Introduction
Motorola has been trying to beat Xiaomi and other Chinese manufacturers in the budget segment for a long time now. Even though the smartphone maker was not able to do major damage, it managed to create a separate user base for its budget devices. Yes! We’re talking about the popular Moto G lineup. Right from its inception, this lineup went forward with one simple philosophy – Quality on Budget.
Following that footstep, we now have the latest Moto G7 with us for the review. For those who’re unaware, Motorola launched a trio of G7 smartphone called Moto G7, Moto G7 Play, and Moto G7 Power. Later on, the brand ended up launching the Plus variant with improved specifications. Moto G6 was one of the most popular budget devices which managed to impress the tech community.
Well, Moto G-lineup scores well in terms of quality since its inception. But, what about the overall performance and software? We’ll answer that in our in-depth review of Moto G7.
Price in India, Variant, Availability
Moto G7 comes in a single storage variant featuring 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It is available in two different color options namely Clear White and Ceramic Black. Initially, the smartphone was launched with a price tag of INR 16,99. Facing the immense competition in the budget tier, the brand decided to drop the price a bit. You can now purchase the smartphone from Amazon India setting you back around INR 11, 475 at the time of writing this review.
Box Contents
Moto G7 comes in the signature box of G-lineup featuring green color accents with a big Motorola logo on the front and device name at the bottom front. Opening the box, you will first see the device itself covered in a protective layer. There is a transparent silicone cover bundled inside the box. Keeping both the things aside for a while, there is a SIM ejector pin and some reading manuals. Apart from this, you get a normal wall adapter having Quick Charging 2.0. As expected, you also get a Type-C USB cable for charging.
Here is a quick overview of what you’ll be getting inside the box:
– Motorola G7
– Wall Charger
– USB Type-C cable
– SIM ejector pin
– Manuals and Documentations
Specs at a glance
Before we jump right into our comprehensive review, let’s have a quick glance at the specifications first.
– Display: 6.2-inch IPS LCD panel, 1080×2270 pixels, 405ppi
– CPU: Snapdragon 632 chipset, 14nm
– GPU: Adreno 506
– RAM & ROM: 4GB & 64GB
– Rear cameras: 12MP+5MP
– Selfie camera: 8MP
– Software: stock Android 9.0 Pie
– Battery: 3,000mAh capacity, 15W fast charging
– Weight: 172g
– Dimensions: 157×75.3x8mm
With key specs cleared out of the way, let’s jump right into our in-depth review kicking off with the first aspect.
Design and Build Quality
Moto G7 follows the footstep of its predecessor i.e. G6 in terms of design ideology. The smartphone looks similar to the previous-gen offering with few changes in the dimensions. Motorola managed to make the G7 look much more premium than it is actually priced. The smartphone maker has used the glass and metal sandwich design to deliver a more premium experience at a budget price. The moment you’ll hold the device, you will feel the curved sides giving it much more comfortable.
Just like any glass smartphone, we found Moto G7 to be quite slippery and you might want to use the bundled case just in case. At the back, there is a dual-camera module accompanied by an LED flash. You’ll find the sensor in the company’s signature circular bump. Interestingly, there is a physical fingerprint sensor at the back underneath the Moto logo. The front, on the other hand, is dominated by a decent IPS LCD display with an added Corning Gorilla Glass protection. There are thin bezels on the side and relatively thicker chin which is the case with every other budget device nowadays. Motorola went with the waterdrop notch this time and it does manage to increase the screen size by still keeping the compact form factor.
Coming to the buttons and ports, there is a power key and volume rockers on the right side while there is nothing on the left side. Both the buttons have very tactical feedback and work perfectly fine. At the bottom, you’ll find a 3.5-mm headphone jack, USB Type-C port, and speaker grille. Moreover, Moto G7 is splash proof meaning it can withstand rain shower to some extent.
Overall, Moto G7 seems pretty solid and does not feel cheap at all. The smartphone continues the legacy of G-lineup and does not disappoint us at all. If you’re looking for a premium build quality, then you can consider looking at the Moto G7.
Display
Moto G7 is equipped with a 6.2-inch IPS LCD display panel on the front featuring a teardrop notch which houses the selfie camera. The bezels are quite thin on the side while the chin is relatively thick This display allows the smartphone to hit an impressive 81% screen-to-body-ratio at this price segment. For an added protection, the display comes with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. In our daily usage, we noticed a few hairline scratches appearing on the screen so you might want to use it carefully.
In our daily usage, we found no major issue with the display whatsoever. The entire experience was pretty decent and the colors were quite crisp. The display has a resolution of 1080×2270 pixels with 405ppi pixel density. The display is bright enough to deliver decent experience under sunlight conditions. The notch on the top and thin bezels somewhat give an immersive experience. If you’re into one-hand usage, then you might struggle a bit since the display is quite tall having an aspect ratio of 19:9.
Overall, you should not find any annoying problem with the display. The entire display experience is on point considering the price tag. We watched tons of movies and streamed content on this device and we absolutely loved it.
Performance
Under the hood, the device runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 chipset coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard memory. For those who’re unaware, Snapdragon 632 is based on the 14nm manufacturing process having eight cores clocked at 1.8GHz. For gaming, the device makes use of the capable Adreno 506 GPU.
Now, the SD 632 is not the powerful one which you can find at this price but it still manages to get things done. In our daily usage, Moto G7 worked surprisingly well and we faced no major issues at all. There were a few scenarios of lag and stuttering during our usage. Switching between apps is very smooth and the app does stay in the memory for a longer period of time. If you’re an average user, you should not face any issue with the device related to performance. Things shift to the worse side during heavy multitasking. It’s not bad per se but multitasking is something which this phone does not perform well.
Coming to gaming, we tried playing Pubg Mobile on this smartphone on medium settings. Of course, the device will not be able to handle max settings considering the price tag. There were few occasional frame drops that should not bother you that much. With that said, there was no problem in rendering. At this price tag, it is not the best smartphone for gaming but surprisingly, it can handle it pretty well.
As always, Motorola managed to impress us with its latest iteration. As mentioned earlier, the device might not appeal to masses since the competitors are offering much powerful hardware at this price. The device is designed for those who want premium build quality at the budget experience without compromising much on the other aspects. Moto G7 manages to impress us in terms of design, software, and display. For those who prefer near-stock Android experience, Moto G7 could be an impressive option at this price range.
The battery life is something which is quite questionable in 2019 but if you’re a casual user, then you should not worry about that much. Motorola G7 is a perfect smartphone for a casual or average user in each aspect. If you’re looking for raw performance, then this device is not for you. But if you want an overall decent experience, then you can consider purchasing Moto G7 as your primary device.
