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Motorola Moto G9 Play Smartphone Review - Affordable Performance

Back in the game.

With the Moto G9 Play, Motorola brings a new edition of its affordable mid-range cell phone and returns to the traditional naming schma A large battery and a triple camera are supposed to set the Moto G9 Play apart from the competition. Let's see if that works.
Android ARM Smartphone
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Motorola Moto G9 Play (Moto G9 Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 8 x 1.8 - 2 GHz, Kryo 260
Graphics adapter
Qualcomm Adreno 610
Memory
4 GB 
Display
6.50 inch 20:9, 1600 x 720 pixel 270 PPI, Capacitive, IPS, glossy: yes, 60 Hz
Storage
64 GB eMMC Flash, 64 GB 
, 49 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5mm, Card Reader: microSD up to 512 GB, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Acceleration sensor, gyroscope, proximity sensor
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5, GSM, UMTS, LTE (Band 1/2/3/5/7/8/18/19/20/26/28/38/40/41), Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 9.2 x 165.2 x 75.7 ( = 0.36 x 6.5 x 2.98 in)
Battery
5000 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Charging
fast charging / Quickcharge
Operating System
Android 10
Camera
Primary Camera: 48 MPix f/1.7, phase comparison AF, LED flash, videos @1080p/60fps (camera 1); 2.0MP, f/2.4, macro lens (camera 2); 2.0MP, f/2.4, depth of field (camera 3)
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix f/​2.2, Videos @1080p/​30fps
Additional features
Speakers: Mono loudspeaker at the lower edge, Keyboard: Virtual, Schnellladegerät, USB-Kabel, SIM-Tool, 24 Months Warranty, SAR value: 0.63 W/kg (head), 1.37 W/kg (body); LTE Cat.4 (150 MBit/s) download, Cat. 5 (50 MBit/s) upload; FM radio; IP52 certified, fanless
Weight
200 g ( = 7.05 oz / 0.44 pounds), Power Supply: 76 g ( = 2.68 oz / 0.17 pounds)
Price
169 Euro
Links
Motorola homepage
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Comparison devices

Bewertung
Rating Version
Datum
Modell
Gewicht
Laufwerk
Groesse
Aufloesung
Preis ab
77.9 %
v7 (old)		v7 (old)
10 / 2020
Motorola Moto G9 Play
SD 662, Adreno 610		200 g64 GB eMMC Flash6.50"1600x720
79.9 %
v7 (old)		v7 (old)
09 / 2020
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9
Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2		199 g64 GB eMMC Flash6.53"2340x1080
76.4 %
v7 (old)		v7 (old)
08 / 2020
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1		192 g32 GB eMMC Flash6.50"1600x720
75.1 %
v7 (old)		v7 (old)
10 / 2020
Sony Xperia L4
Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320		178 g64 GB eMMC Flash6.20"1680x720
74.9 %
v7 (old)		v7 (old)
10 / 2020
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320		200 g64 GB eMMC Flash6.50"1600x720

Case, equipment and operation - Upgrade in communication

In the 8th generation of the Motorola G, there was an apparently new naming scheme with the Moto G8 Power and the Moto G8 Power Lite, but Motorola probably only wanted to point out the new, significantly higher capacity battery, which is now standard even in this price range. So the manufacturer was able to return to the traditional naming scheme and the cheapest middle class device of the 9th generation is again called Motorola Moto G9 Play.

The chic color gradients of its predecessor are no longer available, but now a shiny plastic housing in blue or green, which is very susceptible to fingerprints. The plastic housing is basically stable and cleanly processed, but can be slightly dented in the middle. The design is still water-repellent.

The case now has a USB-C port, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and WiFi 5 with and is therefore much more modern than its predecessor. You can also tell by the WLAN speeds: Although these vary greatly, they are generally much higher than those of the Moto G8 Power Lite.

There is now a separate button for the Google Assistant, but we don't find the placement above the volume rocker ideal: Every now and then, instead of making it louder, we activated the Google Assistant. the fast and reliable fingerprint sensor on the back has remained.

