Moto G200 5G review: A powerful Android phone for under £400

Similarly, the handset’s plastic construction is a compromise to keep costs down – but it wasn’t an annoyance during day-to-day use, and actually worked to provide some additional grip and efficiently keep fingerprints to a minimum.

Put simply, it’s one of the first Moto handsets in a while we felt, yes, we could use this on a long-term basis. As an all-rounder, it’s an easy recommendation.

In this review, we will break down the pros and cons of the Moto G200 5G to help you decide if it’s the right Android smartphone for you and whether it deserves a place on our best mid-range phone list. If you are researching the different Motorola devices, don’t miss out on our compilation of the best Motorola phones to buy in 2022.

Jump to:

• Moto G200 review: summary
• What is the Moto G200?
• How much is the Moto G200?
• Moto G200 features
• Moto G200 battery
• Moto G200 camera
• Moto G200 design
• Our verdict
• Where to buy

Moto G200 review: summary

Motorola makes a lot of smartphones, and as a result not every handset will make a splash the size of, say, a Samsung S22 Plus or Google Pixel 6 Pro upon its release. Despite this, the company has quietly been dominating the mid-range category by refining its ability to add some higher-end specs into handsets under £500.

The Moto G200 is a fine example of this. Sure, there are compromises – specifically its plastic construction, lack of wireless charging and 1080p display – but for every minus, there’s a plus. The 108 MP camera, Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ processor, smooth performance, fingerprint sensor and battery life are only some.

So, if you need a highly-capable smartphone but don’t want to pay flagship prices, the Moto G200 is a fantastic option that’s unlikely to leave you disappointed.

Key features:

• Powerful Snapdragon 888+ 5G processor
• Clean Android 11 software with little unwanted apps
• 5000 mAh battery easily lasts for more than a day
• 144Hz refresh rate gives smooth performance
• Triple camera setup includes 108MP lens
• Future-proofed thanks to 5G connectivity

Pros:

• Great processor for the money
• Performance consistently solid
• Camera is quick and versatile

Cons:

• Lack of wireless charging
• No expandable storage
• No headphone jack

What is the Moto G200?

The Moto G200 is the new top-end model in Motorola’s g-series line-up, which is packed with budget-to mid-range handsets: the Moto G100 (£329.99), Moto G60s (£219.99), Moto G50 (£199.99) and the recently-released Moto G31 (£189.99).

While the naming conventions may seem a little strange at first, the broad trend is that the higher the number after the “g,” the more premium the handset. There is also the more powerful Edge 20 series, as detailed in our recent Moto Edge 20 review.

How much is the Moto G200?

The Moto G200 was released in the UK in November 2021, priced at £399.99 for the 8GB/128GB version. It represents good value for money for the specs on offer, especially the powerful Snapdragon 888+ 5G processor which keeps performance running silky smooth. Rivals in this price range include the Samsung A52 5G, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G, and the iPhone SE (2nd gen) for any fans of Apple iOS.

• Buy the Moto G200 at Amazon
• Buy the Moto G200 at Motorola
• Buy the Moto G200 at Lenovo

Moto G200 features

While the Moto G200 is best viewed as an all-rounder, there are several features that stand out with the handset. The first isn’t visible to the eye. The processor that powers the phone – the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ – is one of the best 5G mobile chips around, so it’s more than capable of keeping performance smooth.

Mixed with a high 144Hz display – meaning that the screen can draw a new image 144 times per second – and the G200 becomes a very pleasant user experience.

We found that scrolling the internet was entirely stutter-free, mobile games ran well and every app that we tested was quick to load and snappy to run.

Unlike the pricier Edge 20 (£429.99 RRP), the display isn’t OLED, but we ultimately found little to complain about with the 1080p LCD screen on the g200.

The 6.8-inch screen is big – perhaps a downside for anyone used to a small phone or display – but its clarity and brightness were still very good. We had no trouble using the handset in outdoor conditions, with the screen remaining visible under the glare of the afternoon sun, and all the wallpapers looked vivid and crisp.

Out of the box, the software was pleasing to use during our time with the G200. The Android 11 version had little bloatware – unwanted apps that are pre-installed – and we were able to customise the look and feel to our tastes by reducing the size of the app icons, swapping the layout with ease and changing widget positioning.

The G200 comes with 5G so if you have the right SIM and are in a service area you can enjoy fast speeds and downloads. It’s great to see more budget and mid-range devices with 5G as standard, and it’s a nice future-proofing feature here, too.

While not really a feature, we liked the weight of the G200. At 202g, it doesn't feel lightweight, like some of the older Pixels for example. This is personal preference, but if you like your phones to feel a little more substantial, this provides it.

There are some notable omissions, however. The Moto G200 has no 3.5mm jack, so headphones will have to be via wireless or USB-C, and there’s no proper water resistance rating so this isn’t a handset you will want to use in wet conditions. It’s more understandable for this price, but there is also no wireless charging.

We used the phone outside but only in dryer conditions – and while it has an IP52 “water-repellent” design it’s not a handset we would be comfortable using in the rain, unlike the OnePlus 9 Pro, iPhone 13, Pixel 6 Pro or other pricier models.

