Moto G62 review: Amazingly affordable 5G phone
The new Motorola Moto G62 could be the best budget phone the brand is offering right now. We got hands-on to see if it's worth your cash.
4.0
Our review
The Moto G62 has its limitations, but at this price we think it offers fantastic value. You're getting 5G connectivity, a 120Hz refresh rate, a solid battery and a passable camera, all for less than £200. Yes, it's a little low on power and it's not packed with the latest and greatest internals, but it's a fantastically affordable option for those wanting a decent smartphone on a shoestring budget.
Pros
- 5G for under £200
- Responsive 120Hz display
- Solid battery life
Cons
- Low power – only 4GB RAM
- LCD display
- Disappointing camera zoom function
Want a new smartphone? Need a solid battery? Don't want to spend much? As ever, Motorola loves ticking those boxes, and the company's latest model is another typical entry to the budget smartphone genre. However, it has one or two interesting features that set it apart, too.
As a package, the Moto G62 offers tremendous value and will even challenge the best budget smartphones out there right now.
We've had an extended testing period with the phone and tried these features out. In this review, we'll break down the pros, cons and key features. Ultimately, we'll advise you on whether it's worth buying or not.
Buy Moto G62 for £199.90 at Amazon
Buy Moto G62 for £199.99 at Currys
Jump to:
- Motorola G62 review: Summary
- What is the Motorola G62?
- How much is the Motorola G62?
- Motorola G62 features
- Motorola G62 display
- Motorola G62 battery
- Motorola G62 Camera
- Motorola G62 Design
- Our verdict
- Where to buy Motorola G62
Motorola G62 review: Summary
It's not the most powerful phone on the market, but Motorola's Moto G62 offers 5G connectivity for under £200 and that's still pretty rare. For example, our top-rated super affordable phone, the Honor X8, only offers 4G. That makes this a real rival and — for those prioritising connectivity — it's likely to edge in front.
It's got a good display too and the handset has a nice, tactile feel, belying that sub-£200 price-point and ranking it among the best Motorola phones in terms of value.
The odd selling point of the Moto G62 are its speakers, which can provide Dolby Atmos sound. Crank it up to full volume and the speaker does feel a little richer than budget competitors, but the sound quality isn't exactly going to have audiophiles queuing up. Overall, we're not sure why Motorola was so keen on emphasising this feature above others as the brand has in some marketing elements. After-all, these days it's very easy to get a cheap Bluetooth speaker that sounds much better.
Typically of a Motorola, it's also got a chunky battery. That 5000mAh cell gives the phone a good battery life and overall, there's lots to like about the Moto G62.
Buy Moto G62 for £199.90 at Amazon
Key features:
- 5G connectivity
- Snapdragon 480+ processor
- 120Hz refresh rate display
- 5000mAh battery
- Dolby Atmos speakers
Pros:
- 5G for under £200
- Responsive 120Hz display
- Solid battery life
Cons:
- Low power – only 4GB RAM
- LCD display
- Disappointing camera zoom function
What is the Motorola G62?
The latest in Motorola's dynasty of affordable smartphones, the Moto G62 packs a lot into a very affordable package.
Of course, some corners have to be cut too, but that's just the nature of a budget smartphone. In this case, the phone is a little down on power with just 4GB of RAM. However, it balances that out with a good battery, 5G connectivity, display and speaker set-up.
How much is the Motorola G62?
Just £199.99 for a phone with a responsive 120Hz display and 5G connectivity. What's not to like?
As long as you temper your expectations (don't expect a rival to the iPhone 13 Pro Max and be aware of the phone's limitations) the Moto G62 offers great value and is a good option for budget smartphone buyers.
Buy Moto G62 for £199.90 at Amazon
Buy Moto G62 for £199.99 at Currys
Motorola G62 features
The G62 is powered by a Snapdragon 480+ chip which lends the phone the twin appeal of affordability and 5G. For many, that will be the key selling point.
Elsewhere, there are the Dolby Atmos speakers we already mentioned but they don't feel like a fantastic addition to the phone, despite the fuss Motorola has made about them.
We liked the 5000mAh battery, the display and the camera, all of which felt very solid for a £200 phone.
Of course, a little more RAM wouldn't have gone amiss, but that's the nature of cost-cutting. Something has to be cut! During our test, we didn't hit performance issues, but if you fill up the storage on this phone it's likely to slow down. Also, don't expect to be playing sophisticated games like Genshin Impact or PUBG.
Motorola G62 display
The display is a slightly mixed bag. Of course, there's that 120Hz refresh rate which keeps things fresh and responsive . It's got adaptive brightness too, to help keep your battery from running down too quickly.
However, the Moto G62 will pale in comparison to slightly more expensive phones because of the simple LCD panel that's used. Simply, this is older technology when compared to the stunningly crisp AMOLED displays that now appear on some handsets. This is one of its limitations as a budget smartphone but it's nice to have that refresh rate as a redeeming touch of quality.
Motorola G62 battery
The 5000mAh keeping the Moto G62 going is one of its big selling points. Battery life is often a key factor in measuring up a good budget smartphone and Motorola often prioritises battery life as a brand.
This new Moto is no exception, with a chunky 5000mAh battery that will easily keep the phone chugging away for a day's use. Unfortunately, there's no blistering fast-charge facility included though, with a pretty simple charger and wire in the box.
Under testing, the battery held up reasonably well. An hour and a half of constant video and audio streaming, with full-screen brightness, depleted the battery by 15%. Obviously, during more moderate use, the battery life hung on much longer and generally seemed fairly good.
Motorola G62 camera
As is the norm at the moment, the Moto G62 serves up a triple camera array on its reverse with 50MP wide, 8MP ultrawide and 2MP snappers. On the front there's a 16MP selfie camera. The phone can record video in 1080p quality at 60fps on the main camera, and 30fps using the selfie camera.
The camera array is far from revolutionary as we've seen it before in the Motorola G52 — but it does the job pretty well barring a poor zoom function.
In practice, the selection of lenses is pretty good. They were easy to use and produced some nice photos during our test. However, the camera's 8x zoom function is next to useless. Upon zooming in, detail was immediately lost and images were unimpressive.
Take a look at the photos below for an idea of what the Moto G62's camera can deliver. Unfortunately, images have to be compressed slightly to be shown in this format on our site, but these images still give an impression of the phone's camera performance.
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Motorola G62 design
The Moto G62 is a fairly nice, tactile handset to hold and use. It's not the cheapest-feeling smartphone we've tested in this price bracket and it comes in either 'frosted blue' or 'midnight grey'.
The relatively large bezels around the display betray the phone's more budget price-point but don't interfere with the overall experience of using the phone. Of course, they may irritate those who like razor thin bezels and an edge-t0-edge display, but those users probably aren't shopping in Motorola's budget range. Overall, we really like the design and feel of this phone, for the price.
Our verdict: Should you buy the Motorola G62?
It's a simple story — the Moto G62 isn't for power users but it's a truly fantastic budget option for those who prioritise cost-cutting, 5G connectivity and steady everyday use.
The camera and battery performance were good during our testing, considering the phone's price point, and we'll be ranking this among out best budget smartphones and best Motorola smartphones, too. That value proposition just can't be denied.
Where to buy Motorola G62
The Moto G62 costs under £200 and is available to buy from UK retailers including Amazon and Currys.
Buy Moto G62 for £199.90 at Amazon
Buy Moto G62 for £199.99 at Currys
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