A decent phone at an awkward price
The Motorola Moto G 5G, refreshed for 2022, sits in the middle of the smartphone market at $399.99. There are plenty of phones available for $300 or even less, and a handful of competitive models that sell near the $500 mark. In other words, the Moto G 5G has to work hard to stand out against a number of compelling options priced within $100 or so. For example, the OnePlus Nord N20 offers comparable performance for $100 less, while the Editors‘ Choice-winning Google Pixel 5a is far superior for just $50 more. Moto G Pricing? It Varies
Motorola sells the Moto G 5G in two basic configurations: through carriers and unlocked. The unlocked model, which has 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, retails for $399.99. However, Motorola often discounts its devices and is selling the Moto G 5G for $349.99 as of this writing. The company said the lowered price will only last for a limited time. The carrier model drops to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, getting rid of one of the phone’s most impressive features: storage. However, it does come with memory card support, so you can expand the storage if needed. This version is significantly cheaper. For example, T-Mobile sells it for just $222. Further, if you choose to break down the price over 24 months you can even get it for free (via carrier bill credits). These varied prices impact the final value of the phone. Chunky Bezels, Fast Screen
The Moto G 5G, available only in Moonlight Gray, is attractive enough but won’t stop anyone in their tracks. Its biggest visual drawback is the chunky bezel surrounding the screen. In an era when edge-to-edge displays rule the day, the Moto G 5G’s thick edges just aren’t appealing. The display may be big at 6.5 inches, but the resolution is pretty low at 1,600 by 720 pixels. Compared with the $450 Pixel 5a’s 6.34-inch, 2,400-by-1,080-pixel screen, the difference in sharpness is noticeable. On the plus side, the Moto’s LCD is luminous enough to see in bright light, even direct sunlight, when turned up to max. It features a 90Hz refresh rate, a welcome feature at this price. It makes for smoother scrolling than either the Pixel 5a or the upcoming Pixel 6a, both of which are limited to 60Hz. If you want the most fluid visual experience at or near $400, the Moto G 5G has an edge. Moving to the back of the phone, there’s a clean-looking triple camera system, a subdued Motorola logo, and not much else. The back, made of plastic, is a bit slippery, though I didn’t drop the phone during testing. The plastic doesn’t collect fingerprint smudges. The Moto G 5G is a relatively large device at 6.5 by 3.0 by 0.4 inches (HWD). It tips the scales at 7.2 ounces, which is slightly lighter than the Moto G 5G Stylus, which weighs 7.6 ounces. Still, it doesn’t feel overly huge, and I found using the device for extended periods quite comfortable. There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom of the phone for wired headphones, along with a USB-C port for charging. The headphone jack is a boon for the phone since the upcoming Pixel 6a doesn’t have one. As is typically the case, the single speaker lacks any sense of bass, but it doesn’t distort too much even at maximum volume. It’s easy to block, however, when holding the phone horizontally while watching videos or playing games. On the side of the phone, you’ll find the power button which also serves as the fingerprint scanner. Side-mounted scanners aren’t able to read as much of your finger, but this one worked flawlessly. I never had to scan my finger more than once to unlock the phone. If durability is a major concern, you’ll be disappointed that the Moto G 5G is only rated IP52. That means it’s water repellent from sweat or dripping, but it can’t be submerged. The Pixel 5a, on the other hand, is rated IP67, which means it can be submerged in up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. Respectable Speed and Longevity
The Motorola Moto G 5G and its MediaTek Dimensity 700 chip turned in mixed results across a handful of benchmarks. The use of a MediaTek chip is notable, as many phones opt for something from Qualcomm. It scored 543 on the GeekBench single-core test, which is lower than the OnePlus Nord N20’s 685 and the $450 Samsung Galaxy A53’s 728. It didn’t do much better on the multi-core score, putting up 1,678 compared with the N20’s 1,982 and the A53’s 1,826. The Dimensity’s performance lags that of its Snapdragon-based peers in some tests, but there are a few exceptions.
