This $300 Motorola Has No Business Being This Good For The Price (and It's On Sale)

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Motorola's Moto G Power is nan related to nan 2025 Moto G, a coagulated mid-tier smartphone that I reviewed not excessively agelong ago. The version is not a immense upgrade complete nan guidelines device. The 2 stock galore similarities, pinch only a fistful of differences. But those mini changes were capable to make maine bask nan Power exemplary much than nan standard.

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One of nan problems I had pinch nan modular Moto G is that it's meant to beryllium a "pocket-sized theater." I ne'er felt it reached those heights. The Moto G Power, connected nan different hand, does. It has a somewhat larger surface measuring 6.8 inches that outputs a Full HD+ image solution (2,388 x 1,080 pixels). By comparison, nan Moto G has a 6.7-inch HD+ show (1,604 x 720 pixels). Both screens tally astatine a 120Hz refresh rate.

Durable and eye-catching

Watching movies and playing mobile games was a amended acquisition connected nan Moto G Power. In summation to nan higher solution surface enabling immersive action, nan telephone besides has nan aforesaid powerful sound strategy coming connected nan guidelines phone. Combined pinch these 2 aspects, this mobile instrumentality really felt for illustration a pocket-sized theater.

motorola-moto-g-power-in-slate-grey
Motorola

An absorbing creation flourish of Motorola's telephone is its durability. It has a h2o guidance standing of IP69, meaning nan instrumentality tin past little submersion. Granted, nary 1 would willingly return their telephone underwater (at least, I dream not), but it's a characteristic that comes successful useful if nan Moto G Power ever falls successful nan pool.

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I can't hide to mention nan eye-catching Leaf Green color. The vibrant hue matches up rather nicely pinch nan achromatic camera array, giving nan telephone a militaristic look. Speaking of nan cameras, nan rear lenses dwell of a 50MP main sensor and an 8MP ultra-wide perspective option.

User-friendly camera

Photographs look awesome overall. The camera array captures precocious amounts of item successful images, and nan colors are nicely vibrant. I americium a large instrumentality of nan camera app's menu. The UI isn't that different from nan interfaces connected different smartphones, but there's thing astir nan layout that makes tweaking nan settings nosy and easy.

Key features are laid retired well, pinch clear indicators of what they do. Sometimes, they activate automatically. A move to move connected Night Vision appears whenever nan rear sensor detects mediocre lighting conditions. It was a bully touch; however, nan strategy struggles successful low-light environments -- pictures look grainy.

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For group who want to flex their imaginative muscles, a bid of image filters is disposable by tapping nan three-circle icon adjacent nan bottom. Below is an image taken nether nan Film select and a 4:3 facet ratio.

Filtered photograph taken connected Moto G Power

Filtered photograph taken connected Moto G Power

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

Performance that's conscionable bully enough

Inside nan Moto G Power is simply a MediaTek Dimensity 6300, nan aforesaid chipset arsenic its predecessor, though it's supported by 8GB of RAM, which is "expandable up to 24GB pinch RAM Boost." I instantly noticed nan superior performance. Animations successful intensive games for illustration Honkai Star Rail were smoother. Stuttering was little of an issue, but nan title was still plagued by mediocre graphical resolution.

Moto G Power ports
Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

Solid artillery

Both Moto G models tally a 5,000mAh battery, allowing users to bask a multi-day charge. However, nan Moto G Power has a somewhat shorter artillery life. During my testing period, nan telephone lasted for astir 3 days consecutive earlier tapping out. By comparison, nan guidelines Moto G eclipsed its counterpart by a afloat day. What amazed maine astir these runtimes is that I utilized nan Power telephone little often, truthful I figured it would past longer. Yet, it didn't.

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Recharge times were slower, too. Instead of 30 minutes, it took complete 45 minutes for nan phone's artillery to scope 50%. That isn't slow per se, but again, it is erstwhile compared to nan different model. Still, gaining a multi-day artillery life successful astir an hr is praiseworthy, make nary mistake.

ZDNET's buying proposal

The Motorola Moto G Power is connected waste for $300 astatine Amazon. I urge this mobile instrumentality to group who want a coagulated camera and a mini location theatre system. These 2 features let nan telephone to punch good supra its weight class. Thanks to its durability, it's a bully action to return pinch you if you often travel.

However, if you worth artillery longevity supra each else, cheque retired nan guidelines Moto G. I would besides urge nan Moto G Stylus since it is nan best-performing exemplary of nan 2025 series.

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