It all comes down to price

• OnePlus 11

  Best overall

  Fantastic power for the price

  The OnePlus 11 offers excellent flagship performance without the huge price tag. It sports an LTPO3 AMOLED QHD display with a 120Hz refresh rate, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Battery life is also improved on the OnePlus 11, with close to 8 hours of screen on-time possible and SuperVooc fast charging. 

  Pros

  • Snappy chipset
  • Gorgeous QHD display
  • Fantastic battery life

  Cons

  • No wireless charging
  • Iffy software

• 

  Motorola Edge (2023)

  Bargain buy

  Great phone at the right price

  Motorola’s renaissance continues with the Motorola Edge (2023). It’s well-built, with an eco-leather back and aluminum frame. It features a gorgeous 6.6-inch OLED panel with an incredible 144Hz refresh rate. It’s less powerful than the OnePlus 11, and the cameras can’t keep up, but for a deep discount it can be a good choice. 

  Pros

  • Faster display refresh rate
  • Good battery life
  • Wireless charging

  Cons

  • Lacking in power
  • Average cameras

Despite similar starting prices, the OnePlus 11 and 2023’s Motorola Edge couldn’t be much more different. And, while the Edge does hold a couple of advantages, the OnePlus 11 bests it in a few key categories.

But will that be enough to win your dollars, or do the Moto advantages – and its slightly lower price tag – fit you best?

Price, specs & availability

The OnePlus 11 is available through Amazon, OnePlus, and Best Buy starting at $699, although frequent sales and discounts often bring that price down to around $600. The base model features 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, with a 16GB/256GB model sold for an additional $100. OnePlus offers it in two colors: Eternal Green and Titan Black.

The Motorola Edge’s pricing is a bit stranger. The phone launched at $599, but sales and discounts have brought the device down as low as $349. It’s offered in one configuration and color: 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, with an eco-leather back in Eclipse Black.

• 	OnePlus 11	Motorola Edge (2023)
  SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	MediaTek Dimensity 7030
  RAM	8GB, 16GB	8GB LPDDR4X
  Storage	128GB, 256GB	256GB
  Battery	5000mAh	4,400mAh
  Ports	USB-C	USB-C
  Operating System	Oxygen OS 13, Android 13	Android 13
  Front camera	16MP f/2.4	32MP, f/2.4
  Rear camera	50MP f/1.8 primary, 48MP f/2.2 ultrawide (115˚), 32MP f/2.0 telephoto with 2x optical zoom	50MP, f/1.4 main sensor with OIS; 13MP, f/2.2 ultrawide
  Colors	Titan Black, Emerald Green	Eclipse Black
  Display type	LTPO AMOLED, 1-120Hz	P-OLED, 144Hz
  Weight	205g	168g
  Charge speed	80W (US), 100W (international)	68W wired, 15W wireless
  IP Rating	IP64	IP68
  Price	From $700	$600
  Display dimensions	6.7″	6.6″
  Display resolution	1440 x 3216	1080 x 2400

Design

If you pick up the Moto Edge and OnePlus 11, you’ll immediately notice the difference in weight. The Edge, true to its name, is a light and thin device, weighing only 168g, while the OnePlus 11 tips the scales at 205g. Even though the OnePlus is still lighter than most 2023 flagships, it’s a bit hefty compared to the Edge.

Both devices featured curved displays, but the Moto Edge has a more dramatic taper leading to its aluminum frame. If you’re not a fan of waterfall displays, the Edge is not for you, with its display reminiscent of the curve found on phones like the Samsung Galaxy S9. While still curved, the OnePlus 11 follows the trend of many modern Android flagships, slowly backing away from tapered displays in favor of flatter panels. Extras like the physical alert slider are on the OnePlus 11, giving the phone a classic OnePlus feel.

While the OnePlus 11’s display is covered in Gorilla Glass Victus, the Moto Edge uses something called NEG glass to protect its panel. It’s a material developed by the Nippon Electric Glass company, with Motorola claiming its quality matches the competition. While there have been no problems in testing the NEG glass, we still give the advantage to the tried-and-true Victus glass on the OnePlus 11.

The OnePlus 11 sports an IP64 rating. Despite being practically water-resistant, previous OnePlus devices didn’t carry an IP rating at all, as the company has claimed it didn’t want to waste resources paying for the rating. The Moto Edge features full IP68 dust and water resistance for those looking for peace of mind.

Display

Like more expensive flagships, the OnePlus 11 has a gorgeous 6.7-inch LTPO3 AMOLED display. The LTPO technology allows the OnePlus 11’s 120Hz display to refresh at a rate as low as 1Hz, saving battery when displaying static screens. It’s also a QHD display with fantastic color and contrast. OnePlus has been shipping high-quality displays for years, and the AMOLED panel on the OnePlus 11 meets that standard.

