Moto G Power 5G (2024) Review
Moto G Power 5G (2024) Intro
Motorola is once again making its mark in the North American mid-range market with the arrival of the Moto G Power 5G (2024), a refinement over last year's iteration of the same device and a clear improvement to the Moto G lineup.
Available in two colorways, but with just one RAM and storage configuration, the device is still flexible enough that you can expand both by using a microSD card. For a mid-ranger, this is quite a solid option with a lot to offer.
The release date is set for March 22 and the phone will be available on most major and even smaller US carriers: T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket Wireless, Straight Talk, Total by Verizon, Walmart Family Mobile, and Visible. Additionally, you will be able to purchase the device unlocked for $299.99 USD starting on March 29th from Amazon, Best Buy, and Motorola.com.
Available in two colorways, but with just one RAM and storage configuration, the device is still flexible enough that you can expand both by using a microSD card. For a mid-ranger, this is quite a solid option with a lot to offer.
Along with this here Moto G Power 5G (2024), Motorola is also launching the cheaper vanilla Moto G edition. Check out our Moto G 5G (2024) review here.
Table of Contents:
Moto G Power 5G (2024) Specs
A reliable device with faster charging and expandable storage
Here's a quick rundown of the Moto G Power 5G (2024)'s specifications:
| Specs | Moto G Power 5G (2024) |
|---|---|
| Size and Weight | 167.22 x 76.44 x 8.50 mm 201 grams |
| Display | 6.7" LCD 120Hz 500 nits max brightness |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 7020 |
| Software | Android 14 |
| Cameras | 50MP main, f/1.8 aperture, OIS 8MP ultra-wide/macro, f/2.2 16MP front |
| Battery Size | 5,000 mAh |
| Charging Speeds | 30W wired charge 15W wireless charging |
| Prices | 8/128GB for $299 |
Moto G Power 5G (2024) Design and Display
A mid-ranger with a sophisticated look
Improving upon last year's model, the phone's size has been slightly increased in both height and width, while retaining the same thickness. Additionally, compared to last year's iteration, the phone has gotten heavier by 16 grams, making this year's design a bit more to handle (keep that in mind if you prefer your phones on the lighter side).
However, the phone's design seems to have been thoughtfully updated in every respect. It has marginally sharper corners, comes in two distinctly chic color options (Midnight Blue and Pale Lilac), and most significantly, features a vegan leather back that is both noticeable, smooth, and matte — repelling those unsightly fingerprints.
While the rest of the phone does have a plastic frame, it does feel sturdy and well-constructed, giving users confidence in its durability. The overall aesthetic of the phone is sleek, modern, and minimal.
Also, while not waterproof, the phone is designed to be water-repellent, creating a barrier against moderate exposure to water such as accidental spills, splashes, sweat, or light rain. This does not mean that you can go swimming with it, as it is not designed to be submerged and has no official IP rating.
However, the phone's design seems to have been thoughtfully updated in every respect. It has marginally sharper corners, comes in two distinctly chic color options (Midnight Blue and Pale Lilac), and most significantly, features a vegan leather back that is both noticeable, smooth, and matte — repelling those unsightly fingerprints.
While the rest of the phone does have a plastic frame, it does feel sturdy and well-constructed, giving users confidence in its durability. The overall aesthetic of the phone is sleek, modern, and minimal.
Also, while not waterproof, the phone is designed to be water-repellent, creating a barrier against moderate exposure to water such as accidental spills, splashes, sweat, or light rain. This does not mean that you can go swimming with it, as it is not designed to be submerged and has no official IP rating.
Aside from the device itself, inside the box you will find a USB type C charging cable, a SIM removal tool, and an item that is rarely included with phones nowadays: a 30W charging brick.
At 500 nits of max brightness, the IPS LCD display gets plenty bright for a mid-ranger; however, it is slightly difficult to view when outdoors in direct sunlight. With its Full HD+ (2400 × 1080) resolution screen, you have sharp text. Colors are also vibrant for an LCD screen and viewing angles are decent, but this is no OLED screen and that is one of the bigger compromises you make here. Good news is that you do get a variable 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling.
