Motorola launched the G9 Power in India 0n December 8. The Moto G9 Power arrives in India’s sub-12K segment and brings a list of standout features for its respective price. The Moto G9 Power’s price in India is set at Rs 11,999 for the sole 4GB/64GB model. The phone will go on sale on December 15 at 12:00 noon via Flipkart. Now, let’s take a first look at Motorola’s latest budget G series device.
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First off, the Moto G9 Power is not a small phone, and one-hand use can be challenging at times. So, if you’re not a fan of big phones, look away now. The build quality of the device is pretty solid, although it is plastic all the way, which is expected at this price. The G9 Power has a matte finish on the back, which does a good job of resisting fingerprints and tilts to the side of elegance than edginess. The Moto G9 Power is available in Sophisticated Metallic Sage and Vivid Electric Violet colour options. The phone is IP 52 rated, which means it can withstand light splashes of water. There’s a Google Assistant button on the left, while the power and volume buttons sit on the right flank. You also get a fairly fast fingerprint reader on the back of the device. Motorola has kept things simple on the design front, and that doesn’t seem like such a bad thing.
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So far as the display is concerned, the G9 Power uses a large 6.8-inch HD+ IPS panel. There are some advantages to having a bigger screen; I’d prefer watching content on this phone than a smaller device like a Pixel. Additionally, you perfectly split the screen and get enough information on each app. Brightness was another non-issue, even in direct sunlight, while picture quality was good for the most part.
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In terms of performance, the Moto G9 Power opts for the Snapdragon 662 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM. The phone can handle multitasking and gaming without a hitch, although you will have to lower settings on some titles to get smooth gameplay. I played Call of Duty: Mobile for around 40 minutes without any lag on Medium settings. Other games like Raid: Shadow Legends and Darkness Rises also ran without any issue. The G9 Power also comes with 64GB of storage, which can be expanded up to 512GB via microSD card.
For optics, the Moto G9 Power boasts a 64 MP, f/1.8 primary sensor, a 2 MP, f/2.4 macro camera, and a 2 MP, f/2.4 depth sensor. On the front, the hole-punch camera cutout houses a 16 MP selfie shooter. Motorola’s Quad Pixel tech is present on both the front and rear cameras. Video resolution on the back is limited to Full HD (1080p) at 60fps. Here are a couple of samples taken on the Moto G9 Power.
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The 64 MP sensor does an excellent job of capturing detailed images in sunlight.
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The camera features up to 8x digital zoom, which I thought would result in a blurry mess.
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It is safe to say that I was wrong. Sure, there are noticeable flaws here, but overall image quality is good considering this is a sub-12K phone.
You can also capture images in full 64 MP resolution to retain even more details.
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Another standout feature is the new and improved Night mode, which relies more on software than anything else. And while the final results are quite impressive, you will find yourself waiting for up to five seconds. But again, the final image isn’t like anything you’ve seen on a phone at this price. Night mode is also available on the selfie camera.
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Camera quality is excellent here, whether you are in bright outdoor light or low light at night, which is something you very rarely hear in this segment. I wasn’t too bothered with the lack of an ultrawide camera as phones at this price often fail to maintain consistency across their main and ultrawide sensors, making the primary camera the default option in most instances.
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The 6,000 mAh battery on the Moto G9 Power is another major highlight of this device. You should be able to go a good two days of regular usage without having to reach for the charger. While Motorola’s 60-plus-hour claim feels a bit inflated, it often seems like the battery takes forever to drain. I also appreciated the fact that Motorola bundled a 20W adapter in the box. No slow micro-USB charging here.
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Software is another strong suit of the G9 Power. It runs on Android 10 with Motorola’s My UX skin. The overall experience is akin to stock, giving the UI a clean and simple feel. However, the Moto app allows for some cool customisation, layout changes, and new ways to interact with your device. I think the app is a great addition and makes the overall software experience even better.
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The Moto G9 Power is an excellent smartphone that is well worth its price tag. There’s little to nothing to complain about here. The overall experience on both the hardware front was great, while software was undoubtedly the standout feature of the phone. There are a few caveats here, but those are minuscule compared to the ‘good’. If I had to sum it up in one sentence, I’d say that the Moto G9 power is a good phone, but what makes it ‘great’ is the addition of the Moto app, new and improved Night mode, and the lasting battery life. Stay tuned for our full Moto G9 Power review, to get an in-depth look at camera performance and a deep dive into the software.
