Moto G30 Review: Does It Beat Competition In Budget Segment?

Design And Display

Moto G30 measures around 165.2 x 75.7 x 9.1 mm in dimensions and weighs 200 grams. Its button placement and form factor make it comfortable to be used in one hand. However, it appears to be a little thicker than rivals at this price point. To detail on the same, we have the power button and volume rocker at the right along with a dedicated Google Assistant button. The left of the device features the SIM card tray. The bottom edge of the smartphone has the USB Type-C port while the 3.5mm audio jack is at the top.

It flaunts a 6.5-inch LCD display with a HD+ resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels with a dated teardrop notch at the top and a 90Hz refresh rate. On the flip side, the Moto G30 features a plastic build and comes in a Pastel Sky color option that looks gray but reflects pink in specific angles. Furthermore, there is a water-repellent coating, which protects the device from water ingress.

While this color variant is unique, but it fails to add as a style quotient. Apart from the touch given to the color, Motorola could have focused on the design as the device seems to look to plain. There are many better-looking offerings in this price bracket such as the Redmi Note 10. Besides this, the buttons are easy to access and the device is comfortable to be used in one hand. However, with the bundled case snapped on, I found glitches while using the power button. It becomes too stern to use while there are no issues with the other buttons though.

Moto G30 flaunts a 6.5-inch LCD display with a HD+ 720p resolution that is relatively lower than a few other smartphones in this price range. The screen has a 90Hz refresh rate despite being an affordable smartphone and this makes it a little smoother. While the screen size is ideal for watching videos, we prefer a FHD 1080p display while gaming.

Talking about the refresh rate, while it is nice to see a 90Hz screen, I would prefer a standard refresh rate as there were some frame rates. However, the display could have better for improved visual quality.

Hardware And Battery Performance

The latest offering from Motorola is fueled by the octa-core Snapdragon 662 SoC, which is a fair improvement as compared to the Snapdragon 460 SoC that was used by the Moto G10. It is touted to improve speeds in almost all tasks as opposed to that of the Moto G10. There is 4GB RAM along with 64GB with expandable storage space of up to 1TB. Unless you use are a power-user, these should deliver a good performance.

While the smartphone made it through a good few bouts of Call of Duty and Shadow Fight 3, we cannot claim it to a powerhouse as it managed to do so only on the lower graphics settings. At the high graphics settings, there were a lot of lag and frame drops. The performance, for the most part, is acceptable for most use cases and works sans any hitch when subjected to lighter tasks. The fingerprint sensor is also swift and operates without any misses.

Benchmark Scores

We ran the Geekbench 5 benchmark test on the Moto G30 and it managed to score 299 points and 1237 points in the single-core and multi-core tests respectively. On the other hand, the Redmi 9 Power scored relatively better in the single-core test getting 311 points while it scored lower in the multi-core test with 1285 points. In the Sling Shot Extreme test on 3D Benchmark, the handset scored 1174 points whereas its rival, the Redmi 9 Power got almost a similar score of 1182. This makes us come to a conclusion that the Moto G30 is quite similar to that of its competitors such as Redmi 9 Power.

Software Looks Clean

Moto G30 has been launched with Android 11 with a stock UI. we are sure that the smartphone will get updates for a minimum of two years down the lane. On the whole, the interface is clean and neat and not cluttered at all. We are able to find all the options easily sans any glitches. The user interface is very smooth and operates the same until the phone is subjected to intense workloads.

The OS is quite identical to how Google designed it sans any customization. This translates to a clean-looking interface with round app icons, very few pre-installed apps, additional aspects such as system-wide dark mode and more. There is Moto Actions, which is nothing but gestures that enables launching apps quickly such as turning on the flashlight with a double karate-chop motion, bringing up the camera by twisting the phone twice and more.

Furthermore, the Moto G30 is packed with Motorola's proprietary four-layer security of ThinkShield, which provides protection from hardware to software allowing consumers to have peace of mind with respect to their data security.

Camera Performance

The Moto G30 bestows a quad-camera unit at the rear with a 64MP primary sensor with f/1.7 aperture, PDAF, HDR and LED flash. There is an 8MP secondary 118-degree ultra-wide-angle with an aperture of f/2.2 aperture, a 2MP tertiary macro lens with f/2.4 aperture, and a 2MP fourth lens with a similar f/2.4 aperture. When it comes to the video recording capability, there is support for capturing FHD 1080p videos at 30fps or 60fps. At the front, there is a 13MP selfie camera sensor with f/2.2 aperture, HDR and 1080p video shooing capability.

While the main camera performance is good with immense details, the low light performance isn't impressive. The ultra-wide angle shots are bright enough as compared to the main camera sensor but it appears to have a yellowish tint. The macro sensor is a good addition and is quite often seen in affordable smartphones but it is tough to use and get the desired results. To get the best macro shots, you need to ensure that the phone is too close to the subject but this blocks the light. There's isn't a zoom camera and this makes sense given is budget but there is digital zoom up to 8x.

Talking about the interface, the stock Google camera app is clean but the options such as portrait, night vision, and other modes are tucked away within the menu. It has only photo and video options on the main menu, but this should be fine for those who don't use other tools quite often.

Battery Life

Moto G30 is fitted with a capacious 5000mAh battery, which is complemented with a 20W TurboPower charger. The battery lasts for over two days on regular usage and is touted to last up to 2 days of usage. You'll never need to worry about this phone not lasting a full day even on heavy usage. While plugging in the charger, the device gets relatively warm but it is acceptable given its price point. Maybe, the battery performance could have been relatively degraded if it had more powerful hardware and high resolution.

Verdict

Motorola has been one of the reputed brands in the affordable price points but it faces tough competition from other brands such as Redmi, Realme and more. Despite the competition, it looks like Motorola is gearing to unveil smartphones to compete with these rivals with its offerings. However, it needs to make sure to bundle ample features and capabilities that make them competent to combat the competition. The Moto G30 priced at Rs. 10,999 could be improved to make it the best buy in the price bracket as it lacks from few aspects such as a good and vibrant display and improved performance.