Moto G9 Power Review

Main Image
  • Like
  • Comment
  • Share

Motorola has launched yet another budget phone in India. This new phone baptized Moto G9 Power comes in the wake of Moto G 5G (review) but is of lower order. Yep, as evident from the name, this is a mechanical sibling of Moto G9 (review), that had released a few months back. How is it different? – the clue’s in the name. (Moto G9 Power review हिंदी में पढ़िए)

Ah, anyway spilling the beans, the Moto G9 Power packs a bigger battery, a bigger display, and a bigger primary rear camera. But, if you recall, none of these specs on the original G9 were small, to begin with. So, let us see if the new upgrades are worth the slightly bigger price tag.

Speaking of which, here’s the Indian MSRP and what all you get for that —

Moto G9 Power Specs

Model Moto G9 Power
Display 6.8” HD+ LCD 60Hz
Software Android 10 with My UX skin
Processor Snapdragon 662
Memory 4GB RAM + 64GB built-in | Up to 512GB microSD card expandable
Battery 6000mAh battery with 20W TurboPower
Rear Camera 64MP (f/1.8) Main
2MP (f/2.4) Depth
2MP (f/2.4) Macro
Front Camera 16MP (f/2.2)
Misc. 4G, Dual-Band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm jack, USB-C, Hybrid Dual SIM, Google Assistant trigger, rear fingerprint reader, and 2 mics
Price Rs. 11,999

Moto G9 Power Unboxing

And take a look at everything you get inside the box —

  • Phone
  • TPU Case (comes pre-applied)
  • Turbo Charger
  • USB-C cable
  • Sim ejector tool
  • Documentation papers

Out of the box, it looks like a very familiar phone. So, let’s get acquainted more. This is the Smartprix review of Moto G9 Power.

Page Jumps

Moto G9 Power Design and Display

The signs of differences from the standard G9 appear on the front itself. This one flaunts a trendier left-cornered punch-hole cutout. The screen scales 6.8 inches. But other than these two, you would hardly notice a major difference in the visual experience on either screen. The LCD panel sticks to HD+ resolution and delivers natural color tones with agreeable viewing angles. Sharpness and brightness are average.

Only the bottom bezel gawks at you but should be handy while horizontal viewing. The curvier back also appeases the in-hand feel. I didn’t particularly dig the boxy design of the standard G9. Even changes like the placement of the Google button and the textured base makes a whole lot of experiential impact in regular usage. If you want a smoother finish by the back, slap on the supplied case.

The buttons are tactile and accessible, albeit with a slide of hand (Using towering phones is indeed a sleight of hand for tiny-handed people). Anyway, turn to the back, and there you’ve got a camera squircle and a moto logo (which doubles as a fingerprint reader). The screen takes a millisec to unlock. The face unlock is as wonky as ever. It’s a bit hesitant to work sometimes.

ALSO READ: MSI GS66 Stealth Review

Motorola addresses the device as water repellant, not water-resistant. What this means, is probably a barrier within the chassis and cavities to prevent damage due to accidental spills, splashes, or light rain from getting in. So, as the company mentions in the fine print, it is “not designed to be submerged in water, or exposed to pressurized water, or other liquids; may diminish over time.”

Moto G9 Power Audio, Battery, and Connectivity

Let’s start from where we left the design part. The handset features a solo fairly sounding speaker by the bottom and a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top. There is an option to tune and tweak audio using equalizer presets in the settings. As you can see you are getting a dual-mic system at this price and that’s good. Calls were audible for both parties.

Right in the midst of the mic and speaker lies a USB-C (2.0) port which is again a good thing to see in this range. The connector links to a 20W adapter that takes around a quarter to 3 hours to fill the gargantuan 6000mAh battery. From full to null, it would easily last two or more days before retiring. So, you may leave the power bank and burden at home before moving out with this thing.

And since the device supports carrier aggregation, you may expect relatively better 4G speeds and coverage. Rest, the repertoire also includes NFC (for contactless payments and other things), dual-band Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0. So, you’re pretty much covered on the connectivity front.

Moving on…

Moto G9 Power Software and Performance

You know what you’re getting with Moto — close to stock Android 10 with a few uninstallable bloatware (Facebook and a half a dozen Google add-ons), if you want to call it such. The usual Moto Actions to instantly open camera and torch are here. Peek display is an elegant way to indicate notifications. Gametime lets you immerse better by fending off calls and notifications, preventing interruptions even from Moto Actions, adaptive brightness, and giving quick access to your favorite messaging apps from the in-game screen.

At the heart, the phone is geared by a Snapdragon 662 chipset and 4+64GB memory configuration. This is identical to what we had inside the Moto G9. So, day to day performance and even benchmarks scores are broadly similar.

Benchmarks Scores
Geekbench 5 Single | Multi 312 | 1418
PCMark Work 2.0 Performance Score 6113
3DMark Slingshot 1869
3DMark Slingshot Extreme OpenGL ES 3.1 1183
Androbench Sequential R|W 319.13 | 188.72 MB/s
Androbench Random R|W 95.4 | 87.36 MB/s
GFXBench Car Chase | Manhattan 3.0 | T-Rex (fps) 13 | 33 | 49

You’d feel some hiccups and inertia while cycling between multiple apps, but nothing that bothersome. High-octane games run reasonably. For instance, COD Mobile clocks 30-odd FPS and is playable up to High graphics and frame rate.

