Moto G200 5G Review
Certainly worth your consideration
Verdict
If you’re looking for a capable camera phone that doesn’t cost the world, the Moto G200 5G is certainly worth your consideration.
Pros
- Sharp 108-megapixel Ultra Pixel camera
- 144Hz refresh rate
- Good battery life
Cons
- No wireless charging
- The front camera looks unnatural in low light
Availability
- UKRRP: £499
- EuropeRRP: €449.99
Key Features
- Flagship chipsetPowered by the Snapdragon 888 Plus
- Triple camera108MP, 13MP and 13MP sensors with Ultra Pixel tech
- Max Vision display6.8-inch display with a 144Hz refresh rate
- Fast charging5000 mAh battery with 33W TurboPower charger
Introduction
Motorola recently launched a new range of Moto G phones and topping off that line is the Moto G200 5G.
The Moto G200 5G is a mid-range phone packed with all the features you’d expect to find in the best Android phones.
This includes the seriously powerful Snapdragon 888 Plus chipset, a rare 144Hz display, large 5000 mAh battery and a 108-megapixel camera that makes use of Ultra Pixel technology to offer brighter and sharper images in a variety of lighting conditions.
But, at a mid-range price, surely there must be some sacrifices to be made with the G200 5G?
Design and display
- The phone has a sleek finish and camera array
- It’s water resistant up to IP52
- The 6.8-inch display has a 144Hz refresh rate
The Moto G200 5G is a phone that looks every part as high-end as its specs.
The blueish-grey finish of the Stellar Blue model has an eye-catching sheen to it, but still manages to stave off the fingerprints relatively well and the camera module looks particularly sleek. Motorola has opted to place the vertical sensor array on a steady horizontal slope rather than having them simply jut out of the phone, meaning there are no obnoxious bumps on the back of the device.
I can see the Stellar Blue version, in particular, being a good choice for anyone searching for a sophisticated finish with a little more personality than your standard black smartphone.
The phone definitely has some weight to it when picked up but it isn’t overly heavy at 202g. It also comes with a clear case in the box for added durability and carries a basic dust and water-resistance rating of IP52, which will protect the phone against drips but isn’t as well-protected as the IP68 rating on the Galaxy S21, the iPhone 13 or Motorola’s own rugged Defy.
The G200 5G comes with Dolby Atmos built-in, along with a USB-C port and a fingerprint reader. Sadly, there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack so you’ll have to use a pair of USB-C buds or switch to wireless offering.
On the front of the phone, you’ll find a sharp 6.8-inch Max Vision display with a FHD+ resolution and HDR10 support. The 144Hz refresh rate is a standout feature, offering noticeably smoother scrolling than the standard 60Hz screen found on most phones, including other devices in the G series like the cheaper Moto G31.
The display is bright and colourful and the fast refresh rate will lend itself well to mobile gaming – especially when combined with the speedy performance offered by the flagship chipset.
Camera
- The phone has a triple camera headed by a 108-megapixel Ultra Pixel sensor
- Images and detailed and punchy
- The camera can also record UHD video at up to 30fps
Undoubtedly, the headline feature on the Moto G200 5G is its camera.
The phone features a triple camera array, made up of a 108-megapixel (f/1.9) Ultra Pixel sensor, a 13-megapixel (f/2.2) 120-degree ultra-wide angle sensor and a 13-megapixel Macro Vision sensor. There’s also a 2-megapixel depth sensor on the back, along with a 16-megapixel (f/2.2) punch-hole camera on the front for selfies.
Ultra Pixel is basically Motorola’s name for the pixel binning tech found frequently in camera phones that boast a high pixel count. In this case, the G200 5G will capture nine small pixels and merge them into one for a brighter and sharper result across a variety of lighting conditions.
The phone offers a large number of photography modes, including Night Vision, Pro Mode, Ultra Res and Portrait Mode. As far as video is concerned, the camera can capture UHD resolution footage at up to 30fps and includes features like Super Slow Motion, Hyperlapse Video and Dual Capture.
I was first given the opportunity to test out the camera at Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland, which allowed me to get a feel of how the camera fares against neon nights and in low light environments.
The results were a sharp and vibrant range of images. The colours are bright and punchy, while the camera did a nice job of catching how the lights bounced off the mirrored surface of a disco ball and the colours of the Ferris wheel reflecting onto the damp ground.
