Budget Smartphone with Premium Features

Motorola's latest mid-range smartphone the moto G9 play is an excellent device with an interface and user experience that doesn't always reflect its sub $300 price point.

At only $299, I was blown away by the sophisticated features which would normally accompany a $1000+ smartphone, including fingerprint technology, in-built Google Assistant, surprisingly good screen resolution, Google Pay and a pair of true wireless earbuds included in the box to boot.

However, while the screen resolution in bright, artificial light is fine, using it in direct sunlight left a lot to be desired and it highlights the poor quality of the LCD screen.

I found it to have a pleasant weight – albeit on the heavier side – at 200mg and the screen size at 6.5 inches is just what I needed as a former Apple user.

The fingerprint sensor at the back of the G9 is placed neatly underneath the 48MP sensor main camera and is a comfortable ID technology for such a cheap device.

The G9's interface layout and operating system are both super easy to navigate. With Google-powered Android and Google apps already downloaded (most people would describe this as bloatware but I was happy enough to use them all) it didn't take much time to get used to the moto G9 as an everyday smartphone that is a perfect budget replacement for a more expensive model.

I enjoyed the iPhone-esque swipe up to exit apps and to get back to the main screen. Again, the interface is very user friendly and while the resolution is no match for its $1000+ Samsung and Apple counterparts, the G9 does an exceptional job for its $299 price point.

The only “you get what you pay for” trope I encountered with the G9 is the camera quality. Sure, the G9 lacks more expensive features such as IP-rated waterproofing, 4K video recording and 5G connectivity, but a pro-grade camera is the only feature I truly missed.

On the back, there are three cameras - the main 48MP lens that is joined by a 2MP macro and 2MP depth sensor. It has no wide-angle lens and after using the camera I found there are some varied results. The portrait mode is a little blurry and you need to keep a very steady hand to avoid haze, but shots done in low-light made it easy to forget this phone was under $300.

While using a phone on the cheaper end of the scale, I did think a lot of features I took for granted in other Apple and Android phones would not be available on the G9 play. But one major drawcard for the G9 play is it has NFC for tap-and-go payments and the Google Pay app was already downloaded on the smartphone, ready to go. This is a great step up from the G8 and all the more reason to upgrade your Motorola device.

Another pleasant surprise is the moto G9 play's battery life. I left it on my desk for days without charging it and the phone just didn't run out of juice. It can keep chugging along for two days without charge, which is more than I can say for a lot of iPhone models.

If you're just using the stock standard Android apps and not data-heavy gaming applications, I found the screen to have far less lags than I originally expected and its processing speed is fairly snappy.

VERDICT

For only $299, the moto G9 play is an incredible value for money and a great budget device for people unwilling to pay premium prices for Apple or Samsung but still crave the superior features. Don't buy it for camera quality, buy it for the fantastic value for money, sleek design and user-friendly interface.

Price: $299

Rating 8

“The style and shape of the Moto G9 is reminiscent of the iPhone in several ways”