Motorola Moto G85 5G review: Looks can be deceiving

The Moto G85 5G is one Motorola’s newest (on the time of writing) vary of mid-range telephones. It affords a chic design, together with a curved-edge pOLED show that feels extra premium than the worth tag suggests.

It delivers stable battery life, clean on a regular basis efficiency, and a clear software program expertise. Nevertheless, digicam high quality is mediocre, efficiency lags behind key opponents, and Motorola’s disappointing software program replace coverage is difficult to disregard in 2024.

If you happen to worth design and show high quality over uncooked energy, this cellphone is value a glance – however there are higher all-rounders for the same worth. Right here’s my full evaluation.

Design & Construct

• Premium design with curved-edge show
• Vegan leather-based or matte plastic finishes
• Slim and light-weight, however solely IP52 water resistance

Motorola has all the time delivered engaging, inexpensive handsets, however the Moto G85 5G steps issues up a notch.

It borrows design cues from the flagship Edge sequence, providing an ultra-slim profile at 7.6mm and curved-edge entrance glass that feels premium within the hand. To be sincere, when holding this handset, it feels slimmer than its 7.6mm – it’s spectacular. At 172g, it’s additionally remarkably light-weight contemplating the scale of the show and battery.

The vegan leather-based choices (Cobalt Blue and Olive Inexperienced) add a textured, grippy floor that units it other than the same old shiny plastic slabs on this section. You’ll be able to, nonetheless, discover that this isn’t leather-based – it feels far more like suede. If you happen to favor a extra typical end, the City Gray mannequin includes a clean matt plastic again that hides fingerprints and smudges nicely.

Ergonomically, the cellphone is straightforward to carry, and the mild curves make one-handed use much less awkward than flatter gadgets such because the Poco X7. The buttons are well-placed, with the ability button doubling as a speedy and dependable fingerprint scanner. There’s no in-display possibility right here, however at this worth level, I wouldn’t anticipate finding one.

Sturdiness is the place the Moto G85 5G reveals its limitations. The IP52 score affords safety towards gentle splashes and dirt, however not submersion. It’s higher than nothing, however opponents just like the Samsung Galaxy A36 5G provide IP67 certification, which is way extra reassuring.

One factor I observed was the identify of regulatory markings on the underside of this handset, close to the charging port (there’s an image within the battery part of this evaluation). It’s not a giant deal, however there are extra logos than I’ve seen earlier than, they usually appear notably noticeable on this machine.

Show & Sound

• Beautiful curved 6.67-inch pOLED panel
• Easy 120Hz refresh charge and first rate brightness
• Loud stereo audio system, however missing bass

The Moto G85’s 6.67-inch pOLED display is its greatest promoting level.

Curved shows at this worth are nearly unprecedented nowadays, and I’m not normally a fan, however Motorola’s execution is completed relatively nicely. The curves listed here are delicate, minimising unintentional touches – a standard subject with earlier curved screens. The result’s a panel that appears way more premium than its price ticket.

Connor Jewiss/Foundry

With a decision of 2400 x 1080 and assist for a 120Hz refresh charge, scrolling feels buttery clean and visuals are sharp. Colors are vibrant out of the field, and the show affords first rate calibration, though some could discover it a bit punchy. There’s a guide color stability mode within the settings in the event you favor a extra pure tone.

Brightness peaks at 1600 nits below direct daylight. It’s enough for many outside situations however doesn’t fairly match the panel brightness of opponents just like the Poco X7, which exceeds 1800 nits. Viewing angles are wonderful, because of the pOLED tech, and there’s minimal color shift at off-angles.

The stereo audio system are loud and supply clear audio for podcasts and informal video watching. They’re Dolby Atmos licensed, which provides some digital encompass depth, however they lack heat and bass, particularly at greater volumes. There’s no headphone jack, which is disappointing given that is nonetheless frequent on finances telephones.

