ThinkPhone 25 review - No Motorola smartphone is more secure and robust
Big display, small size.
Motorola's compact ThinkPhone 25 puts security at the forefront. It does so through its very robust case and long-term software support including AI-based security functions. Is the Moto phone the perfect business phone? We'll find out for you.Marcus Herbrich, 👁 Florian Schmitt (translated by Daisy Dickson) Published 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 ...
Verdict on the ThinkPhone 25
The ThinkPad series from Lenovo has a long-standing tradition and has made a decisive contribution to the triumph of portable computers. Now the smartphone equivalent follows in its second generation—albeit at a significantly lower price. The ThinkPhone 25 is by no means a perfect business phone, but it does a lot right for a mid-range smartphone. Its case is not only super robust, but also feels comfortable to hold thanks to its aramid fiber back. Plus, it looks modern thanks to its narrow display bezels.
The biggest point of criticism of the current ThinkPhone generation is its weak Dimensity 7300. The business version of the Motorola Edge 50 Neo doesn't feel particularly powerful, although the MediaTek SoC is very stable.
PWM-sensitive users are also likely to be unhappy about its low-frequency screen flickering. A Poco F6, for example, offers much more eye-friendly PWM dimming in the mid-range segment—and noticeably more performance.
The ThinkPhone 25's limited storage is a bit of a shame: without the option to expand it, its 256 GB may not be enough for some business users, especially in the context of private and professional use.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
At the time of writing, the Lenovo ThinkPhone 25 by Motorola is not available to purchase in the USA. It has an MRSP of around $520.
You can find the predecessor model on Amazon for $399.99.
Possible alternatives compared
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Drive | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 79.2%  | Motorola ThinkPhone 25 MediaTek Dimensity 7300 ⎘ ARM Mali-G615 MP2 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 256 GB | Amazon: 1. $6.95 Mr.Shield Screen Protector c... 2. $9.29 Zeking [2+2 Pack for Motorol... 3. $17.99 Wireless Charger Stand Compa... List Price: 499€ | 171 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.36" 2670x1220 462 PPI p-OLED |
2. 77.3%  | Motorola Edge 50 Neo MediaTek Dimensity 7300 ⎘ ARM Mali-G615 MP2 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 512 GB | Amazon: 1. $6.99 Natbok 2 Pack 3D Compatible ... 2. $6.95 Mr.Shield Screen Protector c... 3. $9.99 CeiLarv 3 Pack for Motorola ... List Price: 499€ | 171 g | 512 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.40" 2670x1220 459 PPI P-OLED |
3. 81.9%  | Google Pixel 8a Google Tensor G3 ⎘ ARM Mali-G715 MP7 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 128 GB | Amazon: $482.00 List Price: 549€ | 188 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.10" 2400x1080 431 PPI AMOLED |
4. 87.4% v7 (old)  | Samsung Galaxy A55 5G Samsung Exynos 1480 ⎘ Samsung Xclipse 530 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 256 GB | Amazon: 1. $449.99 SAMSUNG Galaxy A55 5G Dual S... 2. $3.99 Lesakit Samsung Galaxy A55 5... 3. $6.99 JETech Screen Protector for ... List Price: 529€ | 213 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.60" 2340x1080 390 PPI Super AMOLED |
5. 82.2%  | Xiaomi Poco F6 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 735 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 512 GB | Amazon: $356.99 List Price: 500€ | 179 g | 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | 6.67" 2712x1220 446 PPI AMOLED |
Table of Contents
- Verdict on the ThinkPhone 25
- The ThinkPhone 25's specifications
- Case - The Motorola phone is super robust
- Connectivity - Lenovo's smartphone communicates with the ThinkPad
- Software - The ThinkPhone 25 with long update support
- Communication and GNSS - The Motorola phone with 5G
- Telefone functions and call quality - The ThinkPhone 25 supports eSIMs
- Cameras - The Lenovo phone with Sony technology
- Accessories and warranty - The ThinkPhone 25 with a power supply
- Input devices & operation - The Motorola smartphone with FaceUnlock
- Display - The ThinkPhone 25 with OLED
- Performance - The ThinkPhone 25 with a MediaTek SoC
- Games - The Motorola phone manages 60 fps
- Emissions - The Lenovo phone with stereo sound
- Battery life - The ThinkPhone 25 charges quickly
- Notebookcheck total rating
The ThinkPhone 25 by Motorola places its focus on security and robustness, with which the manufacturer aims to appeal to companies and business customers in particular.
