Motorola Moto G7 Plus review: Always concrete, always Moto G

Despite the initial hype for this family of products has dissipated almost all Moto G have proved to be excellent products. Let’s discover the new Motorola Moto G7 Plus (Check on Amazon.com).

Package

Inside the Moto G7 Plus package, you will find the smartphone wrapped inside a transparent silicone case. We then have a 27W power adapter and a USB/USB-C cable.

Build and Ergonomics

The Moto G7 Plus lines remain very similar to those of the previous generation. We have a polished metal shell that encloses a rounded glass back that is very pleasant both to the eye and to the touch. The smartphone is neither lightweight nor thin, but it sits well in hand and does not slip, even without using the included cover. The fingerprint reader on the front has vanished, now integrated into the circular recess on the back together with the company logo. It is a very stylish smartphone that definitely stands out in its price range. In addition, it is still splash-resistant.

Hardware

The spec sheet is mundane and is quite similar to last year’s model. We have a 1.8GHz octa-core Snapdragon 636 processor, an Adreno 509 CPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal memory. The memory is expandable with the use of a microSD card, and since the tray has a triple-slot, it doesn’t affect the possibility of using two SIM cards. This phone also sports good connectivity with LTE up to 600Mbps, dual-band ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and even FM radio. There is also a 3.5mm audio jack and the fingerprint reader is very quick and precise when unlocking. Also good is the stereo sound provided by the lower speaker as is the earphone capsule positioned on the upper edge of the phone.

Camera

The Moto G7 Plus is equipped with a dual-camera module that consists of a 16-megapixel ƒ/1.7 optically stabilized sensor paired with a secondary 5-megapixel ƒ/2.2 one responsible for the depth of field calculations and blur effects in portrait mode. Photos are of higher quality than what we are used to in this price range and perfectly in line with what we had seen last year with the Moto G6 Plus (which produces some amazing shots). In low light conditions, the quality naturally drops a notch, but the photos are still usable on social media. In these cases the exposure is imperfect, but we have to turn a blind eye considering the price of the device. Selfies taken with the 8-megapixel front camera, are also good, even though no better than last year’s phone. Videos are decent and can be recorded in 4K. Image stabilization helps a lot, but at the maximum resolution, the image shows a bit of flickering.

This time around, in addition to the classic modes, such as panorama or slow-motion, we also have the option of black and white photos and animated GIFs.

Display

The biggest novelty of this smartphone is definitely the presence of the 6.2-inch display with FullHD+ resolution (1080×2270 pixels). It uses IPS technology and has good brightness and well-calibrated colors. Despite the increase in size, this smartphone has very similar proportions to its predecessors. This was achieved thanks to the reduction of bezels and the introduction of a waterdrop notch at the top of the screen. It’s not the most compact notch we’ve seen, but it’s not too invasive either and allows for the display to go as close to the top edge as possible.

Software

As always Motorola offers almost stock Android with a touch of Moto magic. The device runs Android 9.0 Pie, with almost no customization, except those present in the Moto app. The app gives us the possibility to activate convenient navigation gestures and the famous Moto Actions that activate various functions through simple gestures or movements. In addition, we have Moto Display that allows for notifications to show up even when the phone is locked and, to reply to messages without having to unlock the device. Last but not least there is Moto Voice that reads to us incoming messages and notifies us of incoming calls when it recognizes that we are driving. Overall, the user experience is fast and reactive as always. A “mini Pixel”, as we defined it in the past (but without the instant updates).

Autonomy

There was a slight step back from 3200 to a 3000mAh unit. Despite this, and thanks to the adoption of a better CPU, the phone still offers a remarkable autonomy. It will always get you at the end of the day and in addition, it still supports TurboPower fast charging.

Price

The price has unfortunately risen. It now costs (Check on Amazon.com), which is still an honest price tag although not as competitive as last year’s. However, it is definitely destined to drop in the coming months.

Final Verdict

The Motorola Moto G7 Plus is the Moto G we expected. It’s a solid device that cuts some corners on the CPU department but not on the overall user experience. It also sports things like the USB-C port, FM radio, triple-slot tray, audio jack, and NFC. The price is higher than before but it is justified by the better and bigger new display.