Motorola is known for its affordable smartphones. The Motorola Moto G Fast is the company’s latest cheap device under US$200 [AU$291].
The Lenovo-backed company did it right as it brings premium features to the Motorola Moto G Fast. Some of these features are modern design, great durability, and excellent battery life.
However, this device has some shortcomings as well. There are aspects that needed to be toned down such as the display.`
Here is a rundown of the Motorola Moto G Fast and its features. Can it take the top spot as the best smartphone under $200?
Excellent design not-so-great display
The Moto G Fast has a great design. It can be easily mistaken as a premium device due to its build quality.
It has an edge-to-edge display with a hole-punch display on the top left area. Bezels are minimal on the top and the size. However, the bottom bezel is quite large giving it an asymmetrical look.
The back of the device houses the triple camera setup. The main camera is separated from the two secondary cameras and the LED flash.
Build quality is great but the material is plastic. But, it is not as cheap looking as plastic backs from years ago. it is similar to the “glasstic” back found on Samsung A-series devices.
In terms of display, the 6.4-inch is great but not exemplary. It is not this smartphone’s best feature. The resolution maxes out at 720P HD, which is not ideal considering its size.
There are devices that are around this price range that offers a 1080p full HD display. It is hard to consider the Moto G Fast if adding a few more bucks will get a better display.
Smooth performance
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 powers this device. It is not the fastest chipset out there. But, the near-stock Android skin of Motorola makes up for it.
The Moto G Fast has 3GB of memory and 32GB of storage. It is a very basic combo at this price point. The storage is expandable through the microSD slot.
Day to day usage of this device is excellent. It runs social media apps smoothly and plays light games great as well.
However, multitasking is its weak point. The 3GB of memory and the lower-end processor starts to stutter when multiple apps are open at once.
Antutu benchmarks rate the device close to the Samsung A51. This is great news as the Samsung smartphone is priced way higher.
The Moto G Fast as a 4000mAh battery. It can easily last a day or two depending on the usage. However, there is no fast charging. It only maxes out at 10-watts.
Do not expect much with the camera
The camera is another aspect that needs improvement. Sure it has a triple camera setup but the quality is not that great.
Shooting in broad daylight using the 16-megapixel main shooter renders fine images. However, the 8-megapixel ultrawide and 2-megapixel macro sensors should be used occasionally.
Taking photos in darker environments exposes the device’s weakness. It lacks dynamic range.
The selfie camera is alright, but it is not as detailed as other devices. It is alright for sharing on social media though.
Pricing
This smartphone currently retails for $200. It is the perfect price considering its strengths and weaknesses. Anything higher and it might be a flop.
Is it worth buying?
If the budget maxes out at $200 with nothing to spare, then this device is already a win. It as excellent build quality and smooth Android experience.
However, if there is an additional budget available then the Moto G Power should be considered.
The Motorola Moto G Fast continues the trend set by the first G-series device. It packs a lot of punch at an affordable price.
All images used courtesy of Motorola