Motorola Moto G Pure is an easy bargain

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The Moto G Pure is a good phone that works well enough that you don't need a $200 device. It's true that there were compromises made to deliver a phone at this low price point, but it still nails the basics: good build quality, good battery life, and good cameras for the price.

The Moto phone is not perfect. It only works on 4G networks, its processor is a second slower than most tasks, and it only has 32 gigabytes of internal storage. The Moto G Pure gets a lot right and it is hard to argue against it.

Design.

The Moto G Pure is small and light, measuring 0.24 inch thick and weighing 0.41 lbs. The rounded corners and sloped edges of the G Pure make it comfortable to hold for long stretches, though it is a bit tall for my small hands.

The G Pure is available in deep indigo and has a matt back cover. The plastic material is very slippery. I have lost count of the number of times the phone has slipped off an ottoman or table and still worked. The Moto phone is quite durable, but I wouldn't test it against other phones, you'll still be better off with a case.

It has a Face unlock option and a fingerprint sensor under the logo. The Moto software gives you more control over how this works. You can ask the phone to bring you to the last app or website that was opened, without pressing the power button first, if you use your face to unlocks the phone. The face unlock works well, but the fingerprint sensor is more consistent and faster.

Noupscale is a file onchorusasset.com.

The Moto G Pure feels small for a big phone.

Hardware and performance.

As part of the cost cutting to hit the G Pure's low price, Motorola decided to use a weak processor and minimal RAM. The Moto phone uses the MediaTek Helio G25 processor, which is comparable to the Qualcomm Snapdragon , but lags behind the one used in the Snapdragon . It takes an extra second on the Moto phone to open a website, switch between apps, and take a photo. The extra seconds can make you question your sanity, as they add up over the course of a day.

It only has 3 gigabytes of RAM and 32 gigabytes of internal storage. When most people are hanging onto their phones for longer, 32GB is not enough capacity for a phone. After just two weeks of light use, I have burned through almost half of the storage on the G Pure. With one OS update and two years of security updates, you will likely run out of space before you run out of software support. It has a microSD card slot that can be used to expand its capacity up to 512 gigabytes.

Noupscale is a file onchorusasset.com.

The Moto G Pure has a fingerprint sensor that can be used to protect your phone from attackers.

The G Pure has a bright screen with a brightness set to 100 percent, but it is only a 720p display with a low density. The Spider-Man: No Way Home Trailer is more dim on the Moto than it is on the OnePlus 9. If you have a high-quality screen in your life, it will stand out, but if you have a low-res display, it will be hard to notice.

The performance of Pokemon Unite was better than I expected when I played it to stress test it, but I was able to launch the game fully. I couldn't play it before it took three tries. I was able to move my pokemon around the battlefield without lag after the game was loaded.

The Moto G Pure will be good enough for most people.

I used only 4G service to test the G Pure's 4,000mAh battery, but I spent the day juggling between two email accounts and playing Pokemon Unite. The G Pure was cool even though I was stressing it. I got about 16 hours out of the battery, which is about seven hours of screen time, after I hit the charging port. It took me about two hours to charge this battery with the included brick. The battery should last you a full day or two, whichever is greater.

Noupscale is a file onchorusasset.com.

The Moto G Pure kept it simple with a rear dual-camera system, rather than adding a sub-par ultrawide or macro camera onto the back.

A camera.

The cameras on the Moto G Pure are better than expected, especially for photos that you will likely only share online. Rather than adding a macro or ultrawide camera to the back, the company decided to keep it simple with a rear dual-camera system that has a 13- and a 5-megapixel front-facing cameras.

The main camera has a f/2.2 lens and can capture details in low-light situations. At a recent indoor event with tricky lighting, it was able to focus on various light sources in dark rooms and photograph small details in the art installations.

Noupscale is a file onchorusasset.com.

The main camera of the Moto G Pure is able to capture fine details in low light.

The G Pure seems to have an issue with color accuracy. There are a few issues with most photos, like the pumpkins that look too red and the stems that look too blue. The blue door should look more teal than blue, and the yellow door should look more orange.

Noupscale is a file onchorusasset.com.

The two doors are not true to life.

The G Pure's camera has a bad interface for zooming. Unlike other camera apps where you can tap to select the most optimal zoom preset, Moto's zoom slider doesn't show up in the app. As you try to frame your shot and navigate the bar at the same time, your hand will probably block your screen.

Pumpkins are in the wrong color.
The Moto G Pure camera is being tested. Gloria Sin.
The Moto G Pure camera is being tested. Gloria Sin.
The Moto G Pure camera is being tested. Gloria Sin.

The Moto G Pure camera has no zoom. Gloria Sin.
A Moto G Pure camera is being tested. Gloria Sin.
The Moto G Pure camera is being tested. Gloria Sin.
The Moto G Pure camera is being tested. Gloria Sin.
A camera test. Gloria Sin.
A camera test. Gloria Sin.
A camera test. Gloria Sin.
A camera test.
A camera test. Gloria Sin.
A camera test. Gloria Sin.
The Moto G Pure is a portrait mode. Gloria Sin.
The Moto G Pure camera is being tested. Gloria Sin.
The Moto G Pure camera is being tested. Gloria Sin.
The Moto G Pure camera is being tested. Gloria Sin.
The Moto G Pure camera is being tested. Gloria Sin.

Sample photos from the Moto Pure G.

Noupscale is a file onchorusasset.com.

The zoom bar on the Moto G Pure is not easy to use.

If you catch a sale or carrier deal, the Moto G Pure will be good enough for most people looking for a basic budget phone for under $200. It has an all-day battery, a versatile main camera, and a well-designed, durable package.

It would be a clear winner if it had a faster processor, more RAM, or more onboard storage. I would rather have a slightly higher price for a device like the $190 TCL 20SE, which has 128GB of internal storage, has a processor from the same company, and is supported by 4GB of RAM. You wouldn't have to worry about backing up the files from your phone.

Those with a strict budget might not be affected by these issues. The Moto G Pure is not a great phone at this price point.

Gloria Sin is a photographer.

Every smart device requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it. It is not possible for us to read and analyze all of these agreements. We started counting how many times you have to agree to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don't read and can't negotiate.

You have to accept Privacy & Software updates from Moto G Pure, but you also have to decide how it works on your phone.

Help improve the products.
Enhanced device support is optional.
It is possible to have smart updates.

You have to agree to this after entering your account.

The terms of service of a company.
The Privacy Policy of the internet giant, GOOGLE.
The terms of service of the internet service providers.

You need to agree to the following.

The services of the internet company, Google.
You agree that this device may automatically download and install updates and apps from your carrier, manufacturer, and possibly from the internet. In-app purchases may be offered by some of these apps.

The carrier may ask you to agree to policies. In my case, the terms and conditions of the company I work for.

The services provided by the company:
Provide your location to the carrier.
The cloud is optional.
Digital secure from the company.
Digital secure can access your photos, media, files, text messages, and location in order to check for harmful files.

You have the option to join the community.

Permission to send push notifications about services and benefits is optional.
Provide your email to them.

You have to accept three main agreements and can only use five when setting up the Moto G Pure.