Motorola Edge 20 Fusion Review: Big numbers at a low price

"Bigger is better" is clearly the ethos behind the Motorola Edge 20 Fusion. $499 buys you a sizeable 6.7-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate, a massive 5,000mAh battery, and the same 108MP camera we saw in the Galaxy S20 Ultra last year. On paper, that's pretty impressive; those are rather large numbers, after all.

Of course, quantity doesn't always mean quality. There's no point in having a 6.7-inch display if the quality is awful or a 108MP camera if takes blurry photos. It becomes a question of whether Motorola is just flexing with specs that sound great in theory, or if the Edge 20 Fusion is the real deal. In this case, those numbers are fortunately more than just marketing.

Thanks to the 5,000mAh cell, it's not entirely surprising that battery life is one of the Edge 20 Fusion's strongest features. It's easy to get over five hours of screen time with both 5G and its high refresh rate display switched on. For comparison, many 5G phones - across all price points - struggle to even hit four hours, which can make it a struggle to get a full day of usage. Thankfully this isn't a concern with the Edge 20 Fusion. You should easily make it through a full day with a comfortable buffer, and lighter users should get a day-and-a-half.

Now let's talk about cameras. As aforementioned, the Edge 20 Fusion boasts the same 108MP sensor we saw in the Galaxy S20 Ultra last year. It's some rapid trickledown. Of course, using the same sensor doesn't automatically guarantee better quality, as you're also relying on the process for photographic prowess. And in the same vein, bigger numbers aren't necessarily better when it comes to cameras. Every year we see the iPhone deliver stunning photos with just a 12MP camera.

That being said, the 108MP camera in the Edge 20 Fusion is more than just a marketing bullet point. The main utility of such a larger sensor is capturing extra information rather than larger images. By default, you're still getting a 12MP image, but the phone has more data to work with. This is especially helpful when it comes to low light photography - an area where budget phones tend to struggle.

While the Edge 20 Fusion naturally doesn't reach the same heights as a flagship in terms of low light (or even the Pixel 4a, where Google's software magic did the heavy lifting), it's a massive improvement over past budget Motorola devices. You can lose a bit of fine detail and really dark environments can attract camera noise, but they're images I'm far happier with. For comparison, last year's Moto G 5G Plus struggled to get a decent shot in low light - even with night mode.

Low light aside, the Edge 20 Fusion camera performs well for the most part. Its biggest issue is a slow shutter speed, which can create motion blur with moving subjects like energetic puppies, and cause you to miss shots. There's just a touch more delay between when you press the shutter button and when the phone takes the photo.

The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion is also sizable in stature. Not only does it have a 6.7-inch screen, there's also a fair bit of bezel surrounding it. This makes it larger than the already substantial iPhone 12 Pro Max, which can make some tasks a bit challenging. The volume rocker is too high up to reach without readjusting your grip. The Edge 20 Fusion is however surprisingly light for a phone of its size, measuring in just over 180 grams. This makes it a bit easier to wield than most big devices, but at the same time makes the Edge 20 Fusion feel a bit cheap. The body is as plastic as they come; it's almost toylike.

Mixing a large display with a lightish build has some interesting, deeply specific consequences. The first time I took the Edge 20 Fusion on a jog, it decided to bounce out of my pocket onto the pavement. Twice. Thankfully the only scars were a couple of scuff marks, but this hasn't typically been something I've had to worry about with other devices.

Size aside, the Edge 20 Fusion display is a lovely screen that's hard to fault. The auto-brightness is a little temperamental, but that's easy enough to disable. Which you'll probably want to do, to be honest.

And while there aren't exactly any exciting numbers attached to the Motorola Edge 20 Fusion's processor, it more than does the job. The phone is zippy enough for day-to-day tasks, and I've not experienced any of the kind of slowdown or performance hitches that can impact more affordable handsets.

Motorola Edge 20 Fusion: Final Thoughts

The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion is more than big numbers on a spec sheet; it's a genuinely solid handset at a great price. Better yet, it makes very few compromises in terms of keeping the cost down. Sure, the camera could be faster and the design could be a little slicker, but it's free from major red flags. It's definitely going to be a touch too big for some, but if you like your devices on the larger size, the Motorola Edge 20 Fusion is just a really good value phone.

Motorola Edge 20 Fusion camera samples

Alex Choros

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Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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