Lenovo has been doubling its efforts to bring more Moto smartphones to the Philippines. The Moto G31 is one such device, offering interesting specs with a reasonably low price tag.
In this post-pandemic market, not everyone can afford top-end devices. And Lenovo’s answer to that is the Moto G31, which comes in at Php 8,995. The budget phone is feature-packed with a MediaTek Helio G85 chipset, an OLED display, a 50MP triple camera setup, and a 5000mAh battery. As an added bonus, it also comes with a close-to-stock Andriod experience.
But the question remains: Can it compete in a tight market filled with equally affordable phones from the likes of realme, Samsung, and Xiaomi? Let’s find out.
Accessories
As a budget device, the Moto G31 comes with the usual set of accessories. Surprisingly, it also includes a pair of earphones, something you rarely see on retail packages nowadays.
The bundled accessories include a charger, USB-C cable, a TPU case, a SIM eject tool, wired earphones, and the usual documentation.
In the box
- Moto G31
- Pre-installed Screen Protector
- Case
- USB-C Cable
- Charger
- SIM Eject Tool
- Documentation
Design and Display
The Moto G31 features a polycarbonate body with a concentric pattern design. The phone looks ordinary, neither groundbreaking nor innovative. Don’t get me wrong, it has its appeal. But it’s a safe choice by Moto, which is all good considering the price point.
As an added bonus, the design does make the phone far less likely to catch fingerprints while at the same time providing an adequate grip.
At the front, there’s a 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 2400 x 1080 resolution, a standard 60Hz refresh rate, and a small 16MP punch hole selfie camera. The side bezels are narrow, but the top and bottom bezels are thicker than usual.
The display itself is pretty good with punchy, saturated colors and deep blacks. Viewing angles look good as well. It’s perfectly suited for watching videos and movies.
The triple rear cameras sit on a vertical island that’s slightly raised, which causes the phone to wobble slightly while on its back. The fingerprint scanner, which has the Moto logo, is also there near the top. It’s placed in a convenient position within easy reach for quick unlocking. As expected, it is fast and reliable.
Also Read: Infinix Zero 5G review
The left side has the SIM card tray. While on the right side, we have the volume rocker and power button. I actually prefer all my buttons on one side like this. It makes it easier to watch videos on landscape. There’s another button on this side near the top that summons the Google Assistant. It’s actually handy to have, but the button itself is hard to reach with a one-handed operation.
On the top side, there’s a headphone jack and a secondary microphone. And at the bottom sit the main microphone, USB-C, and the phone’s single speaker.
Performance and Battery
The Moto G31 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 with eight cores and a clock speed of up to 2GHz. It is paired with a Mali-G52 MC2 GPU, 4GB RAM, and 128GB storage.
The phone also runs on a near-stock Android 11 with only the Motorola app added to the mix, which brings subtle functionality to the phone without muddying the clean Android experience.
Basic navigation and simple operations are quick and responsive. It’s not flagship fast, mind you. Apps take a while longer to open, compared to more powerful devices. There are some small stutters here and there, but it’s a minor occurrence. There really is nothing to complain about on this front.
When it comes to gaming, the sub-9k budget phone can fend for itself. It can run and play most games, just temper your expectations and you’ll be fine. Graphically demanding games will usually default to low settings. Again, very much acceptable given the price.
If you’re into benchmark scores, well, here they are.
- AnTuTu – 201,450
CPU – 63,354
GPU – 38,606
MEM – 38,357
UX – 61,133 - Geekbench – 336 (Single-core); 1310 (Multi-core)
- 3D Mark – 715 (Wild Life)
Like many budget phones, the Moto G31 has a large 5000mAh battery. You don’t have to worry about running out in a day. If you’re a light to moderate user (who doesn’t play as many games), you can really extend that to almost two days.
Also Read: realme 9 Pro+ review: Great value, great cameras
Its charging speed is the weak point of the phone, if we’re to name one. It has a paltry 10W, which tops up to 25% in 30 minutes based on my testing. Charging from empty to full took around 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Cameras
The Moto G31 is equipped with a triple rear camera setup composed of a 50MP main, an 8MP ultra-wide, and a 2MP macro. It also has a 13MP selfie camera.
The 50MP main camera pixel bins to 12.5MP images. It can also shoot up to FHD at 30fps videos.
The camera app has a simple layout, which is intuitive and easy to use. It also has the Google Lens shortcut.
The resulting photos from the 50MP main camera are surprisingly decent in bright lighting conditions. The colors look good with ample detail. Quality drops in low light with noise creeping in.
The 8MP ultra-wide is average with an expected drop in detail. The 2MP macro, on the other hand, faired surprisingly well, churning out acceptable photos consistently.
Selfies are decent as well. The 13MP front camera captures a reasonable amount of detail with good skin tones and colors.
Final Thoughts
As budget phones go, the Moto G31 is a great option in this class. It’s an impressive device, to say the least, especially when you consider it costs just Php 8,995.
The charging speed leaves a lot to be desired but you do get great battery life. The AMOLED display is also a strong feature, and the 50MP camera punches above its class.
All in all, the Moto G31 is hard not to recommend. If you’re on a tight budget, this all-rounder should be on your list.
Price and Availability
The Moto G31 has a price of Php 8,995. It is now available in offline and online stores.
Moto G31 specs
| Display | 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED Display, 2400 x 1080, 60Hz Refresh Rate |
| Processor | MediaTek Helio G85, 2GHz Octa-core Mali-G52 MC2 GPU |
| RAM | 4GB/6GB RAM, LPDDR4X |
| Storage | 64GB/128GB Storage |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP Main 8MP Ultra-wide 2MP Macro |
| Front Camera | 13MP Selfie Camera |
| Network | 4G LTE, Triple Slot |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi AC Dual Band, Bluetooth 5, GPS |
| Others | Rear Fingerprint Scanner, USB-C, Headphone Jack, Dolby Atmos, Water Repellant Design, FM Radio |
| OS | Android 11 |
| Colors | Speed Blue, Speed Black |
| Battery | 5000mAh Battery, 10W Fast Charger |