However, the 2024 model isn't a true successor to the ThinkPhone, but rather a business version of the Motorola Edge 50 Neo—in other words, the ThinkPhone 25 is positioned in the mid-range segment. The Motorola phone only uses a MediaTek Dimensity 7300, which is also used in cheaper smartphones.
Motorola advertises numerous security features in combination with a high level of protection on its business phone. Otherwise, the ThinkPhone 25 has a comparatively small 6.36-inch pOLED display, making its dimensions quite compact.
The ThinkPhone 25's specifications
Case - The Motorola phone is super robust
The ThinkPhone 25 aims to be a reliable companion more than anything. To this end, the Motorola phone not only features an IP68 certification, which provides protection against water and dust, but also complies with the MIL-STD-810H standard of the US Department of Defense, which was specially developed for military applications.
As a result, its case should be protected against environmental influences, such as extreme temperature ranges or temporary resistance to acidic liquids. Unlike an IP certification, which is subject to an ISO or DIN standard, MIL-STD-810 is not a standardized protection standard that allows manufacturers to adapt test methods to the corresponding product.
The back of the ThinkPhone 25 is made of aramid fibers, which give the Motorola phone a pleasant feel and hardly show any fingerprint marks. Although the ThinkPhone's aluminum frame has been replaced by plastic on the 2024 model, its build quality is still great.
Its display is protected by Gorilla Glass 7i—a further development of Gorilla Glass 5—which was specially designed for mid-range smartphones. Gorilla Glass 7i is said to have a longer lifespan and better resistance to drops and scratches compared to Gorilla Glass 5.
The bezels around the 6.36-inch OLED panel have been kept quite narrow. As a result, the ratio between the screen and the front of the device is very efficient for this price range, coming in at 89.9%. Subsequently, the dimensions of the ThinkPhone 25 are also nice and compact.
Connectivity - Lenovo's smartphone communicates with the ThinkPad
There are only a few differences to the Motorola Edge 50 Neo when it comes to its connectivity, but there is (so far) only a small memory version of the Thinkphone 25 with 8 GB RAM. An option with 12 GB DDR4X and 512 GB uMCP is not available for the mid-range phone. NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, USB OTG and Miracast are also on board. Its slow USB standard (2.0), which doesn't support wired image output, sets it apart from the high-end faction. Unfortunately, there is no 3.5 mm jack plug and you can't expand its storage via an SD card slot.
As befits a business cell phone, the ThinkPhone 25 boasts a wide range of security features. The in-house ThinkShield mobile is designed to protect personal data from malware and provide management solutions for companies. In addition, protected folders can be secured with two-factor authentication if required. The firmware can also be maintained using Moto Software Control management and lost devices can be locked with Moto Safe.
The manufacturer advertises an interesting option for users of a ThinkPad or Motorola tablet. Via Smart Connect, the ThinkPhone 25 can be used as a webcam or as a mouse and keyboard. Plus, data can be shared and notifications can be displayed on the ThinkPad. However, the Motorola phone also works wirelessly with any other Windows laptop.
Software - The ThinkPhone 25 with long update support
According to Motorola, the mid-range smartphone is set to be supplied with operating system and security updates for five years.
At the time of testing, the ThinkPhone 25 was equipped with Android 14 and its latest security patches were from November 2024. The latter are to be rolled out at least every two months for the Edge 50 Neo, and they will even be supplied monthly on the ThinkPhone 25.
Even so, in the past, the reliability and speed of patch delivery haven't always been optimal for Lenovo phones.
Sustainability
Motorola hasn't provided any precise information on the materials used, their recycling rate or data on the smartphone's CO2 consumption over the course of its life cycle. The ThinkPhone 25's packaging appears to be plastic-free.
Communication and GNSS - The Motorola phone with 5G
In terms of connectivity, the ThinkPhone 25 is future-proof, even if it doesn't always rely on the very latest wireless standards. It supports Wi-Fi 6E including 6 GHz Wi-Fi, which resulted in stable transfer rates in combination with our Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 reference router. However, its values for the 6 GHz channel were comparatively low.
For connecting to the web on the go, the Motorola phone supports access to the 5G network at best, but the ThinkPhone 25 also supports a wide range of frequencies for the LTE standard. Users will be well equipped in Germany, where this test was carried out, but connectivity should also not be an issue when traveling.
In order to assess its tracking accuracy in practice, we took the ThinkPhone 25 with us on a short bike ride. We recorded the route in parallel with a Garmin Venu 2 for comparison purposes. Overall, we liked its tracking capabilities quite well, but its deviations on our test route became more frequent on closer inspection.
