4 hours ago
7
ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- Motorola's Moto G is disposable from the company's website for $200.
- The smartphone boasts a long-lasting battery, booming speakers, and a coagulated camera array.
- However, I wouldn't telephone it a "pocket-sized theater" owed to its sub-standard screen.
In a satellite wherever flagship smartphones tin outgo $1,000 oregon more, cardinal brands person carved a niche for themselves by processing midrange alternatives. These manufacturers equip their devices with a wide assortment of features truthful buyers ne'er crave a high-end exemplary -- oregon astatine slightest they try.
Also: I tested Motorola's $1,300 Razr Ultra, and it made my Samsung Galaxy Z Flip consciousness outdated
Motorola comes adjacent to delivering that golden modular with its 2025 Moto G.
Pocket-sized movie theater
One of the Moto G's large selling points is its relation arsenic a "pocket-sized [movie] theater." It has a 6.7-inch HD+ show runs astatine a refresh complaint of 120Hz, backed up by speakers fine-tuned by Dolby Atmos. The dependable strategy is thing abbreviated of fantastic. Audio output is affluent and strong, filling an full country with music. It tin get beauteous loud, too. I frightened my feline a mates of times erstwhile watching trial videos astatine afloat volume.
I americium lukewarm astir the screen. According to the authoritative specs sheet, it outputs images successful HD+, which is lone 1,604 x 720 pixels. A solution similar this is serviceable but thing impressive. Some mobile games I played, specified arsenic Honkai: Star Rail, looked fuzzy. The gameplay didn't look sharp. Compared to my idiosyncratic phone, the OnePlus Nord N30, the colors connected the Moto G looked overly saturated. This is each idiosyncratic preference, and we're talking astir a $200 telephone here.
In fact, the screen's highest brightness of 1,000 nits allows it to support decent visibility nether nonstop sunlight, and the 120Hz refresh complaint ensures fluid on-screen animations.
Motorola made respective large decisions erstwhile designing the Moto G. It is simply a slim, lightweight smartphone sporting rounded corners with a backmost covered successful vegan leather, giving the exemplary a unsocial texture. Together, they make a mobile instrumentality that fits comfortably successful your hand.
Solid camera system
Jutting retired from the backmost is simply a two-camera array with the words "50MP Quad Pixel" etched into the faux leather, referring to the main lens. That 4th "lens" beneath the flash bulb is really an ambient airy sensor to assistance with photography.
Also: Google Pixel 9a vs. iPhone 16e: I camera-tested some phones, and there's a wide winner
The Moto G has a coagulated camera system. It captures the finer details successful pictures and performs good adjacent nether low-light conditions. Below is simply a photograph I took successful Little Tokyo successful downtown Los Angeles. I was disquieted the cloudy time would hamper the lenses. Fortunately, the representation came retired great, and I'm blessed with however it turned out.
I noticed the telephone would saturate the colors successful immoderate of my photos. Neon signs, for example, looked much vibrant successful pictures than astatine Little Tokyo. This is the lone large disapproval of the cameras, and adjacent then, it's much of a idiosyncratic preference. I similar cameras with nuanced colour balance, but if you similar saturated imagery, the Moto G delivers successful spades.
Impressive battery
Battery is different country wherever the Moto G shines. I performed 2 tests. In the first, I casually utilized the telephone to spot however agelong it would last. It ran for astir 4 days straight. For the 2nd trial, I played a YouTube livestream successful 720p non-stop until the artillery gave out. In this instance, the instrumentality lasted a small nether 24 hours earlier tapping out.
Granted, these are not ace technological tests, but they connection a bully knowing of the smartphone's longevity. I besides privation to item its accelerated recharge times due to the fact that the speedy turnaround made utilizing and traveling with the Moto G each the better. A speedy 30-minute recharge brought the artillery up to 50%.
Don't bargain this for gaming
While the Moto G's longevity is impressive, I can't accidental the aforesaid astir its chipset. It runs connected a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC (system connected a chip). For astir applications, it's perfectly fine. Jumping betwixt web pages portion browsing the net felt seamless, and streaming shows connected Netflix was arsenic creaseless arsenic tin be.
Problems arose erstwhile I played mobile games. The MediaTek spot had immoderate trouble rendering graphically aggravated titles, similar Honkai: Star Rail. There were a fewer instances of stuttering and momentary freezing.
Also: This $400 Motorola telephone leaves maine with small Pixel 9a envy - and it has a stylus
The telephone comes with RAM Boost, a diagnostic that converts bare retention abstraction into virtual RAM to heighten performance. The instrumentality functions automatically, and it does help, though it isn't perfect. To beryllium honest, I wasn't expecting overmuch from the chipset since it is simply a low-cost smartphone. I was much disappointed by the display.
ZDNET's buying advice
The Moto G is disposable present for $200 on Motorola's website. It's a bargain astatine that price, particularly if you're not a hardcore gamer who demands the champion graphical performance. This is simply a large midrange phone with coagulated hardware, and I urge it to anyone hunting for a bargain.
If you're unfastened to alternatives, see the new Moto G Power. It has galore of the aforesaid features but supports 15W wireless charging and boasts a much durable design. If you emotion exploring the outdoors, the Moto G Power volition beryllium the amended partner.
The caller US tariffs connected imports from countries similar China, Vietnam, and India purpose to boost home manufacturing but are apt to thrust up prices connected user electronics. Products similar smartphones, laptops, and TVs whitethorn go much costly arsenic companies rethink planetary proviso chains and measurement the outgo of shifting production.
Also:Tariff warfare has tech buyers wondering what's next. Here's what we know
Smartphones are among the astir affected by the caller US tariffs, with devices imported from China and Vietnam facing steep duties that could rise retail prices by 20% oregon more. Brands similar Apple and Google, which trust heavy connected Asian manufacturing, whitethorn either walk these costs connected to consumers oregon sorb them astatine the disbursal of nett margins.
The tariffs could besides pb to delays successful merchandise launches oregon shifts successful wherever and however phones are made, forcing companies to diversify accumulation to countries with much favorable commercialized conditions.
Looking for the adjacent champion product? Get adept reviews and exertion favorites with ZDNET Recommends.
English (US) ·