Size comparison

❌
165.2 mm / 6.5 in 75.7 mm / 2.98 in 9.2 mm / 0.3622 in 200 g0.4409 lbs164.9 mm / 6.49 in 75.8 mm / 2.98 in 9.2 mm / 0.3622 in 200 g0.4409 lbs163.7 mm / 6.44 in 75.3 mm / 2.96 in 8.9 mm / 0.3504 in 192 g0.4233 lbs162.3 mm / 6.39 in 77.2 mm / 3.04 in 8.9 mm / 0.3504 in 199 g0.4387 lbs159 mm / 6.26 in 71 mm / 2.8 in 8.7 mm / 0.3425 in 178 g0.3924 lbs148 mm / 5.83 in 105 mm / 4.13 in 1 mm / 0.03937 in 1.5 g0.00331 lbs
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
347 (172min - 352max) MBit/s +46%
Samsung Galaxy A21s
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
310 (269min - 342max) MBit/s +31%
Motorola Moto G9 Play
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
237 (21min - 330max) MBit/s
Sony Xperia L4
802.11 b/g/n
109 (103min - 114max) MBit/s -54%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
802.11 b/g/n
62.8 (19min - 99max) MBit/s -74%
iperf3 receive AX12
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
355 (327min - 366max) MBit/s +49%
Samsung Galaxy A21s
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
326 (280min - 333max) MBit/s +36%
Motorola Moto G9 Play
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
239 (26min - 333max) MBit/s
Sony Xperia L4
802.11 b/g/n
120 (106min - 124max) MBit/s -50%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
802.11 b/g/n
74.2 (62min - 73max) MBit/s -69%
020406080100120140160180200220240260280300320Tooltip
Motorola Moto G9 Play; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø239 (26-333)
Motorola Moto G9 Play; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø237 (21-330)

Cameras - Blurred views

The main camera of the Moto G9 Play has a resolution of 48 megapixels, but by default 4 pixels are combined into one, so that more light is absorbed by each pixel. It is supported by a lens that collects depth information and a camera that takes macro shots. There is no wide-angle lens, and since the macro lens can only be used in a special mode, the camera system is not as versatile as some other smartphones in this price range.

Unfortunately, the pictures show a lot of blur, so they are rather of a lower quality than we are used to even from cheap smartphones, and the surrounding area looks quite dark. In very low light the camera still sees something, but the pictures are also quite blurred.

Videos can be recorded at a maximum of 1080p and 60 fps, individual areas are often out of focus and the autofocus has a hard time finding the right sharpness if the light is not quite optimal.

On the front side there is an 8 megapixel camera, it makes reasonably useful selfies, but here too you should not look in detail for sharpness.

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.

Hauptobjektiv BlumeHauptobjektiv UmgebungHauptobjektiv Low Light
ColorChecker
18.1 ∆E
7.5 ∆E
12 ∆E
16.4 ∆E
9.7 ∆E
6.8 ∆E
8.2 ∆E
10.1 ∆E
8.4 ∆E
6.2 ∆E
6 ∆E
3.5 ∆E
11.9 ∆E
8.6 ∆E
9.5 ∆E
2.7 ∆E
6.4 ∆E
9.4 ∆E
10 ∆E
6.5 ∆E
6.2 ∆E
8.5 ∆E
7 ∆E
1.6 ∆E
ColorChecker Motorola Moto G9 Play: 8.39 ∆E min: 1.61 - max: 18.14 ∆E
ColorChecker
13 ∆E
16.5 ∆E
22.5 ∆E
15.7 ∆E
24.7 ∆E
25.4 ∆E
14.3 ∆E
12.8 ∆E
11.6 ∆E
17.1 ∆E
15.5 ∆E
19.7 ∆E
15.1 ∆E
14.7 ∆E
4.6 ∆E
11.3 ∆E
18.8 ∆E
22.3 ∆E
24.5 ∆E
22.2 ∆E
19.6 ∆E
16.6 ∆E
13.1 ∆E
9.4 ∆E
ColorChecker Motorola Moto G9 Play: 16.71 ∆E min: 4.6 - max: 25.37 ∆E

Display - Should be brighter

Sub-pixel Array
Sub-pixel Array

The Moto G9 Play's IPS screen doesn't get really bright, we measured a maximum of 460 cd/m². That's OK for the price range, but still much less than the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9, which also has a higher resolution than the Moto G9 Play, but the extended 720p resolution is sufficient to display pictures sharply. The black level is quite good though, resulting in a decent contrast and a reasonably colorful display.