It only supports single-band GNSS and not all global satellite navigation systems are available. Its position is determined accurately outdoors, but the ThinkPhone 25 needs a certain amount of time before a satellite fix is achieved. Inside buildings, the mid-range phone doesn't allow its location to be determined.
Telefone functions and call quality - The ThinkPhone 25 supports eSIMs
The Motorola smartphone offers fully-fledged dual SIM support with two nano-SIM card slots for private and business calls.
It's also possible to integrate an eSIM into the system and use the VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling functions. Remote eSIM allocation and remote device management should additionally make the ThinkPhone 25 ideal for corporate customers.
Its call quality via the earpiece sounds good. During our test, the person on the other end of the line sounded clear and we were also clearly transmitted through the two microphones.
Cameras - The Lenovo phone with Sony technology
The ThinkPhone 25 has a 32-MPix lens on the front that even uses pixel binning. The resulting 8 MPix photos feature a neutrally balanced color depiction, and have lots of detail and a decent dynamic range. The front-facing camera can record video in UHD quality at best, which not every mid-range phone can do.
A Sony LYTIA 700C sensor with OIS is used on the back, which has been specially optimized for thin camera modules. The 1/1.56-inch image sensor has a resolution of 50 MPix and, in combination with an f/1.8 aperture, delivered very good results in our test shots—surprisingly good even when compared to the quality offered by an Apple iPhone 16 Pro. Sharpness and color balance are very good for a mid-range device and the ThinkPhone 25 retained some details even in the dark.
The Motorola cell phone's 10-MPix telephoto camera is also a special feature, as a 3x optical zoom isn't always a given in this price range. The optically stabilized photos look impressive up to a magnification of 5x and even with a 10x zoom, the photos are still fine. The telephoto sensor also has a positive effect on portrait shots, as a lens with a long focal length is available for this purpose.
However, those who like to take very wide-angle photos with their smartphone should steer clear of the ThinkPhone 25, as its 13 MPix ultra-wide-angle camera is clearly the weakest lens in the group. The photos don't look very sharp and have many image errors.
The same as on the front, videos can be recorded in 4K resolution and at a maximum of 30 fps. The image quality is okay and the camera's autofocus reacts reliably. You just need to decide which lens to use before each recording, as it isn't possible to switch between lenses while recording.
Image comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main cameraMain cameraLow lightUltra-wide angle
In controlled lighting conditions, we analyzed the 50-MPix main camera's color reproduction in comparison to the actual reference colors. In addition to the brightening that often occurs in smartphones, the ThinkPhone 25 hardly missed the mark when it came to colors. Larger deviations in the ColorChecker passport actually only occurred in the black balance.
Accessories and warranty - The ThinkPhone 25 with a power supply
A look inside the ThinkPhone 25's box is reminiscent of times gone by when manufacturers still attached great importance to a lavish scope of delivery: Lenovo equips its mid-range phone with a protective film, a USB cable, a protective cover and a matching 68-watt charger. Motorola even includes a headset with its ThinkPhone 25.
All of Motorola's phones are covered by a standard 12-month warranty in the United States. You can optionally take out a Moto Care insurance package for the ThinkPhone 25 for up to three years.
Input devices & operation - The Motorola smartphone with FaceUnlock
Thanks to its high refresh rate of a maximum of 120 Hz, the ThinkPhone 25 should run smoothly during everyday use and animations should look smooth. Unfortunately, this is only true in theory, as the Motorola phone often suffers stutters and delays during everyday use.
Inputs on the 6.36-inch display are implemented accurately right up to the corners of the touchscreen. The OLED panel also responds quickly to touch thanks to its sampling rate of up to 300 Hz.
The phone's optical fingerprint sensor—which unlocks the screen reliably—isn't the speediest on the market, but works fast enough for a mid-range phone and is quite reliable. You can also make use of less secure 2D facial recognition based on a FaceUnlock function using the front camera.
Display - The ThinkPhone 25 with OLED
The ThinkPhone 25's 6.36-inch OLED panel has a 1220p resolution—the manufacturer calls this SuperHD—with an aspect ratio of 20:9 and an impressive 462 PPI. The refresh rate can be dynamically adjusted. LTPO technology enables the Motorola phone to have a variable frequency of 1 to 120 Hz, which is still extremely rare in this price range.
