Pixel 4a, Pixel 5, Galaxy S21. These are the final three devices in my shortlist. At least, that’s what I was hoping to write, until my Dad just bought his new phone.
He’s just bought himself the Motorola G30. Here in the UK, it’s only just been released in stores this week, and he needed a new phone to replace his ageing Motorola G4 Play – his 4 year old phone, which was first released back in 2016.
Since before Christmas, he’s experienced loads of slowdowns and crashes, so he was on the lookout for a new phone. He read the reviews, saw the Moto G30, and bought it.
I’ve now had a chance to use it for a few days, and here’s my takeaways from his new Moto G30:
Moto G30 review: Display
First and foremost, it’s a budget big screen phone that actually doesn’t scream ‘budget.’
My initial impressions of its 6.5″ screen are that it’s a fantastic 720p display. It’s a shame that the resolution is just 1600 x 720p, but I haven’t yet found any fault with it.
If you go pixel-peeping, I’m sure you could find its flaws, but it’s not something that I’ve found to be a problem.
That said, it’s 2021 and yet we’re still getting phones with only 720p? What’s up with that?!
The Moto G30 has a bright LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate. It’s given me an opportunity to test what an LCD screen would be like, just in case I decided that this last-minute entry would be perfect for me, or if a similarly priced (HMD) Nokia would be sufficient.
It’s also given me a chance to test out a phone with a high refresh rate screen – something I haven’t been able to do during COVID-19 lockdowns – and see what a 90Hz (or above) screen would be like to use on a daily basis.
This research was fantastic, and invaluable, as I’ve never before had a phone with a faster refresh rate than the outgoing standards of 60Hz.
Even though it’s a 720p panel, I’ve noticed on YouTube and Netflix that it maxes out at 1080p resolution. I did a side-by-side comparison with my S9 Plus, iPhone 6S, and Galaxy Tab S5e, watching an 8K 60fps nature video and I was surprised by the results from the Moto G30.
While my S9 Plus has an AMOLED screen that supports HDR videos, meaning deeper blacks, the LCD on the Moto G30 is really good for its price.
Clearly, LCD technology has improved dramatically. I remember LCD’s being really washed out and lacking deep colours, but the G30’s display offers a much improved experience.
I should point out that the last LCD device I used daily, was my HTC Desire Eye – which was released in 2014. Naturally, LCD technology would have likely moved forward in the six or seven years since then.
Performance
When watching the 8K nature video, I actually preferred the colours on the Motorola. For all that it lacks in resolution, it more than makes up for with its 90Hz refresh rate.
It’s buttery smooth.
Flicking between the App Drawer, home screens and open apps poses no issues for its Snapdragon 662 processor, so even though it’s a fairly mid-range 6 series Qualcomm chipset, it can keep up with daily usage.
The only time I did run into an issue, was when quitting Asphalt 8 Airborne – Asphalt 9 wasn’t available for the phone for some reason, so Asphalt 8 had to suffice. It stuttered for about 1 second, but then it quickly returned to normal.
Gaming
Speaking of games, it has a Game Booster app to block calls, so similar to the Game Launcher on my S9 Plus, but obviously not as comprehensive.
PUBG, CoD Mobile, and F1 Mobile Racing all performed okay. The settings obviously weren’t at full resolution on PUBG, but because of the buttery smoothness of the 90Hz screen, the drop in resolution was hardly noticeable.
Maybe it’s my eyes, but I hardly noticed any difference between gameplay on the Moto G30 versus on my S9 Plus. Again, only by screen-recording video clips, zooming in and pixel peeping, did I notice a slight change. And that was just PUBG.
Android 11
The Power Menu was probably the most notable new thing that I noticed straight away.
I love it, and it’s a shame it won’t be coming to the Galaxy S21, but one thing the S21 is getting – that the Moto G30 also has, as well as the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5 – is the Google Discover feed, off to the left of the home screen.
As of right now, on my S9 Plus, it’s Upday, or Samsung Free – if they can ever make up their minds about what it’s called. It’s not as good or useful as the stock Google Discover feed, and if I got the Moto G30 for myself, it would be a welcome change.
