Moto G200 5G in the test: high-end technology ensures fun

Moto G200 5G in the test: high-end technology ensures fun

With the Moto G200 5G, Lenovo subsidiary Motorola has launched a smartphone that should leave nothing to be desired - be it in terms of performance, camera or sound quality. In the xiaomist test you can find out whether these wishes have actually been fulfilled.

A color-intensive display, a fast-paced chip, sharp and realistic photos, perfect sound - smartphone manufacturers promise a lot, but you don't always get that in the end. The Moto G200 5G ranks among such promises. Motorola not only wants to support 5G mobile communications with its new smartphone, as the name suggests, but also generally wants to offer a lot of technology for less than 500 euros. In our test, we looked at whether the smartphone really delivers what it promises.

Moto G200: test conclusion

xiaomist rating: 7.2 / 10

The Moto G200 5G made a good impression in the test. The plastic case looks a bit cheap, but the internal values ​​of the smartphone made up for it for the most part. With the Snapdragon 888+, a powerful SoC clocks in the mobile phone, which makes various applications pleasantly fast. The three-dimensional sound advertised by the manufacturer is only used with the right headphones, but then ensures a clear sound. However, even more could have been gotten out of the camera quality, so that one should be prepared for some loss of detail.

But if you can turn a blind eye to the camera and get by with 128 GB of storage , the Moto G200 is a good choice. You get a smartphone that has a lot to offer at a fair price of just under 450 euros (see Amazon) and whose smart control is a lot of fun.

Benefits:

5G cellular network, responsive display, strong SoC, IP certification, convincing 3D sound

Disadvantage:

The camera has its weaknesses, slow battery charging, no jack connection, and no micro SD slot

Packaging: It also works (almost) without plastic

When it comes to sustainability, the packaging of a device gives a first glimpse of the manufacturer's position on this topic. Motorola did not disappoint: The small box has almost no plastic packaging . The only drawback: The display of the Moto G200 was provided with a printed plastic film, which is only used for decoration and can go straight to the trash after unpacking. A display film already applied ex works would be advantageous here, as is already supplied by other manufacturers. Otherwise you will find the Moto G200 in a case that provides enough protection.

You will still find the operating instructions and a metal pen for the dual SIM slot in the package - an expansion of the 128 GB of internal memory is not possible . For quick charging, which I will go into below, you will find a USB-C charging cable with a corresponding 33 watt power supply.

The Moto G200 gets by with little packaging (Image: xiaomist).

Although it is probably practical for some of the users if the appropriate power supply unit is added at the same time, this is to be viewed critically with regard to sustainable packaging. Nowadays it can be assumed that most customers have a power supply unit for their smartphone. By dispensing with a power supply unit, the manufacturer saves not only costs but also electrical waste and packaging volume, which in turn has a positive influence on CO2 emissions . What is positive about the Moto G200's power supply unit and charging cable: Both are wrapped in paper instead of, as is so often the case, wrapped in plastic.

The smartphone itself, on the other hand, shines less when it comes to sustainability. As is already known from many manufacturers, the battery cannot be replaced by users. Thanks to the fixed back, the phone is protected against dust and dripping water according to the IP52 certification. Furthermore, Motorola does not make it transparent to what extent the device itself has been produced in a sustainable manner.

Motorola Moto G200 5G: chic or cheap?

When you open the box, you are greeted by a generously sized smartphone that I can only hold and operate safely with two hands . For the test, Motorola received the Moto G200 in "Stellar Blue", a matt dark blue. You will find the dual SIM slot, a USB-C port, the microphone and the speaker on the underside. On the far right is the volume rocker and the power button with an integrated fingerprint sensor. On the left there is another button with which a voice search via Google Assistant is activated.

The back of the Moto G200 looks nicer than it feels (Image: xiaomist).

The back of the smartphone looks chic at first glance. However, Motorola has opted for a plastic housing . Although this means fewer fingerprints and does not slip out of the hand so easily, it feels rather cheap. The three camera lenses are arranged one below the other in a "hump" on the left-hand side. So if you put the smartphone with its back on a surface, it wobbles back and forth. The supplied protective cover does not completely compensate for this inconvenience.

Setup and operation: Google is in the foreground

On the Moto G200 we find Android 11 as the operating system . The provider has not yet announced an update to Android 12 on the product page for the smartphone, but since it is still quite fresh on the market, we shouldn't worry. The smartphone can be operated perfectly with Android 11. At most, the fact that the control is preset by swiping gestures is worthy of criticism - in the settings, however, the control can also be activated with the classic buttons on the bottom.

