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Motorola Moto G7 Plus Smartphone Review

Sharp competition. You do not always need to spend $800 to get a smartphone that can take good photos. That is what Motorola claims with the Moto G7 Plus at least, which costs around €300 (~$339). The G7 Plus boasts an optically stabilised 16 MP camera and intelligent software features too.
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Motorola Moto G7 Plus

While other manufacturers often only promise a people's smartphone, Motorola continues to bring this to market with its G series devices. The company is now on the 7th generation of its G series, and it still manages to keep costs down while delivering most features that many people are after, despite being taken over by Lenovo. Motorola has announced four G7 models that are all well-equipped, stylish and affordable yet specialise in different areas.

The focus for this review is the Moto G7 Plus that puts the main camera in the spotlight and which Motorola claims to have redefined camera standards for midrange smartphones. The 16 MP main camera has optical image stabilisation (OIS) and intelligent photo functions too, which could impress if it is well implemented.

We have chosen to compare the G7 Plus against comparably priced midrange smartphones. Our comparison devices include the Honor 8X, the HTC U12 Life, Moto G7 and the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018).

Motorola Moto G7 Plus (Moto G7 Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 8 x 1.8 GHz, Kryo 260
Graphics adapter
Memory
4 GB 
Display
6.20 inch 19:9, 2270 x 1080 pixel 403 PPI, Capacitive touchscreen, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
64 GB eMMC Flash, 64 GB 
, 47.4 GB free
Connections
1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm, Card Reader: up to 512 GB microSD cards, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity sensor, USB 3.0 Type-C port, OTG and Power Delivery (PD)
Networking
Bluetooth 5.0, 2G: 850, 900, 1,800, 1,900. 3G: B1, B2, B4, B5, B8, B19. 4G: B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B8, B18, B19, B20, B26, B28, B38, B40, B41., Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.3 x 157 x 75.3 ( = 0.33 x 6.18 x 2.96 in)
Battery
11.4 Wh, 3000 mAh Lithium-Ion
Camera
Webcam: 12 MP, 1.25 μm, LED flash
Primary Camera: 16 MPix , f/1.7, Phase Detection Autofocus, OIS, Dual LED Flash, videos at up to 2160p/30 FPS. Main Camera: 5.0 MP, f/2.2, Depth of Field (Secondary Camera)
Secondary Camera: 5 MPix , 12.0 MPix, videos at up to 1080p/30 FPS
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo – Earpiece and on the underside of the device, Keyboard: Virtual, Keyboard Light: yes, 24 Months Warranty, LTE Cat 13/5 – 400 Mbps/75 Mbps. SAR values: Head - 0.788 W/kg. ExFAT support. DRM Widevine L1 certification, fanless
Weight
176 g ( = 6.21 oz / 0.39 pounds), Power Supply: 88 g ( = 3.1 oz / 0.19 pounds)
Price
299.99 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The days when midrange smartphones were frumpy, heavy and ugly are long gone. The new G7 series is currently the best example of this. The Moto G7 and Moto G7 Plus have a modern design with thin display bezels and a svelte waterdrop notch. Motorola has equipped both devices with stylish glass backs too that make them look more expensive at first glance than their €250 (~$283) to €300 (~$339) retail price.

The G7 Plus has an anodised plastic frame rather than a more premium, and perhaps more structurally sound, metal frame, but this does not detract from the build quality of our review unit. We instantly noticed that Motorola had used plastic instead of metal, but the former should absorb shocks better than metal and reduce the likelihood of the display cracking when dropped.

Our review unit looks especially stylish thanks to its slightly curved glass back that tapers into its frame and which makes the G7 Plus easy to hold. The device weighs 176 g (~6.2 oz), which is heavier than all our comparison devices. The G7 Plus is thicker than all but the HTC U12 Life of our comparison devices too, but the former has a comparatively small footprint. Overall, the G7 Plus is slightly smaller than its predecessor with a higher screen to body ratio and even a less pronounced camera hump, which has typified recent Moto G series devices.

The one give away of the G7 Plus’ price is its display, which sits flat against its frame. Many new flagships, such as the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S9 have curved displays, but it is easier to accidentally touch the display in our opinion. The inclusion of a flat display makes the G7 Plus more readable than its curved screen counterparts though as it does not catch as many reflections.

Our review unit is well made, and gaps between materials are even. The physical buttons also sit perfectly within the frame and have optimal pressure points along with a clear keystroke. The G7 Plus is sturdy too and does not bend regardless of how hard we try to flex it. Our review unit does emit a soft clicking sound when we apply light pressure to the display. Our Moto G7 review unit does not do this though, so we expect that this is an isolated issue with our G7 Plus test device.

Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Motorola Moto G7 Plus

Size Comparison

160.4 mm / 6.31 inch 76.6 mm / 3.02 inch 7.8 mm / 0.3071 inch 175 g0.3858 lbs160 mm / 6.3 inch 75.5 mm / 2.97 inch 8 mm / 0.315 inch 167 g0.3682 lbs159.8 mm / 6.29 inch 76.8 mm / 3.02 inch 7.5 mm / 0.2953 inch 168 g0.3704 lbs158.5 mm / 6.24 inch 75.4 mm / 2.97 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 175 g0.3858 lbs157 mm / 6.18 inch 75.3 mm / 2.96 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 176 g0.388 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

Larger display yes, more memory no. Like last year, the Moto G model has 64 GB of internal storage and 4 GB of RAM, but the stagnation is not necessarily a bad thing. This combination remains the standard for midrange smartphones, and the G7 Plus supports up to 512 GB microSD cards, which is a higher capacity than its predecessors officially supported. You can also save apps and data to external storage, but the option for doing so is hidden within Developer options.

Motorola also continues to equip its devices with two SIM card slots and a dedicated microSD card slot. By contrast, most smartphones that promise dual-SIM functionality and microSD card expansion have a hybrid second SIM card slot that forces you to choose between using a second SIM or a microSD card.

It is worth noting that the G7 Plus is also powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC, while Motorola uses the weaker Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 SoC with the rest of the G7 family. The CPU performance is top notch from both SoCs, but the GPU performance leaves a lot to be desired, about which we will discuss more in our Performance section.

Underside: Speaker, USB Type-C port, 3.5 mm jack
Underside: Speaker, USB Type-C port, 3.5 mm jack
Left-hand side: No connections
Left-hand side: No connections
Right-hand side: Power button, Volume rocker
Right-hand side: Power button, Volume rocker
Topside: Microphone, Card tray
Topside: Microphone, Card tray

Software

The Moto G7 Plus ships with Android 9 Pie, which is the latest version of Android at the time of writing. Motorola also promises to deliver regular security patches and at least one system update to Android Q. Unfortunately, our review unit arrived with December 2018 security patches, which were a few months outdated at the time of our tests.

Motorola has made no changes to the OS from stock Android, so even Android newcomers should quickly acclimatise to using and navigating through the OS. The company continues to include Moto Actions, which integrates additional functions that are not present in stock Android. Moving the G7 Plus down swiftly twice in a chopping motion enables the flashlight while twisting your wrist quickly twice turns on the default camera app. The G7 Plus also has an always-on display (AOD) feature that allows you to preview the battery percentage, date, time, and notifications or missed calls. The AOD can be customised within the overhauled Moto app.

The G7 Plus also has DRM Widevine L1 certification that enables HD streaming of services such as Amazon and Netflix. By contrast, many of its competitors are limited to SD streaming.

Device information
Device information
Default app drawer and pre-installed apps
Default app drawer and pre-installed apps
Default home screen
Default home screen

Communication & GPS

Another advantage that the G7 Plus has over the G7 is its faster LTE and Wi-Fi connectivity. The G7 Plus supports up to IEEE 802.11 ac Wi-Fi and can connect to 5 GHz networks, while the G7 is limited to 802.11 n Wi-Fi and 2.4 GHz networks. The G7 Plus also supports LTE Cat.13 for up to 390 Mbit/s download and 150 Mbit/s upload speeds. Again, the G7 only supports the slower LTE Cat. 4. The G7 Plus also supports a decent range of LTE bands, which should allow it to connect to most LTE networks worldwide.

