The Motorola Moto G31 is a budget-friendly smartphone that has caught the attention of many with its impressive features and affordability. Released by Motorola, a brand known for providing good value, the Moto G31 aims to deliver a balanced smartphone experience without breaking the bank. In this article, we will dive into the features, price, and an in-depth review of the Moto G31, so you can decide if it’s the right choice for you.

Design and Build Quality

The Moto G31 has a sleek and modern design, with a plastic body that feels sturdy in hand. The back panel has a textured finish, which not only adds to its visual appeal but also provides a good grip. It is available in two colors: Baby Blue and Meteorite Gray. The phone weighs around 180 grams and has a thickness of 8.5mm, making it comfortable to hold and use with one hand.

The front of the device features a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with a small punch-hole for the front camera. The bezels around the screen are relatively thin, giving the phone a modern look. The rear houses a vertically aligned triple-camera setup along with a fingerprint sensor embedded in the Motorola logo, which is easy to reach and works reliably.

Display

The Moto G31 boasts a 6.4-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. This is one of the standout features of the phone, as it provides bright and vibrant colors with deep blacks. The AMOLED screen offers better contrast and color accuracy compared to the LCD panels commonly found in this price range.

With a pixel density of around 411 PPI (pixels per inch), the display is sharp and clear, making it ideal for watching videos, browsing the web, or playing games. It also comes with a 60Hz refresh rate, which is standard for a phone in this category. The display performs well even in bright sunlight, thanks to its high brightness levels.

Performance

The Moto G31 is powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 processor, an octa-core chipset designed for budget and mid-range smartphones. It is paired with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM, depending on the variant you choose. The processor, along with the RAM, provides smooth performance for everyday tasks like browsing, social media, and using apps.

When it comes to gaming, the Moto G31 handles casual games without any issues. For more demanding games, you may need to adjust the graphics settings to get a smoother experience. Overall, the performance is adequate for a phone in this price range, but it may struggle with heavy multitasking or running very demanding applications.

Software

The Moto G31 runs on near-stock Android 11, which is one of its strongest selling points. Motorola has kept the software experience clean, with minimal bloatware and unnecessary apps. This approach ensures a smooth and fast user experience. The phone also includes some useful Moto features, like gestures to turn on the flashlight or open the camera quickly.

There is no heavy skin or customization on top of Android, which means you get a clean and clutter-free interface. Motorola has promised at least one major software update and two years of security updates, which is fairly standard for phones in this segment.

Camera Quality

The Moto G31 comes with a triple-camera setup on the back. It includes a 50 MP main camera, an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 2 MP macro camera. The main camera captures detailed and sharp images in good lighting conditions. The colors are natural, and the dynamic range is decent for a budget smartphone.

The 8 MP ultra-wide-angle camera does a good job of capturing wide scenes but lacks detail compared to the main camera. The 2 MP macro camera allows you to take close-up shots, but the results are often hit or miss, with the need for good lighting and a steady hand.

For selfies, the Moto G31 features a 13 MP front-facing camera. It captures good-quality selfies in well-lit conditions, but the quality drops in low light. The camera app is simple and easy to use, with features like portrait mode, night mode, and HDR to enhance your photos.

Rear Camera Setup

The Moto G31 comes with a triple-camera setup on the back, designed to cater to different photography needs. The three cameras include:

1. 50 MP Main Camera:
2. The main camera is a 50-megapixel sensor with an f/1.8 aperture. It uses pixel binning technology to combine multiple pixels into one, producing 12.5 MP images that are brighter and more detailed. This camera performs well in good lighting conditions, capturing sharp images with good color accuracy and dynamic range. The photos generally have natural colors and a decent amount of detail, making them suitable for everyday photography like outdoor landscapes, portraits, and close-ups. However, in low-light conditions, there is some noticeable noise and a slight drop in sharpness, though the dedicated Night Mode helps improve results by brightening up the scene.
3. 8 MP Ultra-Wide Camera:
4. The ultra-wide-angle camera has an 8-megapixel sensor with a 118-degree field of view. This camera is useful for capturing wider scenes, such as group photos, landscapes, or architectural shots. While it allows you to fit more into the frame, the image quality is lower compared to the main camera. The photos taken with the ultra-wide camera tend to have less detail, especially around the edges, and the colors may appear slightly muted. In good lighting, it performs decently, but in low light, it struggles to maintain clarity and detail.
5. 2 MP Macro Camera:
6. The macro camera has a 2-megapixel sensor designed for close-up shots. It allows you to capture small objects or details from a short distance. However, this camera is the weakest of the three, and the quality of macro shots can be hit or miss. The 2 MP resolution limits the level of detail captured, and the camera requires steady hands and good lighting conditions to produce a decent photo. The colors can sometimes appear washed out, and the images lack the sharpness and clarity of those taken with the main camera.