The color accuracy is moderate and a clear blue cast is visible in the display. But there is no PWM, so even people who are sensitive to flickering can use the display.

406
cd/m²		460
cd/m²		409
cd/m²
406
cd/m²		450
cd/m²		412
cd/m²
421
cd/m²		432
cd/m²		453
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 460 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 427.7 cd/m² Minimum: 4 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 450 cd/m²
Contrast: 1957:1 (Black: 0.23 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.49 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.89
ΔE Greyscale 7.5 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
97.3% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.495
Motorola Moto G9 Play
IPS, 1600x720, 6.5"		Xiaomi Redmi Note 9
IPS LCD, 2340x1080, 6.5"		Samsung Galaxy A21s
PLS, 1600x720, 6.5"		Sony Xperia L4
IPS, 1680x720, 6.2"		Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
IPS, 1600x720, 6.5"
Response Times
25%
22%
-6%
-15%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
52 ?(27, 25)
38.8 ?(19.6, 19.2)
25%
44 ?(19, 25)
15%
58 ?(33, 25)
-12%
70.4 ?(29.2, 41.2)
-35%
Response Time Black / White *
34 ?(17, 17)
25.6 ?(12.4, 13.2)
25%
24 ?(13, 11)
29%
34 ?(19, 15)
-0%
32.4 ?(13.2, 19.2)
5%
PWM Frequency
500 ?(10)
100 ?(15)
Screen
43%
-7%
-5%
-19%
Brightness middle
450
553
23%
540
20%
429
-5%
493
10%
Brightness
428
527
23%
509
19%
404
-6%
462
8%
Brightness Distribution
88
89
1%
91
3%
92
5%
91
3%
Black Level *
0.23
0.12
48%
0.36
-57%
0.26
-13%
0.47
-104%
Contrast
1957
4608
135%
1500
-23%
1650
-16%
1049
-46%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.49
3.8
31%
6.58
-20%
6.14
-12%
5.7
-4%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
10.19
8.7
15%
11.55
-13%
10.51
-3%
12.8
-26%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
7.5
2.2
71%
6.4
15%
6.6
12%
6.8
9%
Gamma
2.495 88%
2.3 96%
2.206 100%
2.23 99%
2.31 95%
CCT
8711 75%
6727 97%
8482 77%
8346 78%
7596 86%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
34% / 40%
8% / -1%
-6% / -5%
-17% / -18%

* ... smaller is better

Display Response Times

ℹ
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
34 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 17 ms rise
↘ 17 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 90 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.8 ms).
   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
52 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 27 ms rise
↘ 25 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 87 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.6 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ
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 not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8580 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured.


CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Color accuracy
CalMAN Color accuracy
CalMAN Color space
CalMAN Color space
CalMAN Saturation
CalMAN Saturation

Performance, emissions and battery life - Ordinary speaker

The new Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 is used in Moto G9 Play and at the time of testing it shows quite a high performance for its price range. Our test device is slightly behind the Redmi Note 9, but otherwise it can beat all comparable devices and also offers a significant increased performance compared to its predecessor.

In everyday life you can move very smoothly through the system, only more complex apps cause delays, for example in volume control. Our reference microSD, the Toshiba Exceria Pro M501, is read very quickly. The internal memory is also on a good level for its price class in terms of reading and writing speed.

The maximum temperatures are completely harmless, they stay below 40°C even after a longer load, so there should be no problems even on hotter days.