Our review unit also achieved decent Wi-Fi speeds with our reference Linksys EA8500 router and performed well in our iperf3 Client comparison tables. The G7 Plus finished top of our “receive” comparison test and third behind its predecessor and the Galaxy A7 (2018) in our transmission test. Hence, the G7 Plus has above average Wi-Fi performance for its price.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Mali-G71 MP2, Exynos 7885, 64 GB eMMC Flash
320 (164min - 362max) MBit/s +11%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Adreno 508, SD 630, 64 GB eMMC Flash
311 MBit/s +8%
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Adreno 509, SD 636, 64 GB eMMC Flash
288 (138min - 294max) MBit/s
HTC U12 Life
Adreno 509, SD 636, 64 GB eMMC Flash
259 (252min - 263max) MBit/s -10%
Honor 8X
Mali-G51 MP4, Kirin 710, 128 GB eMMC Flash
182 (136min - 231max) MBit/s -37%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +13%
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Adreno 509, SD 636, 64 GB eMMC Flash
332 (314min - 341max) MBit/s
HTC U12 Life
Adreno 509, SD 636, 64 GB eMMC Flash
330 (63min - 342max) MBit/s -1%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Adreno 508, SD 630, 64 GB eMMC Flash
310 MBit/s -7%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Mali-G71 MP2, Exynos 7885, 64 GB eMMC Flash
279 (265min - 284max) MBit/s -16%
Honor 8X
Mali-G51 MP4, Kirin 710, 128 GB eMMC Flash
207 (162min - 243max) MBit/s -38%
020406080100120140160180200220240260280300320340360Tooltip
Motorola Moto G7 Plus Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Qualcomm Adreno 509; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø331 (314-341)
HTC U12 Life Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Qualcomm Adreno 509; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø337 (314-342)
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 Samsung Exynos 7885, ARM Mali-G71 MP2; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø278 (265-284)
Honor 8X HiSilicon Kirin 710, ARM Mali-G51 MP4; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø207 (162-243)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Qualcomm Adreno 509; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø288 (268-294)
HTC U12 Life Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Qualcomm Adreno 509; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø259 (252-263)
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 Samsung Exynos 7885, ARM Mali-G71 MP2; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø320 (164-362)
Honor 8X HiSilicon Kirin 710, ARM Mali-G51 MP4; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø182 (136-231)
GPS test: Inside
GPS test: Inside
GPS test: At a window
GPS test: At a window
GPS test: Outside
GPS test: Outside

The G7 Plus also has an accurate GPS module that can find a satellite fix with up to 10 metres (~33 ft) accuracy when we tested our review unit indoors. GPS accuracy rose to 5 metres (~16 ft) when we tested the G7 Plus next to a window and 3 metres (~10 ft) outside.

We also took the G7 Plus on a bike ride to compare its location accuracy against the Garmin Edge 520. Our review unit occasionally took small shortcuts to keep up us, but it is largely as accurate as the Garmin. In short, the G7 Plus should be accurate enough for general navigation tasks.

GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 - Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 - Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 - Loop
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 - Loop
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 - Bridge
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 - Bridge
GPS test: Motorola Moto G7 Plus - Overview
GPS test: Motorola Moto G7 Plus - Overview
GPS test: Motorola Moto G7 Plus - Loop
GPS test: Motorola Moto G7 Plus - Loop
GPS test: Motorola Moto G7 Plus – Bridge
GPS test: Motorola Moto G7 Plus – Bridge

Telephone Features & Call Quality

Motorola pre-installs the Google suite of telephony apps and has now added a dark mode, which can prove useful when using the G7 Plus at night. The app functions just as well as it does on other devices that we have tested.

The G7 Plus has good call quality too. The microphones captured our voice well, but more clarity would have been nice. Our call partner remained intelligible throughout our tests too, and the earpiece can get loud without distorting. The hands-free functionality is almost better than making a call using the earpiece. Our review unit picks out our voice well, even if we stand far away from it, but we would advise against making calls using the loudspeaker in crowded places as the speakers get particularly loud.

There is also VoLTE support, but this will only work on carriers that have provisioned the Moto G7 Plus on their network.

Cameras

Taking a selfie with the Moto G7 Plus
Taking a selfie with the Moto G7 Plus

The G7 Plus has a 16 MP main camera compared to the 12 MP camera that the G6 Plus has. Additionally, Motorola has included a secondary sensor that provides depth of data, which can help the G7 Plus to create bokeh effect photos. The 16 MP camera has an f/1.7 aperture just like its 12 MP predecessor, but it is also optical stabilised and is one of the first midrange smartphones that we have tested with OIS. The two rear-facing cameras combine to create astonishingly sharp images even in poorer lighting conditions, which are generally better than even those that more expensive smartphones can manage.

Overall, photos look clear with low image noise, but colours sometimes look too dull for our liking. The G7 Plus avoids aggressive postprocessing that we have seen with many other smartphones, so photos look comparatively natural. The Auto HDR+ also provides a decent dynamic range.

The G7 Plus has a 12 MP front-facing camera that also supports HDR, but it overexposes bright areas to the point where they look blown out. Nevertheless, selfies look sharp and detailed. Both cameras can shoot video at 4K too, which is rare for a midrange smartphone and is another feather in its cap.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3

Motorola also boasts of the G7 Plus’ high-resolution zoom, but do not set your expectations too high here. The main camera supports up to 8 x digital zoom, which look passable, but they are miles away from an optically zoomed shot. Photos taken at moderate zoom look decent though. There is also a Smart Composition feature that automatically adjusts slightly skewed shots. The function did not work well during our tests, which may explain why Motorola hides it deep within the default camera settings.