The lack of a 3.5mm jack isn’t a massive deal for us – as we are fans of many of the options from our best wireless earbuds list – but it may be a deal-breaker for some. The same goes for the lack of expandable storage. You are stuck with what you get – and in this case that is 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage that’s built-in.

Moto G200 battery

There is a 5000mAh battery inside the Moto G200, and that provides between one and two days of power – depending on how much you use the phone, how many apps you have running or how much data you are streaming with videos.

We did find that the battery easily lasted for a full day – often closer to two – when using the handset for general use: checking emails and the news, casual YouTube browsing and the half-hour of doom-scrolling on social media before bed.

As mentioned, there’s no wireless charging but you get a wall charger bundled in the box. The 33W “TurboPower” charger and USB-C cable that comes with it was fast to juice up the handset – going from 45% to 70% in around 10 minutes. From 45%, the phone noted that it would take 24 minutes to get to 100%.

In the battery settings, you can extend the life by turning on Battery Saver mode or Adaptive Battery mode, which defects when apps are draining the phone and limits the power on the phone going to apps that aren't being used often. When we were at 45% power, a notification said we had “more than 2 days left.” This is a fast-charging, and long-lasting, smartphone battery. And that’s a very big plus in our book.

Moto G200 camera

The Moto G200 has a versatile triple-camera setup: a 108MP primary lens (with an output resolution of 12MP) a 13MP ultrawide and a 2MP depth sensor. The selfie camera is 16MP. We found the camera performance to also be very snappy, producing images with solid clarity, picture details and colour accuracy.

There’s no optical stabilisation built-in, but the range of modes is impressive and the layout is similar to other Motorola handsets so veterans of the brand will find it easy to navigate. You get a variety of options with a single left scroll, including portrait, panorama, night vision, pro, group selfie and a 108MP "Ultra res" mode.

Of course, unlike what some marketing may lead you to believe, having a 108MP lens doesn’t instantly mean you take better quality images than, say, a 12MP lens that is found on an iPhone - more that it will retain image quality if you are using the shots for editing, cropping or scaling up for printing. Still, it’s a great option to have.

The front-facing lens is fine – if nothing spectacular. Just make sure you have Face Beauty mode turned off so you don’t get the creepy smoothed out skin filter. In terms of video, the Moto G200 can shoot 4K videos at 30fps with the main lens, while the ultrawide and selfie camera lenses are able to record clips at 30fps in 1080p.

Here are a couple of images taken while in average-to-bright conditions. The images were taken with the main lens and have not been edited or enhanced in any way.

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Moto G200 design

We initially thought that the plastic design of the Moto G200 would be an issue, but it wasn’t. We tested the Stellar Blue model (it also comes in Glacier Green) and even though it lacks a premium feel of a glass back, we ultimately liked how it added some more grip to the smartphone, and kept the fingerprints to a minimum.

The Moto G200 has a fairly unique frame, with the three cameras placed on top of a ramp-like module that gently protrudes from the middle of the back. The colour has a pleasing tint to it, and while there is definitely some branding on the back of the phone, it’s not too large and we quickly got used to the logos being there.

The ramped module on the back means the phone wobbles if you’re using it while placed on a desk. The bump size isn’t anything more extreme than, say, a Pixel 6, but the Google phone doesn’t have that issue as its module stretches the entire width of its frame. The wobble could be an annoyance for some G200 users.

The button placement is also solid, with everything exactly where you would expect it to be. On the right side is the volume and main power button (which doubles as the fingerprint password scanner) and on the left side is the voice assistant button. On the bottom, you will find the speakers, SIM slot and the USB-C charging port.

Yes, the smartphone is big but fits well in the hand. As a comparison, here is how the Moto G200’s frame compares to the base Google Pixel 6 and OnePlus 8T:

And here is now the camera module bump protrudes, compared to the base Pixel 6:

Our verdict: should you buy the Moto G200 5G?

The MotoG200 is a great mid-range handset and perhaps one of the first models from the company that we could see ourselves using longer-term.

Performance is smooth thanks to the top-end processor and high refresh rate, the camera is snappy and versatile, while the battery is quick to charge and is unlikely to run out without warning. Like every mid-range phone, the Moto G200 isn’t perfect – you will have to be able to live without wireless charging, any expandable storage and a 3.5mm headphone jack – but the compromises don’t ruin the experience.

If you don’t have the budget for a higher-end Android like the Pixel 6, OnePlus 9 Pro or Samsung S22, the G200 is a fantastic affordable alternative.

Any iOS fans may want to wait for a little longer, as we expect an iPhone SE 3rd gen to be unveiled during an upcoming Apple Spring event. But when it comes to the Moto G200 we had fairly tempered expectations going in, and they were exceeded.

Our rating:

• Features: 4/5
• Battery: 4/5
• Camera: 4/5
• Design/set-up: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

Where to buy the Moto G200 5G

The Moto G200 is priced at £399.99 for the 8GB/128GB version. Here’s where you can buy the smartphone today in the UK:

• Buy the Moto G200 at Amazon
• Buy the Moto G200 at Motorola
• Buy the Moto G200 at Lenovo

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