A small monospeaker is installed as loudspeaker, which radiates the sound at the lower edge. It is loud and sounds quite pleasant, even at maximum volume. Voices are clearly reproduced and music does not throb. Audio devices can be connected via Bluetooth or analog jack, both work without problems and deliver clean sound.

The battery has a capacity of 5,000 mAh, which is as high as that of many comparable devices in 2020: 5,000 mAh seems to be a new standard capacity. The Moto G9 Play, however, achieves significantly longer runtimes than the G8 Power Lite, which had just as much capacity: The smartphone lasted over 16 hours in our WLAN test. That's enough for two working days of uninterrupted WLAN surfing with the smartphone. If you switch off your cell phone from time to time, you can easily manage 3 or even 4 working days. The smartphone can be charged with a maximum of 15 watts, even if a 20-watt power supply unit is included. A full charge takes a little more than 2 hours.

Geekbench 5.5 | PCMark for Android | 3DMark | GFXBench
Geekbench 5.5
Single-Core (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
314 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9
Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 3072
356 Points +13%
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
182 Points -42%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
150 Points -52%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
173 Points -45%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (275 - 316, n=13)
308 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (139 - 2437, n=169, last 2 years)
1073 Points +242%
Multi-Core (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
1397 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9
Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 3072
1259 Points -10%
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
1081 Points -23%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
883 Points -37%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
902 Points -35%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (763 - 1453, n=13)
1299 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (512 - 8816, n=169, last 2 years)
3605 Points +158%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
8610 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9
Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 3072
11421 Points +33%
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
7113 Points -17%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
6909 Points -20%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (7247 - 8714, n=8)
7986 Points -7%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
6296 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9
Mediatek Helio G85, Mali-G52 MP2, 3072
8698 Points +38%
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
5457 Points -13%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
5251 Points -17%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
5325 Points -15%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (5866 - 7184, n=9)
6258 Points -1%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
22131 Points
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
16800 Points -24%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
12161 Points -45%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
12132 Points -45%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (22131 - 22897, n=4)
22483 Points +2%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
23379 Points
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
16301 Points -30%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
11549 Points -51%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
11217 Points -52%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (23379 - 24043, n=4)
23648 Points +1%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
18647 Points
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
18816 Points +1%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
14930 Points -20%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
16978 Points -9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (18647 - 19804, n=4)
19225 Points +3%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
1862 Points
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
1280 Points -31%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
741 Points -60%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
742 Points -60%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (1797 - 1889, n=9)
1842 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (812 - 7285, n=23, last 2 years)
4157 Points +123%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
1743 Points
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
1157 Points -34%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
680 Points -61%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
675 Points -61%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (1681 - 1765, n=9)
1728 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (756 - 9451, n=23, last 2 years)
4739 Points +172%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
2444 Points
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
2034 Points -17%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
1084 Points -56%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
1140 Points -53%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (2161 - 2543, n=9)
2407 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1093 - 4349, n=23, last 2 years)
3212 Points +31%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
1891 Points
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
1292 Points -32%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
836 Points -56%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
830 Points -56%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (1819 - 1914, n=9)
1876 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (883 - 23024, n=63, last 2 years)
10712 Points +466%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
1786 Points
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
1157 Points -35%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
782 Points -56%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
764 Points -57%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (1737 - 1794, n=9)
1775 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (840 - 45492, n=63, last 2 years)
18874 Points +957%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
2384 Points
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
2190 Points -8%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
1106 Points -54%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
1191 Points -50%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (2146 - 2502, n=9)
2330 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1075 - 8749, n=63, last 2 years)
4870 Points +104%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