Not to be outdone, the Moto Edge sports an excellent 6.6-inch P-OLED panel refreshing at 144Hz. It’s only 1080p but has saturated colors and deep contrast, making streaming content look great. Games also look great on the Moto Edge, with characters and environments really popping on the display. With 1,200 nits peak brightness, you won’t struggle to see the Moto Edge’s display in sunlight.

Software

OnePlus has been on a journey for the last few years with OxygenOS — the company’s version of Android. Despite improvements, OxygenOS 13 still displayed growing pains as OnePlus tried to marry OxygenOS and ColorOS, the Android skin of sister company Oppo. OxygenOS 14 started rolling out to the OnePlus 11 in November, though, and brings some interesting new features and UI tweaks. It’s a fine experience on its face, but the difference is noticeable if you’re used to One UI from Samsung or the Google Pixel Android experience.

OnePlus promises four major upgrades of Android and five years of security updates for the 11.

While OxygenOS is considered a fairly heavy skin, Motorola’s My UX Android software is anything but. If you prefer the clean software aesthetic of Pixel phones, you’ll enjoy the Moto Edge.

Motorola also does a good job of adding extras, with Moto gestures being a fan-favorite — a simple chop of the phone brings up the flashlight, while a twist of the wrist calls up the camera app.

Unfortunately, Motorola is only promising three years of updates for the Edge. Don’t hold your breath until those come along, either, as the company is notoriously slow at rolling out updates.

The lack of an always-on display is another glaring omission in a 2023 smartphone. Motorola’s Peek Display works well enough, but it’s nowhere near the convenience of an AOD. It’s not all bad, as the Moto Edge does feature Ready For, Motorola’s answer to Samsung DeX. It works well on the Edge and is worth considering as a buying point if you often have the need to connect your phone to a larger display.

Performance

Despite being priced similarly, the OnePlus 11 hammers the Moto Edge with raw performance. OnePlus outfits the 11 with the venerable Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which has powered many of this year’s top flagship devices. It’s a performance monster, chewing through daily tasks and intense Android apps alike. If you’re a gamer, the OnePlus 11 will give you a clear edge, running AAA titles at top graphics settings.

Motorola fitted the Edge with the Mediatek Dimensity 7030. It’s not a bad chipset; it can push the 144Hz display without issue. Daily tasks are also easily handled, but if you call for more power, you’ll wind up empty-handed. High-end gaming is dicey, and intense multitasking will result in a bit of a slowdown. If you’re picking up the Moto Edge for under $400, you’ll get good performance for that price range, but if you’re paying much more, the Edge comes up short.

Battery life

The OnePlus 11 lasts all day thanks to the power-efficient nature of the 8 Gen 2 chipset, with the device capable of eight hours of screen on time. Your results will vary, but the 5,000mAh battery in the OnePlus 11 is impressive. When it’s time to recharge, the OnePlus 11 does it faster, with 80W SuperVOOC wired charging. It will give you a full charge in just 30 minutes, making it ideal for those who forget to plug in their phones at night. Unfortunately, it does not feature wireless charging.

Even though it recharges a bit slower than the OnePlus 11, the Moto Edge still does better than most of its competition here in the US, with the Edge featuring wired 68W charging. It also includes wireless charging, so the Edge is worth considering if that’s a must-have for you. The Edge also holds its own with battery life. Its 4,400mAh battery cell can keep your phone powered for at least 6.5-7 hours of screen-on time.

Cameras

Neither manufacturer here has the best track record of putting excellent cameras on their devices, but the OnePlus 11 and Moto Edge do better than their predecessors.

It’s still not on par with the Samsung and Google’s of the world, but the OnePlus 11, with its Hasselblad integration, does a significantly better job than OP flagships of the past. Photos from its main 50MP camera look sharp, even if the color reproduction isn’t the most saturated. In good lighting, the OnePlus 11 will produce really good images, but once the lights go down, the sensor will struggle. It also features a 32MP telephoto with 2x optical zoom and a 48MP ultrawide lens. A 16MP front-facing camera handles selfie duties, with portrait mode available.

While not as impressive or versatile as the camera system on the OnePlus 11, the Moto Edge still does a better-than-expected job. Images from the 50MP main sensor look good, with photos showing good color and depth. Unsurprisingly, the Edge suffers in poor lighting, with images becoming noisy. The 13MP ultrawide lens also doesn’t produce fantastic photos, with images often getting soft around the edges. Its 32MP selfie cam is touchy, and it can take a few tries to get a decent portrait mode selfie.

Which is right for you?

Unless you’re getting a significant discount on the Moto Edge (which is entirely possible), the OnePlus 11 is the clear winner. It features a better chipset, longer battery life, and a higher-resolution display. If you’re a gamer or want the budget flagship experience, the OnePlus 11 gives you premium specs at a discount.

The Motorola Edge (2023) is not a bad phone, and for the right price, it can be a worthwhile choice. If you can pick one up for $400 or less, it offers a lot of value in the price range, with a fantastic display and strong performance. However, if you pay over $500, there is just too much other competition offering more at a similar price.