Motorola Moto G51 5G review
The Motorola Moto G51 5G is a budget-friendly smartphone that prioritizes multimedia consumption. It boasts a superior display compared to its predecessor, the G50, despite retaining similar hardware. As a primary budget 5G-capable phone for 2022, the Moto G51 aims to deliver an impressive experience in terms of performance, camera capabilities, and battery life. With its water-repellent design and sleek unibody plastic chassis, this device promises to meet the demands of users seeking a reliable and feature-rich smartphone.
Build Quality and Design
The Motorola Moto G51 5G boasts a unibody plastic chassis that exudes a sense of simplicity and durability. The matte indigo blue color is understated yet attractive, making it less prone to fingerprints than other devices. While the phone's design may not be particularly premium, its build quality is satisfactory for a budget device. The camera module on the back is flat, which may not be as visually appealing as some of its competitors. However, this design choice does allow the phone to sit flush on a table without wobbling. The back surface has a pleasant curve, making it comfortable to hold in one's hand. Despite being made of plastic, the Moto G51 feels surprisingly grippy, reducing the likelihood of accidental drops. One notable drawback is the placement of the volume rocker and Google Assistant buttons, which are situated slightly too high on the device. This can make them difficult to access, especially for those with larger hands. On a positive note, the power button and fingerprint reader combo beneath them are fast and responsive, allowing for quick unlocking of the phone. The phone's water-repellent design and IP52 rating ensure it will withstand accidental splashes or exposure to light rain. However, the hybrid SIM card tray on the left side may not be ideal for those requiring dual-SIM functionality. Overall, while the Moto G51 5G's build quality is acceptable, its design lacks a certain finesse that would elevate it to a more premium feel.
Battery Life
The battery life of the Moto G51 5G is a pleasant surprise, given its large 6.8-inch display and mid-range processor. The phone packs a 5000mAh battery, which is more than enough to get you through a day with moderate use. In our testing, the Moto G51 5G managed an impressive 124 hours of endurance, with screen-on time exceeding 10 hours on some days. This was possible even when we were using the phone for tasks that would normally drain the battery quickly, such as gaming and video streaming. The phone's power-efficient processor also helps to conserve battery life. We observed that the refresh rate management is handled well by the system, dialing down from 120Hz to 60Hz when not in use or when watching videos. This feature alone can help save a significant amount of battery life over time. While we didn't push the phone's limits with demanding tasks, our experience suggests that the Moto G51 5G should easily last two days for most users, even with moderate use. Charging is also relatively fast, taking around 2 hours and 35 minutes to fully charge the phone from zero using the 10W charger included in the global variant. Overall, the battery life of the Moto G51 5G is a major strength that should not be overlooked, especially considering its affordable price tag.
Display
The Motorola Moto G51 5G boasts an impressive display that's sure to please even the most discerning users. With a large 6.8-inch IPS LCD screen, this phone delivers a vibrant and immersive viewing experience. The Full HD resolution is crisp and clear, making it perfect for watching videos or browsing through your favorite websites. One of the standout features of the Moto G51's display is its 120Hz refresh rate. This means that you'll get seamless scrolling and smooth animations, even when you're navigating through complex menus or playing games. The phone's chipset handles the refresh rate management well, so you can enjoy uninterrupted performance without worrying about lag. However, it's worth noting that the panel doesn't support HDR for its class. While this might be a disappointment for some users, it's not a deal-breaker by any means. The display still manages to deliver impressive brightness levels, with an average of 595 minutes of max brightness. This should be more than enough for comfortable outdoor use. In terms of color accuracy, the Moto G51's display has its strengths and weaknesses. The saturated mode tends to produce bluish whites, while the natural preset introduces a slight pinkish tint. However, overall color accuracy is vastly improved in this preset, making it the better choice for most users. The bezels on top and bottom of the screen are fairly standard at this price point, but the centered hole punch on the front does help to create a sleek and modern look. Overall, the Motorola Moto G51 5G's display is a highlight of this budget phone, offering an engaging viewing experience that's perfect for everyday use.
