Motorola Moto G7

Moto’s G-Series has built a solid reputation for covering the basics and providing a functional, reliable user experience at a budget-friendly price. The Moto G7 sees the series hit a more modern design, but a good budget phone is all about choosing the right compromises. Does this latest release strike a fair balance and offer value in a market packed with alternatives? Let’s see what reviewers are saying…

Design

Available in black or white, the glass and plastic case of the Moto G7 feels more premium than the materials might imply. Reviewers were all impressed by the sleek curved rear glass panel and the metal-like chromed plastic lining the phone’s sides. There’s also a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner which reviewers found responsive and accurate.

The only design complaints involve sharp edges where the display meets the chassis. However, if you plan to pick up a case, this isn’t an issue. Still, they’re not razor-sharp, just enough to notice if you’re gripping the phone for extended periods.

Phandroid liked the phone’s design, saying, “The chrome frame (plastic but with a surprisingly solid feel) mixed with the curved glass and gorgeous white color give off a flagship impression both in the eyes and in the hand. Everything feels solid, there are no creaks, and you won’t be disappointed for this price point or double that.”

Display

Up front, you’re greeted by a 6.2-inch IPS display running at 1080-by-2270 pixels. While it’s not the flashiest screen released in 2019, it offers punchy colors and respectable contrast. It won’t get as dark as an AMOLED panel, but it’s plenty bright for outdoor use.

While it’s not 4K, it’s reviewers found it plenty detailed for reading blog posts, scrolling through social media, and watching the occasional video.

Ausdroid summed up opinions well, saying, “The screen is great, it runs at really nice resolution with a decent PPI and enough brightness to be easily read in the test outdoors.”

Performance

This is where the phone’s budget roots show most. With a 1.8Ghz octa-core Snapdragon 632 processor with 4GB of RAM, the phone won’t win any benchmark battles. However, reviews show it still offers an enjoyable experience for most use cases.

You won’t find that it struggles to play games or slows to crawl when running multiple apps. But you’re likely to notice slight delays when launching an app or installing new apps from the Google Play Store.

Phandroid put the phone through its paces and said, “The overall experience is decently smooth and snappy.”

Ausdroid agreed, saying, “Day to day the G7 will meet and exceed the needs of an ‘average user’ and have power to spare.”

Software

The phone ships with Android 9.0 Pie and a custom Moto skin. The skin’s changes are minimal, mostly adding Moto Actions — gestures used to launch the camera, turn on the flashlight, and perform other common tasks.

Overall, reviewers loved the approach and found many of the Moto Action and Moto Display options handy.

The only downside you’ll find here is Moto’s track record for slow updates. While the phone is likely to see an update to Android Q when it’s available, it will probably come months later and security updates aren’t much faster.

Storage

The phone includes 64GB of internal storage. This is probably enough for casual users. However, if you need more space to store apps, games, or video, microSD support for cards up to 512GB has you covered.

Cameras

Cameras were another weak point for the phone in reviews. The dual rear camera with 12MP main lens and 5MP secondary depth-sensing lens received decent marks in excellent lighting. However, the moment lighting dips quality drops fast.

Reviews said the same of the 8MP front-facing selfie shooter.

This isn’t a camera phone by any stretch, but if you need to capture the occasional snapshot for social media or want to record a video, it’ll cover the basics with the added flair of an effective portrait mode. Just don’t expect good results as the sun sets.

Mobile Syrup notes, “What the camera does particularly well is it creates a genuine sense of depth. With the secondary camera, the device can take good shots with decent bokeh.”

Battery Life

A 3000mAh battery provides enough power to last a full day — even if only just. However, support for USB Type-C Moto TurboPower fast charging offers quick top-offs if you need them. Unfortunately, despite the glass rear panel, you won’t find wireless charging support. Still, for most, reviews indicate the battery will cover the basics with no issues.

Audio

If you’re looking to stream music or watch movies, audio might be a mixed experience. Reviewers loved that phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack, but the down-firing speaker at the bottom of the phone was easy to block with your hand. Also, while the audio is Dolby optimized, a single speaker can only do so much to add depth and spatial qualities.

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The Takeaway

Reviews all agreed the Moto G7 offers exceptional value for the price. However, it’s lack of a few key features — such as NFC and wireless charging — and a so-so camera stopped them from universally recommending it for everyone.

Still, if you’re looking for a solid budget-friendly pick and don’t need a super camera, it checks most other boxes at a fair price.

Wirecutter called the Moto G7 “… a good all-around phone with quick performance…”

Mobile Syrup also liked the phone, saying, “The Moto G7 is a good phone for those who want a device that can last the entire day, offer a smooth experience and is easy to use.”