1177 Points
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
912 Points -23%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
470 Points -60%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
486 Points -59%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (1106 - 1905, n=12)
1220 Points +4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (444 - 17553, n=59, last 2 years)
3109 Points +164%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
1022 Points
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
788 Points -23%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
405 Points -60%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
418 Points -59%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (974 - 1074, n=12)
1017 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (384 - 29890, n=59, last 2 years)
3315 Points +224%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
2499 Points
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
2037 Points -18%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
1078 Points -57%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
1134 Points -55%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (2108 - 2513, n=12)
2368 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (982 - 7180, n=59, last 2 years)
3315 Points +33%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
1184 Points
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
914 Points -23%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
536 Points -55%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
539 Points -54%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (740 - 1197, n=12)
1135 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (508 - 23762, n=160, last 2 years)
8506 Points +618%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
1034 Points
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
784 Points -24%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
467 Points -55%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
466 Points -55%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (642 - 1081, n=12)
999 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (453 - 40163, n=160, last 2 years)
12858 Points +1144%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
2399 Points
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
2168 Points -10%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
1102 Points -54%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
1193 Points -50%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (1588 - 2534, n=12)
2240 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (877 - 10632, n=160, last 2 years)
4881 Points +103%
GFXBench
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
15 fps
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
12 fps -20%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
6.4 fps -57%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
6.7 fps -55%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (4.8 - 15, n=13)
10.5 fps -30%
Average of class Smartphone
  (5.5 - 166, n=203, last 2 years)
52.1 fps +247%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
8.3 fps
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
6.2 fps -25%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
3.8 fps -54%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
3.8 fps -54%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (7.4 - 8.6, n=13)
8.27 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.4 - 321, n=203, last 2 years)
91.1 fps +998%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
9 fps
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
7.2 fps -20%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
4.1 fps -54%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
4.2 fps -53%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (2.9 - 9.6, n=13)
6.43 fps -29%
Average of class Smartphone
  (0.85 - 144, n=204, last 2 years)
40.6 fps +351%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G9 Play
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662, Adreno 610, 4096
2.8 fps
Samsung Galaxy A21s
Samsung Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1, 3072
2.2 fps -21%
Sony Xperia L4
Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762, PowerVR GE8320, 3072
1.4 fps -50%
Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
Mediatek Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320, 4096
1.4 fps -50%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 662
  (2.5 - 2.9, n=13)
2.78 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1.2 - 129, n=203, last 2 years)
36.2 fps +1193%
Motorola Moto G9 PlayXiaomi Redmi Note 9Samsung Galaxy A21sSony Xperia L4Motorola Moto G8 Power LiteAverage 64 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
8%
-13%
-23%
-18%
-24%
425%
Sequential Read 256KB
315.2
306.6
-3%
307
-3%
293.4
-7%
284
-10%
274 ?(95.6 - 704, n=205)
-13%
1979 ?(269 - 4512, n=191, last 2 years)
528%
Sequential Write 256KB
187.2
248.1
33%
104.3
-44%
165
-12%
226.5
21%
177 ?(40 - 274, n=205)
-5%
1593 ?(94.2 - 4030, n=191, last 2 years)
751%
Random Read 4KB
98.4
65.1
-34%
77.2
-22%
61.2
-38%
59.9
-39%
59.7 ?(9.58 - 148.5, n=205)
-39%
281 ?(47.6 - 504, n=191, last 2 years)
186%
Random Write 4KB
96.1
146.9
53%
89.5
-7%
22.5
-77%
24.17
-75%
32.6 ?(2.34 - 146.9, n=205)
-66%
323 ?(9.4 - 964, n=191, last 2 years)
236%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
85.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
84.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-1%
80 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-6%
83.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-2%
83.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-2%
77.4 ?(21.1 - 107.6, n=144)
-9%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
65.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
63.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-3%
66.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
2%
62.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-4%
63.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-2%
58.3 ?(11.2 - 83.3, n=144)
-11%

Temperature

Max. Load
 39.5 °C
103 F		36.7 °C
98 F		36.2 °C
97 F		 
 38.9 °C
102 F		37 °C
99 F		36.8 °C
98 F		 
 38.1 °C
101 F		36.8 °C
98 F		36.4 °C
98 F		 
Maximum: 39.5 °C = 103 F
Average: 37.4 °C = 99 F
36 °C
97 F		38.8 °C
102 F		39 °C
102 F
35.5 °C
96 F		38.6 °C
101 F		36.2 °C
97 F
35.4 °C
96 F		38.7 °C
102 F		38 °C
100 F
Maximum: 39 °C = 102 F
Average: 37.4 °C = 99 F
Power Supply (max.)  39.9 °C = 104 F | Room Temperature 21.5 °C = 71 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated), Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 37.4 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 32.8 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.5 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.1 °C / 79 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.