Camera
The Motorola Moto G51 5G has a quad-camera setup, consisting of a 50-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 13-megapixel front camera. While it's not the most impressive camera system on the market, it delivers decent results in various lighting conditions. During the day, the main camera captures photos with punchy but not over-the-top colors. The shots are sharp, with moderate dynamic range and controlled noise, comparable to other phones in its class. However, when the software goes for higher exposures, the results can be inconsistent. The ultrawide camera performs as expected, capturing slightly softer images than the competition, lacking dynamic range, and with detail colors that are nice but not exceptional. The macro camera, on the other hand, struggles to capture sharp images due to its fixed focus, resulting in poor contrast and detail. Portraits taken with the main camera have believable bokeh effects, excellent dynamic range, and good edge detection. The subject's face is always well-exposed, and colors are vibrant. However, there's a notable amount of noise present, which can be distracting. Low-light shots from the main camera without night mode switched on are slightly soft and lack detail but still have accurate colors and good contrast. When using night mode, the results improve, with more colorful shots, improved contrast, and boosted sharpness. However, clipped highlights become a problem in some cases, and fine grain is noticeable. The 13-megapixel front camera captures decent selfies, with good dynamic range and detail. Colors could be more vibrant, and skin tones often appear paler than in real life. As the light gets lower, sharpness and detail deteriorate quickly. In terms of video recording, the main and ultrawide cameras can capture only full HD footage, which is underwhelming considering other phones can record 4K or higher. The dynamic range could be wider, highlights are often clipped, and colors washed out. The ultrawide camera struggles to capture decent footage in low light. Overall, while not outstanding, the Motorola Moto G51 5G's camera system delivers respectable results for a budget phone. It's a good option if you prioritize 5G capabilities but settle for an average camera experience. However, if you're looking for better cameras, there are other options available that may be worth considering.
Price and Value
The Motorola Moto G51 5G is a budget phone that aims to offer decent value for its price. Priced under €250, this phone has a lot going for it, but also some limitations. On the plus side, the phone features a large 6.8-inch LCD display with a full HD resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, making it ideal for multimedia consumption. The screen is bright and colorful, although not perfect in terms of color accuracy. The battery life is also commendable, lasting up to 124 hours on our test. However, the phone's chipset, Snapdragon 480+, while power-efficient, is not exactly powerful, making heavy gaming a stretch. The camera setup is decent, with good results from the main camera, but the ultrawide and macro cameras are disappointing. Selfies from the 13MP front camera are also just okay. Given its price, the Moto G51 5G offers respectable value for money. While it may not be the best phone in its class, it's a solid choice for those prioritizing 5G connectivity. If you're looking for a budget phone with good battery life and decent display, this could be a good option. However, if you don't prioritize 5G, there are better alternatives available at similar prices, such as the Poco X3 Pro. Overall, the Moto G51 5G is a decent budget option that gets the job done, but may not exceed your expectations.
Performance
The Motorola Moto G51 5G is a budget-friendly smartphone that excels in multimedia consumption, but how does it perform when put under scrutiny? The device runs on the Snapdragon 480 Plus chipset, available in four, six, or eight gigs of RAM. While it's not the most powerful processor out there, it manages to handle day-to-day tasks with ease. In our tests, the Moto G51 5G delivered a respectable battery life of 124 hours, thanks to its power-efficient chipset and large 5000mAh battery. However, charging times were slower than expected, taking around two hours and 35 minutes to fully charge using the included 10W charger. For heavy gaming enthusiasts, this phone might not be the best choice. The Snapdragon 480 Plus chipset is a smidge faster than its predecessor, but it's not on par with more powerful chipsets found in other devices. Gaming performance will likely be average at best, and high refresh rate gaming may be out of reach. On the bright side, the Moto G51 5G launches with Android 11, which should receive an update to Android 12 in the near future. Motorola's stock Android experience is clean and intuitive, with a few added features like the moto app for personalization and additional features like peak display and attentive display. Overall, while the Moto G51 5G's performance won't win any awards, it still manages to deliver a smooth user experience without breaking the bank.
Pros
1. A nice screen with a good color accuracy in natural mode
2. A large 5000mAh battery with a decent endurance rating of 124 hours
3. Support for NFC for contactless payments
4. A unibody plastic chassis with a matte indigo blue color that feels grippy and satisfying to hold
5. A water repellent design with an IP52 rating
6. Decent camera performance, especially in daylight conditions
7. A capable 5G phone at a sub-250 euro price point
8. A relatively fast power button and fingerprint reader combo
Cons
1. The design is not the most premium and has some fingerprint visibility issues
2. Button placement can be uncomfortable, especially for the volume rocker
3. Low-light camera performance is average, with noticeable noise and lack of detail
4. No HDR support on the display
5. Audio quality is only average, with distortion at higher volumes
6. The phone's chipset is not powerful enough for heavy gaming
7. The 10W charger in the global variant takes a long time to fully charge the battery
8. No night mode for the ultrawide camera, leading to poor low-light performance