Motorola Moto G50 5G review
The Motorola Moto G50 5G is a smartphone that has made significant strides in the mid-range market. With its large 6.5-inch display, 90Hz refresh rate, and Mediatek Dimensity 700 processor, it offers impressive performance at an affordable price of 10,490 pesos. The device's design features a water-repellent finish and a dedicated Google Assistant button. Powered by Android 11, the phone boasts a clean UI and modern connectivity features, including 5G support. Let's take a closer look at this device and see if it lives up to its promises.
Build Quality and Design
The Motorola Moto G50 5G is a solid mid-range device that boasts a robust build quality and design. The phone's body is entirely made of plastic material, giving it a chunky feel due to the large screen and substantial battery capacity. Despite its size, the device feels comfortable in the hands, thanks to its flat sides. The glossy back panel is prone to fingerprints, but this can be mitigated by using the included protective jelly case. A notable feature of the design is the water repellent coating, which allows the phone to withstand accidental splashes or light rain. The front of the device features a large 6.5-inch display with noticeable bezels, particularly the thick chin at the bottom. The notch at the top houses the selfie camera, and above it lies the earpiece that doubles as a secondary loudspeaker for stereo sound. On the right-hand side, you'll find the power button and fingerprint scanner, which is a convenient feature. However, the Google Assistant button can be challenging to reach. On the left side, there's a card tray that supports two nano SIM cards and a microSD card in a hybrid setup. Overall, the design of the Motorola Moto G50 5G is practical and functional, with a focus on usability. The build quality is sturdy, and the phone's size makes it comfortable to hold. While some may find the chunky feel unappealing, others will appreciate the solid construction and feature-rich design. In terms of aesthetics, the phone's Meteorite Gray color option produces a bluish glow and light effects depending on the angle. The device also comes in a Green colorway for those who prefer a different hue. Ultimately, the Motorola Moto G50 5G is a well-designed device that prioritizes functionality over style. Its robust build quality and practical features make it an excellent choice for those seeking a reliable mid-range smartphone.
Battery Life
One of the standout features of the Motorola Moto G50 5G is its battery life. The device packs a large 5000mAh battery, which provides plenty of juice to last through an entire day or even more, depending on your usage. In our tests, we were able to achieve an impressive 24 hours and 15 minutes of runtime in the standard video loop test, with the screen set to 32% brightness, volume turned down to zero, and Airplane Mode enabled. This suggests that the Moto G50 5G has a robust battery life, making it perfect for users who need a phone that can keep up with their daily demands. While charging speed is relatively modest at 15W, the included charger can pump out 20W if your device supports higher voltage. This means you'll get a decent charging experience without breaking the bank. Overall, the Motorola Moto G50 5G's battery life is one of its strongest selling points. With a large capacity and efficient power management, this phone should be able to keep up with even the most demanding users. Just remember that charging speed may take a bit longer than you're used to, but it's still a great value for money.
Display
The Motorola Moto G50 5G's display is a notable feature of this mid-range smartphone. The device boasts a 6.5-inch Max Vision screen with an HD+ resolution, which equates to 269 pixels per inch (ppi). While not exceptionally high-resolution, the display is sufficient for most tasks, including watching videos or playing games. One of the standout features of the Moto G50 5G's display is its 90Hz refresh rate. This allows for smooth animations and transitions, making the user experience more enjoyable. Additionally, users can toggle between 60Hz and auto-refresh rates to optimize performance. In terms of color accuracy and viewing angles, the display performs reasonably well. However, pixel visibility becomes noticeable when viewed up close. This is not a significant drawback for most users, especially considering the phone's affordable price point. The screen itself has noticeable bezels, particularly on the chin, but the notch at the top houses a selfie camera. The earpiece above the notch doubles as a secondary loudspeaker, providing stereo sound. The display's 90Hz refresh rate and decent color accuracy make it a suitable choice for casual users. However, those seeking more premium displays may find this feature not quite on par with higher-end options. Overall, the Moto G50 5G's display is an average but serviceable aspect of this smartphone, offering smooth performance and good viewing angles at a budget-friendly price. In conclusion, while the Motorola Moto G50 5G's display has its limitations, it is still a solid feature that contributes to the phone's overall usability. With its fast refresh rate and adequate color accuracy, this mid-range smartphone offers an acceptable visual experience for users on a budget.
