Motorola is bringing the wooden phone back with its new Edge series

Motorola is introducing three new Edge series phones, reviving a classic design feature it first introduced a decade ago: a wooden back panel. The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra is the highest spec’d device of the trio, and it’s the only one with the “real wood” back panel option (though the peach fuzz vegan leather looks awfully nice, too). Motorola will launch the phones first outside of the US “in the coming weeks,” but says it’s committed to “expanding the Edge family in North America this year.”

The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra uses the new Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 chipset, which is a slight step down from the 8 Gen 3. There’s a 6.7-inch OLED with up to 144Hz refresh rate, which has been “Pantone-validated.” Say what? Motorola says this designation applies to the display and camera, and that “Every Pantone Validated device has met Pantone’s evaluation and grading criteria by authentically simulating the full range of real-world Pantone Colors.” Okay.

The Ultra has an IP68 rating to withstand full water immersion and supports wireless charging — two things a flagship phone in 2024 really needs. It has a 50-megapixel stabilized main camera and a 64-megapixel telephoto — both with optical stabilization — as well as a 50-megapixel ultrawide that doubles as a macro.

The Motorola Edge 50 Pro sits just below the Ultra and uses a midrange Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, while the Edge 50 Fusion rounds out the trio with a 6 Gen 1. Both of these devices are rated IP68, but only the 50 Pro has wireless charging. Opting for the Pro gets you an extra camera: a 10-megapixel stabilized 3x telephoto. Motorola touts the use of AI on all three phones, including Google’s Magic Editor in Photos, though only the first 10 saved edits are free without a Google One subscription.

Motorola’s typical move is to launch Edge devices in the US after their international debut under generic “Edge” and “Edge Plus” branding. Right now, it sells two Edge devices in its online store — if it plans to “expand” its offerings in the US, we might see all three arrive stateside.

The Edge 50 Fusion comes in a seemingly T-Mobile-ready hot pink vegan suede, while the Edge 50 Pro comes in black and lavender vegan leather options. It’s hard to say which phones and colors will make it to the US, but I’m rooting for the 50 Ultra’s nordic wood finish to make the cut. If we can’t have fun stuff like Moto Mods, at least give us some of the charm of the wood-paneled Moto X!

The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra will start at €999, the Edge 50 Pro at €699, and the Edge 50 Fusion at €399. They’ll be sold in parts of Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania.