic’s architectural efficiency and optimized software integration consistently deliver superior real-world performance. The A15’s hexa-core design, with two high-performance Avalanche cores, excels in single-core tasks, while the Snapdragon’s octa-core configuration aims for multi-core dominance. However, the 5nm process of the A15 provides better thermal efficiency, potentially leading to less throttling during sustained workloads. The Motorola benefits from LPDDR5 RAM, but the iPhone’s memory bandwidth is also highly optimized.

Battery Life

Both devices achieve an impressive endurance rating of 121 hours, indicating similar overall battery life. However, the Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) significantly outpaces the iPhone 13 Pro Max in charging speed, offering 68W wired charging that can reach 100% in just 35 minutes (advertised). The iPhone’s 50% charge in 30 minutes via PD2.0 is considerably slower. Both support 15W wireless charging, with the iPhone benefiting from MagSafe for convenient and efficient wireless power transfer. The Motorola also offers 5W reverse wireless charging, a feature absent on the iPhone.

Buying Guide

Buy the Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) if you need blazing-fast performance for demanding tasks, prioritize rapid 68W charging, and prefer the flexibility of the Android operating system. Buy the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max if you value a polished user experience, industry-leading camera capabilities, and guaranteed software updates for years to come, even if it means sacrificing charging speed.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) overheat during extended gaming sessions?
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is known to generate more heat than some of its competitors. While the Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) incorporates cooling solutions, prolonged gaming at maximum settings may lead to thermal throttling, reducing sustained performance. The iPhone 13 Pro Max’s A15 Bionic, built on a 5nm process, generally exhibits better thermal management.
❓ How does the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s MagSafe charging compare to the Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022)'s wireless charging?
MagSafe offers a more secure and efficient wireless charging experience due to its magnetic alignment and optimized power delivery. While both devices support 15W wireless charging, MagSafe consistently achieves faster charging speeds and reduces energy loss. The Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) relies on standard Qi wireless charging, which can be less consistent.
❓ Is the difference in chipset performance (A15 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 1) noticeable in everyday tasks?
For basic tasks like browsing, social media, and email, the difference is minimal. However, when performing demanding tasks such as video editing, gaming, or running complex applications, the A15 Bionic’s superior efficiency and optimized software integration provide a smoother and more responsive experience.