Shortly after releasing the Motor G7 Plus, Motorola produced Motor G8 Plus. The company began the G series intending to avail a budget-friendly phone without compromising the performance. They’ve taken the lead on the best cheapest phones for a long time.
The Motor G8 Plus brings so much value on the table, with stereo speakers, a versatile camera system, reliable battery management, and stock android interface.
With the latest developments in the industry, there’s an influx of features on high-end phones. This means there is much to experience with pocket-friendly phones.
Motorola phones are in that line, with the last versions coming with 48 MP triple camera setup and a faster charge tech.
Let’s find out if it fits the popular smartphone segment.
Important Specifications
| Display | 6.3-inch FHD+ display
2280 x 1080 19:9 400ppi LTPS IPS LCD |
| Camera | Rear:
16MP action camera, 117deg 5MP depth sensor, f/2.2 48MP primary camera, f/2.0
|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 665
Adreno 610 GPU |
| Storage | 64GB |
| Expandable storage | Yes (Hybrid SIM slot) |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Dimensions | 158.35 x 75.83 x 9.09 mm
188g |
| Battery | 4,000mAh with 15W fast charging |
|
Software |
Android 9.0 Pie |
| Pros | Cons |
| Good usability
Unique camera Clean android build Sturdy build quality |
Camera quality is sub-par
Performance is passable Fingerprint and smudge magnet |
Features and Benefits
Design
Starting with the Motor G8 Plus model, the company has not swayed from the proven design formula with a fully plastic body with the spell-binding paint job, a notched display, and a fingerprint magnet.
Although the gadget doesn’t have premium materials, the phone feels rough and grippy enough. It’s a bit thick, but it’s a good thing because it gives it a satisfying weight.
The cosmic blue version looks great, and while it’s a fingerprint magnet, it has a very appealing look, especially with sunrays on it at certain angles.
On the topic of fingerprints, the mobile phone has an old-school fingerprint scanner, but it performs the job just fine.
Speaking of hardware extras, the phone also prides in its 3.5mm audio jack at the top. The latter is a very valuable addition to the mid-range device. Most of the Motor G8 Plus users are not likely to dish out on Bluetooth earbuds.
Display
- Full HD+
- 19:9 aspect ratio
- 6.3-inch LTPS IPS LCD
- No Gorilla Glass
The first thing you’ll notice about Motor G8 Plus is the skew towards blue tones. The color accuracy is a bit off, and with the extreme brightness levels of 450nits, outdoor visibility in bright sunlight can be a little challenging.
Yet, switching to the natural color profile compensates for the blue tint to a degree. That said, it’s a run-of-the-mill panel. You can also notice some color change at extremes angles. Black levels aren’t so deep due to the LCD tech. This might not be for you if you prefer darker content.
Performance
- 64 GB RAM
- Snapdragon 665 chipset
- Adreno 610
- 4 x 2.0GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4 x 1.8GHz
- 4GB RAM
- Kryo 260 Silver
Motor G8 Plus is powered by a Snapdragon 665 chipset. The latter is a small update of the Snapdragon 660 platform. The Snapdragon 665 is not disappointing. It can handle games, apps, and all the daily routines. Although if you push it too far, it might start showing some weakness.
If you’re a power-user, it’s best to go for a different model, as the Moto G8 Plus will leave you longing for more. Popular games such as PUBG on the phone do great. Pushing graphics to extremes puts a strain on its hardware. The phone also heats with excess gaming but not to the point of being uncomfortable.
The 4GB RAM is sufficient as well as the native storage of 64GB, not to forget you can expand on the microSD card.
Battery
The battery is amazing. You can easily use it for two days without trying to reach out for a charger. And you’d possibly squeeze it in for three days if you were using it for lighter tasks.
The Moto G8 Plus is a real trooper thanks to its 4000mAh and efficient chipset.
Besides, with its 15 W fast-charger, you can charge it to capacity in just 140 minutes.