We liked the videos in 4K at 30 FPS and 1080p at 30 FPS though. The G7 Plus also can record in 1080p at 60 FPS, but the image quality is noticeably worse than shooting at 30 FPS for some reason. The camera can also record slow-motion videos at between 120 FPS and 960 FPS, which can create cool looking time lapse videos. The videos are software stabilised too, which is impressive.

Our review unit performed comparatively poorly under laboratory conditions though. Colours look rather dull compared to ColorChecker reference colours, but not terribly so. Our test chart is strongly distorted at the edges of the photo too, but there is no sharp drop in sharpness, which is common for many smartphones. Overall, the Moto G7 Plus has outstanding cameras for the money that will produce excellent shots in daily use.

ColorChecker Passport: The lower half of each area of colour displays the reference colour
ColorChecker Passport: The lower half of each area of colour displays the reference colour
A photo of our test chart
A photo of our test chart
Our test chart in detail
Our test chart in detail

Accessories & Warranty

The G7 Plus comes with a 27-W fast charger, which Motorola claims will provide the G7 Plus with eight hours battery from just 15 minutes charge. We shall put this claim to the test in our Battery Life section.

The device also comes with a silicone case, a USB cable and a SIM tool.

The G7 Plus comes with 24 months manufacturer’s warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Operation

The G7 Plus has a 10-point multitouch touchscreen that precisely reproduced our inputs throughout our tests. Oddly, the display feels hollow when tapped, which sounds disconcerting. Moreover, we heard some quiet clicking sounds when we were typing, but this may just be an isolated issue with our review unit. Motorola pre-installs Google GBoard as the default keyboard app, but you can replace this with another keyboard should you prefer.

The hardware buttons functioned perfectly throughout our tests and have a pleasant feel to them. This also applies to the fingerprint sensor, which unlocked our review unit more slowly than many flagship smartphones but worked just as reliably.

Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in portrait mode
Using the default keyboard in portrait mode

Display

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

The G7 Plus has a 6.24-inch display that operates natively at 2,270x1,080, which results in a pixel density of 403 PPI. The expansive display is interrupted by a small waterdrop notch, which contains the front-facing camera and various sensors. Motorola markets the display as being Max Vision, but it is only slightly larger than that of its predecessor.

Our review unit achieved an average maximum brightness of 525 cd/m², which is considerably darker than its predecessor, but it is still bright, nonetheless. The screen has a comparatively high black value too, but it is on par with our comparison devices, as is the 926:1 contrast ratio.

The G7 Plus has acceptable colour accuracy too, but its DeltaE deviations are higher than we would have liked. Overall, the G7 Plus has a great display for its price, but Motorola appears to have equipped it with a lower quality screen that it used in the G6 Plus.

536
cd/m²
573
cd/m²
527
cd/m²
489
cd/m²
537
cd/m²
514
cd/m²
501
cd/m²
533
cd/m²
515
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 573 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 525 cd/m² Minimum: 1.99 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 537 cd/m²
Contrast: 926:1 (Black: 0.58 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.41 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.3% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.099
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
IPS, 2270x1080, 6.20
HTC U12 Life
IPS, 2160x1080, 6.00
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Super AMOLED, 2220x1080, 6.00
Honor 8X
LCD IPS, 2340x1080, 6.50
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
IPS, 2160x1080, 5.90
Screen
-5%
42%
-5%
34%
Brightness middle
537
468
-13%
570
6%
484
-10%
761
42%
Brightness
525
452
-14%
565
8%
469
-11%
723
38%
Brightness Distribution
85
90
6%
93
9%
93
9%
90
6%
Black Level *
0.58
0.62
-7%
0.55
5%
0.69
-19%
Contrast
926
755
-18%
880
-5%
1103
19%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
6.41
6.09
5%
1.5
77%
7.3
-14%
2.4
63%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
10.86
10.23
6%
3.6
67%
11.1
-2%
5.2
52%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.7
6.8
-1%
1.2
82%
7.4
-10%
1.8
73%
Gamma
2.099 105%
2.708 81%
2.07 106%
2.16 102%
2.21 100%
CCT
8310 78%
6972 93%
6504 100%
8534 76%
6312 103%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 2315 Hz

The display backlight flickers at 2315 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) .

The frequency of 2315 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The G7 Plus uses pulse-width modulation (PWM) to regulate its display luminosity, which can cause eye strain or headaches for some people. Thankfully, the screen flickers at a relatively high 2,300 Hz, which should not cause problems for most people in daily use. A spectrophotometer and CalMAN analysis software also demonstrated that the G7 Plus’s display has a strong blue tint to it, but this was not noticeable in daily use.

