the cheap is going well

Motorola's G family once again carries a cheap phone that promises to be profitable. This is the Moto G7 Play. It no longer has the big battery of its predecessor – this feature is for the G7 Power – but it has acquired a more powerful processor to give it more flexibility.

The essentials always ask questions: after all, what can and cannot be expected from them? I've been testing the Moto G7 Play for over a month now and I'm talking about what I think about the phone.

Photo: Alessandro Feitosa Jr./Gizmodo Brazil

What is

In my hand, the Moto G7 Play felt quite light, much more than the smartphones I am used to testing. Its use is quite comfortable and 5.7 inches from the screen, distributed in a longer screen ratio (19: 9), is always within range of the fingers.

The screen, by the way, is very beautiful. It has the same HD resolution as the G7 Power, but as it is smaller, the pixel density turns out to be a little higher, which helps to produce smoother images. I did not miss the Full HD panel. It has a slit, this small notch at the top, to accommodate the front camera (with flash), speaker and sensors. I still don't think it's beautiful, but over time you get used to it and don't do it there.

Photo: Alessandro Feitosa Jr./Gizmodo Brazil

use

The Moto G7 Play has many modest specifications. 2GB of RAM has been around for a while now, and even cheaper models are starting to go beyond that mark. The processor, at least, is a bit more powerful: a Qualcomm 6xx linear chip, a 1.8 GHz Snapdragon 632 clock.

Still, I feared the G7 Play would perform as badly as another cheap Motorola I tested, last year's E5 Plus, which also has 2GB of RAM but comes with a Snapdragon 425 processor.

I was surprised: the performance of the G7 Play is between good and reasonable. You can't find slowness in common applications like social networks, email, YouTube videos, streaming music and some very basic games.

However, low RAM is a tight spot when switching between apps and opening notifications. In both cases, the device does not lock, but the delay is a little longer than for more expensive devices. If you're coming from a 3GB or 4GB RAM device, feel the difference. As I said before, this is acceptable: During the weeks I spent with him, I didn't miss another phone or wanted to give up to change.

The Moto G7 Play battery has 3000 mAh, an average of what smartphones typically carry today. That's enough: Since the HD display and the Snapdragon 632 processor are very economical, it can take a lot of work between turning off the power in the morning and turning the power off at night without any fright or unpleasant surprises.

According to AccuBattery data, during the period I used the smartphone between 8% and 9% of the battery per hour with the screen on. In standby mode, this consumption is about 2% per hour. In my daily use, it would last between 16 hours and 18 hours of contact. Not impressive at all, but very reliable.

The charger that comes with the Moto G7 Play has a good speed, setting anywhere between 35% and 40% per hour. In just two hours you have enough battery for your day.

Photo: Alessandro Feitosa Jr./Gizmodo Brazil

camera

The camera has always been a weakness of Motorola mobile phones. In the seventh generation of line G, however, it seems to have evolved. It's not about taking great photos yet, because you can't expect it from a device that costs less than $ 1,000.

The rear set consists of only one lens with f / 2.0 aperture and a 13-megapixel sensor. Nothing exceptional, but I was pleased with the camera – the image quality is between reasonable and good when shooting in a well-lit environment. The level of detail is not the best, but the overall picture is beautiful enough to go to Instagram or Facebook. In situations with less light, it does no miracles and produces a lot of noise.

The camera app also has modes for highlighting one color and leaving everything else in grayscale and portrait mode, identifying the outline of the face and blurring the background with software. For those who like to take selfies, the front camera (8 megapixels and f / 2.2 aperture) also has a LED flash.

conclusion

The hit stores of the Moto G7 Play cost $ 999, but you can find it for around $ 700. This is a very honest device: it is cheap, does no miracle and meets the basics. The camera serves to record scenes of some quality, the battery does not disappoint, the device is slow but does not lock. If you want a great camera or high performance, you need to look for another device. As a mobile phone to access social networks, watch videos and take some pictures from time to time, it works well and is a good buy.