Review: Hello Moto – Workhorse Smartphones from Motorola

Motorola has what can easily be described as an eclectic smartphone range with the Razr 5G at the top of the tree all the way through to the motor e6s and plus.

Right in the middle are two devices from their ‘e’ and ‘g’ ranges that are perfect workhorses for people looking for a smartphone that will be as reliable as Santa on the evening of December 24th and feature-packed like a Swiss army knife.

The sub-$300 smartphone market is very competitive and with the e7 Power and the g30, Motorola is putting a very strong case forward across a wide target audience.

moto e7 Power

The moto e7 Power is a properly feature-packed smartphone for the $159 price point. You get a very recent generation of Android running the full Google OS spec. Also contained in the e7 Power is a 5000 mAh battery that with some careful consideration of your media and browsing habits will see this battery last well over a day.

My recommendation is that this is the perfect first device for the adolescent that’s after a smartphone of their own and not a hand-me-down from Mum or Dad.

Motorola e7 Power in Coral Red

A 2 GHz chip and 2GB of RAM are more than enough to power this 200g smartphone for everything you’re going to throw at it. Add to that IP52 water and dust proofing, a tried and trusted headphone jack and a huge 6.5″ HD screen and this device is seriously great value.

Other unexpected gems on the e7 Power include the dedicated Google Assistant button and the super-responsive fingerprint scanner on the rear of the phone.

That sub $200 price tag, however, does come with some compromises. There’s no stabilisation on the video (as you can see below). The images in the photos are great, but in a wobbly low-light situation, the images aren’t really as sharp as you might like. There’s also no NFC so that means no Google Pay.

All small prices to pay if you just want a smartphone to be a really good, reliable smartphone.

Video

Photos


moto g30

As the name suggests the moto g30 is a model lineup from the moto e7 Power but the really good news is that the uplift in impressive features is far greater than the price increase.

The moto g30 retails for $299 and for that you get a lot of mobile device in what is essentially the same physical packaging as the Motorola e7 Power. The same 6.5″ HD screen with 85% screen to device ratio. Pretty much the same physical size and weight and the 5000 mAh battery.

Motorola g30 in Pastel Sky

The Android OS takes a step up from 10 to 11 and supporting that is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 2.0 GHz CPU with a 950 MHz GPU which makes graphics and photos really pop. The 4GB of RAM means switching from app to app and back again won’t leave a trail of terror and latency during your day.

The quad-lens rear camera setup is very impressive and the results speak for themselves. Crisp and sharp images from any angle and in almost any light. The macro lens on the g30 is particularly impressive for those of us looking to hone our photographic skills. For the video enthusiasts, you will see below that the image stabilisation is very strong and makes a real difference in those low light situations.

For the gamers out there the 90Hz refresh rate will keep your thumbs in shape as the action always moves fast on the 6.5” HD+ ultra-wide screen. The inbuilt 128GB of storage is great for this range of smartphones and thanks to the expandable SIM tray you can add a microSD card (up to 1TB) for almost limitless storage.

Other features include a rear-mounted fingerprint reader as well as Face unlock, Thinkshield for Mobile – the comprehensive hardware and software security system, IP52 water and dust proofing like the e7 Power, and NFC for all those on-the-go purchases with Google Pay.

My favourite feature by far is the silicone phone case that comes with every Motorola g30 – no other smartphone maker does that!

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My Conclusion

These are two really great smartphones for their prices which are not really that far apart. If you could live without NFC and some of the clever image stabilisation then I’d go for the moto e7 Power – you can almost afford to lose it and replace it outright before you’re up to the moto g30 price.

That being said, if you can stretch to the moto g30, go for it – even if it’s just for the great photos and video and that very handy clear silicone case.

The moto e7 power is available in Tahiti Blue and Coral Red at JB Hi-FiHarvey NormanOfficeworksMobilecitiBig W and the Motorola online store for $159.

The moto g30 is available in Phantom Black and Pastel Sky at JB Hi-FiHarvey NormanThe Good GuysOfficeworksMobileciti, and the Motorola online store for $299.


