Motorola One Vision: The Good, The Bad And The X Factor

21:9 Aspect Ratio Screen Brings A new Viewing Experience

I was really excited to test the new Moto handset because of its key feature- the new 21:9 aspect ratio screen. The latest form-factor brings something new to the table. Otherwise every other smartphone manufacturer is dealing with the infamous notch-factor and trying to hide it by one way or the other. Motorola has also removed the notch by creating a punch-hole cutout; however, it still feels refreshing as the front of the handset offers a tall, in fact the tallest screen in India.

The IPS LCD panel with 21:9 aspect ratio gives a new dimension to the handset. The display now offers some extra real-estate for scrolling through social media feeds, multitasking and also allows you to watch videos in cinematic aspect ratio- the way directors see and create the content. Resultant, the available video content on YouTube and Netflix looks just awesome. The 21:9 form-factor also allows you to multitask easily as you can place two apps comfortably in split-view.

Stock Android User-Experience

Motorola has kept one thing quite consistent over the years and it can also be experienced on the new One Vision. It is the software and user-experience. Moto phones are a delight for stock Android fans and the One Vision keeps the trend in motion. As the handset is a part of Android One programme, the smartphone runs a clean and clutter-free version of Android 9 Pie. It is almost stock Android as Motorola has added some level of Moto's signature customizations, which only enhances the user-experience. In addition to all the stock Android 9 features such as gestures, Digital Wellbeing, Adaptive battery, etc. you also get Moto Display and Moto actions, which includes One button navigation, Quick capture, Fast flashlight and Three-finger screenshot. These actions come quite handy in day-to-day routine and we would love to see some more additions in the Moto action's repository.

Capable Camera Hardware

Motorola took the feedback seriously and has also worked hard to improve the camera performance. The One Vision features a beefier 48MP primary rear camera paired up with a 5MP depth sensor. The camera captures very clean and crisp shots. Colors are represented accurately in the shots and there's no unwanted color boost which might animate the final output. You can enable 21:9 aspect ratio to capture full-screen shots that look brilliant on the new form-factor.

Good Bokeh Shots And Interesting Modes In Camera App

The depth sensor is doing a great job on Motorola One Vision as the bokeh effect is very pleasing and show minimal irregularities. There's a big 25MP front-facing shooter which shoots crisp selfie with natural skin color tones. Motorola has also added a variety of interesting and useful modes and filters to enhance your photography experience. Cut out, Spot color and Cinematograph are super fun to use. Motorola One Vision also has some serious low-light camera abilities. We are yet to test the full potential of Moto One Vision's camera so stay tuned for our comprehensive review of the smartphone.

Loud And Clear Audio

There's one bottom firing speaker on Motorola One Vision and it is quite powerful. The mono speaker unit is pretty loud and throws audio with excellent clarity. The audio produced by the single speaker on Moto One Vision can easily fill up a small room.

3.5mm Headphone jack, Type-C port, 128GB Storage And microSD card Slot

Motorola One Vision does not ditch the good-old 3.5mm headphone jack and also offers the latest Type-C charging port. As far as hardware is concerned, the handset uses Samsung's Exynos 9609 chipset paired with 4GB RAM and speedy 128GB UFS 2.1 internal storage. You can even expand the internal memory via microSD card expansion offered in hybrid SIM card slot. All these features add a great value to the overall user-experience of a smartphone.

The Bad

No smartphone is perfect and Moto One Vision also has some short comings. The IPS LCD display feels less lively when compared to its AMOLED counterparts. The blacks could have been deeper and colors more vibrant to make video streaming and gameplay more immersive. If you also prefer OLED panels, check Samsung's Galaxy A50, M40, and A70 mid-range smartphones. In a nutshell, while the new form-factor is a definite step up, an OLED panel would have added a lot of value to the overall viewing experience.

Besides, the phone ships without a pair of headphones/earphones in the package. You have to purchase them separately from the market. Any standard 3.5mm headphones will do the job as One Vision offers a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. Last but not least, the battery cell on Moto One Vision is not the most powerful in its category. Even though the handset runs stock Android UI, the battery life is slightly underwhelming. We clocked a day's battery life even on moderate usage of the handset. The company ships a 15W Turbo Power adapter in the box.

The X factor

The new screen with 21:9 aspect ratio is undoubtedly the X factor of Moto One Vision. The video streaming (with available content on YouTube & Netflix) and multitasking experience on One Vision is quite intuitive. The camera also seems quite promising on this handset.

Verdict

Motorola took a considerable time to launch another product in the Indian market after One Power, however, One Vision is worth the wait. It brings a new form-factor to the table along with a capable camera hardware and stock Android UI. The 128 GB UFS 2.1 internal storage, 3.5mm headphone jack, and robust build quality are some other notable features. I really wish Moto had provided a bigger battery and an AMOLED screen on One Vision as these add-ons would have made for a great overall package. Nevertheless, we are still testing the smartphone and its full potential will be seen in our comprehensive review. Stay tuned on GizBot.com.