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Moto G7 Optimo Review: Affordable and Packed with Features

Moto G7 Optimo (XT1952DL) review on specifications and features. Discover the phone’s price, advantages as well as its drawbacks. Find out if it’s right for you.

Moto G7 Optimo Review

For affordable phone hunters out there, Motorola’s Moto G phone line is worth considering. Moto G product range offers good quality phones with a sensible price tag.

Motorola recently releases yet another variant called Moto G7 Optimo. It promises quality just like other Moto G models, along with some improvement in several areas.

Coming with a 5.7-inch HD+ display, G7 Optimo also boasts other impressive specs including 13MP rear camera, LED selfie flash, and an Octa-core processor. On the software side, there are interesting features such as Moto Display.

Let’s take a dive into details in this Moto G7 Optimo (XT1952DL) review. Hopefully, G7 Optimo meets my initial expectation which is already high.

Key Specs

Moto G7 Optimo (XT1952DL) specifications:

  • Weight: 151g
  • Dimensions: 148.7 x 71.5 x 8.1mm
  • OS: Android 9
  • Screen size: 5.7-inch
  • Resolution: 1512 x 720
  • CPU: 1.8GHz Octa-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 632
  • RAM: 2GB
  • Storage: 32GB
  • Battery: 3,000mAh, Non-removable
  • Rear camera: 13MP
  • Front camera: 8MP

Design

Moto G7 Optimo Side View

Moto G7 Optimo design doesn’t differ much from the typical Motorola design. I personally like their choice of curved edges. The design makes the phone comfortable to hold although it has an almost 6-inch display.

The display design doesn’t exactly adopt infinity design. The bezel is still quite thick despite it uses a notch. This notch houses the speaker, the front-facing camera, and an LED flash.

The bezel at the bottom is larger than the others. In my opinion, the thicker the bezel, the less elegant and expensive a phone would look like.

Motorola aims for an overall compact design instead. Only weighing at 151g, the phone is light to carry. It means you get a plastic body as a compromise instead of a metal one. The back cover comes with textures for a secure grip. But I will also add a protective case for extra security.

In conclusion, if you expect an impressive design, you should look at the other areas of G7 Optimo. Because my verdict is, you will see nothing special with G7 Optimo’s aesthetic. It’s a phone designed to be functional rather than to look pleasing and expensive.

Read also: Motorola Moto G7 Optimo User Manual

Display

Moto G7 Optimo Display

Moto G7 Optimo features a 5.7-inch display. With a resolution at 1512 x 720 pixels. the display is categorized as HD+. It’s a better version than just an HD screen but still no better than a Full HD one.

The display technology is IPS. This phone is an affordable one, so it’s not surprising I didn’t find an AMOLED display instead.

With a 19:9 aspect ratio, the display provides ample save to browse the phone comfortably. Be it switching one app with another, or reading a lengthy webpage.

Watching movies and videos is also a treat with the big screen. There’s nothing I’d complain about when it comes to the display size. It’s not too big either.

As for display quality. G7 Optimo offers a decent viewing experience. Colors come out sharp and vibrant on the 294 ppi screen. Zooming in texts rarely results in hard edges.

With logos and icons, pixelated edges are hardly noticeable. Unless you downgrade from a phone with an AMOLED screen, you will find G7 Optimo display quality satisfactory.

Another good thing about the display is the protection. Moto G7 Optimo’s display comes with Gorilla Glass coating on its surface. You can be confident that your phone’s screen is scratch resistant.

Read also: Moto G7 Optimo vs Moto G7 Optimo Maxx: Specs Comparison

Camera

Moto G7 Optimo Camera

Motorola equips Moto G7 Optimo with the above-average camera setup. On the back, you got a 13MP lens with an LED Flash. In this price range, it’s still normal to not find a dual camera on a phone in this price range. A high-resolution camera is the best you can get.

The picture quality is not disappointing. Photos taken under optimal lighting are comparable with the ones taken from a more expensive camera phone. The quality decreases as the lighting source get dimmer. The flash works quite well in enhancing the camera result during lowlights. You may still see noises and blurs.

The front camera has an 8 MP lens. This is a good enough resolution for a lens used for selfies and video calling. Some people may like the fact that it has an accompanying LED flash. Yes, there’s also an LED flash on the front-facing camera. Motorola calls it “LED selfie flash” which pretty much explains its purpose.

Moving to the camera’s features, only the rear one has manual focus and exposure. You can also adjust the brightness. There’s not many exciting modes aside from HDR.

There are only typical options like timer, grid, and mirror. To sum up Moto G7 Optimo review for the camera, it could do better in providing more interesting camera features.

