Motorola Moto G Power

MOTOROLA MOTO G POWER (2022) SPECS

Motorola’s G-series phones have often been at the top of our list of the best inexpensive phones, but the company’s 2021 selection disappointed while rival models from Samsung and TCL caught up. The Moto G Power, the company’s first product in the 2022 portfolio, puts Motorola back on course. The quick and economic Moto G Power has a display with a 90Hz refresh rate starting at $199.99 and comfortably lasts two days between charges. However, the $279.99 Samsung Galaxy A32 5G is a more future-proof option with 5G connectivity and will receive more software upgrades if you can extend your cash further.

Refresh Rate and Resolution

The Moto G Power weighs 7.2 ounces and measures 6.6 by 3.0 by 0.4 inches (HWD). However, it evenly distributes its weight across its plastic chassis. The phone’s textured matte black rear is very comfortable in the hand, improves grip, and hides fingerprints and dings.

Refresh Hz

Although it has a quicker 90Hz refresh rate, the 6.5-inch flat LCD has the same 1,600 by 720 resolution (269ppi) as the 2021 Moto G Power. The center of the display, close to the top, has a little cutout for the 8MP selfie camera.

The biggest letdown is the 720p resolution. Even if the colors on the screen are accurate, close inspection reveals considerable pixelation. Although the viewing angles are decent, it would be easier to see in full sunlight if the panel were a little brighter.

The phone’s top edge has a headphone jack, and the bottom edge has a USB-C charging connector and speaker. The single port on the left is a combined SIM and microSD slot, while the only ports on the right are a volume rocker and a textured power button. The buttons are visible by touch, however, if you have little hands, you could have problems reaching them.

A small module for the camera sensors is located in the upper left corner of the G Power’s back. The fingerprint sensor, which previously operated as the power button on the G Power from a year ago, has been relocated to the back of the phone; it works swiftly and correctly and doesn’t require as fine a touch as in-display or side-mounted sensors.

The phone’s durability is comparable to that of other models with similar prices. We cannot guarantee that its enhanced glass panel will survive a drop without significant damage, but its plastic back and chassis probably will. With an IP52 classification, it should withstand sweat, rain, and splashes without any issues, but it probably won’t hold up to a drop in a sink or pool.

Battery Life and Speakers

According to Motorola, the 5,000mAh battery within the Moto G Power can go three days without recharging. We believe you’re more likely to receive two days unless you’re a cautious user, although that isn’t bad.

The G Power lasted 16 hours and 7 minutes in our battery depletion test, which streams HD video over Wi-Fi at maximum brightness. Compared to the similarly priced Samsung Galaxy A32 5G, which is slightly over three hours long. Unfortunately, recharging takes a long time at 10W; in contrast, the Galaxy A32 5G allows 18W charging. The Moto G Power does not enable wireless charging, as do the majority of phones in this price bracket.

The phone may be heard clearly in a crowded environment due to its max volume of 88dB. Our test calls had good audio quality and effective noise cancellation. On the other side, the speaker quality is underwhelming. Although the single, bottom-firing speaker on the phone can reach a decent maximum loudness of 92dB, you should avoid playing loud music. We noticed noticeable distortion at volumes beyond 70dB and a boxy, uneven soundscape. It’s suitable for little phone calls or browsing TikTok, but it’s not fun for extended Netflix marathons. For better audio, turn to the G Power’s Bluetooth 5.0 support or the a for the mentioned headphone jack.

Network and Connectivity

The G Power is available from Motorola in two different configurations: one that is geared for AT&T’s network and another that can be used with any major US or Canadian carrier. Both versions support 5G connectivity, but we haven’t tested a 5G-capable US phone at this price. The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G delivers outstanding sub-6GHz 5G connectivity if you don’t mind spending more.

On the Chicago T-Mobile network, we tested the phone, and the results were excellent. We achieved average download and upload speeds of 68.2 Mbps and 41.6 Mbps, respectively.

Although the phone has dual-band Wi-Fi, NFC is not supported.

Camera

The Moto G Power’s rear camera module sports a 50MP primary sensor with an f/1.8 aperture. The camera captures clear 12.5MP images with a 1.3 m pixel pitch, and quad-binning is turned on by default. The camera module also houses the identical 2MP f/2.4 aperture depth and macro lenses from the previous year.

In excellent lighting, the 50MP primary lens performs admirably. Photos taken for testing appear clear, with good color fidelity and a natural depth of field. However, we detected some slight edge noise when seen in its entirety.

Photos taken in low light are comparable to those taken by other phones in this price range. Our test images frequently lack depth and have subdued hues. In most of our test images, we observed erratic foreground blurring, some edge noise, and lens flare. Although Motorola’s Night Vision feature improves the photographs’ overall vibrancy and noise levels, they still lack a realistic depth of field.

The 2MP macro lens disappoints, as expected. We observed significant fringing around the borders of items in test images, which seemed flat. You might get better results if you have a vital light source and a steady hand.

In excellent lighting, the 8MP front-facing sensor performs admirably. Our test selfies have a realistic dimension with clear foreground elements. However, some minor details are lost, and the color tones appear warm. With a lot of noise and faint information, it also had trouble in low light.

The Portrait mode on the G Power performs ok. Although the depth sensor on the back helps produce realistic bokeh, object mapping issues are still near caps and ears.

Conclusion

The Moto G Power from 2022 is a decent, budget-friendly phone with few frills. It has no bloatware, executes simple chores quickly, and comfortably lasts a day between charges. Despite this, we still preferred a 1080p display (albeit at the expense of the 90Hz refresh rate) and wished Motorola had either committed to two additional OS upgrades or released the phone with Android 12. It still provides a better battery life and camera quality than the $169.99 Moto G Play, making it a good value.

The $279.99 Samsung Galaxy A32 5G, our Editors’ Choice, gives the best value for your money if you’re ready to spend a little extra. It has a better camera, robust software support, and 5G connectivity.