Good middle class, not for photo lovers

Motorola moves well in the budget segment, but what about mid-range smartphones? Motorola calls its Moto G200 the best performing phone of 2021. This is an obvious statement, especially without further context. Is the G200 really a bull’s-eye, or is this good performance disappointing?

Motorola Moto G 200

Motorola Moto G200 announced in November 2021 to succeed Moto G100† The first noticeable difference is the price: the G200 is cheaper than its predecessor. Where you had to pay 499.99 euros for the Moto G100, you will lose 50 euros less with the Moto G200. Thus, the Moto Moto G200 is a true mid-range device, but it has a powerful chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+. So it’s no wonder Motorola praises its performance, but that’s not true in every aspect, our testing shows.

Determine

nice to see

When the Motorola Moto G200 comes out of the box, it’s an experience. The phone looks luxurious at first glance. The blue back looks like mother-of-pearl with the beautiful Motorola logo in the center. We hope you like the blue color, because your only other option with this device is green. The device is comfortable in the hand and is nice and tall, with three cameras on the back and a button with a fingerprint scanner on the side. The camera island stands out a bit: each camera has its own ledge where dirt gets in between and in this case there’s a kind of elevation with two hard holes in the plastic, where some dirt quickly gets stuck behind.

While such a plastic housing isn’t too luxurious, Motorola did a lot to make you forget about it, thanks in part to the color effects. In addition, plastic also comes with its benefits: it is less likely to crack if you accidentally drop it on the floor. The keys are also less likely to scratch compared to, for example, a glass case. Plus, the plastic is pretty light in the hand, which is definitely not a luxury in these times of video calling. The IP rating of IP52 is disappointing: This device can handle dust, glitter, and sand, but without the water resistance, it’s best kept away from taps, showers, and falling glasses.

In terms of buttons, on the right side there is an on / off button, which is also a fingerprint scanner. Above you will find the volume buttons, with the Google Assistant button on the other side. There is no 3.5mm audio jack, but there is a USB-c port for charging the device.

Remarkably high refresh rate

Although Motorola’s new 6.8-inch screen is large, it’s unfortunately an LCD screen, which means colors look a bit duller than an AMOLED. The screen resolution is 2160 x 1080 pixels. The brightness is very good and the black is also somewhat black, which makes it a device that you can use well in the dark as well as in the light.

What’s not too bad for us is the 144Hz refresh rate, which gives you a very smooth scrolling experience if you’re using Instagram, for example. Also useful if you like games. Battery life will degrade pretty quickly at 144Hz, but it’s so good on its own that you don’t have to worry too much about that. If you use it a lot, you can definitely go about your day with this phone. Maybe up to a couple of days, if you’re not always on it. Charging is also quickly fixed: half an hour is charged in half an hour using a 33W adapter.

performance

The Motorola Moto G200 takes a while to wake up, but if you’re patient, it works like a charm. We owe it to the very good Snapdragon 888+ chipset. This is one of the fastest chipsets we know of and there’s really nothing to complain about. Combined with the high refresh rate of the screen, this device is not inferior to many outstanding colleagues in everyday tasks.

cameras

You might say Motorola did a good job with this device. But there’s also a part that makes us less vocal about this device, because in photography this smartphone is a disappointment and we’d rather recommend the OnePlus Nord. The device itself has several cameras:

• 108MP main camera
• 8 MP Wide Angle Camera
• 2 MP depth sensor
• 16 MP Selfie Camera

Images look very digital at speed and it is difficult for the G200 to reproduce colors realistically. This is especially noticeable when taking photos in the evening and therefore it is dark. The camera app menu isn’t fun either, which makes it seem as though the camera can do a lot less than it really is. This phone is facing hard times especially on rainy days and there are no blue skies but gray clouds. I could get lost in a lot of words in it, but a picture speaks a thousand, so here comes a thousand words:

day pictures

Main Camera vs. Wide Angle Camera

night mode

selfie camera

Very variable in light

MyUX from Motorola

Motorola installed MyUX on this phone, which is based on Android 11. Android 12 is coming for this device, but not yet. It’s also a pity that Motorola Edge 20’s updated update policy doesn’t seep into this device: it’s only supported for two years.

The operating system is known to be quite clean which makes it a pleasure to use. Crazy few buttons and extras, but an Android experience that compares well with that of Pixel phones. Including the same kind of round icons, app drawer, and a whole lot of Google apps. For a more personalized experience, it’s a good idea to go to the Moto app when setting up, as it allows you to give the phone different colors and patterns, as well as set interactive wallpapers.

conclusion

in the middle part, Motorola Moto G 200 Really a good option only if you don’t take photos or videos. The device is really disappointing and that’s a shame: otherwise, this is a great device for its price. The refresh rate is higher than many devices in this segment and the battery is also quite large with a capacity of 5000 mAh. The device looks beautiful and the fingerprint scanner on its side is easy to use. Combined with Motorola’s fairly bright and clear OS, this phone is basically a top-tier phone in its class, were it not for the disappointing camera performance. The fact that updates also only last for two years does not help talking about sales for the Motorola Moto G200.

Buy Motorola Moto G200

the Motorola Moto G 200 Available in green and blue. You can buy the device from 449.99 euros in the following stores: