Motorola Moto G10 review

Introduction

The first couple of Moto G iterations were competitive, well-rounded and adequately priced. Things have changed since then, and the market is moving fast, that Motorola is forced to play catch-up. The Moto G30 and G10 are this year's low-end smartphones in the company's portfolio and are dangerously close to each other, price-wise.

The subject of this review is the Moto G10, the one that starts at around €150. It offers a budget Snapdragon 460 chipset, 4GB/64GB base memory configuration and a low-res 720p+ screen but big enough 6.5-inch diagonal by today's standards. All the essentials are in place, too, such as a versatile camera setup with 48MP main and 8MP ultrawide cameras and a big 5,000 mAh battery.

Motorola Moto G10 specs at a glance:

• Body: 165.2x75.7x9.2mm, 200g; Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame; Water-repellent design.
• Display: 6.50" IPS LCD, 720x1600px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 269ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM4250 Snapdragon 460 (11 nm): Octa-core (4x1.8 GHz Kryo 240 & 4x1.6 GHz Kryo 240); Adreno 610.
• Memory: 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
• OS/Software: Android 11.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.7, 26mm, 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 118˚, 1/4.0", 1.12µm; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30/60fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5000mAh; Charging 10W.
• Misc: NFC; FM radio; 3.5mm jack.

You may think that this is what most of the other manufacturers will be offering too for such a low price, but you will be surprised by the set of features competitors have to offer in the sub-€200 category these days.

The Moto G10 advantages include the main 48MP camera with a fairly bright f/1.7 aperture, NFC for all markets, the water-repellent coating and the clean Android 11 experience with a few nifty extra features. But are they enough to convince the mass consumer? We investigate on the following pages.

Unboxing the Motorola Moto G10

The Moto G10 comes in a standard retail box containing the usual user manuals along with a USB-A to USB-C charging cable and a travel charger rated at 10W. There's also a transparent silicone protective case that snuggly fits around the phone.

The charger is not very fast, but 10W is the most the Moto G10 will take anyway. In contrast, the higher-tier Moto G30 comes with faster charging support and a corresponding 30W charger.