Motorola Moto G53 5G review

Motorola has just about blitzed us with tidy however samey £200-ish telephones in latest instances and you may see why. This kind of telephone has introduced the Lenovo-owned model appreciable success, even prompting it to vacate the flagship class for a time.

The newest intense Moto bombardment comprises 4 (sure, 4!) low cost telephones, however at present we’re specializing in the second-from-top Moto G53 mannequin (beneath the Moto G73 5G). It’s a well-recognized package deal, providing a 120Hz show, a 50Mp digital camera, a sober all-plastic design, 5G connectivity, and naturally the model’s fat-free software program. Is that sufficient to warrant a advice, although?

Design & Construct

• Tidy, flat plastic physique
• USB-C, 3.5mm headphones jack, stereo audio system
• Fingerprint sensor in side-mounted energy button

You’ll be able to inform Motorola is a seasoned vet at this entire low cost telephone factor. Constructing an inexpensive handset is usually an train in not drawing consideration to the less-than-premium supplies which can be inevitably used, and Motorola does that in addition to anybody. 

Choosing up the Moto G53 doesn’t elicit any robust feelings, and that’s a great factor. My Arctic Silver mannequin is certainly one of three muted tones (the others being Ink Blue and Pale Pink) that each one come throughout as protected and business-like. 

The supplies, whereas plastic, really feel stable within the hand, with little signal of creak or flex. The rear cowl, in the meantime, has a frosted end that appears good and fashionable, even because it attracts fingerprints – sure, even on this lighter tone.

The Moto G53’s flatter design, with no trace of curvature to the rear panel, is nearer to the Moto G22 than the Moto G62. It’s comparatively skinny in consequence, with an 8.2mm-thick chassis. In any other case, it measures a fairly typical 162.7 x 74.7mm and weighs a just-so 183g.

The model’s usually “water-repellent” end implies that it’ll stand as much as the odd splash, however you wouldn’t need to drop it in a puddle or take it out throughout a torrential downpour. 

You get a dependable fingerprint sensor constructed into the ability button on the right-hand edge, although it’s not notably fast about its unlocking enterprise. That possible comes all the way down to the gradual processor on the core of the telephone, nevertheless. You get the same old 3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C ports on the underside edge.

Display & Audio system

• 6.5in HD+ LCD
• 120Hz refresh price
• Not notably colour-accurate

Final 12 months I praised the Moto G62 for not selecting up Motorola’s nasty behavior for together with sub-Full HD shows on its G-series telephones. Sadly, that behavior is again on show with the Moto G53. Which, don’t overlook, has an RRP that’s solely £10 cheaper than the G62’s launch worth.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

I received’t go into an excessive amount of element on the entire objection to 720p shows once more, apart from to say that Full HD or 1080p ought to actually be the default decision for all however the absolute most cost-effective (£100 or much less) handsets. Movies, photographs, and internet content material simply look manner higher at this decision, particularly on the super-sized shows that we’ve come to simply accept as regular.

On that entrance, the Moto G53’s display screen measures in at 6.5in. Not large, then, however definitely not sufficiently small to warrant such a shortfall in pixels.

The availability of a 120Hz refresh price is all properly and good, however the telephone’s restricted processor and RAM provision don’t precisely allow you to benefit from the full extent of that spec. I’d have most well-liked that Motorola had taken the Poco M5 route and scaled again to 90Hz, maybe redirecting these assets in the direction of an FHD+ decision.

It’s additionally an IPS LCD, so that you don’t get vibrant colors to make up for the decrease decision, whereas blacks are extra like darkish greys. By way of color accuracy, the Pure color mode is a greater wager (in sRGB phrases a minimum of) than the ramped up default Saturated mode. Even then, a gamut protection of 89.9%, a gamut quantity of 90.1%, and a Delta E rating of 1.57 actually isn’t notably robust, trailing behind the Poco M5 and the Moto G62.

I recorded a peak brightness of 454 nits with auto-brightness turned off, which is affordable.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

In a nutshell, then, the Moto G53 show isn’t very sharp or colour-accurate, and it solely will get reasonably vibrant. It’s completely usable, however you are able to do higher for the cash.

Stereo audio system are all the time welcome on a sub-£200 telephone, so it’s good to see them right here – particularly with Dolby Atmos assist. There’s a predictable lack of low-end oomph to them, however the readability is fairly first rate for the cash.