Although the ThinkPhone 25 wasn't record-breakingly bright during our measurements, over 1,100 cd/m² with an activated ambient light sensor and displaying a pure white display is nonetheless very good for the mid-range segment. We measured up to 2,156 cd/m² when displaying bright and dark surfaces (APL18 pattern). This allows HDR content in movies and series to be reproduced vividly.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 97 %
Center on Battery: 1125 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE ColorChecker Calman: 1.95 | ∀{0.5-29.43 Ø4.79}
ΔE Greyscale Calman: 2.4 | ∀{0.09-98 Ø5}
106.1% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.099
CCT: 6336 K
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 p-OLED, 2670x1220, 6.4" | Motorola Edge 50 Neo P-OLED, 2670x1220, 6.4" | Google Pixel 8a AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.1" | Samsung Galaxy A55 5G Super AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.6" | Xiaomi Poco F6 AMOLED, 2712x1220, 6.7" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 4% | 19% | 9% | -3% | |
| Brightness middle (cd/m²) | 1125 | 1246 11% | 1518 35% | 962 -14% | 1031 -8% |
| Brightness (cd/m²) | 1109 | 1235 11% | 1466 32% | 967 -13% | 1028 -7% |
| Brightness Distribution (%) | 97 | 98 1% | 88 -9% | 99 2% | 96 -1% |
| Black Level * (cd/m²) | |||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.95 | 1.8 8% | 1.2 38% | 1.6 18% | 1.4 28% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 3.37 | 3.81 -13% | 3.3 2% | 2.6 23% | 3.7 -10% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.4 | 2.3 4% | 2 17% | 1.5 37% | 2.9 -21% |
| Gamma | 2.099 105% | 2.191 100% | 2.2 100% | 2.13 103% | 2.21 100% |
| CCT | 6336 103% | 6488 100% | 6786 96% | 6382 102% | 6560 99% |
* ... smaller is better
Due to the installed OLED technology, the phone uses PWM modulation to control the screen's brightness. Motorola has stated that its ThinkPhone 25 makes use of eye-friendly DC dimming, but there is no information on the frequency of this. We measured a fairly low 407 Hz with our oscilloscope. Motorola seems to be taking a different approach here than with its sister model, the Edge 50 Neo, where we measured over 1,600 Hz in our test.
Those who are sensitive to display flickering could very well experience discomfort due to its rather high amplitude deflection of over 24 percent. The greater this value deviates from 0 percent, the higher the probability that changes in the brightness control will be noticed negatively. The ThinkPhone 25's low base flickering (91 Hz) is probably due to BFI which is commonly used as burn-in protection.
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 91 Hz Amplitude: 24 % |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 91 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 91 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8156 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Measurement series with fixed zoom level and different brightness settings
The ThinkPhone 25 gives users the option to adjust the display's calibration in the shape of three preset profiles and a white balance. Using the "Natural" profile, the colors are displayed very accurately. Grayscale deviations are then also small and we didn't note a color cast.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.5 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.6 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 4 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.3 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 1.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.9 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.9 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 8 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (31.7 ms). | ||
The OLED panel's colors remain stable and vivid even at a flat viewing angle. Its brightness doesn't drop much, either. Outdoors, the ThinkPhone 25 benefits from its high brightness and leaves a great impression. Enough brightness reserves should also be available to cope with most lighting situations during the summer months. Reflections didn't limit readability whatsoever in our wintery conditions.
Performance - The ThinkPhone 25 with a MediaTek SoC
The ThinkPhone 25 comes with the same SoC from Mediatek as the Edge 50 Neo. However, the Dimensity 7300, which is manufactured using 4nm technology, isn't terribly fast for this price range. If you want, you can use up to 8 GB of the phone's internal storage as virtual RAM using RAM Boost.
In our benchmarks, the mid-range phone's performance wasn't very impressive. Even an Exynos 1480 inside the Galaxy A55 was more powerful than the ThinkPhone 25 in both the multi-core and single-core Geekbench tests.
| UL Procyon AI Inference for Android - Overall Score NNAPI | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (8087 - 27964, n=8) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3769 - 81594, n=138, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Geekbench AI | |
| Quantized TensorFlow NNAPI 1.2 | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (123 - 13084, n=55, last 2 years) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (397 - 2786, n=5) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Half Precision TensorFlow NNAPI 1.2 | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (51 - 9453, n=55, last 2 years) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (136 - 1342, n=5) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Single Precision TensorFlow NNAPI 1.2 | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (51 - 2472, n=55, last 2 years) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (137 - 564, n=5) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
The Dimensity 7300 uses a Mali-G615 MP2 graphics unit, which performed somewhat weaker during our graphics tests compared to an Xclipse 530 or Mali-G715 MP7. Especially in the demanding high-tier GFXBench benchmarks, the GPU inside the Motorola smartphone landed in last place.
