The Motorola Edge 70 is so thin that the first instinct is to turn it sideways and check whether a battery back has been removed. At 6mm (or 5.99mm, if the manufacturer is to be believed), it feels closer to a concept device than a mainstream smartphone.
But once I switched it on, my misgivings disappeared: Motorola has managed to avoid the usual penalties that come with chasing slimness, from battery size to camera array.
This is only the second Motorola phone launched in South Africa since the brand returned in October 2025 with the Razr 60. That makes the Edge 70 a significant device for the company locally, because it gives Motorola added distinctiveness in a market crammed with handsets that seem interchangeable.
Motorola has built the Edge 70 around physical feel rather than feature overload. That sounds superficial, but made sense after I carried it around for a few days. At 159g, the Edge 70 almost disappears into a pocket. The curved edges and narrow frame make it feel smaller than a 6.7-inch phone has any right to feel. One-handed use becomes natural again. Pulling it out to check messages while juggling luggage at an airport felt straightforward instead of courting chaos.
The display helps sell the illusion of compactness. It is made of P-OLED, for Plastic Organic Light-Emitting Diode, a type of display technology that replaces the rigid glass layer with flexible plastic. This allows for thinner and more durable screens, and is the foundation for current foldable devices.
The 6.7-inch panel breaks from the Edge tradition of curved edges, with a flat screen and slim bezels keeping the front clean and uncluttered. At 120Hz, scrolling is smooth, while the claimed 4,500 nits brightness is useful outdoors. Winter sunlight in Johannesburg usually exposes weak displays within seconds, but the Edge 70 remains crisp and readable.
Motorola also gets the colour balance right. Many Android phones crank saturation to cartoon levels in an effort to impress, but the Edge keeps colours rich and believable. Streaming video looks excellent, and photos avoid the glowing-neon look that has become common in the mid-range.
The handset runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor, which places it in the upper mid-range. This means the phone feels fast in everyday use. Apps open quickly, multitasking is smooth, and games run comfortably, while the device avoids becoming warm under pressure. Thin phones have very little room to hide heat, so that tells us something about the efficiency of the Edge 70.
Battery life also turns out better than expected for an ultra-slim handset. The Edge 70 lasted a full working day with mixed use that included navigation, streaming, photography and far too much “social” feed scrolling. Heavy gaming and long camera sessions drain it faster than chunkier rivals, but that comes with the territory in such a thin chassis.
Fast charging at 68W helps restore it quickly. Plug it in while making coffee and it regains enough power to survive the rest of the day. Wireless charging at 15W is slow by comparison, but then wireless charging inside a 6mm body takes some engineering.
The camera setup revolves around getting the basics right, with a main 50MP wide-angle lens and 50MP ultrawide combining to produce detailed images with natural colours and balanced contrast. Motorola’s image processing has improved dramatically over the years and the phone avoids oversharpening scenes into artificial mess.
There is no telephoto lens, which os the most obvious compromise made in pursuit of thinness and adffdordability.
The 50MP front camera performs well with skin tones, so that selfies look clean and realistic.
Software remains one of Motorola’s biggest strengths. The device operates on an uncluttered version of Android 16, and Motorola’s own additions are among the most useful in the business. A chop-to-flashlight gesture is gloriously practical, while a twist-to-open-camera shortcut is faster than tapping icons.
This being Android in 2026, AI features throughout the system because, well, Google. However, Motorola keeps the features practical, and the likes of voice transcription, summaries and image tools wait until you need them.
The Edge 70 carries IP68 and IP69 ratings for water and dust resistance, alongside military-grade durability certification. The body feels solid despite its dimensions.
The Edge 70 succeeds because thinness becomes part of the experience rather than a gimmick. After a few weeks with the device, most large-screen phones seemed unnecessarily bulky.
How much does it cost?
The Motorola Edge 70 is available at Vodacom on contract or one-time off cost of R9,599 and comes with a free set of Moto Buds worth R1,699.
Does it make a difference?
The Edge 70 gives Motorola a clear identity instead of simply adding another Android rectangle to retail shelves. The slim design changes how the phone feels in everyday use, and that makes it memorable. At under R10,0000, it is an absurdly good deal for such a slim device.
What are the biggest negatives?
- Zoom photography quickly reaches the limits of digital cropping.
- Heavy gaming drains the battery faster than thicker rivals.
What are the biggest positives?
- The 6mm body feels exceptionally comfortable in daily use.
- The display remains bright and readable outdoors.
- Motorola’s software is clean and practical.
* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx, editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za, and author of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI – The African Edge”.