CalMAN: Greyscale
CalMAN: Greyscale
CalMAN: Colour Accuracy
CalMAN: Colour Accuracy
CalMAN: Colour Space
CalMAN: Colour Space
CalMAN: Colour Saturation
CalMAN: Colour Saturation

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
24 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 9 ms rise
↘ 13 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 48 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
30 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7 ms rise
↘ 23 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 33 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Our review unit also has stable viewing angles. We noticed no brightness or colour distortions even at acute viewing angles, although there is a slight loss in contrast, but not disturbingly so.

The G7 Plus is also usable outdoors, but you may struggle to read the screen under direct sunlight even at maximum brightness. You should have no issues with using the G7 Plus outside on most days though.

Using the Moto G7 Plus outdoors at medium brightness
Using the Moto G7 Plus outdoors at medium brightness
Using the Moto G7 Plus outdoors at maximum brightness
Using the Moto G7 Plus outdoors at maximum brightness
Using the Moto G7 Plus outdoors at minimum brightness
Using the Moto G7 Plus outdoors at minimum brightness


Viewing Angles
Viewing Angles

Performance

The Snapdragon 636 SoC performed well in synthetic CPU benchmarks, but its GPU is a weak point just as with the Snapdragon 632 SoC in other Moto G7 models. The Qualcomm Adreno 509 delivers strong graphics performance in daily use, but it scored disappointingly in benchmarks.

Apps load quickly though, and we noticed no system stutters when multitasking. In short, the G7 Plus delivers decent system performance for the money.

Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
1337 Points
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
1338 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Samsung Exynos 7885, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1525 Points +14%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
1614 Points +21%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
822 Points -39%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (1323 - 1506, n=11)
1351 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +279%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
4992 Points
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
4914 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Samsung Exynos 7885, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
4429 Points -11%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
5557 Points +11%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
4011 Points -20%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (4781 - 5426, n=11)
4960 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +171%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
4287 Points
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
4465 Points +4%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Samsung Exynos 7885, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
4026 Points -6%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
4083 Points -5%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
3763 Points -12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (4278 - 5041, n=11)
4505 Points +5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points +147%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
7618 Points
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
6412 Points -16%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Samsung Exynos 7885, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
5625 Points -26%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
8939 Points +17%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
5712 Points -25%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (6040 - 7618, n=11)
6624 Points -13%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +98%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
6277 Points
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
5730 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Samsung Exynos 7885, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
5387 Points -14%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
7141 Points +14%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
4875 Points -22%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (5611 - 6277, n=11)
5833 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +73%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
19525 Points
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
19777 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Samsung Exynos 7885, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
15167 Points -22%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
20468 Points +5%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
16818 Points -14%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (19525 - 20404, n=11)
19846 Points +2%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
20953 Points
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
20778 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Samsung Exynos 7885, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
15567 Points -26%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
21533 Points +3%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
18449 Points -12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (20610 - 21067, n=11)
20839 Points -1%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
15766 Points
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
16924 Points +7%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Samsung Exynos 7885, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
13914 Points -12%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
17450 Points +11%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
12845 Points -19%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (15766 - 19365, n=11)
17020 Points +8%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
35 fps
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
35 fps 0%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
36 fps +3%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
28 fps -20%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (30 - 40, n=12)
34.3 fps -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (22 - 165, n=177, last 2 years)
83.6 fps +139%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
36 fps
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
36 fps 0%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
39 fps +8%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
30 fps -17%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (35 - 36, n=12)
35.6 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (19 - 791, n=177, last 2 years)
243 fps +575%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
15 fps
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
15 fps 0%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
19 fps +27%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
13 fps -13%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (13 - 18, n=12)
15 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.8 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
71.3 fps +375%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
16 fps
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
16 fps 0%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
21 fps +31%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
14 fps -12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (16 - 16, n=12)
16 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9.2 - 363, n=178, last 2 years)
137.9 fps +762%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
9.8 fps
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
9.8 fps 0%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
13 fps +33%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
9.4 fps -4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (5.7 - 12, n=12)
9.47 fps -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.7 - 158, n=178, last 2 years)
60.2 fps +514%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
10 fps
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
10 fps 0%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
14 fps +40%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
9.8 fps -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (6.3 - 10, n=12)
9.68 fps -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.2 - 279, n=178, last 2 years)
97 fps +870%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
6 fps
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
6 fps 0%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
6.4 fps +7%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
5.3 fps -12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (5.1 - 7.4, n=12)
5.96 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (5 - 117, n=178, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +615%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
6.3 fps
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
6.3 fps 0%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
7.6 fps +21%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
5.6 fps -11%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (6.3 - 6.3, n=12)
6.3 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.9 - 166, n=178, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +830%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
5.6 fps
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
5.7 fps +2%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
5.2 fps -7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (4.9 - 6.9, n=9)
5.59 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.6 - 123, n=218, last 2 years)
43.3 fps +673%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
5.4 fps
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
6 fps +11%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
4.6 fps -15%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (5.4 - 6.1, n=9)
5.93 fps +10%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.3 - 229, n=218, last 2 years)
62.9 fps +1065%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
2 fps
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
3.6 fps +80%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
4.1 fps +105%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (2 - 4.4, n=9)
3.27 fps +64%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.8 - 105, n=218, last 2 years)
32.2 fps +1510%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
2.3 fps
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
2.2 fps -4%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
2.6 fps +13%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (2.2 - 3.5, n=9)
2.36 fps +3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (0.85 - 94, n=218, last 2 years)
25 fps +987%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
117557 Points
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
116595 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Samsung Exynos 7885, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
122826 Points +4%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
140188 Points +19%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
90347 Points -23%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (115565 - 138661, n=11)
118863 Points +1%
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
92015 Points
HTC U12 Life
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, Adreno 509, 4096
95287 Points +4%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
Samsung Exynos 7885, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
87728 Points -5%
Honor 8X
HiSilicon Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4, 4096
112870 Points +23%
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Adreno 508, 4096
71635 Points -22%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
  (92015 - 125213, n=10)
98051 Points +7%