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7: T-Rex Onscreen | 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
GFXBench 3.0: on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL | 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
GFXBench 3.1: on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
GFXBench: on screen Car Chase Onscreen | 1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | 3840x2160 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 50 Neo | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| Motorola Edge 50 Neo | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Unlimited Score | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| Motorola Edge 50 Neo | |
| 3DMark / Wild Life Score | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| Motorola Edge 50 Neo | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| 3DMark / Solar Bay Score | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| 3DMark / Solar Bay Unlimited Score | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| 3DMark / Steel Nomad Light Unlimited Score | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Motorola Edge 50 Neo | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| 3DMark / Steel Nomad Light Score | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| Motorola Edge 50 Neo | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Onscreen | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 50 Neo | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 50 Neo | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 50 Neo | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 50 Neo | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| GFXBench / 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| Motorola Edge 50 Neo | |
The ThinkPhone 25 delivered decent results in the browser tests and performs well during everyday use. There are hardly any long delays when scrolling or accessing complex websites.
| Jetstream 2 - 2.0 Total Score | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 (Chrome 127.0.6533.64) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (23.8 - 387, n=156, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G (Chrome 123) | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 (Chrome 131) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (60.2 - 138.5, n=7) | |
| Google Pixel 8a (Chrome 126) | |
| Speedometer 3 - Score 3.0 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (1.03 - 42.8, n=122, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 (Chrome 127.0.6533.64) | |
| Google Pixel 8a (Chrome 126) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (5.6 - 8.86, n=8) | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 (Chrome 131) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G (Chrome 123) | |
| WebXPRT 4 - Overall | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 (Chrome 127.0.6533.64) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (27 - 306, n=148, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G (Chrome 123) | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 (Chrome 131) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (56 - 120, n=8) | |
| Google Pixel 8a (Chrome 126) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 (Chrome 127.0.6533.64) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 121337, n=201, last 2 years) | |
| Google Pixel 8a (Chrome 126) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G (Chrome 123) | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 (Chrome 131) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (22739 - 40600, n=12) | |
| Motorola Edge 50 Neo | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 7300 (1060 - 2154, n=8) | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 (Chrome 131) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (257 - 28190, n=156, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G (Chrome 123) | |
| Google Pixel 8a (Chrome 126) | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 (Chrome 127.0.6533.64) | |
* ... smaller is better
In terms of speed, the UFS storage inside the Motorola phone offers solid performance. However, its values are comparatively poor for the 3.1 standard, especially when reading. Still, this should be due less to the storage medium itself than to the limiting memory controller of the Dimensity 7300.
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | Motorola Edge 50 Neo | Google Pixel 8a | Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | Xiaomi Poco F6 | Average 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 15% | -20% | 9% | 155% | 31% | 63% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB (MB/s) | 975.43 | 1023 5% | 1509.65 55% | 1688.53 73% | 4103.79 321% | 1757 ? 80% | 2206 ? 126% |
| Sequential Write 256KB (MB/s) | 856.48 | 964.6 13% | 255.31 -70% | 831.44 -3% | 3143.04 267% | 1204 ? 41% | 1830 ? 114% |
| Random Read 4KB (MB/s) | 287.4 | 331 15% | 165.98 -42% | 351.47 22% | 312.22 9% | 287 ? 0% | 293 ? 2% |
| Random Write 4KB (MB/s) | 308.11 | 384.1 25% | 243.82 -21% | 132.11 -57% | 373.77 21% | 318 ? 3% | 338 ? 10% |
Games - The Motorola phone manages 60 fps
In order to assess the installed Mali GPU's graphics power outside of our benchmark package, we took a look at two games from the PlayStore with our partner GameBench. We measured the exact frame rates for this and concluded that the ThinkPhone 25's performance is definitely suitable for gaming.
The demanding game Genshin Impact was displayed at an average of 55 fps with low graphics settings. And even with the graphics settings set to high, we noted an average of 45 frames per second, which is sufficient for a smooth gaming experience. PUBG Mobile could be run in low details at 60 fps. Unfortunately, the highest detail level (UHD) isn't enabled for the mid-range phone; in HD mode, we achieved a constant 40 fps.