Heatmap Back side
Heatmap Back side
Heatmap Front
Heatmap Front

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2040.443.32541.941.93138.529.94042.232.85043.734.26337.430.28029.622.110026.621.712532.420.716027.531.820019.342.325019.34931519.354.740019.457.150020.261.763022.965.980022.167.4100022.372.4125023.171.3160020.973.3200020.872.9250021.869.1315022.966.5400023.764.950002571.5630025.274.1800026.268.9100002866.51250027.870.21600028.355.8SPL73.975.735.982.5N2936.42.452.6median 23.1median 66.5median 19.2median 67.5Delta3.111.216.714.939.738.937.336.229.230.932.430.83237.323.624.521.72021.923.322.523.918.528.614.837.112.343.112.550.611.956.113.159.114.561.918.762.219.36718.269.216.46914.368.714.96814.664.715.466.316.165.116.769.717.772.818.664.819.450.320.352.763.728.779.518.1144.9median 16.7median 61.9median 62.22.91417.3hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseMotorola Moto G9 PlaySamsung Galaxy A21s
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Motorola Moto G9 Play audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 67.5% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 67.5% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 67.5% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (130.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 99% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 0% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 100% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 0% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%

Samsung Galaxy A21s audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 62.2% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 62.2% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 62.2% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (128.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 98% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 0% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 99% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 0% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%

Battery life

Motorola Moto G9 Play
5000 mAh		Xiaomi Redmi Note 9
5020 mAh		Samsung Galaxy A21s
5000 mAh		Sony Xperia L4
3580 mAh		Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
5000 mAh		Average of class Smartphone
 
Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
962
867
-10%
943
-2%
783
-19%
833
-13%
1014 ?(476 - 3244, n=204, last 2 years)
5%
Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
16h 02min

Pros

+ a lot of power
+ good runtime
+ round loudspeaker sound
+ NFC

Cons

- fluctuating WLAN speed
- no wide angle lens
- partly unsharp photos

Verdict - High performance and long running time

In Review: Motorola Moto G9 Play. Test device provided by Motorola Germany.
In Review: Motorola Moto G9 Play. Test device provided by Motorola Germany.

With the Moto G9 Play, Motorola delivers a low-cost smartphone with long battery life. Compared to the Moto G8 Power Lite it is a significant update, both in terms of communication modules and performance. Therefore it is worth paying the extra charge for the newer device.

In most areas the Moto G9 Play is quite competitive compared to similarly expensive devices: Whether it is the pure performance of processor and graphics card, the quality of workmanship or the good speaker sound. However, the camera system is a bit less flexible than other devices and sometimes takes blurred photos. The screen could be even brighter and display colors more accurately. On the other hand, the device doesn't heat up much under load and the screen gets along without PWM for brightness reduction.

The Motorola Moto G9 Play is a successful, affordable smartphone, which has good performance and a lot of staying power, but not such a good camera.

You shouldn't put too much emphasis on the camera if you decide to use the Moto G9 Play, but otherwise we can recommend the cheap mid-range phone.

Motorola Moto G9 Play - 10/09/2020 v7 (old)
Florian Schmitt

Chassis
80%
Keyboard
66 / 75 → 88%
Pointing Device
95%
Connectivity
46 / 70 → 65%
Weight
88%
Battery
91%
Display
83%
Games Performance
13 / 64 → 20%
Application Performance
62 / 86 → 72%
Temperature
91%
Noise
100%
Audio
72 / 90 → 80%
Camera
55%
Average
72%
78%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Price comparison

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Motorola Moto G9 Play Smartphone Review - Affordable Performance
Florian Schmitt, 2020-10-11 (Update: 2020-10-11)