The G7 Plus scored strongly in browser benchmarks, but it generally finished in the midfield of our comparison tables. Images load quickly, as do complex HTML 5 pages such as Google Interland, which runs smoothly. The large display makes web browsing fun too.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 104.3, n=2, last 2 years)
85.2 Points +86%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 (Chrome 70)
47.99 Points +5%
Honor 8X (Chrome 70)
47.01 Points +3%
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
45.78 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (44.2 - 51.5, n=11)
45.3 Points -1%
HTC U12 Life (Chrome 70)
44.31 Points -3%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33355 Points +299%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 (Chrome 70)
9165 Points +10%
HTC U12 Life (Chrome 70)
9121 Points +9%
Honor 8X (Chrome 70)
9095 Points +9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (8163 - 9746, n=12)
8665 Points +4%
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
8368 Points
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
4776 ms *
HTC U12 Life (Chrome 70)
4758 ms * -0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (4105 - 5066, n=12)
4688 ms * +2%
Honor 8X
4248 ms * +11%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 (Chrome 70)
4123 ms * +14%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1658 ms * +65%
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Average of class Smartphone (37 - 304, n=118, last 2 years)
130.7 Points +142%
Honor 8X (Chrome 70)
58 Points +7%
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 (Chrome 70)
57 Points +6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (46 - 61, n=9)
54.4 Points +1%
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
54 Points
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 (Chrome 70)
168 Points +8%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 (147 - 184, n=8)
158 Points +1%
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
156 Points
Honor 8X (Chrome 70)
147 Points -6%

* ... smaller is better

The G7 Plus has 64 GB of internal storage, of which 47 GB is available to use. Motorola has equipped the device with comparatively fast storage for a midrange smartphone. Our review unit outscored most of our comparison devices in AndroBench 3-5 and is much faster than the class average.

The device has a fast microSD card reader too, which we tested with our reference Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 card. Again, it is faster than the class average and on par with our fastest comparison devices.

Motorola Moto G7 PlusHTC U12 LifeSamsung Galaxy A7 2018 Honor 8XMotorola Moto G6 PlusAverage 64 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
-19%
-20%
-12%
-5%
-19%
329%
Sequential Read 256KB
283.6
272.8
-4%
295.8
4%
283.9
0%
286.6
1%
273 ?(95.6 - 704, n=201)
-4%
1468 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
418%
Sequential Write 256KB
208.7
209.4
0%
104.9
-50%
170
-19%
216.1
4%
176.8 ?(40 - 274, n=201)
-15%
1078 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
417%
Random Read 4KB
76.6
56.7
-26%
84
10%
49.54
-35%
58.4
-24%
59.1 ?(9.58 - 148.5, n=201)
-23%
242 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
216%
Random Write 4KB
73.1
16.2
-78%
15.45
-79%
59.9
-18%
62.8
-14%
31.7 ?(2.34 - 146.9, n=201)
-57%
266 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
264%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
82.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
82.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-1%
78.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-6%
75.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-9%
83.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
1%
77.4 ?(21.1 - 107.6, n=144)
-7%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
62.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
60.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-2%
64.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
4%
68.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
10%
62.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
0%
58.3 ?(11.2 - 83.3, n=144)
-6%