Emissions - The Lenovo phone with stereo sound
The ThinkPhone 25 manages the surface temperatures of its case quite well. In our load scenario using the Burnout benchmark, we measured a moderate waste heat of a maximum of 46 degrees Celsius, but this didn't lead to the system's performance being throttled in the 3DMark stress tests.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46 °C / 115 F, compared to the average of 35.2 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 247 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43.9 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 34 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 22.6 °C / 73 F, compared to the device average of 32.9 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Steel Nomad stress test
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Motorola Edge 50 Neo | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Motorola Edge 50 Neo | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| Solar Bay Stress Test Stability | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Steel Nomad Light Stress Test Stability | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 | |
| Motorola Edge 50 Neo | |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
Speakers
The ThinkPhone 25 uses a dual speaker system with a really good stereo sound, even if the sound generator lacks a bit of depth. Our pink noise measurement revealed a slightly rising or falling frequency curve for the mids and highs. Overall, however, its linearity is very good for the mid-range segment.
You can output sound to external media either wired via the USB port or wirelessly via Bluetooth 5.3. The latter uses a wide range of codecs (SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX TWS, aptX Adaptive, LHDC V5, LDAC, LC3, Opus).
Motorola ThinkPhone 25 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.7% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 7% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 87% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 35%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 28% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 67% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Motorola Edge 50 Neo audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 6% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 21% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 69% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 35%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 42% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 50% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Battery life - The ThinkPhone 25 charges quickly
Power consumption
The ThinkPhone 25's battery has a 4,310 mAh capacity and can be charged either via USB-C at up to 68 watts or wirelessly at 15 watts. Using the Motorola 68-watt TurboPower charger, we needed around 45 minutes to fully charge the battery from zero during our test. However, you have to activate the charging boost option. As the mid-range phone is PD-capable (Power Delivery), standard power banks can also be used.
The phone's power consumption is exemplary. At around 5 watts, the ThinkPhone 25 consumes relatively little energy under load.
| Off / Standby |   0.1 / 0.2 Watt |
| Idle |  0.6 / 0.8 / 1.1 Watt |
| Load |
3.1 / 5.4 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 4310 mAh | Google Pixel 8a 4492 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A55 5G 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Poco F6 5000 mAh | Average MediaTek Dimensity 7300 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -88% | -72% | -74% | -56% | -81% | |
| Idle Minimum * (Watt) | 0.6 | 0.92 -53% | 0.85 -42% | 0.8 -33% | 1.037 ? -73% | 0.853 ? -42% |
| Idle Average * (Watt) | 0.8 | 1.46 -83% | 1.51 -89% | 1.13 -41% | 1.454 ? -82% | 1.43 ? -79% |
| Idle Maximum * (Watt) | 1.1 | 1.65 -50% | 1.71 -55% | 1.17 -6% | 1.747 ? -59% | 1.609 ? -46% |
| Load Average * (Watt) | 3.1 | 7.96 -157% | 4.87 -57% | 7.35 -137% | 3.87 ? -25% | 7.09 ? -129% |
| Load Maximum * (Watt) | 5.4 | 10.74 -99% | 11.73 -117% | 13.76 -155% | 7.58 ? -40% | 11.2 ? -107% |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Power consumption: GFXbench (150 cd/m²)
Runtimes
The Motorola phone delivers really good runtimes for a compact smartphone. The best comparisons can be drawn at an adjusted display brightness (150 cd/m²). Here, the ThinkPhone 25 lasted for over 14 hours when surfing on Wi-Fi. During the endless video playback test without WiFi, it even managed over 26 hours.
| Motorola ThinkPhone 25 4310 mAh | Motorola Edge 50 Neo 4310 mAh | Google Pixel 8a 4492 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A55 5G 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Poco F6 5000 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery runtime | -4% | -7% | 15% | 12% | |
| Reader / Idle (h) | 28.5 | 30.1 6% | 36.7 29% | ||
| H.264 (h) | 26.7 | 18.9 -29% | 25.2 -6% | ||
| WiFi v1.3 (h) | 14.3 | 13.7 -4% | 13.3 -7% | 18 26% | 16 12% |
| Load (h) | 3.4 | 3.5 3% | 3.7 9% |
Notebookcheck total rating
If you can forgive the ThinkPhone 25 by Motorola for its performance deficits, then you'll get an interesting mid-range phone.
Motorola ThinkPhone 25
- 12/07/2024 v8
Marcus Herbrich
Total Sustainability Score: Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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