Moto G7 Power review: beyond the battery

Some people believe that the Moto Gs are no longer what they once were. Since Motorola was acquired by Lenovo in early 2014, many things have changed in the telephone division of one of the most well-known brands in this industry. The Moto Xs were relegated to play second fiddle, and the company tried (and failed) to revolutionize the segment with modular smartphones via the Moto Z series.

But not everything has changed. Year after year, Motorola remains true to the tradition of the Moto G series. These are mid-range terminals with an unbeatable price to quality ratio. In 2019 Motorola launched the seventh generation of this lineup, which consists of four different models.

The Moto G7 Power (Check on Amazon.com) is has a spec sheet that places it below the Moto G7 (Check on Amazon) and Moto G7 Plus (Check on Amazon), and above the Moto G7 Play (Check on Amazon), but for me, this is the best Moto G of 2019, and here’s why:

Read more:

• Moto G7 Play review: amazingly fast
• Motorola Moto G7 Plus review: Always concrete, always Moto G

A design without surprises

Fresh out of the box we note two things: the first, its 193 grams of weight do make a difference, but it’s a small price to pay for having this huge battery. Even better, after a few minutes, you will forget about it.

The second consideration is that the design is familiar (and that is a good thing). The new Moto G7 Power is a true Moto G, with smooth lines and a plastic glossy finish that is a fingerprint magnet and scratches easily.

Thankfully, there is a protective case in the package and our recommendation is to use it immediately.

On its back, we find the Motorola logo that hides the fingerprint reader. And above it, the camera and flash LED wrapped in a circle that makes them stand out.

One of the microphones and the audio jack are located on the upper side. The second microphone together with the USB Type C port is on the lower side.

On the left side, we find the MicroSD and SIM tray. Finally, on the right side, we have the volume and power buttons placed at a perfect height.

On the front, we can admire the large 6.2-inch screen with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio that makes use of the traditional notch. A place where we find the front camera, the proximity sensor and the headset that doubles as a speaker.

It is also thicker than most phones and as we said before has a bulk that you notice when you carry it in your pocket. But its design works and is surprisingly comfortable to hold.

Motorola G7 Power – Spec sheet

Snapdragon 632 offers a perfect balance between performance and energy consumption. It guarantees that it will run even the heaviest game (being able to enjoy classics such as Street of Rage 2 or thrilling races in Asphalt 9 at its highest graphics quality. Part of the merit is the use of a 720p resolution) or multitasking scenario (within reason).

The 4GB of RAM also contributes to this promise, offering a very satisfactory user experience in everyday use, and the 64GB of internal storage is just the icing on the cake.

All this hardware is combined with an almost stock Android installation, with just a smidge of Motorola’s own apps. The performance is very fluid and similar to that reserved, until recently, to Nexus or Pixel owners.

Big screen, small resolution

Lets cut right to the chase, the Motorola G7 Power has a resolution of just 1570×720 pixels. A choice that benefits and harms the device in equal parts. On one hand, the device benefits from lower power expenditure thus increasing its already exceptional autonomy. But on the other, a 6.2-inch panel with a 720p resolution is somewhat unbalanced. Having opted for a resolution of 1080p would have been better, and considering its huge battery it would not hinder its autonomy in any meaningful way.

However, this screen also has some nice features, like its outdoor brightness that facilitates its use under direct sunlight and the automatic brightness management system that is perfectly calibrated.

It also features some nice colors with no excessive saturation and largely faithful to reality. The Motorola G7 Power also offers three distinct settings for them, so you are likely to find one that you like.

Motorola G7 Power – Autonomy, to infinity and beyond

We have reached the cornerstone of the new Moto G7 Power, its huge 5000mAh battery. And yes, Motorola has also incorporated the fast charge to be able to recharge it in no time. This simple set of features make the new Moto G a special smartphone.

Being able to use the device for hours and hours is a sensation that very few smartphones can offer today. It also recharges from 0 to 50% in just under 40 minutes, and a full charge takes just 2 hours.

With a 100% battery, the Motorola G7 Power scored an impressive 17 hours and 22 minutes of screen time. The adjective “Power” is not a marketing move.

Where corners were cut

Until now the new Moto G7 Power is an extremely well-balanced phone, however, in the sound compartment, we have found some discrepancies that do not convince us at all. We appreciate the presence of the audio jack and FM radio, but they are not enough.

The speaker is underpowered and simply not designed for this kind of work. At least the headphones do a better job granting us with a crisp and clean sound.

The other department where Motorola has cut corners is the connections. It sports a USB Type C port, but we cannot condone the absence of 802.11ac WiFi. Bluetooth is version 4.2 which is OK, but the absence of NFC was a big surprise.

Software, Moto Actions good, update frequency bad

Having a discerning feature that sets you apart from the others is always very positive, both for the brand and its users. And the new Moto G7 Power, despite using stock Android, also includes some proprietary software enhancements that offer a better day-to-day experience.

For some users, these Moto Actions may be a mere addition, but we cannot deny that they add value to the user experience and Google itself should take note of these features. If it weren’t for Motorola’s/Lenovo’s notoriously slow update frequency…

Motorola G7 Power – Photography, a pleasant surprise

I must be honest, I didn’t expect too much. The new Moto G7 Power bets on its autonomy, so my expectations were “low”. However, and considering the obvious hardware limitations in this price range, I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Starting with software that makes available to the user a variety of interesting settings.

One of the big surprises that the Moto G7 Power has in store for us is the possibility of capturing photos in RAW, something that rarely finds even in the high to premium range.

In well-lit environments, the new Moto G7 Power takes very satisfactory photos, especially in HDR mode that squeezes every ounce of detail out of the single 12-megapixel sensor. Photos have good detail and adequate color representation, thus positioning this smartphone above many of its rivals.

There are, of course, better cameraphones out there, even at this price range, but it is also true that there are also worse.

Moto G7 Power – Verdict

As I said in the beginning, the Moto G7 Power is my favorite model among this year’s lineup. It doesn’t have the best screen, nor the best camera, nor is it the prettiest. But still, this is the only smartphone capable of contributing something different to an extremely saturated mid-range segment, where manufacturers have it increasingly difficult to make a dent.

Therefore to the question of whether or not it is worthwhile to buy a Moto G7 Power my answer is a resounding “Yes”, especially when you consider its price of just (Check on Amazon.com).

And yes, maybe for that same price there are better designed mobile phones, with better screens or infinitely superior cameras. But few can boast what is probably the best autonomy of its segment, accompanied by almost stock Android software and a spec sheet that can handle any reasonable workload.