All The Details

Featuree7 Powerg30
Price (RRP)$159$299
Operating SystemAndroid 10Android 11
ProcessorMediaTek Helio G25 with 2.0 GHz octa-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU, 650MHz IMG GE8320 GPUQualcomm Snapdragon 662 with 2.0 GHz octa-core Kryo 260 CPU, 950 MHz Adreno 610 GPU
Memory (RAM)2 GB4GB
Internal Storage32GB – non-expandable128 GB built-in | Up to 1 TB microSD card expandable
Battery Size5000 mAh (JK50) non-removable5000 mAh
Rear Camera2 lens camera array with single LED flash
– 13 MP (f/2.0, 1.12 µm) | PDAF
– 2 MP (f/2.4, 1.75 µm) | macro
4 lens camera array with single LED flash
– 64 MP sensor | 16 MP output (f/1.7, 1.4 µm) Quad Pixel technology
– 8 MP (f/2.2, 1.12 µm) | 118° ultra-wide angle
– 2 MP (f/2.4, 1.75 µm) | Macro Vision camera
– 2 MP (f/2.4, 1.75 µm) | depth sensor

Tri-lens Video array
– Main: FHD (60/30 fps) 
– Ultra-wide: FHD (30 fps)
– Macro Vision: HD (30 fps)
Front Camera5 MP (f/2.2, 1.12 µm)

Quick Gestures
Chop-chop, Three finger screenshot
13 MP (f/2.2, 1.12 µm) | FHD (30 fps)
Video SoftwareRear Cameras
-Snap in video recording

Front Camera
– Snap in video recording

Quick Gestures
Chop-chop, Three finger screenshot
Rear Cameras
– Main: Slow motion, Timelapse video, Hyperlapse video, Electronic Image Stabilisation
– Ultra-wide: Timelapse video, Hyperlapse video, Electronic Image Stabilisation
– Macro: Electronic Image Stabilisation

Front Camera
– Timelapse video, Hyperlapse video
SpeakersSingle speakerBottom-ported loudspeaker
Headphone Jack3.5 mm headset jack3.5 mm headset jack
Microphones1 Microphone2 Microphones
Expected Battery Life (Actual)2 days (Well over a day)2 days + (Well over a day)
Battery Charging10W charging | 5V/2A15 W charging capable with 20 W TurboPower charger in the box
SecurityRear fingerprint readerFingerprint reader, Face unlock, ThinkShield for mobile built-in security
SensorsFingerprint reader, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Ambient Light sensorFingerprint reader, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Ambient Light sensor, Gyroscope, SAR sensor
Display Size6.5” Max Vision | 60 Hz refresh rate6.5” Max Vision, 90Hz
ResolutionHD+ (720 x 1600) | 269 ppi with 20:9 aspect ratioHD+ (1600×720) | 269 ppi with 20:9 aspect ratio
Screen to Body Ratio85%85%
Dimensions165.06 x 75.86 x 9.20 mm165.22 x 75.73 x 9.14 mm
BodyPlasticPlastic
Weight200 g197 g
Water ProofingIP52, water repellent designIP52, water repellent design
4G Network Radios4G: LTE band 1/2/3/5/7/8/18/19/20/26/28/38/40/41
3G: WCDMA band 1/2/5/8
2G: GSM band 2/3/5/8
4G: LTE band B1/B2/B3/B5/B7/B8/B18/B19/B20/B26/B28/B38/B40
3G: WCDMA band 1/2/5/8
2G: GSM band 2/3/5/8
WiFi RadiosWi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | 2.4 GHz | Wi-Fi hotspotWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | 2.4GHz | 5G Wi-Fi (SKU1/SKU3/SKU4)
BluetoothBluetooth® 5.0Bluetooth® 5.0
NFCNoYes
Location ServicesGPS, A-GPS, LTEPP, SUPL, GLONASS, GalileoGPS, A-GPS, LTEPP, SUPL, GLONASS, Galileo
SIM CardsHybrid Dual SIM (2 Nano SIMs or 1 Nano SIM + 1 microSD)Hybrid Dual Sim (2 nano sim or 1 nano sim + 1 microSD)
PortsSingle Type-C port (USB 2.0)Single Type-C port (USB 2.0)

About Author
Mike is the Australian editor of SonnyDickson.com with a lifelong passion for cars, technology and engineering. He reviews and writes about all kinds of motoring and tech products for our readers. Follow Mike on Instagram or send him an email: mike@sonnydickson.com