Motorola Edge X30 vs Samsung Galaxy S9: A Clash of Generations
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Motorola Edge X30 wins on raw power and charging speed thanks to its Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. However, the Galaxy S9's exceptional display and impressive battery life (despite its age) make it a compelling choice for those prioritizing longevity and a refined user experience. It depends on your priorities!
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Motorola Edge X30 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM model only) |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - Global, USA |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Global |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 | - |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat18 1200/200 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| - | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, December 09 | 2018, February 25. Released 2018, March 09 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, December 15 | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back (Gorilla Glass 5) | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 163.6 x 75.6 x 8.5 mm (6.44 x 2.98 x 0.33 in) | 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm (5.81 x 2.70 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 194 g (6.84 oz) | 163 g (5.75 oz) |
| Water-repellent design | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) | 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~570 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~87.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.8 inches, 84.8 cm2 (~83.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+, 500 nits (typ), 700 nits (HBM) | Super AMOLED, HDR10 |
| - | 3D Touch (home button only) Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (4x2.7 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEAOcta-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) - USA/LATAM, China |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) | Exynos 9810 (10 nm) - EMEAQualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) - USA/LATAM, China |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Mali-G72 MP18 - EMEAAdreno 630 - USA/LATAM, China |
| OS | Android 12, MYUI 3.0 | Android 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10, One UI 2.5 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 2.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, (wide), 1/1.55", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.2, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.76", 0.64µm Auxiliary lens | - |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 720p@960fps, 10-bit HDR10+, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS (30fps) |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 8 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.22µm, AF 2 MP (dedicated iris scanner camera) |
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 60 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/2.8", 0.61µm or 60 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/2.8", 0.61µm, under display | - |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/120fps | 1440p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |
| 35mm jack | No | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (USA & Canada only) |
| USB | USB Type-C | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Iris scanner, fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 |
| Ready For support | ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 68W wired, 100% in 35 min | 15W wired, QC2 Wireless (Qi) (market dependent) |
| Type | Market-dependent versions:· Li-Po 5000 mAh (regular version)· Li-Po 4800 mAh (under screen camera version) | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable (11.55 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | White, Black | Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Titanium Gray, Lilac Purple, Burgundy Red, Sunrise Gold, Ice Blue |
| Models | XT2201-2, XT2201-6 | SM-G960F, SM-G960, SM-G960F, SM-G960U, SM-G960W, SM-G9600, SM-G960U1, SM-G960N, SCV38, SM-G960X, SC-02K |
| Price | About 420 EUR | About 110 EUR |
| SAR | - | 0.63 W/kg (head) 0.96 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.36 W/kg (head) 1.18 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | - | Noise -93.4dB / Crosstalk -93.9dB |
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 78h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.630 (sunlight) |
| Loudspeaker | - | Voice 68dB / Noise 74dB / Ring 81dB |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 250156 (v7) GeekBench: 8830 (v4.4) GFXBench: 14fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Motorola Edge X30
- Blazing-fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
- 68W Super-fast Charging
- High refresh rate display (likely 144Hz)
- Modern design
- Likely improved camera features
- Software support may be shorter than S9
- Potential for thermal throttling under heavy load
- May lack some of the S9's refinements
Samsung Galaxy S9
- Excellent Super AMOLED display
- Impressive battery life (78h endurance)
- Mature and refined software experience
- Compact and comfortable design
- Potentially lower price point
- Outdated chipset and performance
- Slow 15W charging
- Older camera technology
- Limited software updates
Display Comparison
The Samsung Galaxy S9's Super AMOLED display remains a standout, offering incredible contrast (reported as 'infinite' nominal) and excellent visibility even in direct sunlight (4.630). The Edge X30 likely has a higher resolution and refresh rate (likely 144Hz), providing smoother scrolling and animations, but the S9's color accuracy and overall vibrancy are hard to beat. The Edge X30's display is likely OLED as well, but lacks the S9's proven track record.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable cameras, but the Edge X30 likely has an advantage in terms of resolution and newer image processing capabilities. The S9's camera is known for its accurate colors and pleasing images, but the Edge X30's newer sensor and processing should provide more detail and better low-light performance. Video recording capabilities are likely improved on the Edge X30 as well.
Performance
Here, the Edge X30 absolutely dominates. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is significantly faster and more efficient than the Exynos 9810 or Snapdragon 845 found in the S9. Expect noticeably quicker app loading, smoother multitasking, and superior gaming performance on the Edge X30. The S9, while still capable, will show its age in demanding tasks.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S9 boasts an impressive endurance rating of 78 hours, a testament to its efficient design and battery optimization. While the Edge X30 has a smaller battery capacity, its 68W charging is a game-changer, allowing for incredibly fast top-ups. The S9's 15W charging is considerably slower.
Buying Guide
The Motorola Edge X30 is ideal for power users, gamers, and those who want the latest technology. The Samsung Galaxy S9 is a great option for users seeking a reliable, well-rounded phone with a fantastic display and long battery life, especially at a potentially lower price point now.