Motorola One Power First Impressions: Massive battery and stock Android UI in mid-range

Design: Thicker, bulkier and premium

Looking at the design of the new Motorola One Power, I can say that this handset does not feel like a device priced under Rs. 16,000. Motorola One Power has "precision-crafted metal design" that gives the handset a premium look and feel. The smartphone is quite thicker and bulkier than other handsets in this price-point, thanks to the 5,000 mAh battery unit. However, the weight is very well balanced and the rounded edges and curves ease up the handling process to a great extent. Personally, I don't mind a slightly bulky device if the handset is able to last for two days on a single charge. I think many of you will agree on this point, and for such users, One Power actually makes for an ideal mid-range smartphone.

Motorola One Power has a Type C port and two speaker units at the bottom out of which only one actually works. The second speaker grille has been added to offer symmetry to the design. The right side of the handset has the power button and volume rockers. The hybrid SIM card tray, which has a dedicated microSD card slot, sits on the left side. The top of the handset has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microphone. The rear side of the handset also sports a fingerprint scanner; placed right on the dimple of Moto branding which I believe is the best spot for the biometric scanner. It is very conveniently placed and unlocks the phone in a jiffy. Overall, the new design is quite premium and is a welcome change.

Display: Moto’s first handset with a notch screen

When it comes to display, the One Power features a massive 6.2-inch Full HD+ screen. There's a display notch too that houses the 12MP selfie camera and important sensors. Moto has also provided a front flash to help you capture bright selfies in low-light. The IPS LCD display is vibrant and very responsive. It is also fairly bright and offers comfortable viewing experience outdoors. I think this is one of the best display I have come across on a device priced this low. Importantly, unlike the Poco F1, Motorola One Power is certified with Widevine L1 license to support HD video streaming on video streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Hardware: Snapdragon 636 octa-core CPU and 4GB/6GB RAM variants

Motorola One Power is backed by the Snapdragon 636 octa-core CPU which is known for its performance and efficiency. Notably, it is also the same chipset that also powers Redmi Note 5 Pro, one of the major competitors of Motorola One Power. The chipset in the case of One Power is paired with 4GB and 6GB RAM options. As noted, Snapdragon 636 is a very capable CPU and easily addresses everyday computing and gaming requirements. As the handset runs stock Android, which is very well optimized, I did not face any performance issues during my usage. I was able to play PUBG at lower settings, run multiple tabs in Chrome and edit pictures on One Power without any major hiccups. The handset also has Dolby audio and the mono firing speaker at the bottom can get very loud and delivers clear audio.

Software: Moto’s first Android One smartphone to be launched in India.

As mentioned, Motorola One Power comes under Google's Android One program to offer a stock Android experience. The UI is very clean, responsive and is free of any unwanted bloatwares. If you love stock Android user interface, the new Motorola smartphone can be your best bet in mid-range price-point. You also get Moto actions such as ‘chop twice for flashlight, twist for quick capture and Moto display'.

These actions come quite handy in everyday usage and you will get used to them in the very first week of using the handset. Besides, you also get support for Google Assistant and unlimited storage with Google Photos for HD picture quality. Importantly, Motorola One Power will be among the first devices to get Android Pie update in India as it is unveiled under Android One programme. The smartphone is also set to receive the Android Q update.

Camera: Dual-lens rear camera and 12MP front-facing selfie camera

As far as cameras are concerned, Motorola One Power sports a dual rear camera setup, which comprises of a 16MP primary sensor with f/1.8 aperture and the secondary 5MP depth sensor working on f/2.2 aperture. The rear camera also supports 4K video recording. For selfies, Motorola One Power sports a 12MP front camera that can create software driven bokeh effect and is also paired with a flashlight. The initial testing suggests that the camera is a decent performer in daylight. The HDR mode improves the dynamic range and offers vibrant colors, but is not always consistent. The portrait mode is also not very promising and is marred by poor edge detection.

Low-light performance is really not up to the mark. The other problem is somewhat buggy camera app. While the camera app is minimal and easy to use, it crashed two or three times in a day and also showed a glitch while opening up the recently clicked bokeh images in the gallery from the camera app itself. The camera also integrates Google Lens and it works just fine. But overall, it seems that cameras are the weakest leg of Motorola One Power. I will spend some more time testing the camera to give a clear picture of the overall performance.

Battery and Connectivity

Motorola One Power can easily last more than a day on a single charge even with heavy usage. The 5,000 mAh battery is indeed the highlight here. You also get a 15W turbocharger in the box, which s per Motorola provides six hours of power with just 15 minutes of charging. For connectivity, the smartphone offers 4G LTE, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, USB Type-C, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Verdict

Motorola One Power is a promising mid-range smartphone with a good focus on addressing user's multimedia requirements. You get a premium design, crisp and vibrant LCD display, and a powerful battery unit that can easily survive more than a day on a single charge. As it comes under Android One programme, software updates are also not an issue on this handset. But what seems lagging here is a good camera performance. The handset clearly falls behind from the competition in terms of camera output. We will spend some more time with One Power to give you a better understanding of its overall performance.