Specs & Efficiency

• Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 delivers clean on a regular basis efficiency
• Lags behind opponents like Poco X6 and Galaxy A35 in uncooked energy
• UFS 2.2 storage limits pace

Efficiency is an space the place the Moto G85 5G positively reveals its mid-range roots. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3, a comparatively new however modest 6nm chipset with eight cores (two Cortex-A78 and 6 Cortex-A55). Graphics duties are dealt with by the Adreno 619 GPU.

Connor Jewiss/Foundry

Throughout common use, equivalent to social media scrolling, net looking, and light-weight multitasking, the Moto G85 5G holds its personal. Motorola’s light-weight ‘My UX’ pores and skin helps hold issues zippy, and animations are fluid. Apps open shortly, and the cellphone simply retains up with most day by day duties.

Nevertheless, push it tougher and the constraints emerge. Gentle video games can run wonderful, however in the event you begin to play 3D video games, they start to wrestle at greater element.

Huge titles are finest averted until you drop the settings to their lowest. Thermal administration is first rate, with the cellphone solely warming up after extended gaming periods. Though I did discover the cellphone would get very warm in the event you used it whereas charging.

Moto G85 5G benchmarks

In comparison with equally priced rivals, the Moto G85 5G falls brief, as you may see from the benchmarks beneath:

Cameras

• 50Mp primary rear sensor
• 8Mp ultrawide
• 32Mp selfie lens

Motorola has geared up the Moto G85 5G with a twin rear digicam setup: a 50Mp primary sensor (f/1.8) and an 8Mp ultrawide lens (f/2.2). There’s additionally a 32Mp selfie shooter on the entrance.

Connor Jewiss/Foundry

In good lighting, the 50Mp primary lens takes stable images. Colors are vibrant with out trying oversaturated, whereas element is first rate for this worth vary. Dynamic vary is considerably restricted, although, and highlights can simply blow out on vibrant days.

Shut-up pictures and portraits are fairly sharp, however edge detection could be hit and miss in portrait mode. When going for more difficult objects in portrait pictures, the cellphone positively struggles with edge detection.

The 8Mp ultrawide struggles much more. Photographs are noticeably softer, notably across the edges, whereas color consistency with the principle sensor isn’t nice. Low-light images present vital noise, even with night time mode turned on.

The 32Mp selfie digicam is sweet in daylight, delivering sharp, detailed pictures with correct pores and skin tones. Nevertheless, in low gentle, noise creeps in as soon as once more. The dearth of autofocus means selfies could be hit-or-miss until you maintain the cellphone regular.

Video recording tops out at 1080p 60fps. Picture stabilisation is digital (EIS) and works wonderful for informal use, however the lack of 4K recording and optical picture stabilisation (OIS) limits the G85’s attraction for video creators.

Battery Life & Charging

• 5000mAh battery
• 30W wired charging (no charger in field)
• No wi-fi charging
• Competent charging speeds however not class-leading

The Moto G85 5G packs a 5000mAh battery, which is commonplace fare for mid-range gadgets.

Battery life is great in day-to-day use. With gentle to reasonable utilization (social media, calls, occasional streaming), the cellphone lasts a full day and a half. Extra demanding use nonetheless will get you thru a day with out stress.

Connor Jewiss/Foundry

My testing confirmed round seven hours of screen-on time, with streaming video draining about 6% per hour. Gaming burns via about 15% per hour on demanding titles, although extra informal video games have far much less affect.

Charging is dealt with by way of 30W wired charging, however Motorola doesn’t embody a charger within the field – only a USB-A to USB-C cable. Utilizing a suitable 30W charger, the cellphone reaches 50% in about half-hour and totally expenses in roughly 80 minutes.

There’s no wi-fi charging, which is not the norm for a cellphone at this worth. Plus, opponents such because the Poco X7 provide sooner wired charging (45W). It positively looks as if Motorola dropped the ball just a little right here. Regardless, the Moto G85’s charging pace ought to be greater than enough for many customers.

