Moto G54 review: A total package at affordable price

Phones phones everywhere but not a good phone in sight - that is how the affordable smartphone market looks like right now. There are like tens of smartphones, all selling under Rs 20,000, in India. But all of them lack this thing or that, which makes most of them a compromise option. As tech reviewers we face this reality acutely. For example, in our office, someone asks us: "hey, tech experts, tell us which phone should we buy under Rs 20,000?" And often our answer is that if you want this, then this phone. And if you want that, then this other phone. I feel Motorola solves this question exceedingly well with the new Moto G54 5G, which is now on sale in India with a starting price of Rs 15,999. This, in my opinion, is one of those phones that is easy to recommend.
Why? I will detail that in this review. Of course, the Moto G54 is not perfect. But before we talk of that, some basics: The Moto G54 is available in India in two variants. The base variant, with its price of Rs 15,999, comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. Then there is the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant, which costs Rs 18,999.

Other core components are the same in both variants. The Moto G54 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7020 processor and has a 6000mAh battery. There is a 50-megapixel main camera, complete with optical image stabilization. There are three colour options - two shades of blue and one green. The hero of this review is the base variant of the G54 in deep blue shade. Motorola calls the shade Midnight Blue.

Moto G54 design and build

My impression of Motorola phones is that they have functional but utterly boring design, an impression that I hold since I first used the Moto G series phone in 2016. Recently I saw the Moto G84, which was launched just a few days ago in India, and I thought that Motorola was shaking up things a bit on the design front. It's much jazzier. But then the G54 arrived on my desk and it's back to the boring design for Moto.

It's not that there's anything wrong with the Moto G54 design. It's just that material and colours don't hold the attention the way they do so on some phones from competitors like Realme and iQOO.

But as I said, Moto phones have functional designs. So, once you look past the boring bits, the G54 looks and feels well enough in your hands as you use it. The phone has a boxy design with curved edges. It has a rectangular camera island on the back, as well as a SIM tray and lock and volume buttons on the side. The back has a polycarbonate structure with matte finish and it shines with a slight holographic effect when light falls on it from an angle. The frame of the phone is made of plastic, but has a metallic finish.

The build quality of the phone is good and unlike some of the more affordable phones, particularly from Indian brands in this price range, the Moto G54 doesn't have any roughness or crudeness. The phone is covered with a 3D Premium PMMA - a synthetic resin - that gives the phone 360-degree protection. It also offers a IP52 rating making the design water-repellent but not water resistant.

Surprisingly, and possibly due to the plastic frame, the G54 is a very light phone despite carrying a 6000 mAh battery. It weighs just 192 grams and feels fairly light in hands. Anecdotally, I find the phone feels lighter than the iPhone 13, which I use as the primary phone, even though on paper the Apple phone is smaller and lighter.

Moto G54 display

The Moto G54 has a 6.5-inch IPS LCD panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. The refresh rate is a pleasant surprise, because we usually see such specs in a more expensive phone. The resolution is Full HD+ (2400 x 1080).

Given that the G54 uses a LCD screen, it can't match the AMOLED panels in terms of colours and contrast. And we have started seeing some phones come with AMOLED in this price range. But having said that, the G54 does have a very good quality LCD screen. In use I found that the G54 display shows colours that are vibrant, sharp, and not oversaturated. It is particularly good at showing natural tones in photos and videos. The brightness of the panel is also fairly good, and definitely adequate for both outdoor and indoor use.
One bit I loved about the G54 screen is its fluid refresh rate. The 120Hz refresh rate means that in use the display is smooth. While scrolling you slide through it fluidly, something that also makes playing games on the G54 fun and exciting.

I must note that the G54 doesn't always support 4K playback. For example, in the YouTube app, the phone is limited to 1440P resolution. This is not a deal-breaker because even 1440P is sharp enough for a 6.5-inch screen, it is worth noting.
The G54, even though it is not using AMOLED, supports the always-on display (AOD) feature, which shows time and notifications on the screen when the phone is locked.

Moto G54 performance and battery

In one word: capable. As in capable of doing almost anything you would do on your phone. And this the G54 does with the help of MediaTek Dimensity 7020 processor and, in case of the review phone here, 8GB RAM and 128GB storage.

But hardware aside, I think the good performance of the Moto G54 is also largely due to its clean software. The best part of Motorola phones is that they offer a clean Android experience without unnecessary bloatware. And the story was the same with the new Moto G54. The device only has a few basic apps, no additional gaming or even apps like Facebook, Spotify, and so on, which we see comes preloaded and fills the phone storage in other smartphones from competitive brands.

Even the user interface of the software used by Motorola is fairly close to the stock Android, including the same app drawer and similar notification panel that one gets in Google Pixel phones.

To push the phone, I played titles like Asphalt and BGMI on the highest settings. Motorola says the Dimensity 7020 has been paired with something called HyperEngine Game Technology that helps the G54 run games smoother. Jargons aside, and irrespective of whether HyperEngine is just a buzz-word or some tech with real application, I was happy to find that when I raced in Asphalt or ran shooting in BGMI, the gameplay was smooth.

In my use I found that the game runs fairly cool. Even after gaming for 20-30 minutes at a stretch, I found the phone barely lukewarm to touch.

While the software is clean, I did run into some bugs occasionally. There were several instances when the Play Store app glitched.

The G54, despite its affordable price, sports stereo speakers. They are even certified with the Dolby Atmos logo. In use I found the speakers loud and clear, both while calling as well as while playing videos or songs.

The battery, as its capacity indicates, is one of the best parts about the Moto G54. If you want a phone that can last around 18 to 20 hours, get the G54. Even when I was gaming a lot, the G54 battery lasted a full day. The 33W turbo charger, which is bundled with the phone, refuels the battery from 0 to 100 per cent in around two hours.

Moto G54 camera

Good performance, fine display, boring but functional design and great battery. So, how is the camera? Mostly good, except when the light goes down.

One thing I didn't like about the G54 camera is its night mode. While the camera sensor does manage to capture light and produce an overall good picture, it falls short when it comes to capturing fine details. The auto focus is an issue in night mode and many times the snaps clicked with the phone come out blurry.

In good light, though, the G54 is fairly spot on. It does struggle somewhat with contrast and colour depth, as I saw when I clicked photos that had softer colours, but in terms of focus, metering and even details it performs well enough for a Rs 15,000 phone.
I also liked the bokeh mode in portrait shots as it seamlessly detects edges. Nevertheless, it's important to note that there's a slight delay when capturing photos, particularly in portrait mode, as I had to wait a few seconds to view the final result.

The Ultra Wide angle feature works well and captures good photos. However, I found the macro photos to be even more impressive. The camera sensor really captures close-up shots well.

The 16-megapixel front camera, in contrast to the rear one, is not that good. It struggles with capturing details even in good light and in most instances also tends to overexpose photos, which also tends to mute colours.
Due to the OIS, the G54 is fairly good at recording videos. It captures footage that is vibrant, clear and well stabilized.

Moto G54 review: should you buy?

If you have read all the words I have written so far in this review, you will realise what the answer is going to be. In my opinion, the Moto G54 is an easy recommendation at its price point. The Motorola G54 offers great value for money, particularly to those who want a powerful phone with great battery performance.

Some parts of it - camera and design - could have been better. But I feel even without that, the Moto G54 offers a combination of clean software, functional design, good performance and great battery life. Even though the camera is fairly usable, it's just that it is inconsistent. Overall, this means the Moto G54 justifies its price. Particularly, the base variant with its MRP of Rs 15,999, offers incredible value for all those who are looking for a functional and sorted smartphone.