Camera
The Motorola Moto G50 5G's camera system is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it features a triple-camera setup at the rear with a 48-megapixel primary sensor, a 2-megapixel macro lens, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. However, the results are distinctly average. In good lighting conditions, photos taken by the Moto G50 5G are decent, with good dynamic range and sharp details. Colors can be bright or muted depending on the scene, which is not ideal. Using the full resolution of the primary sensor helps to bring out more details, but doesn't provide a significant improvement. One area where the camera excels is in macro shots. The 2-megapixel macro lens produces surprisingly sharp and detailed images with good color reproduction. Portrait mode also works well, with good background separation and adjustable bokeh. However, things take a turn for the worse in low-light conditions. Photos are soft and lack sharpness, making them less impressive than those taken by some of its competitors. Night mode is available to help improve results, but even then, photos may not be as crisp as expected. Selfie performance is also hit-or-miss. In good lighting conditions, selfies have decent amounts of details, but taking a photo can take around three to five seconds, which can be annoying. The beautification slider can make your skin look smoother in selfies, but it's a feature that may not appeal to everyone. Video recording is limited to 1080p resolution, with no option to change the video recording resolution. File encoding is set to h.265 HEVC by default, which may or may not be a desirable feature depending on individual preferences. Overall, while the Moto G50 5G's camera has some redeeming qualities, such as good macro performance and decent portrait mode capabilities, it ultimately falls short in terms of overall image quality. The lack of impressive low-light performance and limited video recording capabilities also detract from its appeal.
Price and Value
Motorola's latest offering, the Moto G50 5G, is a smartphone that promises to deliver 5G connectivity, a 90Hz refresh rate, and a large battery at an affordable price. Priced at 10,495 pesos, this device aims to make its presence felt in the mid-range market. At first glance, the phone's design may not impress, with its chunky build and glossy back panel that attracts fingerprints. However, the water-repellent design is a welcome feature, making it suitable for those who live life on the go. The display, a 6.5-inch Max Vision screen with an HD+ resolution, is decent but not impressive. The 90Hz refresh rate is a plus, offering smooth animations and transitions. However, the audio quality is subpar, making headphones a necessity for an immersive experience. One of the standout features of this device is its software. Running on Android 11, the latest version of Google's mobile operating system, the phone offers a clean UI that feels snappy and responsive. The Moto app, which provides a range of customization options, is also a welcome feature. The price of the Moto G50 5G is where things get interesting. At 10,495 pesos, this device is positioned as a budget-friendly option with a mid-range feature set. However, in today's market, there are several other smartphones that offer more value for money at similar prices. In conclusion, while the Motorola Moto G50 5G has its strengths, particularly in terms of its software and 90Hz refresh rate, its price is where it falls short. For those looking for a clean Android experience with decent specs, this phone may be worth considering. However, for others, there may be better options available at similar prices that offer more value for money.
Performance
The Motorola Moto G50 5G is a mid-range smartphone that has made its presence known in the market, especially with its affordable price tag of PHP 10,495. One of its standout features is its performance, which we'll delve into in this review. Under the hood, the Moto G50 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor, paired with a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU and 4GB of RAM. This setup delivers smooth performance for basic tasks such as browsing, social media, and streaming videos. However, when it comes to gaming, things get a bit more complicated. The phone can handle high-graphics-intensive games like Genji Impact and Asphalt 9, but only if you're willing to compromise on graphics settings. Running these games at default or even lowest settings ensures a stutter-free experience. The benchmark scores we obtained also reflect this, with decent performance in various tests. In terms of biometrics, the phone has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and face recognition, both of which are incredibly fast and accurate. This is a welcome addition to the phone's feature set, making it easier to secure your device. Overall, while the Moto G50 5G's performance is decent for its price point, it's not without its limitations. Gamers might find themselves tweaking settings to get optimal performance, which can be frustrating at times. However, for general users, the phone should provide a smooth experience. In conclusion, the Motorola Moto G50 5G's performance is an area where the phone shines. While there are some limitations when it comes to gaming, the phone handles everyday tasks with ease and has decent biometric security features. If you're in the market for a mid-range smartphone that won't break the bank, the Moto G50 5G is definitely worth considering.
Pros
1. The phone has a modern connectivity feature such as dual sim support, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, Wi-Fi, GPS, and 5G.
2. It has a large 5000mAh battery capacity with quite strong battery life, allowing you to survive through a whole day or more if you're not a heavy user.
3. The phone supports a 90Hz refresh rate, providing smooth animations and transitions.
4. It runs on Android 11, the latest version of Google's mobile operating system, with a clean UI that also feels tough and dark mode available.
5. The phone has a robust build with a bonus of a water repellent design, making it comfortable to hold.
Cons
1. The phone's design is chunky and quite hefty given the large screen and big battery, which can make it uncomfortable to hold for some users.
2. The camera app is slow and takes around three to five seconds to snap a photo depending on the lighting.
3. Low light photos come out soft with lack of sharpness, requiring you to turn the night mode on for better results.
4. The phone's storage capacity is only 128GB, which may not be enough for some users who need more space.
5. The camera has limited features, such as no ultraviolet lens and only being able to shoot up to 1080p video.