Software program & Options

• Clear Android 14 with minimal bloat
• Motorola’s helpful Moto Gestures return
• Just one OS replace, three years of safety patches

Motorola’s ‘My UX’ pores and skin over Android 14 is one other spotlight of the G85 5G expertise.

It’s clear, near so-called ‘inventory’ Android, and free from pointless animations and muddle. The Moto Gestures options (twist your hand to open the digicam, chop to activate the flashlight) are intuitive, although I’m undecided that they’ll are available in all that helpful for many.

Connor Jewiss/Foundry

Annoyingly, this cellphone has certainly one of my greatest pet peeves – it comes with pre-installed third-party apps equivalent to Reserving.com and Fb. This isn’t as egregious as I’ve seen on different telephones, however third-party bloatware won’t ever not be annoying.

Thankfully, these could be simply uninstalled. Motorola’s personal apps are minimal and principally helpful, equivalent to Moto Safe and Moto Show.

Sadly, the software program assist dedication is lacklustre. Motorola solely guarantees one OS replace (to the present Android 15) and three years of bi-monthly safety patches. That is disappointing, particularly when Samsung affords six years of each on the Galaxy A26 5G, and even Xiaomi and OnePlus are bettering their replace insurance policies on this worth vary.

There’s no All the time-On Show and no main AI options. However for informal customers, the expertise is clean and simple.

Arguably, it’s higher that this handset doesn’t attempt to cram in these options, when it most likely wouldn’t run all of them too nicely anyway.

Value & Availability

The Moto G85 5G is obtainable now, however solely in chosen areas, together with the UK, Europe, India, and Australia. The cellphone was priced as follows at launch, however there are sometimes reductions out there.

• UK: £299 (8GB RAM / 256GB storage)
• Europe: €349 (8GB RAM / 256GB storage)

Color choices embody Cobalt Blue, Olive Inexperienced (each with vegan leather-based finishes), and City Gray with a matte plastic again.

The machine is obtainable outright via main retailers equivalent to Amazon and Motorola’s official retailer. However there’s no availability direct from networks, whereas the cellphone isn’t being bought within the US.

On the full £299 worth, the Moto G85 goes head-to-head with Samsung’s Galaxy A26 5G (additionally £299). However there are many different mid-range options, together with the Nothing Cellphone (3a) (from £329).

Connor Jewiss/Foundry

Must you purchase the Motorola Moto G85 5G?

The Motorola Moto G85 5G is a pretty mid-range cellphone with a superb show and stable battery life. Its smooth design, curved pOLED panel and light-weight construct make it really feel dearer than it’s. For informal customers who desire a clear Android expertise and dependable day-to-day efficiency, it’s a stable alternative.

Nevertheless, the competitors is fierce. Telephones just like the Poco X7 provide higher efficiency, cameras, and charging speeds for much less cash. Samsung’s Galaxy A26 5G offers a brighter display, extra energy, and vastly superior software program assist. The Moto G85 5G isn’t a nasty cellphone, nevertheless it’s laborious to suggest until you’re notably drawn to its design or have model loyalty.

Specs

• Display: 6.67-inch P-OLED, 2400×1080 decision, 120Hz refresh charge
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3
• Reminiscence: 8GB / 12GB RAM
• Storage: 128GB / 256GB, expandable by way of microSD
• Rear Cameras: 50MP (f/1.8) + 8MP ultrawide (f/2.2)
• Entrance Digital camera: 32MP (f/2.4)
• Battery: 5000mAh, 30W wired charging
• Software program: Android 14 with My UX
• Dimensions: 161.9 x 73.1 x 7.6mm
• Weight: 172g
• Water Resistance: IP52 (splash resistance)
• Connectivity: 5G (sub-6GHz), Twin SIM + eSIM, NFC, Bluetooth 5.1
• Audio: Stereo audio system (Dolby Atmos), no headphone jack