Motorola has been one of the most active smartphone brands in India, in 2022. The company has launched several phones in its budget and mid-range G series and the premium Edge series in India. Most Motorola smartphones today, priced above Rs. 15,000, offer 5G support and it totally makes sense as 5G has officially launched in India and telcos are working on a nationwide rollout as you read this. Meanwhile, an odd phone in Motorola’s portfolio of devices
Moto G72 main camera sample
Moto G72 main camera sample
Low-light camera sample taken with the Moto G72
Moto G72 Night mode camera sample
I cannot say the same about the ultra-wide camera though as the colour temperature is slightly different compared to the main camera. The details are also not on par and there is some distortion around the corners. I also noticed some colour-fringing in some shots. It took me some time to get used to the focal length of the macro camera but once I got the hang of it, the sensor produced fairly okay images. I would rather recommend using the ‘Ultra-res’ mode in the ‘More’ menu of the camera app and then crop the image further to get similar results.
Ultra-wide camera sample shot on Moto G72
The Moto G72 does a good job with selfies. The skin tone is close to natural but the software tends to smoothen textures a bit. There is also a hint of pink hue in skin tones, which we also experienced in the Moto Edge 30 Fusion. Although, the pink cast is not as significant in the selfies taken with the Moto G72.
Front camera sample shot on Moto G72
Portrait Mode shot on Moto G72
The phone supports 1080p video recording at 60fps using the main rear camera. If you wish to vlog using the front camera, you must know that the video recording is capped at 1080p and 30 fps. While the camera produces good colours, the footage feels a bit shaky due to the lack of optical image stabilisation. The dynamic range performance is also quite average. In low light, there is noticeable noise in the darker areas but the primary camera captures fairly well-exposed footage.
Verdict
The Moto G72 offers everything that one would want to have in a smartphone under Rs. 20,000. The phone offers a good multimedia experience, decent camera performance, and a processor that can also handle casual gaming. Battery life is not disappointing either as it can last for a full day with medium to light usage. On top of all this, there is the near-stock Android 12 goodness with a touch of customisation in the form of MyUX. Design preferences are subjective but if you ask me, I think the Moto G72 looks quite good.
That being said, the phone comes with a huge asterisk — lack of 5G support. The Moto G72 is the only phone in the company’s portfolio of phones priced above Rs. 15,000 to not offer 5G network support. Those who want 5G support will obviously have to look at something like the Moto G82 5G (Review) for a couple of thousand rupees more. The latter offers better performance, the same multimedia experience, and all-day battery life while staying future-proof with 5G network support.
Alternatively, if you want a no-compromise budget smartphone and don’t want to jump on the 5G bandwagon, then the Moto G72 could certainly be considered. If near-stock Android experience is not your priority and you want to consider other options, you can check the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G (Review) or even the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G (Review).