One customer says that after daily activities such as email, Slack, an hour of streaming music, and social media activities by the end of the day, the battery was down by only 20%.
Activities such as extreme gaming may put a dent into the battery’s longevity
Software
- Android 9 pie.
This is one of the attractive features of the Moto G8 Plus (the near stock-build of Android). Besides the phone app that adds a suite of gestures and actions, the Moto G8 Plus is also free from extraneous conditions. Although the phone comes with Android 9 pie, it has promised to upgrade it to Android 10.
The software comes with a standard Google apps suite. The app helps in adding gestures to make things easy for the user. Imagine just waving your hand on your phone and having it represent all your notifications along with current time.
Camera
Although the phone has three camera sensors at the rear, you can’t shoot telephoto or ultra-images. Such a bummer. The camera has a 48MP sensor with a large aperture of f/ 1.7 and quad pixel technology. The other minor cameras have a 5MP depth sensor and an ultra-wide action video cam that has a 117-degree field of view. Spot color, slow-mo videos, cinema graphs are available here.
Image quality
Images of the camera are of high standards, given the price tag of the phone. If you choose great lighting, the phone can produce quality images with excellent dynamics, a decent amount of detail, and pleasant colors.
Generally, its portrayals turn out great. Subject separation is great, thanks to the depth-sensor at the rear, although nailing the right exposure is an issue. This is true when you’re shooting a portrait of a person with mixed lighting on their face. If you choose the light well, the phone can provide you with great portrait images.
You can also shoot great photos at night as it has a dedicated night mode. Although it doesn’t capture good night shots as that of Samsung or iPhone, it is not really bad.
On the other hand, selfies are lovely, vibrant, and very detailed. Avoid shooting with the sun in the background as the colors appear colder than usual, which isn’t very pleasant.
Video Quality
Similar to the Moto One Action, the phone can shoot landscape videos when holding the phone in portrait orientation. This comes in handy when shooting small clips with friends because you have an excellent grip on the phone. The greatest strength of the 16MP, 117-degree GoPro-like action cam, is its stability. The videos taken with the Moto G8 Plus are the same as that of Moto One Action. You get dynamic range, colors, and great colors.
Audio
Audio playback through the headphone jack from the phone isn’t all great. You might hear a constant hiss in the background.
Motorola has a range of Dolby enhancements that you can toggle on and off. The out-of-the-box isn’t good. However, the Dolby settings make a positive difference when watching. The dialogue clarity and soundstage improve significantly. The Dolby also seems to emulate the surround sound effects.
The speaker of Moto G8 Plus is okay in terms of clarity and being loud. You possibly don’t expect much bass from the phone, but it will still give you a tick when streaming your music.
Bluetooth equally sounds fine as it is more dependent on the DAC and amp of your headphones. The Bluetooth range is excellent, and you’ll not have any dropouts when walking around your apartment.
FAQ
Does the phone have NFC?
No
Does it have a warranty?
Yes, it has a manufacturer’s warranty.
What operation version does it have?
Android 9 pie
Does it have WI-FI calling?
Yes
Customer Reviews
The phone is rated 4.1 out of 5. Many customers were impressed with the design and functionality of the phone and even compared it to the iPhone 11. Yet, there were a few complaints about its ability to take photos at night. One customer also mentioned that the phone is somewhat fragile and will easily break after one fall.
Moto G8 Plus Review Conclusion
This is a good phone. Yet, there is a lot of competition in the mid-range section. Although it has the ultimate stock-like android experience, the setbacks need to be highlighted. The biggest issue of Moto G8 Plus is that despite the sporting four image sensors, it can only shoot regular photos.
But generally, if you’re looking for a pocket-friendly phone with a great design, excellent battery life, and clean Android experience, then this is a great option. It’s also great for vlogging and filming things using an action cam.
Motorola’s latest mobile launch in the G series is the Moto G Stylus.
