❤ Motorola Moto G8
The Moto G series has become a staple of the affordable phone market, and Motorola has managed to make an even cheaper than normal base device for 2020 in the form of the Moto G8.
It doesn’t have as much of a specs jump as new numbered models usually do (and in some ways it’s even a step down), but instead the company is aiming to give you the most bang for your buck in the Moto G8, and it mostly achieves that.
You shouldn’t expect a handset that is going to amaze you, but considering how low the price is you shouldn’t be disappointed by what’s on offer either.
The Moto G8’s design feels premium for the type of device we’re talking about, and it has a big display (although the resolution isn’t as good as we’d like).
The battery meanwhile will last you for a full day even with extensive usage, and if you’re not going to be using the phone much each day you should find that it can last even longer. It’s slow to charge, but the 4,000mAh cell performs well.
The camera can hold its own too. There are three elements – a 16MP main shooter, an 8MP ultra-wide one, and a 2MP macro one, with the former two allowing you to take some impressive shots considering the price of the device.
And that’s what it all comes down to; the price of the Moto G8 is – as noted above – even cheaper than the last few generations of Moto G phones. That in itself is impressive, and while you may be missing a few specs that some will be desperate for, this is a perfect cheap phone for others.
Motorola Moto G8 specs :
| NETWORK | Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 – SIM 1 & SIM 2 | |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 38, 40, 41 – Europe | |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 28, 66 – USA | ||
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A |
| LAUNCH | Announced | 2020, March 05 |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Available. Released 2020, March 05 |
| BODY | Dimensions | 161.3 x 75.8 x 9 mm (6.35 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 188.3 g (6.63 oz) | |
| Build | Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame | |
| SIM | Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) | |
| Water-repellent coating |
| DISPLAY | Type | IPS LCD |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~82.2% screen-to-body ratio) | |
| Resolution | 720 x 1560 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~268 ppi density) |
| PLATFORM | OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 11 |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM6125 Snapdragon 665 (11 nm) | |
| CPU | Octa-core (4×2.0 GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver) | |
| GPU | Adreno 610 |
| MEMORY | Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | 64GB 4GB RAM | |
| eMMC 5.1 |
| MAIN CAMERA | Triple | 16 MP, f/1.7, (wide), 1/2.8″, 1.12µm, PDAF, Laser AF 8 MP, f/2.2, 118˚ (ultrawide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm 2 MP, f/2.2, (macro) |
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps |
| SELFIE CAMERA | Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 1.12µm |
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | |
| Video | 1080p@30fps |
| SOUND | Loudspeaker | Yes |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes |
| COMMS | WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | |
| NFC | No | |
| Radio | FM radio | |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0 |
| FEATURES | Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity |
|---|
| BATTERY | Type | Li-Po 4000 mAh, non-removable |
|---|
| MISC | Colors | White Prism, Capri Blue, Pearl White, Neon Blue |
|---|---|---|
| Models | XT2045-1 | |
| Price | About 230 EUR |
The Moto G8’s release has been complicated as the company unveiled a variety of handsets in the range at different times. The standard Moto G8 was unveiled in March 2020, and it went on sale in Europe soon after that.
The phone costs £179.99 / AU$329 (about $220) but it isn’t coming to the US (though you can buy the Moto G Power and Moto G Stylus there, both of which are part of the same range). Exactly why Motorola chose not to bring the G8 to this market is currently unclear.
There’s only one variant of the Moto G8 that you can buy, and it comes with 64GB of space and 4GB of RAM. It’s remarkably cheaper than the Moto G7 that launched at $299 / £239 / AU$399 but it’s important to note that the spec is a little lower here in some regards.
For example, the screen tech on the Moto G8 is a little weaker when compared to the Moto G7.
Design
This is an affordable phone, and if you consider that when handling it then you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised with how the Moto G8 feels in the hand.
It has a plastic frame and rear, so it isn’t going to feel as svelte in your hands as a modern day flagship phone like the Motorola Edge Plus does.
If you’ve got smaller hands, you may not appreciate how large this phone is. It comes with dimensions of 161.3 x 75.8 x 9mm, making it a larger device than a lot of other cheap phones, which could make it a struggle for some to hold.
That said, we enjoyed the size of the device as it allows for a substantial screen (which we’ll dive into more in a moment) as well as a large battery inside.
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
