Motorola Moto G85 5G Review: Looks Can be Deceiving

The Moto G85 5G is one Motorola’s newest (on the time of writing) vary of mid-range telephones. It affords a chic design, together with a curved-edge pOLED show that feels extra premium than the value tag suggests.

It delivers stable battery life, clean on a regular basis efficiency, and a clear software program expertise. Nonetheless, digicam high quality is mediocre, efficiency lags behind key rivals, and Motorola’s disappointing software program replace coverage is difficult to disregard in 2024.

In case you worth design and show high quality over uncooked energy, this cellphone is price a glance – however there are higher all-rounders for the same value. Right here’s my full assessment.

Design & Construct

• Premium design with curved-edge show
• Vegan leather-based or matte plastic finishes
• Slim and light-weight, however solely IP52 water resistance

Motorola has all the time delivered enticing, reasonably priced handsets, however the Moto G85 5G steps issues up a notch.

It borrows design cues from the flagship Edge sequence, providing an ultra-slim profile at 7.6mm and curved-edge entrance glass that feels premium within the hand. To be trustworthy, when holding this handset, it feels slimmer than its 7.6mm – it’s spectacular. At 172g, it’s additionally remarkably light-weight contemplating the dimensions of the show and battery.

Connor Jewiss/Foundry

The vegan leather-based choices (Cobalt Blue and Olive Inexperienced) add a textured, grippy floor that units it aside from the same old shiny plastic slabs on this section. You may, nonetheless, discover that this isn’t leather-based – it feels rather more like suede. In case you want a extra standard end, the City Gray mannequin encompasses a clean matt plastic again that hides fingerprints and smudges effectively.

Ergonomically, the cellphone is simple to carry, and the light curves make one-handed use much less awkward than flatter gadgets such because the Poco X7. The buttons are well-placed, with the ability button doubling as a speedy and dependable fingerprint scanner. There’s no in-display choice right here, however at this value level, I wouldn’t anticipate finding one.

Sturdiness is the place the Moto G85 5G reveals its limitations. The IP52 score affords safety towards mild splashes and dirt, however not submersion. It’s higher than nothing, however rivals just like the Samsung Galaxy A36 5G provide IP67 certification, which is way extra reassuring.

One factor I observed was the identify of regulatory markings on the underside of this handset, close to the charging port (there’s an image within the battery part of this assessment). It’s not an enormous deal, however there are extra logos than I’ve seen earlier than, they usually appear significantly noticeable on this system.

Show & Sound

• Beautiful curved 6.67-inch pOLED panel
• Easy 120Hz refresh charge and respectable brightness
• Loud stereo audio system, however missing bass

The Moto G85’s 6.67-inch pOLED display screen is its largest promoting level.

Curved shows at this value are just about exceptional today, and I’m not often a fan, however Motorola’s execution is finished somewhat effectively. The curves listed below are delicate, minimising unintended touches – a typical difficulty with earlier curved screens. The result’s a panel that appears way more premium than its price ticket.

Connor Jewiss/Foundry

With a decision of 2400 x 1080 and assist for a 120Hz refresh charge, scrolling feels buttery clean and visuals are sharp. Colors are vibrant out of the field, and the show affords respectable calibration, though some could discover it a bit punchy. There’s a guide color steadiness mode within the settings in case you want a extra pure tone.

Brightness peaks at 1600 nits below direct daylight. It’s ample for many out of doors situations however doesn’t fairly match the panel brightness of rivals just like the Poco X7, which exceeds 1800 nits. Viewing angles are glorious, due to the pOLED tech, and there’s minimal color shift at off-angles.

The stereo audio system are loud and supply clear audio for podcasts and informal video watching. They’re Dolby Atmos licensed, which provides some digital encompass depth, however they lack heat and bass, particularly at increased volumes. There’s no headphone jack, which is disappointing given that is nonetheless frequent on price range telephones.

