If You're Over The Expensive Flagships, This $199 Motorola Is A Legit Budget Option

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Motorola's Moto G is disposable now for $199.
• 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 underwhelming display.

In a world wherever flagship smartphones tin costs $1,000 aliases more, cardinal brands person carved a niche for themselves by processing midrange alternatives. These manufacturers equip their devices pinch a wide assortment of features truthful buyers ne'er crave a high-end exemplary -- aliases astatine slightest they try. 

Also: This fund Motorola telephone punches measurement supra its weight (and it comes pinch a stylus)

Motorola comes adjacent to delivering that golden modular pinch its 2025 Moto G.

Made for media

One of nan Moto G's awesome trading points is its domiciled 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 sound strategy is thing short of fantastic. Audio output is rich | and strong, filling an full room pinch music. It tin get beautiful loud, too. I frightened my feline a mates of times erstwhile watching trial videos astatine afloat volume.

I am, however, lukewarm astir nan screen. According to nan charismatic specs sheet, it outputs images successful HD+, which is only 1,604 x 720 pixels. A solution for illustration 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 individual phone, the OnePlus Nord N30, nan colors connected nan Moto G looked overly saturated. This is each individual preference, and we're talking astir a $200 telephone here.

Also: Why I for illustration this Lenovo tablet complete nan iPad for multimedia consumption

In fact, nan screen's highest brightness of 1,000 nits allows it to support decent visibility nether nonstop sunlight, and nan 120Hz refresh complaint ensures fluid on-screen animations.

Motorola made respective awesome decisions erstwhile designing nan Moto G. It is simply a slim, lightweight smartphone sporting rounded corners pinch a backmost covered successful vegan leather, giving nan exemplary a unsocial texture. Together, they create a mobile instrumentality that fits comfortably successful your hand.

Camera is "good enough" 

Jutting retired from nan backmost is simply a two-camera array pinch nan words "50MP Quad Pixel" etched into nan faux leather, referring to nan main lens. That 4th "lens" beneath nan flash bulb is really an ambient ray sensor to thief pinch photography.  

Also: I recovered a Lenovo laptop that I wouldn't mind ditching my MacBook Pro for - and it's connected sale

The Moto G has a coagulated camera system. It captures nan finer specifications successful pictures and performs good moreover nether low-light conditions. Below is simply a photograph I took successful Little Tokyo successful downtown Los Angeles. I was worried nan cloudy time would hamper nan lenses. Fortunately, nan image came retired great, and I'm happy pinch really it turned out.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

I noticed nan telephone would saturate nan colors successful immoderate of my photos. Neon signs, for example, looked much vibrant successful pictures than astatine Little Tokyo. This is nan only awesome disapproval of nan cameras, and moreover then, it's much of a individual preference. I for illustration cameras pinch nuanced colour balance, but if you for illustration saturated imagery, nan Moto G delivers successful spades.

Impressive battery

Battery is different area wherever nan Moto G shines. I performed 2 tests. In nan first, I casually utilized nan telephone to spot really agelong it would last. It ran for astir 4 days straight. For nan 2nd trial, I played a YouTube livestream successful 720p non-stop until nan artillery gave out. In this instance, nan instrumentality lasted a small nether 24 hours earlier tapping out.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

Granted, these are not ace technological tests, but they connection a bully knowing of nan smartphone's longevity. I besides want to item its accelerated recharge times because nan speedy turnaround made utilizing and walking pinch nan Moto G each nan better. A speedy 30-minute recharge brought nan artillery up to 50%.

Don't bargain this for gaming

While nan Moto G's longevity is impressive, I can't opportunity nan 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 while browsing nan net felt seamless, and streaming shows connected Netflix was arsenic soft arsenic tin be.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

Problems arose erstwhile I played mobile games. The MediaTek spot had immoderate trouble rendering graphically aggravated titles, for illustration Honkai: Star Rail. There were a fewer instances of stuttering and momentary freezing.

Also: This $100 Lenovo tablet is simply a awesome mobile intermezo instrumentality - and I'm tempted to bargain two

The telephone comes pinch RAM Boost, a characteristic that converts quiet 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 nan chipset since it is simply a low-cost smartphone. I was much disappointed by nan display.

ZDNET's buying advice

The Moto G is disposable now for $199 astatine Amazon. It's a bargain astatine that price, particularly if you're not a hardcore gamer who demands nan champion graphical performance. This is simply a awesome budget phone pinch coagulated hardware, and I urge it to anyone hunting for a bargain.

If you're unfastened to alternatives, see nan new Moto G Power. It has galore of nan aforesaid features but supports 15W wireless charging and boasts a much durable design. If you emotion exploring nan outdoors, nan Moto G Power will beryllium a amended partner.

Looking for nan adjacent champion product? Get master reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.