That said, the fact that the Galaxy S21 now also has it, means I’m already leaning in one direction…
Storage and RAM
My Dad’s G30 comes with 128GB internal storage and a Micro SD card slot. It only has 4GB RAM – so not a lot, and only just enough for Android to run properly.
I’ve read that the recommended RAM for Android in 2020 was 6GB RAM, so the G30’s measly 4GB is probably why I experienced a slight stutter when closing Asphalt 8.
That said, the G30 is available with 6GB RAM, with either 64GB or 128GB storage. I think it’s a bit confusing that there’s 2 versions of the 128GB Moto G30 – one with 4GB RAM, and one with 6GB RAM – but that is something to look out for, should you wish to buy this phone.
Personally, I’d recommend getting the 6GB version for longer-term longevity, but if you’re on a budget, you’ll be fine with the 4GB one. Just don’t expect it to beat a flagship phone in a head-to-head showdown.
Micro SD card slot
What’s nice to see here, though, is the option of expandable storage. 128GB internal storage, but also a Micro SD card slot?
You don’t even get that on flagships anymore: the Galaxy S21 that I’m considering has ditched the Micro SD card slot.
It’s a feature that I really would love to keep, and the fact that the Moto G30 has one, means it’s definitely now a contender.
Features
NFC is here, meaning contactless payments are possible – something that wasn’t, unfortunately, possible on the otherwise perfect Moto G8 Power.
The Moto G30 also has a 3.5mm headphone port. I think I admitted in my last blog post that I should seriously consider a mid-range phone because of the features, and it appears that the same argument applies to budget phones as well.
More features for less money. Just saying, Samsung!
It also has a rear fingerprint reader – and front face unlock – as well, meaning there wouldn’t be much of a change from my S9 Plus. Perfect!
FM Radio
In fact, to quote myself again, the last phone I had with an FM Radio was my HTC Desire Eye – a mid-range phone with premium specs that punched above its weight.
The Moto G30 has an FM Radio. With offline downloads of Podcasts and music, I’d never really need an FM Radio. But, that said, a phone that comes with it is more feature rich than one that doesn’t have it at all. It’s something I would use if I had it.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 doesn’t have an FM Radio, but the much, much cheaper Moto G30 does. Perfect!
Battery & charging
5000 mAh battery, 20W Fast Charging. I can’t speak for its charging times, but the battery size is impressive at this price point. Years ago, the only way to get a battery this big was to go premium.
Motorola’s own range of Moto Mods, for its Moto Z series of phones, used to be the only way to get a bigger battery capacity.
The downside to Moto Mods were that the ‘Mods’ were just as expensive as the phones, making the whole investment quite costly. Also, the Mods couldn’t be used with an external, third-party case, so the extra potential and extra functionality came at a cost to device protection.
Not anymore. Now, the cheaper phones come with batteries as big as the more premium phones on the market, and personally I think it’s great to see. It means that tech is now more affordable than ever before, and isn’t just for the rich elite anymore.
It means I don’t need to spend so much on a Samsung Galaxy or Apple iPhone just for a big battery, as the more budget-friendly options also now have big battery capacities as well.
Verdict – is the G30 worth it?
For only £160, yes.
To be honest, I’m quite shocked that my Dad managed to get so much phone for so little money. I was fully expecting the G30 to feel and act like a budget phone.
In actual fact, in many areas – including the Cameras, to which I’ll dedicate a separate, future blog post – the G30 punches well above its weight.
In a way, it reminds me of what made my HTC Desire Eye so great. It wasn’t without its faults and compromises, but it was a mid-range phone with a plastic body and premium specs. What’s not to love about any of that?
The Moto G30 is better than I thought it would be, and it’s made me question why I’m willing to spend so much on an also brand new Galaxy S21, when the Moto G30 serves up a brilliant dish of features galore?
In reality, I love One UI and the Samsung Apps suite, but if I could do without them, and didn’t want to splash out on either the Pixel 5 or Pixel 4a, given that the Moto G30 is much cheaper than the supposedly-budget £349 Pixel 4a, the Moto G30 would, I think, be the perfect way to go…
– Chris JK.
KPH tech blog 
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