Specs & Efficiency

• Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 delivers clean on a regular basis efficiency
• Lags behind rivals like Poco X6 and Galaxy A35 in uncooked energy
• UFS 2.2 storage limits pace

Efficiency is an space the place the Moto G85 5G undoubtedly reveals its mid-range roots. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3, a comparatively new however modest 6nm chipset with eight cores (two Cortex-A78 and 6 Cortex-A55). Graphics duties are dealt with by the Adreno 619 GPU.

Connor Jewiss/Foundry

Throughout common use, akin to social media scrolling, internet looking, and light-weight multitasking, the Moto G85 5G holds its personal. Motorola’s light-weight ‘My UX’ pores and skin helps preserve issues zippy, and animations are fluid. Apps open shortly, and the cellphone simply retains up with most every day duties.

Nonetheless, push it tougher and the restrictions emerge. Mild video games can run nice, however in case you begin to play 3D video games, they start to wrestle at increased element.

Huge titles are finest prevented except you drop the settings to their lowest. Thermal administration is respectable, with the cellphone solely warming up after extended gaming periods. Though I did discover the cellphone would get very hot in case you used it whereas charging.

Moto G85 5G benchmarks

In comparison with equally priced rivals, the Moto G85 5G falls brief, as you’ll be able to see from the benchmarks beneath:

Cameras

• 50Mp foremost rear sensor
• 8Mp ultrawide
• 32Mp selfie lens

Motorola has outfitted the Moto G85 5G with a twin rear digicam setup: a 50Mp foremost sensor (f/1.8) and an 8Mp ultrawide lens (f/2.2). There’s additionally a 32Mp selfie shooter on the entrance.

Connor Jewiss/Foundry

In good lighting, the 50Mp foremost lens takes stable pictures. Colors are vibrant with out wanting oversaturated, whereas element is respectable for this value vary. Dynamic vary is considerably restricted, although, and highlights can simply blow out on brilliant days.

Shut-up photographs and portraits are fairly sharp, however edge detection could be hit and miss in portrait mode. When going for tougher objects in portrait photographs, the cellphone undoubtedly struggles with edge detection.

The 8Mp ultrawide struggles much more. Photos are noticeably softer, significantly across the edges, whereas color consistency with the principle sensor isn’t nice. Low-light pictures present vital noise, even with night time mode turned on.

The 32Mp selfie digicam is sweet in daylight, delivering sharp, detailed photographs with correct pores and skin tones. Nonetheless, in low mild, noise creeps in as soon as once more. The shortage of autofocus means selfies could be hit-or-miss except you maintain the cellphone regular.

Video recording tops out at 1080p 60fps. Picture stabilisation is digital (EIS) and works nice for informal use, however the lack of 4K recording and optical picture stabilisation (OIS) limits the G85’s enchantment for video creators.

Battery Life & Charging

• 5000mAh battery
• 30W wired charging (no charger in field)
• No wi-fi charging
• Competent charging speeds however not class-leading

The Moto G85 5G packs a 5000mAh battery, which is customary fare for mid-range gadgets.

Battery life is superb in day-to-day use. With mild to average utilization (social media, calls, occasional streaming), the cellphone lasts a full day and a half. Extra demanding use nonetheless will get you thru a day with out stress.

Connor Jewiss/Foundry

My testing confirmed round seven hours of screen-on time, with streaming video draining about 6% per hour. Gaming burns by way of about 15% per hour on demanding titles, although extra informal video games have far much less impression.

Charging is dealt with by way of 30W wired charging, however Motorola doesn’t embody a charger within the field – only a USB-A to USB-C cable. Utilizing a appropriate 30W charger, the cellphone reaches 50% in about half-hour and totally expenses in roughly 80 minutes.

There’s no wi-fi charging, which is now not the norm for a cellphone at this value. Plus, rivals such because the Poco X7 provide sooner wired charging (45W). It undoubtedly looks like Motorola dropped the ball a bit of right here. Regardless, the Moto G85’s charging pace ought to be greater than ample for many customers.

