Motorola's Moto G series has been supplying decent budget smartphones with a competitive price/quality ratio for years. The Moto G7 is the latest model. In this Motorola Moto G7 review we find out how the smartphone performs. We also compare it with the slightly better and more expensive Moto G7 Plus.
Motorola Moto G7
Price €249,-ColorsBlack and white
OS Android 9.0
Screen 6.2 inch LCD (2270 x 1080)
Processor 1.8GHz octa-core (Snapdragon 632)
RAM 4GB
Storage 64GB (expandable)
Battery 3,000 mAh
Camera 12 and 5 megapixels (rear), 8 megapixels (front)
Connectivity 4G (LTE), Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC
Format 15.7 x 7.5 x 0.8 cm
Weight 172 grams
Website www.motorola.com 8 Score 80
- Pros
- Nearly stock Android with useful Moto actions
- Smooth hardware
- Premium design
- Negatives
- Update Policy
- Glass is fragile
- Battery life could have been a little longer
The Moto G7 series consists of no less than four devices. The entry-level model (149 euros) is the Moto G7 Play, while the 199 euros Moto G7 Power distinguishes itself with a large battery. The regular model is the Moto G7 of 249 euros and the Moto G7 Plus (299 euros) offers the best hardware. Over the past few weeks, we've been testing both the G7 and the Plus version and we'll soon be publishing a video comparing the two smartphones. In this written review we briefly touch on the differences.
Design
The time when a cheaper smartphone has a rickety plastic housing is (fortunately) behind us. In 2019, devices are made of glass or metal, which makes them luxurious and solid. This also applies to the Moto G7. The smartphone has a nice glass design and looks more expensive than it is. The housing is well finished and the device fits comfortably in the hand. There are also downsides. The glass is very smooth, attracts fingerprints and is damaged relatively quickly if the phone falls on the street. A cover is therefore not an unnecessary luxury. Motorola supplies an ultra-cheap plastic (transparent) cover, which is nice, although it offers little protection in the event of a fall.
The back of the device has a camera module that unfortunately sticks out quite a bit. You can solve this with – yes – a case. The Motorola logo below the camera includes a fingerprint scanner that is fast and accurate. The front of the Moto G7 consists almost entirely of screen, which gives the smartphone a modern look. At the bottom is a narrow edge with the Motorola logo and at the top you will find a narrow but deep notch for the front camera. The display is 6.2 inches and looks sharp due to the full-HD resolution. The LCD screen offers beautiful colors and the maximum brightness is bright enough to read the display in a winter sun. We do wonder if the brightness is sufficient in the summer.
According to Motorola, the Moto G7 is water-resistant, which means it won't break in a rain shower. However, do not take the device into the swimming pool! The smartphone has both a USB-c port and a 3.5mm audio connection on the bottom, where you will also find the speaker. It produces a nice sound, but it is not very impressive.
Hardware
Under the hood of the phone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 chipset. This octacore processor is not the fastest, but it is a logical and solid choice for a cheaper smartphone. With 4GB, the working memory of the Moto G7 is slightly larger than usual (3GB) in this price range. The performance of the smartphone is fine and comparable to the competition. All popular apps run without any problems and you can also play a game. Heavy games of course do not run as smoothly as on much more expensive devices. The Moto G7 Plus uses a slightly faster processor, but is otherwise similar to the Moto G7.
The Moto G7 is equipped with a 3000 mAh battery. That's not very big for a smartphone with a large full-HD screen, so don't expect miracles from the battery life. You can get through the day with normal use, but charging every evening or night is required. If you put a heavier load on the device, for example by gaming or using the hotspot function, there is a good chance that you will need a charger for dinner.
Charging is via USB-C. The included TurboPower charger has a power of 15 Watts, which is decent for a budget smartphone. The higher the power, the faster the battery charges. For that reason, Apple has been criticized for years, which supplies pricey iPhones with a slow 5W charger. Incidentally, with the Moto G7 Plus you get an impressive 27W TurboPower charger that charges the battery at lightning speed.
Conveniently, the Moto G7 (just like the Plus variant) has a three-part card slot. So you can use two SIM cards (dual SIM) and a micro SD card at the same time. Most smartphones have two card slots, forcing you to choose between dual SIM or more memory. The chance that you need more storage space is not that great. The Moto G7 has 64GB of internal memory, of which more than 52GB is available for your apps and media.
The device supports modern technologies such as 5GHz WiFi and has an NFC chip for applications such as contactless payment in shops.
Cameras
Selfies takes the Moto G7 with the 8 megapixel front camera. The results are good enough, although the camera struggles in a room with low light. On the back of the Moto G7 is a dual camera. The primary sensor has a resolution of 12 megapixels. The secondary 5 megapixel sensor is used when you shoot a bokeh photo. The lens blurs the background, so that the person or object in the foreground comes into its own. This feature works nicely, but not nearly as well as on more expensive smartphones like the iPhone XS. Sad but understandable. Less logical is Motorola's 'Spot Color' camera function. Tap an object or person in the camera app and that color (for example, a red sweater) remains visible on the black and white photo. A funny, but not new, idea that almost always works moderately to poorly in practice.
Fortunately, the camera does take good images in normal mode. The images are sharp, have a good dynamic range and retain enough detail when you zoom in. The color reproduction is often slightly exaggerated, making grass look greener and blue skies even more beautiful. This is not very disturbing. In the evening, the camera also holds its own and takes excellent pictures with the price point in mind. You can't compare the photo quality with devices that are three times as expensive, but the images are usually good enough to share on social media. Conveniently, the camera can film in both full-HD and 4K resolution.
The Moto G7 Plus has a slightly different camera. The resolution of the primary camera is slightly higher (16 compared to 12 megapixels), but more importantly: it has optical image stabilization. This technique significantly reduces the chance of a blurred photo and choppy videos. The front camera of the G7 Plus also has a higher resolution (12 versus 8 megapixels).
Below you can see a few photos taken with the Moto G7.
Software
Motorola has been supplying its smartphones with a barely modified version of Android for years. A big advantage, because stock Android looks and works very nice and does not need any extra apps and functions. The Moto G7 runs on the latest Android version; 9.0 (Pie). The manufacturer adds a few apps to this: an FM radio, an app to control Dolby Atmos sound settings and the Moto app. The latter lets you set all kinds of useful actions so that you can use the device smarter. Shaking twice opens the flashlight at all times, rotating the camera twice and you take a screenshot by touching the screen with three fingers.
Motorola's update policy has unfortunately become less over the years. Previously, the manufacturer was one of the first brands to release Android updates for its devices, but nowadays Motorola users have to be very patient. For example, the Moto G4 Plus only received Android 8 (Oreo) in February, eighteen months after Motorola promised the update.
Motorola promises that the Moto G7 will get one major update and will receive a quarterly security update for two years. That is average in this price range and it is nice that Motorola immediately provides clarity. However, if you value updates, it is better to choose an Android One device: they will receive two major updates and a security update every month for three years.
Conclusion: Buy Moto G7?
The Motorola Moto G7 is a smartphone without any real flaws, and that is worth mentioning. For a reasonable 249 euros you get a device with a premium design, beautiful screen, smooth hardware and decent cameras. The clean Android version is also nice, although Motorola can improve its update policy. Other points of interest are the fragile glass housing and the average battery life.
Are you willing to spend a little more? Then take a look at the Moto G7 Plus, which costs 299 euros. The device is very similar to the G7, but is better in three respects. It has a faster processor, the battery charges much faster and the cameras (front and rear) take better photos and videos.
