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Motorola might’ve just won 2026 with a battery and charging setup that no phone can match.
The new Edge 70 Max, which launches in the UK and Europe today (not the US, sadly), is equipped with some simply stunning battery specs. And, best of all, it’s still just about cheap enough for us to consider it a mid-range phone, costing £700 at launch.
Here’s why it could be the most impressive phone of the year so far.
A battery capacity to (not) die for
Among them is a huge 7100mAh silicon-carbon (Si-C) battery which blows similarly-priced rivals including the Galaxy S26 (4300mAh) and Pixel 10 (4970mAh) out of the water. There’s no indication that the upcoming Pixel 11 series will get even close.
Motorola
Motorola doesn’t make any specific battery life claims, but if the Oppo Find X9 Ultra‘s 7050mAh Si-C cell is anything to go by, most people can expect multi-day battery life. In other words, your days of battery anxiety should be over.
Super-fast charging
Crucially, Motorola has paired the huge battery with rapid charging speeds – 90W, to be exact. The company claims you can get “power for the day” in just six minutes, though it’s unclear what percentage this equates to.
the Edge 70 Max has the most complete battery and charging setup of any phone launched this year
There’s also a catch: that estimate specifically relates to Motorola’s 90W ‘TurboPower’ charger, which is sold separately. It’s also not currently available in the UK, but the compatible 125W one will set you back £49.99 at the time of writing.
Motorola
However, even if you don’t get the maximum speeds, any genuine USB-C fast charger should ensure you don’t spend hours topping up that huge battery.
Built-in Qi2 – finally!
The huge battery and rapid charging aren’t even the most exciting battery-related spec, though.
Motorola has become one of the few Android phone makers to build Qi2 magnets directly into the back of the phone – Qi2.2, to be exact. This enables convenient wireless charging at up to 25W, but also compatibility with a wide range of magnetic accessories, including those designed for Pixelsnap on the Pixel 10 series and MagSafe on the iPhone.
Motorola
Having the magnets built in is a key advantage compared to most 2026 flagships – including the entire Galaxy S26 series – which rely on cases for their Qi2 support.
It means the Edge 70 Max has the most complete battery and charging setup of any phone launched this year. And it doesn’t stop there.
Impressive specs elsewhere
In the era of high prices and meagre upgrades, how has Motorola managed to include killer battery specs while keeping the price mid-range? By making a series of smart compromises, at least on paper.
Rather than the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the Edge 70 Max drops down to the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. It’s still an incredibly capable chipset, with our OnePlus 15R review specifically highlighting its “excellent performance”.
An expansive 6.82-inch AMOLED has a higher resolution than the Galaxy S26 and Pixel 10, while it doesn’t sacrifice a glass back – even if that does bump the weight to a hefty 221g.
It’s also even more durable than most flagships, with a combined IP68 and IP69 rating for water and dust resistance, plus military-grade MIL-STD-810H compliance.
Motorola
Cameras look to be the obvious trade-off, with a 50Mp main rear lens joined by just an 8Mp ultrawide, meaning no telephoto. If you’re looking for images that compare to the best camera phones on the market, this probably isn’t for you.
Also, while the Edge 70 Max runs Motorola’s slick and mostly bloat-free software, it’ll only get three major Android OS upgrades and five years of security patches. With the device running Android 16 out of the box rather than Android 17, that means Android 19 will be its last.
The best phone of 2026?
Despite its mid-range price point, the Edge 70 Max could be the most impressive handset of the year so far. It addresses an incredibly common pain point of modern phones – sub-par battery life – combining it with superb charging speeds and the flexibility of Qi2.
Crucially, there don’t appear to be any dealbreakers elsewhere, with a very capable chipset, high-spec display and class-leading durability.
If you’re looking for images that compare to the best camera phones on the market, this probably isn’t for you
If you can live without top-tier photos and missing out on new Android features in a few years’ time, the Edge 70 Max appears to tick all the boxes. Emphasis on “appears”, though – as always, we don’t know for sure until we test it for ourselves.
The Edge 70 Max is available now from the Motorola UK website, costing £700. A launch offer currently includes a pair of Moto Buds Loop earbuds and a 65W charger, though the latter isn’t fast enough to make full use of that 90W charging.