Let’s now talk about how the phone’s camera setup performs —

Moto G9 Power Cameras

G9 Power brings a 16MP sensor at the front and a 64MP triplet at the back. There is no ultrawide option. Instead what you get are a 2MP macro and a 2MP depth-sensing module. Video output is 1080p @ 30 frames per sec from the front and up to 60 fps from the rear.

Although you’d feel some lags in focussing and the time taken to save the photos in the gallery, overall the camera app features and interface is fun to use.

Here are some camera samples —

I am pretty impressed by the camera performance. In ample light, the shots come with true to life colors and sufficient details.

 

As for human subjects, the portraits from the rear get my heart for the way edge detection and background blur is handled. Selfies though, edge detection is a little iffy.

But it’s the other way round in the dark conditions. The dedicated night vision mode brightens the frame, and the smile on your face will be better visible. But, on the rear side, night mode hardly does any justice.

The results from Macro mode (2MP) and Spot Color (both photo and video) are cool tricks to try. You may either enjoy them once a while or forget them altogether.

ALSO READ: Sony A8H review

Moto G9 Power Review Verdict

So should you consider this over the OG G9?

There is a ₹2K price difference (at the time of writing) between the two handsets and if you can afford that, you are getting a better product here. You would definitely find the shots from the higher megapixel 64MP camera and extra juice from the 6000mAh battery useful. Also, unless you are a power user, the Snapdragon 662 plus Stock-esque Android should entertain you well.

Only, when you pit it against the competition, you’ll notice a few shortcomings. Rather than a few more inches of display and depth sensor, an FHD panel and an ultrawide lens would’ve made G9 Power an easier recommendation. In other words, it has enough to elate an everyday customer, but perhaps not for every customer.

Pros

  • Close to stock Android software
  • Large display for media consumption
  • Ginormous battery
  • Respectable main camera results

Cons

  • Low-resolution display
  • No ultrawide camera

Moto G9 Power Quick Review (हिंदी में)

 

 

Moto G9 Power FAQ

Q. Does Moto G9 Power support NAVIC?

A. Although, the chipset support NAVIC, the phone doesn’t.

Q. Is Moto G9 Power waterproof?

A. No it is not waterproof. But it is water repellant and should protect against accidental spills, splashes, or drizzle.

Q. Does Moto G9 Power support micro SD card expansion?

A. Yes, it supports a memory card expansion up to 512GB.

Q. What is the SAR value of Moto G9 Power?

A. Head SAR – 0.98W/Kg; Body SAR – 1.33W/Kg

Q. Does Moto G9 Power feature Gorilla Glass Protection?

A. No, although Moto G9 Power sports some sort of unspecified shield, it’s not Corning’s Gorilla Glass.

Q. Does Moto G9 Power have FM Radio?

A. Yes, Moto G9 Power does have FM Radio.

Q. Does Moto G9 Power support Dual 4G VoLTE?

A. Yes, Moto G9 Power does support Dual 4G VoLTE.

Q. Does Moto G9 Power support auto-call recording?

A. No. Moto G9 Power doesn’t come with a call recording feature.

Vasan G.S.Vasan G.S.
An inquisitive mind who spends a big chunk of the day keenly tracking every emerging detail and is responsible for quickly passing on important developments to Smartprix followers. He loves to stay in his bubble scripting his destiny involving amazing technology and people with good character, passion, and brilliance.

Related Articles

ImageThis Phone DESTROYS the Competition in AI! iPhone 16 Pro vs. Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra

AI has become an indispensable thing in smartphones these days, especially with the flagship ones. The main players in this are the Google Pixels, Galaxy S, and Apple’s iPhones. In this comparison, we’ll dive into the AI performance of the three major flagship devices of 2024: the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, iPhone 16 Pro, …

ImageMoto G9 Power with 6000mAh battery, 64MP triple cams launched in India at ₹11,999

On the heels of Moto G 5G (review), Motorola has launched a new phone in the Indian market today. Titled Moto G9 Power, the phone is a slight upgrade over the original G9 (review). It has got a bigger 6000mAh battery, a 6.8-inch display, and a 64MP triple-camera setup by the back. Here’s everything else …

ImageMoto G9 Plus specs, key features revealed in an Online listing

Motorola’s Moto G9 Plus has long been rumored underworks. Initially, it was expected to hit retail shelves alongside the recently launched Moto G9 (review) and now fresh reports reveal some key Moto G9 Plus specs and suggest that the brand is inching closer to the official launch announcement. Moto G9 Plus details and leaked images …

ImageMoto G85 Review: Does It Hold a Candle to the Competition?

The moto g85 was launched a few weeks ago and its main highlight was the large curved P-OLED display. Aside from that, it packs a 50 MP main camera and a 32 MP selfie camera. Additionally, it supports eSIM and is powered by a 5,000 mAh battery with 33W fast charging.  The phone is priced …

ImageMotorola Moto G24 Power Review: Affordable Companion for Everyday Use

Lenovo’s smartphone brand Motorola has added a new member to its affordable ‘G’ Series lineup in India. Motorola G24 Power is the new entry-level offering by Motorola that claims to offer good quality specs at a price that easily fits the budget. The Moto G24 Power falls in the category of smartphones under 10k and …

Discuss

Be the first to leave a comment.