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Motorola One 5G
Motorola One 5G
Motorola One 5G
Motorola One 5G
...


7.8/10
Informr score
The Motorola One 5G currently has an Informr score of 7.8 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 9 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

What's good

  • Quality display
  • Good camera
  • Amazing battery life
  • 90Hz refresh rate
  • Smooth performance
  • Headphone jack

What's bad

  • Bulky
  • Plastic chassis
  • Poor speaker quality
  • Limited carrier availability
  • Only one guaranteed update

The Motorola One 5G is the cheapest 5G option on the market for the moment. That says a lot in a gaggle of $1000+ smartphones. It’s great to have a low priced option, but the cost isn’t everything. Did Motorola cut costs in smart ways or does the phone fall short?

Design

It has an unassuming appearance as an average slab phone. It’s on the bigger side but that’s understandable when you consider how big the battery is. Still, it’s not so big it can’t be operated by one hand but if you have small hands, you might want to get your hands on one at a carrier store or electronics retailer before you commit.

The plastic chassis was the main complaint in reviews. The overly shiny material picked up smudges and fingerprints like nobody's business and simply didn’t feel great.

Display

A 6.7-inch LCD screen dominates the front of the phone. Reviews indicate that it’s bright, colorful, and high-quality for an LCD in its price bracket. It also has a 90Hz refresh rate -- a rare feature in the mid-tier market -- preventing stuttering and smoothing out gaming and common actions like swiping and scrolling.

Performance

Despite a disappointing 4GB of RAM, reviews indicated the phone is plenty snappy -- even when multitasking. Reviewers stated that it took opening nearly a dozen apps and just as many browser tabs to start bogging things down.

Game load times were the one caveat. Less RAM and mid-tier processor means things take longer to load. But once they’re running, they chug along smoothly enough with no mention of noticeable lag or dropped frames.

Software & Storage

The phone ships with the latest version of Android (Android 11.) However, reviewers were quick to point out that Motorola phones rarely see more than one major Android upgrade. So don’t expect it to stay up to date for more than a year or two.

128GB of internal also provides plenty of room for apps and video while a microSD expansion slot can add an additional 1TB of space if needed.

Cameras

With a total of 6 lenses, there’s a little bit of everything for every kind of photography. A 48MP main camera with a wide lens 8MP and macro 5MP gives all sorts of shot options. Though, reviewers noted low light shots often had blurred backgrounds and ruddy noise around the edges. The macro lens in low light, however, performed surprisingly well for most.

Battery Life

The battery is massive and its endurance is equally impressive. Some reviewers even skipped the overnight charge from time to time. Obviously, it will depend on how you use your phone, but on the whole, reviewers reported an almost 2-day battery life on the Motorola One 5G.

Audio

With only one dedicated speaker, the phone won’t be winning any sound quality awards. Reviewers weren’t happy that it was easy to accidentally muffle the speaker due to its location on the bottom of the phone. It was also tinny and thin sounding. Fortunately, the inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack and Bluetooth makes upgrade the audio quality as easy as grabbing your favorite headphones and plugging them in or pairing them.

Specs at a Glance

  • Plastic chassis
  • 6.7-inch LCD display
  • Octa-core 2.3 GHz Qualcomm SDM765 Snapdragon 765 processor
  • 4GB of ram
  • Android 11
  • 128GB of onboard storage with MicroSD option
  • 48MP/8MP wide/5MP macro/16MP selfie and 8MP wide front-facing camera
  • 5,000mAh battery

Bottom Line

The Motorola One 5G won’t keep up with the top-tier phones of 2020, but it’s certainly near the top of its price bracket. The fact that it’s reasonably priced but also capable of 5G connectivity is the largest selling point. The extra battery life also helps it handle 5G use without burning through its charge. Beyond that, there’s nothing groundbreaking or life-changing about the phone. But a phone doesn’t need to innovate to be a good value.

PC Magazine says, “The Motorola One 5G is a solid mid-range phone with good battery life, an attractive design, and a beautiful display. it's also one of the most affordable 5G phones on the market.”

Tom’s Guide states, “The Motorola One 5G offers decent performance and 5G connectivity for a lower price compared to other 5G phones. But compromises in practically every other category make it one of the less-compelling mid-range 5G phones.”