Another note about the keyboard : I noticed that there is no automatic space after punctuation marks. When writing, I find it very hard to get used to, as I was used to the corresponding automation so far, the existing setting in the GBoard app only works for US English so far.

There is a button on the Moto G200 that you can use to call up the Google Assistant (Image: xiaomist).

The manufacturer relies on Google services for the Moto G200, which is not only evident from the button for the Google Assistant , Google's cloud services (Drive, Google Photos) are also closely linked to the software. If you have a Google account, the setup of the smartphone is done quickly.

Audio, games, films: Finally pure entertainment?

Rich and clear sound - but only with the right headphones

Motorola states that the sound of the new smartphone is in the foreground and, thanks to Qualcomm's Snapdragon sound technology, wireless transmission to headphones with a well-defined sound should convince. The integrated audio format Dolby Atmos enables virtual surround sound that is supposed to be even more realistic than stereo sound. Under the settings under "Sound & Vibration" you will find the "Dolby Atmos" area, where you can specify the sound depending on the medium: Do you want the right sound for music or to be able to fully enjoy a series? Or do you just want to listen to a podcast?

I tried the different settings and was not surprised by the speakers on the smartphone. A slight difference to my private Huawei Nova 5T and the Honor 50 can be heard in that the Moto G200 doesn't sound so tinny - the voices sound warmer with podcasts, as well as with calls via the activated loudspeaker.

With the right setting and headphones, you can actually hear the clear sound of the Moto G200 (Image: xiaomist).

However, the headphones actually make the difference: If I connect the Beats Solo Pro headphones (view on Amazon) to the Motorola, Shirin David's "90-60-111" really gives me a bassy sound and clearer voices in various podcasts that I do definitely not hear when connected to my private smartphone. And the Bluetooth connection remains stable even over different distances.

On the other hand, one point that struck me negatively were the ring tones: When the mobile phone first drew my attention to notifications, the preset tone really frightened me, whereupon I went through all the sounds. Although I don't generally have high expectations of cell phone ringtones, everything on the Moto G200 sounds too electronic to me and the variation is missing . In addition, I find the titles of the respective tones very inappropriate: There is the tone "tennis" and I hear two sounds similar to drops of water, with "whistling" a drop of water. There is the sound of "nudging" and a guitar chord sounds. The ringtones are not convincing for a smartphone whose sound is praised by the manufacturer.

Are you still looking for the right headphones? Then we have the right xiaomist overview for you here:

This is how fast a processor can be

When it comes to performance, I have nothing to complain about, on the contrary. Motorola has opted for the Snapdragon 888+ and 8 GB of RAM for the processor. The Snapdragon 888+ is not the latest SoC from Qualcomm - the first devices with the successor Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 will be on the market these days, but at least the most powerful Qualcomm chip from 2021. It should still have enough performance in the next few years bring. Together with the 144 Hertz display , the smartphone reacts immediately to any touch commands without being too sensitive. The smartphone downloaded and opened an eBook with over 100 pages in just a few seconds. It also quickly shares files with other devices via Bluetooth.

Gaming is also fun with the Moto G200, whether it's simple platformer games or graphically demanding adventure games. And the sharp and colorful image of the Full HD + display (2,460 × 1,080 pixels) comes into its own in series and films, although darker scenes are not entirely convincing. Since it is an LC display, instead of the AMOLED panels that are otherwise common today, there are no optimal black levels and the power consumption cannot be reduced by changing to dark mode. Still, it's a good display.

In the game "Atlantis Odyssey" by Vizor you can clearly see the colorful display of the Moto G200 (Image: xiaomist). Smart and simple controls

The Moto G200 has been improved by the manufacturer with various AI functions : For example, there is the CrystalTalk AI, which filters out background noise, for better speech output. Various AI settings on the camera also ensure better use of light and easier triggering. The beta version of a digital image stabilizer is also integrated.

In addition, the smartphone is designed to be very intelligent and intuitive with regard to gesture control: If the smartphone is lifted slightly, information such as time, battery level and the like can be read on the preview display. If Spotify is open, the current song is displayed in full screen mode.

If, on the other hand, the smartphone is lying on a surface with the display, the ringtone changes to vibration when you receive a call as soon as you pick up the phone. On the other hand, if you quickly turn the smartphone twice out of your wrist, the camera is activated. Motorola has been using these fast features for a number of years, but they are still useful and reliable.

