Tech reviews

Moto G9 Power Review


Moto G9 Power


Moto G9 Power&nbsp

Key Highlights

  • Pros: Excellent 6000mAh battery, tall display and affordable price

  • Cons: Bulky body, and mediocre camera performance

Motorola’s ‘G’ series of smartphones are commonly known for its statisfactory performance and value for money. Hence, the company has kept the lineup going since the original Moto G, even after Lenovo’s takeover. In late 2020, the brand got two more handsets in its portfolio called the Moto G 5G Plus and the Moto G9 Power. We have already reviewed the former, and now it’s time for the cheaper offering – ‘Moto G9 Power’. 

The Moto G9 Power gets all the internals that you would find in some best affordable phones in India right now. It has a 6000mAh battery unit, a 64-megapixel triple-rear camera setup and Snapdragon 662 processor. To top it off, the phone costs Rs. 11,999 for the sole 4GB+128GB storage variant. In terms of colour options, you get Electric Violet and Metallic Sage variants.

If we look at the specifications, the Moto G9 Power looks like an excellent budget phone, but since this segment is over-crowded with the Xiaomis and Realmes, it has to perform well to overshadow the competition in the market. 

Let’s find out in detail if this smartphone has all that it takes to be the best or at par with the competition under Rs. 12,000. 

Moto G9 Power Review: Design and display

Like the Moto G 5G, the Moto G9 Power is a heavy and bulky device with no fancy design element. It has a plain textured back panel and three rear cameras placed inside a square-shaped camera bump. I feel the looks aren’t striking, as you would find in many budget segment smartphones in the market. So, if you are looking for a beautiful phone, the G9 Power may not shine in this department, but with a back cover, you’ll anyway not mind it much.

The phone gets a regular fingerprint scanner at the back and punch-hole cutout on the screen. It sports a chunky 6.8-inch Max Vision HD+ display with thick bezels at the bottom and slightly thin around the edges. 

Motorola has started adding a dedicated Google Assistant in its phones, and you would find one in Moto G9 Power too. Besides this, there is a usual power button, volume rockers and SIM tray. 

Moto G9 Power Review: Display

The Moto G9 Power is possibly the cheapest smartphone under Rs. 12,000 with a display as big as 6.8-inches. Though that’s great for watching in both landscape or portrait mode, it will definitely be difficult for people with tiny hands to use the phone with one hand. 

Its screen is decently bright in all basic lighting conditions. You will be impressed with its viewing experience. We liked watching videos, scrolling on social media and binge-watching movies. This would have been even better if there was a full-HD+ (1080p) panel at this price.

Moto G9 Power Review: Performance

The phone is powered by a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 chipset, which is paired with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. You can also expand its storage with a microSD card. 

As for the experience, the phone can handle various apps together and multitask without slowing down. It is quite responsive and good enough for regular usage like playing games, watching videos, using editing apps, extensive calling and messaging. We tried playing the graphics-heavy Call of Duty Mobile and some light games like Subway Surfer and Quiz Up, and we didn’t face any issue. Obviously, you are not going to get the smoothest performance like a flagship smartphone at this price, but in my opinion, it is ideal for everyday tasks.

For software, the phone runs a year old Android 10, but we are not complaining as this is near Stock Android experience. Motorola usually pushes the next upgrade quite fast as well, so we expect Android 11 to take over soon. It also does not come with unnecessary loaded applications, so you don’t have to worry about uninstalling them to free up space. 

Moto G9 Power Review: Cameras

In the camera department, Moto G9 Power gets the basic three sensors, including the main 64-megapixel lens, a 2-megapixel depth camera and another 2-megapixel macro camera. There’s also a single 16-megapixel shooter for selfies and video calling. 

When we captured some images with the device, the camera quality turned out to be better than our expectations. The pictures aren’t extraordinary, but good enough for social media. We liked the clarity and colour balance.

Especially in well-lit conditions, the images were quite rich in colours with sharp detailing. But, when it comes to low light photography, the Moto G9 Power couldn’t produce impressive shots despite having a dedicated night mode in the camera settings. 

Moto G9 Power camera samples

Moto G9 Power Review: Battery

This is easily the strongest aspect of Moto G9 Power. It packs a 6000mAh battery unit that’s coupled with 20W fast charging support. The phone can deliver around two days of battery life with usual texting, calling, gaming and media consumption. You don’t have to worry about charging it every night and can even use the handset for more than 2.5 days with light usage. The only thing you need to remember is that the phone’s battery will take more than 2 hours to charge.

Rating

Display: 8/10

Design: 7/10

Performance: 8/10

Battery: 9/10

Cameras: 7/10

Overall: 7.5/10

Moto G9 Power Review: Verdict

Moto G9 Power is a dependable handset with excellent battery, tall display and an affordable price tag. It might run Android 10, but it provides near-stock Android experience and clean UI. 

Priced at Rs. 11,999, the phone comes in a single 4GB+64GB storage configuration and two colour variants – Electric Violet and Metallic Sage. 

So, should you buy it?

You must go for Moto G9 Power only if you want a smartphone that has a reliable battery and immersive display. Otherwise, it is a mediocre handset with not the best of the best cameras and performance. 



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