The buttons on the device are also par for the course. Separate up and down volume buttons are placed on the right side of the device above the power button, and a combined SIM and microSD card slot is positioned on the left.
The power button also doubles as a fingerprint reader, which I found to be accurate in my testing. In addition to fingerprint unlock, the Moto G Power 5G does feature face unlock as an alternative biometric security method.
The power button also doubles as a fingerprint reader, which I found to be accurate in my testing. In addition to fingerprint unlock, the Moto G Power 5G does feature face unlock as an alternative biometric security method.
Moto G Power 5G (2024) Camera
Average cameras for an average price
While the Moto G Power 5G (2024) keeps the same 50MP rear camera with an aperture of f/1.8 as its predecessor, there are additions to the camera system, such as Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). Motorola uses their Quad Pixel technology, which is basically the company's fancy way of saying pixel binning down to 12.5MP resolution by combining four pixels into one. This main camera captures video at 1080p at either 60 or 30fps.
Where you see the most improvement camera wise as opposed to last year's model is in the secondary cameras, which have been significantly improved. Instead of a 2MP depth/macro lens, this time around we get an 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide lens that can be used for macro photography as well as for capturing wide-angle shots and 1080p 30fps video. Around the front, there is a 16MP selfie camera with an aperture of f/2.4 that can also record 1080p video at 30 frames per second.
As far as photo quality, let's just say it's a solid backup camera, but it won't be winning any awards. During the day, the main camera performs well, producing some rather sharp shots when the natural light is at its peak. In certain cases, I found the colors to be a little too saturated.
Where I found the camera had the most trouble was when trying to zoom in at more than 3x, as the images tended to lose a lot of clarity and detail. The overall image quality was decent for a smartphone camera, but not exceptional.
Low light is also a weak point for both the main and the ultrawide lens, as I found the images taken at night to be very grainy and lacking in sharpness. The selfie camera can take good photos if you are well lit, but the main camera's Night Vision mode does not support it.
Where I found the camera had the most trouble was when trying to zoom in at more than 3x, as the images tended to lose a lot of clarity and detail. The overall image quality was decent for a smartphone camera, but not exceptional.
Video Quality
Both rear cameras capture video at 1080p, but the main camera has the advantage that it can do both 60 and 30 frames per second, while the ultrawide can only capture 30 fps. The video quality isn't bad. It suffers from the same weaknesses as it does in photo mode, especially when it pertains to zooming. At 6x, the video absolutely broke down and is practically unusable. The optical image stabilization was decent for a mid-ranger, but it didn't quite get rid of all the movement from activities such as walking down a path.
Moto G Power 5G (2024) Performance & Benchmarks
A device that can perform well enough for your everyday tasks
This device comes in only one configuration with 8GB of RAM, which is a good amount for this price class. Motorola says you can expand it up to 16GB via a RAM boost done through the use of the phone's internal storage as virtual memory.
Performance is pretty solid while performing several tasks, though I found that it stalled a bit when running too many apps and trying to switch between them. This is in spite of its octa-core, gaming- and multitasking friendly MediaTek Dimensity 7020 processor. However, it wasn't a deal-breaker for me, as the device still delivered decent overall performance.
Performance Benchmarks:
As you can see in the benchmarks above, the Moto G Power 5G doesn't have the most impressive benchmarks, but it still performs well enough for everyday tasks. Ultimately, the benchmarks are just one piece of the puzzle when considering a device, and real-world performance is what truly matters.
The built-in storage default is 128GB; however, this can be expanded up to 1TB with the use of a microSD card. It is important to note that, in addition to the effects of RAM Boost, your available storage space can also fluctuate due to operating system files and updates.
