The "1-Minute" Review
Verdict
The Moto G Power is all about battery life. If photography or screen quality isn't essential to you, this phone is hard to beat. However, if you want to play games, enjoy movies, or capture life’s little moments with the help of your phone, there’s a good chance the phone will fall short of your expectations.What's good
- Massive battery life
- Affordable
- Good design
- Moto Gestures
What's bad
- Sluggish performance
- No NFC
- Disappointing display
- Inconsistent Camera
The new family of Motorola phones for 2021 target the affordable end of the smartphone market. Each one fits a different phone user type. So where does the Motorola Moto G Power sit in the line-up? Let's find out.
Design
The build quality of the Moto G Power is undisputed by reviewers. They all felt it was superior to most similarly priced phones in 2021. Motorola swapped the glossy (and slippery) rear plastic shell for a matte finish option with a subtle pattern that just makes the phone feel nice. It’s comfortable to hold with an unobtrusive camera bump, you can’t ask for much more.
Display
Unfortunately, what the phone offers in design and refinement, it lacks in display quality. Reviewers stated that the lower resolution 720p panel used on the phone capsized the excellent feeling of the build. The phone features a weaker display than many of its siblings with reduced contrast and washed out colors.
Performance
Performance reviews were mixed. Some reviewers felt the phone performed adequately for its price range while others thought it was sluggish and moved at a snail's pace. Some blamed the older software. Some blamed it on an ageing processor. It was a fairly equal draw between reviewers, so you probably don’t want to consider this phone for heavy use or if you plan to play the latest games. For the light users and daily tasks, it has the chops to keep things moving well enough.
Software & Storage
Motorola disappointed reviewers with only one guaranteed upgrade to the phone’s software. Paired with smaller storage allotments (32 and 64GB) many reviewers question how well the phone will age. However, there is the option to add up to 512GB with the use of a MicroSD card.
Cameras
The 48MP primary lens sounded great on paper to reviewers. Unfortunately, many felt the phone doesn't going to keep up on photography benchmarks. Muddy colors, a softness that wasn’t appealing, and low-light photography issues were common complaints. The camera could capture a good photo once in a while, but it wasn’t consistent enough to impress reviewers.
Battery Life
As you might guess from the name, battery life is where the Moto G Power (2021) shines. Motorola promises multi-day battery life and reviewers found this to be true across the board. Some reported up to three days of moderate use on a single charge!
Audio
As with most budget-conscious smartphones these days, the phone’s single speaker isn’t stellar. However, the phone’s headphone jack makes it easy to pop on your favorite cans and get lost in your games, movies, or music.
Specs at a Glance
- Matte plastic chassis
- 6.6-inch display
- Qualcomm SM6115 Snapdragon 662 processor
- 3 or 4GB of RAM
- Android 10
- 32 or 64GB of storage with MicroSD card support
- 48MP primary lens with a 2MP macro lens and 2MP depth sensor, 8MP selfie lens cameras
- 5,000mAh battery
Bottom Line
The Motorola Moto G family of phones combine affordable prices with phones tailored to a specific kind of phone user. The Moto G Power is all about the battery life. If photography or screen quality are essential to you, this phone is hard to beat. However, if you want to play games, enjoy movies, or capture life’s little moments with the help of your phone, there’s a good chance the phone will fall short of your expectations.
Tom’s Guide says, “Since it's impossible for a phone that costs [less] to be all things to all people, the key is to find a feature or two that truly matters to people and absolutely nail it. In the case of the Moto G Power, that feature is battery life.”
The Verge states, “The Motorola Moto G Power is a [low-priced] phone that does exactly what it claims — powers you through multiple days of use — but don’t expect any other bells or whistles.”
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Ryan Haines, Android AuthorityMotorola's Moto G Power more than delivers when it comes to battery life with performance that keeps cruising along. Other cuts hold it back from greatness, but the $249 price can make just about any wallet happy.
- Ryan Whitwam, Android PoliceThe Moto G series is at its best when Motorola pushes the envelope, but that's not the case with the 2021 Moto G Power. It's a real step down from the 2020 G Power. Both the performance and display quality are worse than I'd expect for the money, and two of the phone's three cameras are borderline u...
- Sam Rutherford, Gizmodofor a $200 device, the G Power offers surprisingly smooth performance, a solid build, and pretty decent cameras during the day. If you try to spend less than $200 on a phone, you seriously risk running into lag or stutter. And unlike a lot of budget devices, the G Power is delightfully free of bloat...
- Steven Winkelman, PC MagazineThe 2021 Moto G Power has adequate power and battery life, but it's a downgrade from the 2020 model and can't compete with increasingly feature-packed budget phones.
- Allison Johnson, The VergeIf $200 is the limit of your budget, the G Power is a fine pick — more so because there are few other options at this price. In addition to its dayslong battery life, it has a better processor than the $100-150 competition and you’re unlikely to find a substantially better screen or camera at this p...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
The Moto G Power (2021) price will vary depending on retailer, age, special offers and whether or not it's purchased with a service plan. If purchased with a 2 year service contract for example, you would likely pay much less for the phone itself up front. You can compare Motorola Moto G Power (2021) prices from around the web here on The Informr.
Motorola backs up the Moto G Power (2021) with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Moto G Power (2021) has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Motorola support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Motorola's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
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