Specs & Efficiency

• Snapdragon 480+ 5G processor
• 4GB of RAM
• 5G connectivity

The Moto G53 is powered by the Snapdragon 480+ 5G, which is a identified amount – not least as a result of it’s the identical chip that powered final 12 months’s Moto G62. You get the identical 4GB of RAM as that telephone, too.

As I’ve already alluded to, this processor doesn’t make for a very snappy expertise while navigating round between dwelling screens and menus. It’s not unusable by any means, however you’ll expertise frequent micro-stutters when doing pretty atypical duties. 

A mean Geekebench 5 multi-core rating of 1600 really drops a bit in need of its predecessor, and properly in need of the Poco M5 with its speedy MediaTek Helio G99 chip. The Moto G53 hits again within the GPU benchmark stakes, however that may be accounted for by the truth that the Poco is having to drive a superior 1080p show.

One enchancment over the likes of the Moto G62 and the Poco M5 is the supply of 128GB of storage as normal. You’ll be able to broaden that by as much as 1TB, too, due to the supply of a microSD card slot.

Motorola has gone all in on 5G connectivity once more, although this continues to be a ‘high-end’ characteristic I’d fortunately ditch in favour of nailing a few of the fundamentals. I’d take an FHD+ show, a sooner processor, or an ultra-wide digital camera over very-occasionally-faster cell connectivity.

Cameras

• 50Mp extensive digital camera
• No ultra-wide
• Pointless 2Mp macro sensor

It appears to be like just like the Moto G53 comes with a twin digital camera set-up, however there’s really just one correct 50Mp extensive digital camera. The opposite lens is accounted for by a 2Mp macro digital camera which, as all the time, isn’t actually a lot use in any respect. 

Significantly, producers, in case you’re going to incorporate a digital camera that actually focuses on the finer particulars of life, a minimum of give it ample pixels to promote the entire idea. To be truthful, you will get good and near your topic (about 4cm with a hard and fast focus), however the stage of sharpness is poor.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

See also  Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen) review

The primary 50Mp digital camera is seemingly the identical because the Moto G62 and Moto G22 earlier than it, and as such is able to capturing some pleasing pictures in good lighting, with colors that pop with out wanting too false. Auto HDR typically kicks in reliably and compensates properly for extremes of sunshine and shade, although I did select some telltale indicators of overexposure on a reasonably vibrant early-Spring day.

As you may anticipate, low gentle pictures are the place issues collapse. The mix of a really small 1/2.76” picture sensor with an absence of OIS (optical picture stabilisation) and a humble ISP (picture sign processing) leads to very noisy night time pictures. It maybe says one thing that Night time Imaginative and prescient is buried away within the Extra sub-menu, however then low gentle pictures with out this mode energetic are noticeably worse.

There isn’t a ultra-wide digital camera right here, which is a disgrace, however not fairly the catastrophe some may assume it to be. Sure, it will have been good to have the choice of framing panorama pictures in a extra zoomed out manner. Conversely, most inexpensive and even mid-range smartphone ultra-wide cameras suck. If it hadn’t been for that pointless macro digital camera, I’d even have praised Motorola for its fat-trimming strategy.

Portrait pictures have a tendency to go away a blurry halo across the topic, and also you may discover that you simply lose the sting of an ear or another pretty essential element. It doesn’t look unhealthy, as such, simply not fairly proper.

The Moto G53’s 8Mp entrance digital camera does a satisfactory job in ok lighting, although element isn’t notably robust and pores and skin tones are a bit smudgey. It’ll do for these social media posts, which is what it’ll typically be used for. 

Battery Life & Charging

• 5000mAh battery
• Two-day battery life
• Weedy 10W charging

Motorola has geared up its funds telephone with a wholesome 5000mAh battery. Along with that low-res show, fuss-free software program, and a tried and examined processor, it will have been a shock if the Moto G53 was good for something lower than a day and a half of normal utilization.

As it’s, you’ll typically be capable to get to the tip of a second day of utilization in case you’re a lighter person and don’t hit the media too laborious. A day of average utilization tended to drop me down simply previous the midway mark into the 40’s.

