As a phone reviewer, I’ve tested both budget phones and more high-end phones, from brands like Motorola, Honor, and Vivo. Most have had flat screens. But one in particular sticks out to me: the Motorola Edge 50 Pro. The photos and videos I took with it were crisp, just the right amount of vibrant and beautiful. That is, the photos and videos I managed to take.
The Motorola Edge 50 Pro, 40 Neo, as well as the newer Edge 60 Pro have a curved screen. They look amazing and give these phones a fancier look than the budget flat screen phones.
Problem is, they aren’t very practical. I took the Edge 50 Pro and another phone to the studio and quickly realised that the 50 Pro was not very good for studio photography, and even photography in general.
This had absolutely nothing to do with specs, but its curved screen. I had the phone on a tripod at first, which went around the phone and gripped it at its sides, which were mostly taken over by the curved screen. The phone kept exiting the camera app, making me miss several photos, which proved very frustrating.
Holding the phone in my hands did not improve the situation. This is absolutely a problem if you’re trying to capture family moments as you ask your subjects to keep smiling into the camera as you scamper trying to reopen the camera app and not touch the curved screen.
As a photographer who likes taking street photos and unposed portraits, this was a complete nightmare. The feeling of wanting to throw your phone across the room is not a pleasant one, especially one that has a more premium cost. I don’t know about you but I’d much rather buy a budget phone with a practical design and decent enough camera than a more premium phone whose fancy screen design will make it near impossible to use its excellent camera.
With a flat screen, composing your shot is actually a much easier and calmer process. You don’t have to worry about accidentally touching the sides of the screen and being booted out of the camera app. You can clearly see the edges of your photo, without any distortion and the colours shifting caused by the screen curving away.
Whether you’ve got more money to spend or not, get a budget phone with a flat screen! The budget Google Pixel phones like the Pixel 9A are great options as they blend decent quality with affordability. Most importantly, the all now have flat screens, even the flagship phones.
Motorola giving the Edge 60 Pro a curved screen is a real shame. It’s got a superb camera, but its curved screen makes it a photographer’s worst enemy. Please, please, please Motorola – bin the curved screen and give the Edge 70 Pro a flat screen!
Related reading
- Best camera phones for photography in the World
- I review iPhones for a living – these are the best iPhones for photography
The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of Amateur Photographer magazine or Kelsey Media Limited. If you have an opinion you’d like to share on this topic, or any other photography related subject, email: ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk
