Moto G 5G (2022) Introduction
Motorola has reigned supreme in the entry-level and mid-range segments with the sheer volume of devices released annually that seem to fit any budget yet offer a feature-rich spec sheet. The latest Moto G 5G (2022) is the perfect example of this: it costs $399 (but is usually available for around $299.99 on Motorola.com) and has a wealth of useful features that match its low price Mid-range positioning really harmonize well. However, it’s difficult to recommend this phone for some of its major flaws – the Moto G 5G (2022) drops the ball with its totally nondescript LCD display and disappointing camera.
Table of Contents:
Moto G 5G (2022) Specifications
middle class affair
Here are the full Moto G 5G specs:
| specifications | iPhone 13 Pro max |
|---|---|
| height and weight | 7.20 oz (204.0 g)6.51 x 2.98 x 0.37 in (165.4 x 75.8 x 9.4 mm), |
| advertisement | 6.5″ IPS LCD, 90 Hz, 1600 x 720 pixels |
| processor | MediaTek Dimensity 700 MT6833, 2x 2.2GHz Cortex-A76 + 6x 2.0GHz Cortex-A55 |
| R.A.M. | 4GB |
| storage | 64GB, microSDXC slot |
| software | Android 12 |
| cameras | 50MP wide angle F1.8 2MP Macro F2.4 2MP Depth F2.4 |
| battery size | 5,000mAh |
| loading speeds | 10W wired charging, charger included |
| Price | $399 |
Moto G 5G (2022) Theme & Colors
Try solid plastic
The Moto G 5G is made entirely of plastic, and that’s to be expected at this price point, but to be honest, that doesn’t bother us. It makes the phone relatively light and easy to handle, but surprisingly solid at the same time. Nothing special on the outside, just your run-of-the-mill Motorola design with flat sides but slightly curved back making the latest Moto G comfortable to handle.
There are fairly thick bezels up front and there’s little excuse for that as several devices in the same price range, like the Galaxy A53 mentioned above, have much thinner bezels, making for a much more modern look. In comparison, the Moto G 5G (2022) definitely doesn’t deserve the 2022 suffix and looks like something that should have been released back in 2019. After all, the punch-hole camera is autonomous and no V-shaped extension top bezel.
On the bottom is a 3.5mm audio jack, along with a bottom-firing speaker and a USB Type-C charging port. In terms of biometrics, a capacitive fingerprint scanner is embedded right into the side power button, which works brilliantly. The phone is also water resistant to IP52, which means splashes of water would not damage the internals.
Moto G 5G (2022) screen
The completely flat 6.5-inch display of the Moto G 5G comes with a refresh rate of 90 Hz but has the low resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels, which is not ideal. Sure, the iPhone SE (2022) comes with a similar resolution, but that display over there is smaller, making for a much sharper picture. Display sharpness isn’t a strong suite from this Motorola phone, but color reproduction and peak brightness aren’t great either. There are IPS LCD displays, and there are IPS LCD displays, and this one is nothing special: with washed out colors and cold color reproduction, it has pretty poor viewing angles with a sharp drop in contrast.
Display Measurements:
As mentioned in the previous section, the Moto G comes biometrically equipped with a capacitive fingerprint scanner built right into the power button. It works quickly and accurately, and normally unlocks the phone when you press the power button soon, which is great to see. An in-display fingerprint scanner should definitely not be missing here.
Moto G 5G (2022) camera
Not impressive
The Moto G 5G features a triple camera setup, and while that may sound intriguing at first, a quick look at the spec sheet could quickly disappoint, as you’re essentially getting a 50MP wide-angle camera that you’ll be using 99% of the time Situations supported by a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor used in portraiture. An ultra-wide camera would have been a much better deal than the macro shooter, which doesn’t do an excellent job itself.
There’s a range of useful camera features, like Portrait and Pro modes, as well as Night Vision, Ultra-Res (50MP mode), Panorama, Group Selfie, and some fun if gimmicky ones, like Spot Color, which removes all colors except the selected, cutout that recognizes human faces and photographs only, along with dual capture and spot color for video.