The 10x zoom managed to pick up a good amount of detail in the wheel that could barely be picked up in the regular image, such as individual lights and the spiral of colours in the centre.
The results are equally as impressive in the daylight, with the camera easily capturing realistic colours, sharp detail and great depth of field.
If I had to pick a qualm with the phone’s camera, it would be the front camera. The sensor produces incredibly detailed images with true-to-life colours in daylight, but the colours feel overly harsh in low light and the Face Beauty mode is switched on by default, making skin look unnaturally smooth if you don’t know to turn it off.
Performance
- The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 888 Plus chipset
- It comes running My UX (Android 11) out of the box
- There’s Ready For support
The Moto G200 5G is equipped with Qualcomm’s 2021 flagship Snapdragon 888 Plus chipset. The phone performs well when performing every day tasks like scrolling through social media and streaming video and a game of Among Us performed well with no lag or issues to note.
The phone runs Motorola’s My UX based on Android 11 out of the box. My UX offers a range of customisation features, as well as a number of gestures that make tasks like opening the camera and turning on the flashlight possible with a flick of the wrist.
The G200 5G also supports Motorola’s Ready For feature, which makes it easy to cast content onto desktop monitors and TVs to see your work, gaming and video calls on a bigger screen.
Battery life
- The phone includes a 5000 mAh battery
- I found it lasted well even when streaming video
- There’s fast charging but no wireless charging
The Moto G200 5G packs a large 5000 mAh battery which Motorola claims is capable of lasting up to 1.5 days on a single charge.
I found the phone capable of lasting through typical day and the percentage moved just 2% when left on standby overnight. I streamed HD content through YouTube to see how the battery performed when faced with more intensive tasks and found that, while it certainly depleted faster, it didn’t plunge dramatically even hours in to the battery test.
On average I found it took around 40 minutes for the phone to drain by 5%, which meant it took a good two and a half hours for the phone to fall below the 80% mark while streaming video.
The phone also includes support for 33W fast charging with a 33W TurboPower charger included in the box, meaning you won’t need to spend more to a new power brick to take advantage of these speeds.
Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any wireless charging support, which is something many phones offer these days.
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Should you buy it?
You want a great camera phone for less: The G200 5G packs an impressive camera that performs beautifully in low light, along with a wide range of photography features to play around with.
You hate wires: If you’ve gotten used to charging all your gadgets wirelessly, the Moto G200 5G won’t offer the convenience you’re used to.
Final Thoughts
The Moto G200 5G is a well-thought-out smartphone that offers tons of high-end features at a not-so-premium price.
A few sacrifices have been made with the lack of wireless charging support and the hit-and-miss front camera. There’s also no 3.5mm headphone jack and the IP rating isn’t as high as other phones on the market. However, if you’re looking for a cheap Android phone with a long battery life, smooth display and powerful camera, the G200 5G makes a compelling argument.
How we test
We test every mobile phone we review thoroughly. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly and we use the phone as our main device over the review period. We’ll always tell you what we find and we never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Used the phone for over a week
Used the camera in a variety of lighting conditions
Tested the battery
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FAQs
Yes, the G200 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 888 Plus chipset which includes 5G support.
The phone includes a triple camera array made up of 108MP, 13MP and 13MP sensors.
Yes, the Moto G200 has a 144Hz refresh rate.
Trusted Reviews test data
Full specs
Jargon buster
Refresh Rate
The number of times the screen refreshes itself per second.mAh
An abbreviation for milliampere-hour and a way to express the capacity of batteries, especially smaller ones in phones. In most cases the higher the mAh, the longer the battery will last but this isn’t always the case.Qi Wireless Charging
The most common format for wireless charging and the one supported by the majority of devices. Charge speeds vary a lot by the phone.
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos is an object-based audio format. It expands on 5.1 and 7.1 soundtracks by adding overhead channels. Sounds are referred to as “audio objects”, of which there can be up to 128 audio channels, and these ‘objects’ can be accurately positioned within a 3D soundscape. This allows soundtracks that support the technology to place sounds above and around the listener with compatible kit.IP rating
An abbreviation for ‘Ingress Protection Code’, which lets you know to what extent a device might be waterproof or dustproof.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
