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 Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Jan. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Jan. 14.

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? It’s not too tough, but 8-Across stumped me, so I had to pass on that and fill in the Down answers to solve it. 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.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Abruptly stop texting
Answer: GHOST

6A clue: Shaving kit item
Answer: RAZOR

7A clue: 2024 film role for which Mikey Madison won Best Actress
Answer: ANORA

8A clue: The ancient Chinese used compressed blocks of tea leaves as this
Answer: MONEY

9A clue: Shape of a round chart
Answer: PIE

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Dad’s dad, informally
Answer: GRAMP

2D clue: Capital of Vietnam
Answer: HANOI

3D clue: ___ layer, part of Earth’s atmosphere
Answer: OZONE

4D clue: How you might wake up after sleeping funny
Answer: SORE

5D clue: Cafeteria food carrier
Answer: TRAY

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Technologies

Google Could Revive Last Year’s Bright Pink Color for the Pixel 10a

Google’s upcoming Pixel 10a is expected to launch in February with some new colors, including one popular ask.

The Google Pixel 9a is one of Google’s most affordable Pixel phones, and it includes one of the most frequently requested colors — bright pink. With the Google Pixel 10a rumored to launch in February, we’re already getting a hint at the colors the new model will come in.

According to Roland Quandt, a regular mobile leaker on Bluesky, the Google Pixel is expected to be offered in obsidian (black), berry (pink), fog (light gray), and lavender colors. However, it’s the berry hue that is intriguing customers.

A representative for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

«I always love to see phones come in vibrant colors, and it’s especially welcome in more budget-friendly options,» said Abrar Al-Heeti, senior technology reporter at CNET. «Yes, we tend to slap a case on our phones anyway, but just knowing your phone touts a bold color can make it feel like more of a statement piece, rather than a bland piece of tech.»

Pink is one of the most requested color options for the Pixel phones. CNET sister site Mashable loved the color when it debuted on the Pixel 9. Phone rivals like Apple and Samsung are usually expected to offer a pink color option in their flagship and midrange phone lineups, so it’s not surprising to see the berry color on the Pixel 10a.

«I’ll say that Google loves having Pixel phones in pink,» said Patrick Holland, CNET managing editor. «The Pixel 9 and 9a come in peony (a bright, bold pink) and the 9 Pro in rose quartz (a more muted pink). The Pixel 10 series lacks any pinkish hues.»

Quandt also says that the Pixel 10a will have 128GB and 256GB storage models, and will launch in mid-February. That’s earlier than expected compared with the Pixel 9a, which was revealed in mid-March 2025 for a launch on April 10. In terms of specifications, we expect the Pixel 10a to be a modest upgrade compared with previous generations. According to leaks, the Pixel 10 is unlikely to feature a newer Tensor G5 chip, and it’s likely to retain the same overall design as the Pixel 9a.

One leaker, Mystic Leaks on Telegram, expressed disappointment and revealed additional specs, including the absence of a telephoto lens, UFS 3.1 storage, a Tensor G4 chip, a 2,000-nit display and no Magic Cue, which is Google’s AI feature for the Pixel 10.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 14, #948

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Jan. 14 #948.

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

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is kind of tough. The blue category, not the purple one today, expects you to find hidden words in four of the words given in the grid. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: That’s not going anywhere.

Green group hint: End user or customer.

Blue group hint: Ask a meteorologist.

Purple group hint: Not noisy.