Motorola Moto G Quick evaluation: Fast, but not expensive
"If your budget is a maximum of $ 200, the Moto G Fast is the best choice."
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Modern design
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Feels durable
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Great performance for the price
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Good battery life
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Camera is just fine
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Ad is not great
The Moto G Seires have weathered ups and downs. The device has long been considered one of the best budget options, but competition from Samsung companies has intensified in recent years. However, as so often, Motorola has launched a number of new Moto G models, including the extremely affordable Moto G Fast.
The Moto G Fast hopes to bring premium features and a thoroughly modern look at a price of $ 200. There are other phones in this price range, but not many – especially from well-known brands such as Motorola, Samsung and LG.
Is the Moto G Almost the Best Cell Phone Under $ 200?
Design and display
Two or three years ago, it would be difficult for you to find a phone with a modern, borderless display design in the price range below $ 250. Now they are becoming more and more common – and we are happy to see that.
On the front of the Moto G Fast is a nice large 6.4-inch display from edge to edge, which has a hole cutout in the upper left corner of the device. The neckline is slightly larger than some other devices, like the Galaxy A51 or the OnePlus 8 series, but it's still pretty remote, though you'll get used to it quickly.
The bezel is relatively narrow around the display, except at the bottom where there is a chin. It's not a big deal, and such design decisions are still expected in this price range. Here, too, you will get used to it.
The buttons and connectors on the edges of the phone are pretty standard. On the right side there is an on / off switch and a volume rocker, on the left a SIM and MicroSD card slot and below a USB-C port. There is also a headphone jack at the top, which is very nice in a world where higher-quality wired consumer audio disappears.
The back of the phone is also pretty sleek and stylish. At the top left you get a vertically aligned triple lens camera and at the top a fingerprint sensor. I have relatively large hands, but the sensor felt comfortable to me and appeared to be well positioned to naturally unlock the device.
The back of the device is mostly plastic, but generally felt solid. It definitely doesn't feel as premium as much more expensive phones like the iPhone 11 Pro or OnePlus 8, but this is also expected for a price-range phone, and the phone is still in my hand. The device is currently only available in one color – pear white. It doesn't look bad, but more color options would have been nice.
The display on the phone does the job, but isn't great. The 6.4-inch display is an LCD display with a resolution of 720p, and you can definitely see slightly jagged edges on fonts and surface elements when you search for them. The slightly more expensive Moto G Power has a 1,080p display, which makes the 720p panel of the G Fast a bit rough – but again, it does the job as long as you don't expect much. It can get bright enough for most purposes and is brighter than the $ 150 Moto E.
Performance and battery life
The Moto G Fast is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor, 3 GB RAM and 32 GB memory. Fortunately, a microSD card slot is also integrated in the phone, so you can expand this memory if you wish. The fact that it has the same processor as the Moto G Power is good news – and it helps the device outperform its weight.
The performance of the phone is great in everyday use. The phone can easily multitask easily without slowing down too much, and it can also handle basic games. It certainly won't charge as fast as more expensive phones, but Call of Duty: Mobile and Asphalt 9 worked pretty well.
Here is a brief overview of some of the benchmark results we have achieved:
- AnTuTu: 161,627
- GeekBench 5 single core: 312
- GeekBench 5 multi-core: 1,391
Generally, these are good results for a phone in this price range. In fact, these values correspond to the Samsung Galaxy A51, which is twice the price of the Moto G Fast.
The Moto G Fast offers a 4,000 mAh battery and is solid. I was easily able to survive a whole day of normal use, and at the end of the day I had 43% left. If you use your phone conservatively, you may be able to use it for two days.
camera
The Moto G Fast is equipped with a triple lens rear view camera that has a 16 megapixel main sensor, an 8 megapixel ultra-wide sensor and a 2 megapixel macro sensor. There is an 8 megapixel camera on the front.
The rear-facing camera can take decent photos in well-lit environments with relatively bright colors and solid details. The ultra-wide camera isn't the best on the market, but it definitely offers more versatility for the phone's camera and is a feature you don't normally get on phones in this price range.
However, without good lighting you are a bit unlucky. The phone can take better photos than the new Moto E, but that's not a high bar – and if you don't have enough light, you don't expect quality.
The phone also has a 2 megapixel macro lens and is pretty lackluster. There seems to be a trend these days to include macro lenses in phones of all price ranges. The problem, however, is that the macro lenses are of poor quality most of the time. This is especially true here. If you take a close-up of a small object, which I almost never do, you will likely get something of relatively poor quality.
The phone's front-facing camera is fine, but the colors aren't as deep as they could be, and the details aren't great. It will do the work for standard selfies, but don't expect much more.
In general, this is not a phone that you should buy for the camera. However, the camera is not bad for a phone in this price range – and it is much better than what you would have gotten just a few years ago.
software
The Motorola Moto G Fast comes with Motorola’s new Android skin, My UX. Fortunately, My UX is based on Android 10 and is very close to Android, with just a few minor changes to allow for some adjustments and gestures.
For example, you get Moto promotions with which you can easily access certain functions. These are pretty handy. You can take a screenshot by tapping the screen with three fingers, or you can lift the handset to turn off the ringtone. Some of these actions are enabled by default, while others must be enabled, and it's worth taking a look at.
While My UX is based on standard Android, it is possible that Motorola will deviate somewhat more over time – and it is currently unclear whether and when the device will get Android 11. Motorola has been doing Android updates well in the past, so we'll do it. I have to wait and see if it stays that way now, as the mix includes a new skin label.
Price, guarantee and availability
The Moto G Fast costs $ 200. This is an excellent price for a phone with these features. Sure, it doesn't compare to more expensive devices, but if you have a budget of $ 200, the Moto G Fast is the way to go. If you can stretch a little, the Moto G Power with its better display and bigger battery might be worth considering. However, if you are not interested in these features or do not have the money, you will be satisfied with the Moto G Fast.
The one-year warranty from Motorola, which covers practically only manufacturer defects, applies to the phone. You should make sure that you take care of this phone.
The Moto G Fast is available directly from the Motorola website.
Our opinion
The Motorola Moto G Fast isn't perfect, but in my opinion it's the best thing you'll get in this price range. It has a modern design and great performance in this price range, as well as a solid battery – and the latter two are extremely important when you buy an inexpensive phone.
Is there a better alternative?
There are better options if you can spend more money, but if your budget is a maximum of $ 200, the Moto G Fast is your best bet. If you can add another $ 200 to your budget, consider the iPhone SE, which is the most powerful phone for $ 400 or less. If you're more of an Android fan, consider the Google Pixel 3a or the Samsung Galaxy A51, which you might find for $ 300 if you're looking for it. Alternatively, you can wait for Google Pixel 4a, which may be released soon.
How long it will take?
The Moto G Fast is made of plastic, which means that it is likely to survive falls better than a glass device. That means it is not waterproof. So keep it away from the bath or pool.
Motorola has a decent track record of software updates, but given the price range here, no one can guess how many updates you will receive or when you will receive them. With normal use, you should be able to get two years out of the phone.
Should you buy one?
Yes, but only if your budget is $ 200 or less. If you can afford to spend a little more, it is worth doing so.
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