Moto G Power 5G (2024) Software
The Moto G Power 5G comes with Android 14 out of the gate and will immediately prompt for a software update upon setting up, which will bring the phone up to the January 2024 security patch. As expected, the device uses the My UX skin on top of Android, which is very similar to Google's own Pixel UI skin. This made the experience of getting around the phone very familiar and simple. However, Motorola does have a few additional tricks up its sleeve when it comes to gestures and personalization features.
If I were to choose my favorite feature, it would have to be the Moto Actions, which allow for quick and easy access to commonly used functions with simple hand gestures. My favorite gesture is the "three finger screenshot" feature. It makes capturing screenshots so much easier.
Other honorable mentions would be the "chop chop" motion to turn on the flashlight and the "twist" motion to launch the camera app. As far as features that don't involve a gesture, I am a big fan of being able to create folders inside the app drawer for better organization and accessibility. I wish more stock launchers would include this feature.
Other honorable mentions would be the "chop chop" motion to turn on the flashlight and the "twist" motion to launch the camera app. As far as features that don't involve a gesture, I am a big fan of being able to create folders inside the app drawer for better organization and accessibility. I wish more stock launchers would include this feature.
Furthermore, Motorola has confirmed to us that the Moto G Power will receive one operating system upgrade and three years of bi-monthly security updates. This means that this device will be receiving up to Android 15.
Moto G Power 5G (2024) Battery
Great battery life even when pushing its limits
The Moto G Power 5G (2024)'s 5000mAh battery is unchanged from last year's model, except for the fact that this time around, Motorola beefed up its charging capabilities by introducing fast 30W wired "TurboPower" charging. And since the 30W charging brick comes included in the box, you won't have to purchase it separately. It also includes 15W wireless charging, which is impressive for a device in this price category.
In my testing of this device, I found that the battery performed quite well with both heavy and regular usage. I was able to get about 24 hours of battery life on a single charge during regular use, meaning just occasionally checking my notifications, emails, and some light social media networking. With heavy use, meaning all of the above plus streaming music, videos, and navigation, the battery life was reduced to about eight hours on a single charge before I was compelled to plug the charger in.
In my testing of this device, I found that the battery performed quite well with both heavy and regular usage. I was able to get about 24 hours of battery life on a single charge during regular use, meaning just occasionally checking my notifications, emails, and some light social media networking. With heavy use, meaning all of the above plus streaming music, videos, and navigation, the battery life was reduced to about eight hours on a single charge before I was compelled to plug the charger in.
Moto G Power 5G (2024) Audio Quality and Haptics
Equipped with a stereo speaker on the bottom edge, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and Dolby Atmos support, the Moto G Power 5G is definitely no slouch as an entertainment device. The speakers get impressively loud; however, as is to be expected with smartphone speakers, there isn't too much bass to speak of. That said, the audio quality is still good for casual listening.
The haptic feedback on the device is average. While it is certainly timely and responsive, it lacks the depth and intensity of higher-end devices.
Moto G Power 5G (2024) Summary and Final Verdict
The Moto G Power 5G is a solid mid-range option for those looking for a reliable device with decent performance and great battery life. At its MSRP of $299 USD, it is definitely a compelling option, though it may face tough competition from other devices in its price range.
A few comparable alternatives worth mentioning are the Samsung Galaxy A25 5G, as well as the OnePlus Nord N30 5G.
My experience while testing this device was overall very positive, with smooth performance and impressive battery life. I wouldn't recommend it as a device you'd want to take your very important family photos with, but it definitely gets the job done in the right environment. However, if what you are looking for is a device that looks premium, will last you through the day, will be reliable at performing your everyday tasks, and is at a very reasonable price, the Moto G Power 5G (2024) is an option I could get behind.
My experience while testing this device was overall very positive, with smooth performance and impressive battery life. I wouldn't recommend it as a device you'd want to take your very important family photos with, but it definitely gets the job done in the right environment. However, if what you are looking for is a device that looks premium, will last you through the day, will be reliable at performing your everyday tasks, and is at a very reasonable price, the Moto G Power 5G (2024) is an option I could get behind.
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