Games

The Adreno 509 GPU is not the highlight of the G7 Plus, but it performs well in daily use. Our review unit runs "Asphalt 9: Legends" and "Shadow Fight 3" smoothly too. There are occasional troughs in framerates, as demonstrated by our GameBench below. "Asphalt 9: Legends" averaged 28 FPS during our tests, but framerates dropped below 10 FPS, which is unplayable. Likewise, Shadow Fight 3 averaged 47 FPS but frequently dropped to almost 0 FPS. The touchscreen and associated sensors worked perfectly when playing fast-paced games such as "Temple Run 2" though.

Shadow Fight 3
Shadow Fight 3
Temple Run 2
Temple Run 2
Asphalt 9: Legends
Asphalt 9: Legends
Game Compare - Asphalt 9: Legends
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Motorola Moto G7 Plus Adreno 509, SD 636, 64 GB eMMC Flash; Standard / low; 1.3.1a: Ø26.8 (3-60)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus Adreno 509, SD 636, 64 GB eMMC Flash; Standard / low; 1.3.1a: Ø26 (3-60)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus Adreno 509, SD 636, 64 GB eMMC Flash; High Quality; 1.3.1a: Ø26.8 (3-60)
Game Compare - Shadow Fight 3
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Motorola Moto G7 Plus Adreno 509, SD 636, 64 GB eMMC Flash; 1.16.1: Ø47.1 (1-60)

Emissions


Temperature

GFXBench Battery test
GFXBench Battery test

The G7 Plus feels cool to the touch at idle and reaches a maximum of 34.6 °C (~94 °F) under sustained load. In short, the device should not feel hot to the touch even if you push it hard. We also noticed no thermal throttling, which demonstrates that the device can manage its internal temperatures well too.

Max. Load
 32 °C
90 F
33 °C
91 F
34 °C
93 F
 
 32 °C
90 F
32.6 °C
91 F
34.6 °C
94 F
 
 32.2 °C
90 F
32.5 °C
91 F
34.1 °C
93 F
 
Maximum: 34.6 °C = 94 F
Average: 33 °C = 91 F
31.6 °C
89 F
33.3 °C
92 F
33 °C
91 F
31.6 °C
89 F
33 °C
91 F
33.4 °C
92 F
32.2 °C
90 F
32.6 °C
91 F
32.2 °C
90 F
Maximum: 33.4 °C = 92 F
Average: 32.5 °C = 91 F
Power Supply (max.)  42.3 °C = 108 F | Room Temperature 21.6 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 34.6 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 33.4 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.8 °C / 82 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heatmap of the front of the device under load
Heatmap of the front of the device under load
Heatmap of the bottom of the device under load
Heatmap of the bottom of the device under load

Speakers

Pink noise speaker test
Pink noise speaker test

The G7 Plus has stereo speakers, the main one of which is on the underside of the device while the earpiece doubles as a secondary speaker. The speakers create a stereo effect, although the main speaker gets noticeably louder than the smaller, secondary one. In short, the speakers get loud and even produce a touch of bass. Overall, the G7 Plus has great speakers for a midrange smartphone.

The G7 Plus also supports audio out via Bluetooth and the 3.5 mm headphone jack. Motorola does not include a set of headphones in the box, but the headphone jack produced clear sounding audio throughout our tests.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2034.434.72530.432.3312732.34033.1295034.631.56329.126.9802423.910023.621.712521.231.416021.140.620018.841.125018.747.231517.650.140016.657.150015.861.763015.864.580015.369.6100016.370.8125014.771.316001668.620001570.7250014.768.7315014.769.4400014.372.9500014.868.9630015.162800015.257.91000014.456.81250014.462.71600014.462.8SPL6063.75527.580.9N12.915.59.30.947median 15.3median 62.7median 32.2median 14.2median 63.9Delta3.111.722.913.31730.740.32531.926.828.326.333.629.840.927.425.12125.419.527.518.825.519.237.617.642.116.94415.852.81555.91559.614.764.114.86714.670.314.36913.469.614.469.914.471.814.876.2158014.869.814.766.5157014.968.115.25315.741.126.884.80.956.5median 15median 66.50.69.9hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseMotorola Moto G7 PlusHonor 8X
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Motorola Moto G7 Plus audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 63.9% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 63.9% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 63.9% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (121% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 88% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 3% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 96% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 1% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Honor 8X audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.3% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 47% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 44% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 67% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 26% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Management

Power Consumption

The G7 Plus has comparatively high power consumption, so do not expect miracles from its 3,000 mAh battery. Our review unit consumes a minimum of 1.1 W at idle, which rises to 7.9 W under load. The power consumption is low enough for a full working day’s use, but all our comparison devices consume less power than the G7 Plus.

