Technologies

Motorola Edge 70 Is Ultrathin in Design, but Super Big on Battery

The new phone packs a battery capacity that outdoes the iPhone Air and Galaxy S25 Edge.

A new ultrathin phone has arrived on the scene. On Wednesday, Motorola unveiled the Edge 70. It’s slightly thicker than the iPhone Air and Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, but it also features a significantly larger battery capacity.

The announcement confirms earlier leaks about Motorola, which is entering a challenging market for ultrathins. Sales for the slim iPhone Air have reportedly been weak, and Samsung may consider ditching thin phones altogether due to declining interest in the Galaxy S25 Edge.

European consumers will have first crack at the Edge 70, as will phone shoppers in China (where it’s branded as the X70 Air). Motorola did not specify when it will be available in the US.

Typically, international phone models come with higher-end features, such as better cameras, more powerful processors and premium materials. The US edition of the Edge is often a more midrange phone. A look at the international model, however, does provide a hint about the eventual US-bound Edge.

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Motorola Edge 70 weight and battery life

The Edge 70 is 5.99mm thick and weighs about 159 grams. For comparison, the iPhone Air measures 5.6mm thick at 165 grams, while the Samsung S25 Edge is 5.8mm thick and weighs 163 grams.

It’s among the lighter phones in Motorola’s Edge line: The 2025 model released in the US weighed in at 181 grams, although it also included an additional telephoto camera. The 2023 US model comes closer at 168 grams.

Motorola’s model surpasses its competitors in terms of battery capacity. The Edge 70 features a 4,800-mAh battery, compared to the Galaxy S25 Edge’s 3,900-mAh battery and the iPhone Air’s 3,149-mAh battery. Motorola’s battery is also built from silicon-carbon, which has a higher energy density than the traditional lithium-ion batteries used by its rivals.

Edge 70 owners can watch 29 straight hours of video with a full charge, Motorola says, and 38 hours of mixed usage. As for recharging, the device supports 68-watt fast-wired charging, compared with 25 watts for both the Galaxy S25 Edge and iPhone Air. It also supports 15-watt wireless charging.

Motorola Edge 70 cameras

The Edge 70 has three high-resolution cameras:

A 50-megapixel main camera with 4K video recording
A 50-megapixel ultrawide, which doubles as a macro lens with a 120-degree field of view
A 50-megapixel front camera

It also has a dedicated 3-in-1 light sensor for light sensitivity and exposure.

AI assistance

The Edge 70 comes with Moto AI, an array of AI tools integrated into Motorola phones. Among the AI features is Next Move, which first appeared on Motorola’s Razr phone line. This feature provides proactive suggestions based on the content on the screen.

The phone also features other Moto AI capabilities introduced with the Razr and showcased on the 2025 Edge, including Playlist Studio, Catch Me Up for summarizing notifications, and Pay Attention, as well as the Remember This feature for saving information.

Resistance to water and dust

The Motorola Edge has IP68 and IP69 ratings for protection against dust and water intrusion. That is comparable to the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, Apple iPhone 16 series, and Google Pixel 10 series, all of which have IP68 ratings.

There are three colors available: pantone bronze green, pantone lily pad, pantone gadget gray.

How ‘in’ is thin?

CNET phone expert Abrar Al-Heeti says she started as a thin-phone skeptic but was sold on the concept after reviewing the Oppo Find N5, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and the iPhone Air.

«It’s refreshing to use something that feels innovative, and I’m surprised at how much more comfortable it is to use a lightweight phone,» Al-Heeti said. «With all the thin phones I’ve tested, it’s that feather-light feel that stands out to me.»

However, it remains unclear whether ultrathin phones will have lasting appeal. There are trade-offs to slimmer phones, such as shorter battery life and reduced camera capabilities.

«The challenge for phone makers is to limit those compromises, so that thin phones can be more appealing to a wider range of people,» said Al-Heeti.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Dec. 12 #649

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Dec. 12, No. 649.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle will appeal to literature lovers and English majors (like me). Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Shakespearean titles.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Famous plays.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

MUST, CANT, RANT, RACE, CARE, CHARD, CHANT, HARD, SIDE, HIDE

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

MERRY, SHREW, TEMPEST, TWELFTH, MERCHANT, MIDSUMMER

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is THEBARD. To find it, start with the T that’s four letters down on the far-left row, and wind across.

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Toughest Strands puzzles

Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found to be the toughest in recent weeks.

#1: Dated slang, Jan. 21. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. Toughest word: PHAT.

#2: Thar she blows! Jan.15. I guess marine biologists might ace this one. Toughest word: BALEEN or RIGHT.

#3: Off the hook, Jan. 9. Similar to the Jan. 15 puzzle in that it helps to know a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Toughest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK.

Technologies

I Love Super Mario Bros Wonder and It’s at a New All-Time Low, but Only for Today

One of the most inventive Switch games made is down to just $40 right now.

The holidays are nearly here, and that means it’s time to lock in and sort out the gifts you need to get. If you’re looking to buy something the whole family can enjoy, then looking to the best gaming gifts makes perfect sense. There are some amazing deals on right now, and if you’re buying for someone with a Switch, this one is a must-have.

Woot has a deal that knocks the amazing Super Mario Bros Wonder down to $40, which is the lowest price it’s ever been. This is a whimsical and wonderful platform game that’s going to have you all laughing out loud in each level, but the deal is only on until the end of the day. So, if you want it, don’t wait around.

Super Mario Bros Wonder takes the classic platformer and puts an incredible twist on it in every single level. The story has you following Bowser as he causes chaos in a new kingdom, but with Wonder Seeds all over the place, reality itself often ends up changing. It’s a fun and intensely silly affair, and you can even play it with up to four players, making it the perfect game for the holiday season.

This being the lowest price we’ve seen for this amazing game easily makes it one of the best Nintendo Switch deals. It’s going to end tonight, though, so if you want it, get it quickly.

Why this deal matters

Super Mario Bros Wonder is undoubtedly one of the coolest Mario games we’ve had in a very long time, and one of the best games released for the Nintendo Switch. It’s rare to see first-party Nintendo games go on sale with this much off, so this is a very rare chance.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Friday, Dec. 12

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 12.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.