The Moto G200's preview display is activated by even the smallest of movements (Image: xiaomist).

Motorola has integrated smart operating concepts into the G200. Together with the high performance and the good display, this makes daily use fun.

Camera: playing with contrasts

The camera of the Moto G200 makes a solid impression for a smartphone in this price range at first glance : I was out and about on a (naturally) gray, rainy day in Berlin and the smartphone still got a lot out of the pictures. Thanks to the 108 MP main camera, the colors of standard exterior shots (middle lens) are emphasized, in interior rooms that are not perfectly lit you still get bright pictures and close-ups in macro mode with 2 MP, triggered with the upper lens, are detailed. In the lower gallery you can see a comparison of some pictures with the Honor 50, which is in the same price range and has similar camera equipment. This also cuts a fine figure in pictures, but you can see slight weaknesses compared to the Moto G200.

At second glance, however, it becomes clear that Motorola is more likely to play with contrasts . If you take a closer look at the images you have taken, you can see, for example, a clear noise at the edges of the image of the park, and the camera re-sharpens the branches of the surrounding trees. With the Moto G200 you should therefore be prepared for loss of detail.

The Moto G200 reaches its limits in maximum zoom: The AI image stabilization described above ensures that, in my opinion, the images are less blurred than with the Honor 50, but it does not replace an optical image stabilizer. When it comes to night shots, I am still convinced of the quality of the Honor 50, as the Motorola brightens up too much in night mode. Furthermore, the lower lens of the Motorola is neither used for standard shots, nor for macro and ultra-wide-angle photos, and thus serves more as a decoration.

You can record 4K videos with the Motorola, but the manufacturer has limited itself to a frame rate of 30 FPS , although up to 60 FPS are possible with the integrated graphics chip (Qualcomm Adreno 660). The videos still run smoothly, but the graphics chip could still have been exploited even more.

By the way: The camera app in the Moto G200 supports dual video and dual photo recordings, in which the front and rear cameras record at the same time. If you like to try out TikTok and Instagram, for example, you can let your creativity run free.

We'll tell you here how to shoot videos for your TikTok account:

Battery: Slow, rapid charge

The cell phone lasted almost two days with a charge, medium brightness and an average screen-on-time of 3 hours a day , which was to be expected with a capacity of 5,000 mAh and was specified accordingly by the manufacturer.

However, I was disappointed with the fast charge as it was actually not that fast . A charge from 8 to 100 percent took over an hour. In fact, the included power supply only has an output of 33 watts, manufacturers such as Xiaomi and OnePlus offer faster charging technology in this price range. In addition, there is no way to charge the cell phone wirelessly. Although you do not always have to rely on quick charging, especially if you charge overnight anyway, a lot could have been extracted from the battery, which would have rounded off the features of the smartphone.

The battery of your smartphone is draining faster and faster? Then we have some tips for you in another xiaomist article:

Ratings and technical data

xiaomist test evaluation in detail: Moto G200 5G category evaluation (max. 10) Sustainability 6 Processing, haptics and design 7 Display 8 Cameras 6 Software and performance 9 Operation 8 Telephony and audio 8 Storage 6 Battery and everyday life 7 Overall 7.2 Specifications: Moto G200 5G operating system Android 11 display 6.8-inch FHD + display / LCD / 2,460 x 1,080 pixels / 144 Hz processor Snapdragon 888 + -5G RAM 8 GB internal memory 128 GB (not expandable) camera 16 MP front camera / 108 MP main camera / 13 MP ultra wide angle / 2 MP macro camera battery 5,000 mAh (wired, quick charge) Special features IP52 certification, NFC, fingerprint sensor and face recognition

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What is VoLTE and how can you activate it on your Xiaomi

So you can check the battery status of your Xiaomi smartphone and how many cycles you have performed

How to exit the FASTBOOT mode of your Xiaomi if you have entered accidentally

Does your Xiaomi charge slowly or intermittently? So you can fix it

Problems with Android Auto and your Xiaomi? So you can fix it

If your Xiaomi disconnects only from the WiFi it may be because of that MIUI setting

How to change the font in MIUI and thus further customize your Xiaomi: so you can change the type, color and size of the letters of MIUI

What is the Safe Mode of your Xiaomi, what is it for and how can you activate it

Improve and amplify the volume of your Xiaomi and / or headphones with these simple adjustments

How to activate the second space if your Xiaomi does not have this option