In short, the G7 Plus should have low enough power consumption for most people, but the Moto G7 Power with its 5,000 mAh battery may be a better choice if you need a device that will last for days.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.1 / 0.2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1.1 / 1.7 / 2.1 Watt
Load midlight 5.1 / 7.9 Watt
 color bar
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
3000 mAh
HTC U12 Life
3600 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
3300 mAh
Honor 8X
3750 mAh
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
3200 mAh
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
9%
17%
1%
27%
-4%
9%
Idle Minimum *
1.1
0.7
36%
0.71
35%
0.92
16%
0.5
55%
0.944 ?(0.6 - 1.75, n=12)
14%
0.894 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
19%
Idle Average *
1.7
1.5
12%
1.36
20%
2.3
-35%
1.78
-5%
2.22 ?(1.4 - 4.48, n=12)
-31%
1.452 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
15%
Idle Maximum *
2.1
2.5
-19%
1.47
30%
2.32
-10%
1.81
14%
2.54 ?(2 - 4.5, n=12)
-21%
1.632 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
22%
Load Average *
5.1
4.7
8%
5.13
-1%
4.37
14%
3.3
35%
4.51 ?(3.65 - 7.92, n=12)
12%
5.55 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-9%
Load Maximum *
7.9
7.4
6%
7.89
-0%
6.13
22%
5.14
35%
7.37 ?(5.1 - 13.6, n=12)
7%
8.23 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
-4%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The G7 Plus has considerably worse battery life than its G7 siblings, but that is because of its larger display and more powerful SoC. Our review unit achieved decent runtimes in our tests, finishing second to the Galaxy A7 (2018) and the Honor 8X in our looped H.264 video and Wi-Fi battery life tests. The G7 Plus has disappointing battery life under sustained load, but this should not be an issue in daily use. Overall, the G7 Plus should last at least a full day of moderate use.

As Motorola claims, the G7 Plus charges remarkably quickly with its 27-W charger. Our review unit reaches almost 50% charge after just 15 minutes, while it takes only 45 minutes for it to be recharged fully. This is something that is usually reserved for flagship devices such as the Mate 20 Pro, so Motorola has done a great job here.

Please note: We will update this section when we add our remaining battery tests.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
11h 55min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
13h 29min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 16min
Motorola Moto G7 Plus
3000 mAh
HTC U12 Life
3600 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
3300 mAh
Honor 8X
3750 mAh
Motorola Moto G6 Plus
3200 mAh
Battery Runtime
-16%
9%
19%
24%
H.264
809
836
3%
542
-33%
WiFi v1.3
715
603
-16%
605
-15%
852
19%
702
-2%
Load
196
273
39%
404
106%
Reader / Idle
1467
1846

Pros

+ excellent cameras
+ 4K video capable
+ HD video streaming
+ decent Wi-Fi speeds
+ no SoC throttling
+ premium design
+ great value for money

Cons

- the touchscreen sounds hollow
- blue tint to the display
- GPU could be more powerful

Verdict

The Motorola Moto G7 Plus smartphone review. Test device courtesy of Motorola Germany.
The Motorola Moto G7 Plus smartphone review. Test device courtesy of Motorola Germany.

The Motorola Moto G7 Plus is a fantastic device that redefines what should be expected of midrange smartphones. For just under €300 (~$340), Motorola has delivered a smartphone with an excellent camera, a decent display and almost all the features of modern flagships. The G7 Plus also looks stylish thanks to its contemporary design and is well made too.

The Motorola Moto G7 Plus is an excellent smartphone that may make people think twice about whether they should buy an expensive flagship. It is simply that good.

Unfortunately, the G7 Plus has its weaknesses. The touchscreen sounds rather hollow, although this could just be an issue with our review unit. The GPU is underpowered too, and Motorola appears to have equipped the device with a lower quality display than it did with its predecessor. Equally, we would have liked to see a larger battery, but the included charger will recharge the device fully in under an hour. In short, the Motorola Moto G7 Plus is an exceptional smartphone for the price that is a great alternative to modern, and considerably more expensive, flagships.

Please note: We will publish our final ratings once we finalise our Battery Life section.

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Stefan Schomberg, 2019-02-24 (Update: 2019-03-12)