Portrait photos turn out quite well. The depth sensor is definitely used in these shots as hiding it with your finger prevents the phone from taking a portrait shot at all, which other phones sometimes do. Aside from humans, it also works well with other objects.
The macro mode is mostly a bug as the macro shots are a messy 2MP affair that’s often fuzzy.
Low-light images aren’t very good either, with loads of noise visible even when plenty of natural light is still visible. There is a special night vision mode, but it doesn’t improve the quality much.
Moto G 5G (2022) performance and benchmarks
Does the job, but nothing more
Coming hot with the MediaTek Dimensity 700, the Moto G 5G is a modest performer. It certainly doesn’t exactly beat the benchmarks, but it hasn’t hindered my day-to-day use or anything like that. Although it lacks flagship power, the Moto G proved to be a robust performer that runs nimble enough. Sure, it took longer to boot up Minecraft and create a new world than I’m used to, but ultimately you can play decently on this phone, with the occasional stutter here and there. That’s to be expected in this price range.
On the subject of storage, keep in mind that the phone comes in two versions: 4GB RAM and 64GB storage for the carrier version, and 6GB RAM and 256GB storage for the retail version, which you buy unlocked directly from Motorola. Both versions still have microSD card slots that support cards up to 512GB. Even the 6GB RAM version I tested experienced frequent unexpected app reloads, so the optimization and multitasking experience aren’t great.
Performance Benchmarks:
Moto G 5G (2022) OS / Android version
In terms of user interface, the Moto G 5G comes with a mostly stock version of Android 12, with only a few custom additions, like custom gestures and accessibility shortcuts. The interface is clean and functional, and my favorite feature is the advanced customization menu, which lets you easily create themes with system-wide colors, shapes, and fonts.
Moto G 5G (2022) battery
Quite the actor
The Moto G 5G (2022) packs a 5,000mAh battery on the back and, much like many Motorola phones, it really is a long-lasting phone. It’s easily a two-day phone with medium usage, including social media, video streaming, and web browsing.
In the PhoneArena browsing battery test, which involves automated web browsing and scrolling over a Wi-Fi network at 200 nits of preset screen brightness, the Moto G 5G lasted 15 hours and 56 minutes, which is an excellent result! On the PhoneArena gaming battery test, which runs 3D games with a display set to 200 nits, the phone lasted 7 hours and 33 minutes, another impressive result.
PhoneArena battery test results:
Moto G 5G (2022) charging speeds
In terms of charging, the phone supports 10W charging and the charger actually comes with it. Topping up that large battery does take its toll though: it takes around three hours to fully charge the phone, not great.
Moto G 5G (2022) audio quality and feel
The Moto G 5G (2022) has a single speaker that sounds pretty loud but not very rich. Music sounds a bit tinny and lacks a more defined base. It’s also easy to completely block the speaker output with the palm of your hand – not good.
As mentioned, there’s a 3.5mm audio jack, as well as a wired FM radio, both of which are unicorns in today’s phone market. Still, it’s nice to have options as the phone’s speaker isn’t anything spectacular, so it’s advisable to use headphones at all times, be it wired or wireless.
Haptic feedback isn’t great, feeling muddy and unsatisfying.
Moto G 5G (2022) competitors
The Moto G 5G has some tough competition. For starters, you could opt for the slightly more expensive Moto G Stylus 5G, which is subjectively a better phone, has slightly better battery life, a faster Snapdragon chipset, and an ultra-wide camera.
On the Android side, there’s also the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G, which is available for under $300 and comes with a nice AMOLED display and better cameras.
Finally, there’s the iPhone SE (2022), which crushes everything in its class in terms of performance, but has significantly worse battery life and a dated design and display, but has one good camera.
Moto G 5G (2022) Summary and Final Verdict
Overall, the Moto G 5G (2022) isn’t a bad phone, but it does lag behind some of its rivals. At $299, its usual retail price, it’s not a bad deal, but the regular $399 makes it a much tougher sale.
The phone has some redeeming qualities, like very good battery life and a friendly design, but the unassuming performance, lackluster display, and camera make it difficult to recommend this one.