Storage

Moto G7 Optimo Storage

This phone is equipped with 32 GB internal storage. The capacity is spacious for users to store their personal data and apps data. If you’re being careful with storing files, you might not need to add external storage. There’s still plenty of room available even after subtracted by system files.

But if you do need more space, an external storage option is available. You can add a microSDHC card with a maximum capacity of 512 GB. With that capacity, you can practically store as many files as you want. However, keep in mind that the SD card needs to be purchased separately.

Read also: Alcatel TCL LX (A502DL) Review: Pros and Cons

Performance

Moto G7 Optimo Settings

Looking at the specs, the processor setup on Moto G7 Optimo looks promising. This phone runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 with a processing speed of 1.8 GHz. The chipset is a octa-core one.

The setup translates into a smooth experience when navigating the phone’s apps and features. Apps are intuitive on launch. I can easily navigate from one another with minimal lag. Even better, you can also multitask by opening several apps at once.

In addition to essential tasks, the phone also performs well in the more demanding ones. Thanks to the Adreno 506 GPU, this phone can run graphic heavy tasks such as mobile games without much difficulty.

Watching videos is a nice experience with Moto G7 Optimo. So is browsing through web pages full of graphics and media. If there’s any lag, it’s because the RAM could be bigger. The capacity for the RAM is average at 2 GB.It’s not the smallest among competitors, but more RAM means even better performance.

For its software, G7 Optimo runs on Android 9 Pie. It’s a fairly recent version of this Google mobile operating system. And G7 Optimo installs its stock or original version without many customization. No extreme modification on the software that could slow the phone’s performance.

G7 Optimo is not without Moto custom apps. You’ll find features such as Moto Display and Moto Actions. But rather than being like a bloatware, I actually find Moto features useful.

For example, Moto Display allows users to see notifications at a glance. Meanwhile, Moto Actions provide gestures and actions so users can access something faster.

The choice for apps itself is abundant. Essentials apps are pre-installed, such as Phone, Camera, and Messages. The phone is equipped with almost every Google app available, from Google Photos to Maps. Other than that, users can always download more apps through Google Play Store.

One of the features that I find impressive is the security feature. In addition to the standard PIN and password, Optimo provides fingerprint and face unlock.

You can find the fingerprint reader on the back of the phone. It detects input quickly when unlocking. Face unlock is trickier and slower. But it’s still a nice addition for security.

Another interesting feature is the Google Assistant. Moto G7 Optimo can run on voice commands. This technology is part of Google Voice innovation, which also include other futures such as Voice to text.

Connectivity

Moto G7 Optimo Connectivity

Moto G7 Optimo uses 4G LTE technology as its communication network. Older bands are still supported. But it’s recommended to use 4G for the best network speed and clarity.

Phone calls are clear and rarely drops, and browsing the internet was fast. This phone uses a single-SIM card. No Dual SIM option here.

Other network features available include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. Optimo has everything today’s smartphone should have.

This phone already utilizes a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer. And many customers would be happy to find out the 3.5 mm headset jack. However, you won’t find NFC as it is a feature that’s out of G7 Optimo’s price range.

Battery

Moto G7 Optimo Back Cover

The non-removable battery of Moto G7 Optimo has a capacity of 3,000mAh. It’s an average capacity for a smartphone. When charged full, G7 Optimo claims it can last up to 40 hours on standby. Meanwhile, talk time is up to 29 hours.

But under normal use, the phone will get through the end of the day. It’s a bit tricky to last more than that. Although it’s possible if you utilize the battery saving features efficiently.

The upside of Moto G7 Optimo’s battery is that it supports 10W rapid charging. Filling up the battery doesn’t take as long as in a battery without this feature.

Is the Moto G7 Optimo a good phone?

Moto G7 Optimo is a solid choice for people who are looking for an affordable smartphone. As this review has pointed out, there are some advantages to consider.

Among the few are the large screen with Gorilla Glass, a fast processor, and a fingerprint sensor. You will also get a USB Type-C port and the Rapid charging feature.

All those you can get just by paying $119.99. That’s how much Motorola charges for a unit if you buy through carriers like TracFone. For an entry-level smartphone, it’s a good deal considering the specs.

The drawbacks of this phone are also minuscule compared to its advantages. Moto G Optimo pretty much fulfills my expectation in the beginning of this Moto G7 Optimo (XT1952DL) review.

Do you think this phone will suit your needs? Let us know in the comment below. Also, feel free to ask us if you want to know more about Moto G7 Optimo.

Moto G7 Optimo Pros

  • Fast processor
  • Large HD+ screen
  • Fingerprint reader
  • Face recognition
  • Rapid charging

Moto G7 Optimo Cons

  • RAM could be better
  • No NFC

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