Android
Operating system
Operating system
Android
2.3 GHz
Processor
Processor
2.3 GHz
6.7"
Screen Size
Screen Size
6.7"
48+ MP, f/1.8
Camera
Camera
48+ MP, f/1.8
5000 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


TechRadar
TechRadar

The Motorola One 5G is a good all-rounder with a better chipset, battery life and screen quality than many other devices at its price point. It’s also got a bigger screen than its siblings. The fact that it’s also 5G-compatible makes it an even more tempting offer, as it’s the cheapest 5G phone at l...

- Tom Bedford, TechRadar
Tom's Guide
Tom's Guide

The Motorola One 5G offers decent performance and 5G connectivity for a lower price compared to other 5G phones. But compromises in practically every other category make it one of the less-compelling mid-range 5G phones.

- Adam Ismail, Tom's Guide
Cnet
Cnet

For the new $445 Motorola One 5G the company combined both its affordable phone wisdom and 5G connectivity smarts -- all without the need of an accessory -- to prove finally that 5G phones don't need to be expensive in 2020.

- Patrick Holland, Cnet
Wired
Wired

The One 5G is also an example of why you don't need to spend $1,000 to get a good phone. It joins a wave of sub-$500 devices that offer almost everything you need without stuttery performance or terrible cameras (the two most common flaws on cheap phones). There are still some compromises here, but...

- Julian Chokkattu, Wired
Android Headlines
Android Headlines

This phone comes close to nailing down and cementing a position as a top-ten mid-ranger. And it misses the mark on just a very few points. So it seems incredibly unlikely this phone will disappoint anybody who might be considering it for their next smartphone.

- Daniel Golightly, Android Headlines


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Motorola One 5G user manual here.


Motorola backs up the One 5G with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your One 5G 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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Quick view

Screen Size
6.7"

The Motorola One 5G's screen size is 6.7 inches with 1080 x 2520 pixels resolution.

Processor
2.3 GHz

There is a Qualcomm SDM765 Snapdragon 765 (7 nm) Octa-core 2.3 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on the Android 10 operating system (OS).

Camera
48+ MP

You can take photos or capture video with the phone's onboard 48+ MP, f/1.8 camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with 16+ megapixels resolution.

Storage
128 GB

Internal memory is 128 GB. An external, MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 1000 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
5000mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion), 5000 mAh battery. Motorola's performance ratings are 2370 minutes.

One 5G Specs

Overview
Release Date September 30, 2020
Regions Available USA
Operating System Android 10

Compare Android Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm SDM765 Snapdragon 765 (7 nm) Octa-core 2.3 GHz
Internal Storage 128 GB
RAM 4 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible Yes
TTY/TDD Unknown
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Head: 0.98 W/kg
Body: 0.91 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included USB Power Adapter, Manual, Headphones, Data Cable
Cellular
Networks
HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE, 5G
Mobile / Cellular Data
5G, 4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling Yes
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Yes
SIM card size
Nano-SIM
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB USB Type-C
USB OTG Support Yes
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 5.1
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, OPP/FTP, HID, HFP, HSP
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 1000 GB)
NFC Yes
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
48+ Megapixels, f/1.8
Zoom
Yes
Flash
Yes (Dual LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Effects, Face detection, Geotagging, Image stabilization, Multi-shot, Night mode, Panorama, Self-timer, 2nd camera feature (5 MP, F2.2, Macro), 3rd camera feature (8 MP, F2.2, Ultrawide), 4th camera feature (2 MP, F2.2, Depth), HDR, Slow motion recording, Time lapse mode
Video Recording Formats
MPEG-4
Video Recording Parameters
Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels), 30 fps
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
16+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
1st camera feature (F2.0, Ultrawide), 2nd camera feature (8 MP, F2.2)
Video Recording Parameters
Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 30 fps
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology LCD (IPS)
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution 1080 x 2520 pixels
Pixel Density 409 pixels
Size 6.7 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touchscreen, 90Hz refresh rate, HDR10
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
Battery Capacity 5000 mAh
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging No
Fast Charging Yes
Video Playback Time Unknown
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Unknown
Internet Use (Cellular) Unknown
Talk Time Up to 2370 minutes
Standby Time Up to 22.3 days
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Plastic
Colors Oxford Blue
Dimensions [H x W x D] 16.8 x 7.4 x 0.9 cm (6.6 x 2.9 x 0.4 in)
Weight 207 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Water Resistant
Rugged design No
IP Rating No
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Yes
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key No
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor Yes
More
Additional Information Other Names (AKA):
Related Links Manual (PDF)
Motorola One 5G Reviews
Where to buy Motorola One 5G
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