Software program & Options

• Clear Android 14 with minimal bloat
• Motorola’s helpful Moto Gestures return
• Just one OS replace, three years of safety patches

Motorola’s ‘My UX’ pores and skin over Android 14 is one other spotlight of the G85 5G expertise.

It’s clear, near so-called ‘inventory’ Android, and free from pointless animations and muddle. The Moto Gestures options (twist your hand to open the digicam, chop to activate the flashlight) are intuitive, although I’m unsure that they’ll are available in all that helpful for many.

Connor Jewiss/Foundry

Annoyingly, this cellphone has one among my largest pet peeves – it comes with pre-installed third-party apps akin to Reserving.com and Fb. This isn’t as egregious as I’ve seen on different telephones, however third-party bloatware won’t ever not be annoying.

Fortuitously, these could be simply uninstalled. Motorola’s personal apps are minimal and principally helpful, akin to Moto Safe and Moto Show.

Sadly, the software program assist dedication is lacklustre. Motorola solely guarantees one OS replace (to the present Android 15) and three years of bi-monthly safety patches. That is disappointing, particularly when Samsung affords six years of each on the Galaxy A26 5G, and even Xiaomi and OnePlus are enhancing their replace insurance policies on this value vary.

There’s no At all times-On Show and no main AI options. However for informal customers, the expertise is clean and simple.

Arguably, it’s higher that this handset doesn’t attempt to cram in these options, when it in all probability wouldn’t run all of them too effectively anyway.

Value & Availability

The Moto G85 5G is on the market now, however solely in chosen areas, together with the UK, Europe, India, and Australia. The cellphone was priced as follows at launch, however there are sometimes reductions accessible.

• UK: £299 (8GB RAM / 256GB storage)
• Europe: €349 (8GB RAM / 256GB storage)

Color choices embody Cobalt Blue, Olive Inexperienced (each with vegan leather-based finishes), and City Gray with a matte plastic again.

The system is on the market outright by way of main retailers akin to Amazon and Motorola’s official retailer. However there’s no availability direct from networks, whereas the cellphone isn’t being offered within the US.

On the full £299 value, the Moto G85 goes head-to-head with Samsung’s Galaxy A26 5G (additionally £299). However there are many different mid-range alternate options, together with the Nothing Telephone (3a) (from £329).

Connor Jewiss/Foundry

Do you have to purchase the Motorola Moto G85 5G?

The Motorola Moto G85 5G is a gorgeous mid-range cellphone with a superb show and stable battery life. Its smooth design, curved pOLED panel and light-weight construct make it really feel costlier than it’s. For informal customers who need a clear Android expertise and dependable day-to-day efficiency, it’s a stable alternative.

Nonetheless, the competitors is fierce. Telephones just like the Poco X7 provide higher efficiency, cameras, and charging speeds for much less cash. Samsung’s Galaxy A26 5G supplies a brighter display screen, extra energy, and vastly superior software program assist. The Moto G85 5G isn’t a nasty cellphone, nevertheless it’s exhausting to advocate except you’re significantly drawn to its design or have model loyalty.

Specs

• Display: 6.67-inch P-OLED, 2400×1080 decision, 120Hz refresh charge
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3
• Reminiscence: 8GB / 12GB RAM
• Storage: 128GB / 256GB, expandable by way of microSD
• Rear Cameras: 50MP (f/1.8) + 8MP ultrawide (f/2.2)
• Entrance Digicam: 32MP (f/2.4)
• Battery: 5000mAh, 30W wired charging
• Software program: Android 14 with My UX
• Dimensions: 161.9 x 73.1 x 7.6mm
• Weight: 172g
• Water Resistance: IP52 (splash resistance)
• Connectivity: 5G (sub-6GHz), Twin SIM + eSIM, NFC, Bluetooth 5.1
• Audio: Stereo audio system (Dolby Atmos), no headphone jack