Front Camera

• 13 MP Selfie Camera:
• The front-facing camera is a 13-megapixel sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. It takes good-quality selfies in well-lit environments, capturing enough detail for social media and video calls. The camera includes features like portrait mode, which uses software to blur the background for a more professional look. In good lighting, selfies have accurate colors and decent sharpness. However, in low-light conditions, the front camera struggles and images may appear grainy and lack detail. The beauty mode, which smooths skin and enhances features, is also available, but it can be adjusted to suit your preference.

Camera Features

The Moto G31’s camera app is straightforward to use, with several shooting modes and features to enhance your photography experience:

• Night Mode: Helps improve photo quality in low-light conditions by combining multiple frames into one brighter, clearer image. It works best with the main camera, allowing you to capture more details in dark environments.
• Portrait Mode: Available for both the front and rear cameras, this mode adds a bokeh effect to your photos, blurring the background while keeping the subject in focus. The edge detection is fairly accurate, especially in well-lit conditions.
• HDR (High Dynamic Range): The HDR mode helps balance exposure in challenging lighting situations, such as when there are both bright and dark areas in a scene. It enhances the overall quality of photos by retaining details in shadows and preventing highlights from being overexposed.
• Panorama Mode: Allows you to capture wide, sweeping landscapes or large groups of people by stitching multiple images together into a single, wide-angle shot.
• Macro Mode: Dedicated to close-up photography, this mode uses the 2 MP macro camera to capture tiny details that are not visible to the naked eye. While the feature is interesting, it requires good lighting and steady hands to produce acceptable results.

Video Recording

• The Moto G31 can record videos at up to 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second (fps) with both the front and rear cameras. The video quality is good for casual recording, with decent colors and sharpness in well-lit conditions. However, there is no support for 4K video recording, which may be a drawback for users looking for higher-resolution video.
• Stabilization: The Moto G31 lacks optical image stabilization (OIS), so you might notice some shakiness in videos, especially when recording while moving. There is basic electronic image stabilization (EIS), which helps to a certain extent, but it isn’t as effective as OIS.

Camera Performance

The Moto G31 offers a decent camera setup for its price range. The 50 MP main camera performs well in good lighting, producing sharp and detailed photos with natural colors. The ultra-wide and macro cameras add versatility, though they do not match the quality of the main sensor. The front camera is suitable for selfies and video calls, though it could struggle in low-light conditions.

While the Moto G31 may not compete with higher-end smartphones in terms of camera performance, it is a solid option for those looking for a budget-friendly device that can take good pictures in most everyday situations. If you prioritize camera quality above all else, you may want to explore other options, but for a budget phone, the Moto G31’s cameras do a respectable job.

Battery Life

One of the standout features of the Moto G31 is its battery life. It comes with a 5,000 mAh battery, which easily lasts for a full day of use, even with heavy usage. With moderate use, including browsing, social media, and streaming, you can expect the battery to last up to two days.

The phone supports 10W charging, which is a bit slow by today’s standards. It takes around 2.5 to 3 hours to fully charge the battery from 0 to 100%. While it may not have fast charging capabilities, the long battery life makes up for it.

Storage and Connectivity

The Moto G31 comes in two storage variants: 64GB and 128 GB. Both variants offer expandable storage via a dedicated microSD card slot, allowing you to add up to 1TB of additional storage. This is a great feature for those who like to store a lot of photos, videos, or apps on their device.

In terms of connectivity, the Moto G31 supports 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, and GPS, and has a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is becoming rare in modern smartphones. It also has a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer. However, it does not support 5G connectivity, which may be a downside for some users looking for a future-proof device.

Price and Availability

The Moto G31 is priced competitively, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious buyers. As of now, the phone is available in most markets for around $200 to $250, depending on the storage variant and region. It is available for purchase through online retailers, Motorola’s official website, and select offline stores.

Final

The Motorola Moto G31 is a solid choice for anyone looking for a budget smartphone with a good display, decent performance, and long battery life. The near-stock Android experience adds to its appeal, providing a clean and smooth user interface. While it may not be the best option for heavy gamers or those needing 5G connectivity, it is an excellent choice for everyday use.

If you are looking for a smartphone that offers good value for money and doesn’t compromise on the basics, the Moto G31 is worth considering. With its affordable price, reliable performance, and impressive battery life, it could be the perfect device for your needs.