Operating the PCMark Work 3.0 battery take a look at yielded a rating of 10 hours and 24 minutes, which isn’t sensational, however isn’t uncommon for a telephone of this worth. A part of it is because I ran the take a look at with the display screen set to 120Hz – go away it in Auto and it brings again a a lot better rating of 12 hours and 54 minutes.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

The primary criticism I’ve with the Moto G53 in relation to battery issues is that Motorola has solely bundled it with a measly 10W charger. Utilizing this puny brick, quarter-hour of charging from empty obtained me to only 10%, whereas half an hour yielded a mere 21%. It took greater than 2h 30m to get to 100%.

Curiously, the telephone can seemingly assist a bit sooner. I plugged in a Samsung 65W charger, and the telltale ‘TurboPower’ image appeared on the lockscreen. quarter-hour then took the telephone to 13%, whereas half-hour took it to 26%. Nonetheless not speedy, however higher.

Software program

• Android 13
• Motorola’s ordinary helpful gesture gildings
• Gradual {hardware} weighs it down considerably

As all the time with Motorola, software program is among the Moto G53’s strongest parts. The model’s considerate dealing with of Android is a delight, and I want extra producers would comply with swimsuit.

This can be a largely inventory Android 13 expertise as you’ll discover on the Google Pixel 6a for instance, with a couple of tasteful gildings like Motorola’s signature clock, date, and climate widget, plus a few customized wallpapers.

Extra important is the Moto app, which grants you entry to the well-known Motorola gestures. Right here you’ll be able to toggle the likes of a double chop to activate the torch, double twist to leap into the Digicam app, and the power to flip your telephone over to enter Do Not Disturb. Welcome provisions every one.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

This trendy, extremely useful app additionally provides tips about how you can get one of the best out of the telephone, in addition to personalisation choices and entry to helpful options like Attentive show (which doesn’t energy the display screen down if you’re it).

Notable by their absence are the cluster of ineffective preinstalled apps that blight many an inexpensive (and never so inexpensive) rival. This lack of bloatware actually shouldn’t be as noteworthy as it’s, however them’s the breaks.

It’s a disgrace the Moto G53’s {hardware} weighs the entire software program expertise down considerably, because it’s not as silky easy because it could possibly be. Nonetheless, Motorola’s customized UI stays an aesthetic buyer.

Value & Availability 

The Moto G53 has arrived with an RRP of £189.99. That worth is offered on Motorola’s personal store whereas Amazon usually sells it for much less.

It’s also possible to purchase it from Currys, John Lewis and Very. The G53 doesn’t have an official launch within the US so look to the Moto G Energy 5G as a really related different.

That worth places the Moto G53 into competitors with the likes of the Poco M5, with its £179 worth. The Poco provides a few extras, together with a Full HD show and a barely speedier CPU. Conversely, Motorola’s elegant software program is manner preferable to Xiaomi’s.

Take a look at extra choices in our greatest funds telephones and greatest low cost 5G telephones charts.

Verdict

The Moto G53 is one other completely useful telephone from Motorola, however its {hardware} doesn’t really feel fairly as properly thought by means of as earlier entries. What use is a 120Hz refresh price when the {hardware} isn’t fairly as much as the duty of outputting constantly easily? Particularly when that show has a sub-optimal 720p decision and mediocre color accuracy.

One other barely superfluous inclusion is 5G connectivity. Certain, it’s a pleasant factor to have, however at this finish of the market, it usually comes on the expense of extra helpful options, like a Full HD show or a superior processor.

The primary 50Mp digital camera can maintain its personal in excellent lighting, however it suffers in tough situations, and there’s no ultrawide possibility, only a pointless macro lens.

Motorola’s clear Android UI is right here to avoid wasting the day, as all the time, and can all the time be a degree of distinction over better-specced Xiaomi rivals. However I can’t escape the sensation that Motorola must focus its inexpensive telephone efforts a bit and hone in on what actually issues.

Specs

• Android 13
• 6.5in, HD+, IPS LCD, 120Hz, flat show
• Facet-mounted fingerprint sensor
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 480+
• 4GB RAM
• 128GB storage, as much as 1TB microSD
• 50Mp, f/1.8 most important digital camera
• 2Mp macro digital camera
• As much as 1080p @ 30fps rear video
• 8Mp front-facing digital camera
• Dolby Atmos stereo audio system
• Twin-SIM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
• Bluetooth 5.1
• 5000mAh battery
• 10W charging
• 162.7 x 74.7 x 8.2mm
• 183g 
• Launch colors: Ink Blue, Arctic Silver, Pale Pink