Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) vs. Google Pixel 6a: A Deep Dive Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For users prioritizing peak performance and rapid charging, the Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) is the clear winner. However, the Google Pixel 6a delivers a compelling experience with its efficient Tensor chip, excellent camera software, and guaranteed software updates, making it the better choice for the average user seeking a balanced package.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) | Google Pixel 6a |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66, 71 - GX7AS, GB62Z (USA/Canada) |
| 5G bands | 2, 5, 7, 12, 25, 26, 29, 30, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - Verizon, USA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - GX7AS (USA/Canada) |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat20 2000/150 Mbps, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 40, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - G1AZG (International) | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, January 24 | 2022, May 11 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, March 24 | Available. Released 2022, July 21 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame, plastic back |
| Dimensions | 163.1 x 76 x 8.8 mm (6.42 x 2.99 x 0.35 in) | 152.2 x 71.8 x 8.9 mm (5.99 x 2.83 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Weight | 196 g (6.91 oz) | 178 g (6.28 oz) |
| - | IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~393 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~429 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 90.7 cm2 (~83.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+ | OLED, HDR |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) | Octa-core (2x2.80 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2x2.25 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) | Google Tensor (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 730 | Mali-G78 MP20 |
| OS | Android 12, upgradable to Android 14 | Android 12, upgradable to Android 15, up to 5 major Android upgrades |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM |
| - | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 12.2 MP, f/1.7, 27mm, (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 17mm, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1.25µm |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1.12µm |
| Triple | 50 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 Auxiliary lens | - |
| Video | 8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, 10-bit HDR10+, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 60 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/2.8", 0.61µm | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1.12µm |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/120fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | - | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, DisplayPort 1.4 | 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/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 68W wired, 50% in 15 min, 100% in 35 min 15W wireless 5W reverse wireless | 18W wired, PD3.0 |
| Type | Li-Po 4800 mAh | Li-Po 4410 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Cosmos Blue, Stardust White | Chalk, Charcoal, Sage |
| Models | - | GX7AS, GB62Z, G1AZG, GB17L |
| Price | About 850 EUR | $ 138.99 / C$ 228.74 / ₹ 23,999 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | - | Endurance rating 94h |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022)
- Significantly faster charging (68W)
- Potentially higher peak performance with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
- Wireless and reverse wireless charging capabilities
- Likely higher price point
- Software update commitment may be shorter than Pixel
Google Pixel 6a
- Excellent camera image processing and software features
- Guaranteed software updates from Google
- Efficient Google Tensor chip for smooth performance
- Slower charging speed (18W)
- Less raw processing power compared to Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
Display Comparison
The Pixel 6a boasts a measured peak brightness of 876 nits, providing excellent visibility outdoors. While the Edge+ 5G UW’s display specs aren’t provided, Motorola typically equips its flagships with high-brightness panels. The Pixel 6a’s ‘infinite’ contrast ratio, typical of OLED displays, ensures deep blacks and vibrant colors. The absence of LTPO technology on either device suggests neither offers adaptive refresh rates for power saving, a feature increasingly common in this price bracket. Bezels are likely comparable, with both aiming for a modern, immersive viewing experience.
Camera Comparison
The Pixel 6a’s camera prowess is largely driven by Google’s computational photography, despite lacking the hardware specifications of some competitors. The Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) camera specs are not provided, but Motorola flagships typically feature high-resolution sensors. The Pixel 6a’s image processing prioritizes realistic colors and excellent dynamic range, while Motorola often leans towards more saturated images. The absence of detailed sensor information for the Edge+ makes a direct hardware comparison difficult, but the Pixel 6a’s software optimizations are a significant advantage. We can assume the Pixel 6a's camera will outperform the Motorola in low-light conditions due to Google's Night Sight.
Performance
The Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) leverages the Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, fabricated on a 4nm process, offering substantial processing power with its octa-core configuration featuring a Cortex-X2 prime core. In contrast, the Pixel 6a utilizes Google’s Tensor chip, built on a 5nm process. While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 generally outperforms the Tensor in raw CPU and GPU benchmarks, the Tensor excels in AI and machine learning tasks, powering features like Magic Eraser and Real Tone. The Edge+’s LPDDR5x RAM likely provides a bandwidth advantage over the Pixel 6a’s RAM (spec not provided), potentially improving multitasking performance. The 4nm node of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 should offer better thermal efficiency, potentially mitigating throttling during sustained workloads.
Battery Life
Both the Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) and the Google Pixel 6a achieve an endurance rating of 94 hours, suggesting comparable real-world battery life despite potentially different battery capacities (not specified for the Motorola). However, the charging speeds differ dramatically. The Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) supports 68W wired charging, achieving 50% charge in 15 minutes and 100% in 35 minutes, a significant advantage over the Pixel 6a’s 18W wired charging with PD3.0. The Motorola also offers 15W wireless and 5W reverse wireless charging, features absent on the Pixel 6a.
Buying Guide
Buy the Motorola Edge+ 5G UW (2022) if you demand the fastest possible performance for demanding tasks like gaming or video editing, and value the convenience of 68W fast charging. Buy the Google Pixel 6a if you prioritize a smooth, intelligent software experience, exceptional camera image processing, and long-term software support, even if it means sacrificing some raw horsepower.