Motorola Moto G71 review: Does 5G matter more than just mediocrity?

tech.hindustantimes.com:

The Moto G series has been undergoing a kind of an identity crisis in recent years. Up until last year’s Moto G60, these phones had an impressive spec sheet but would lose out to an equivalent Redmi Note Pro or Realme Pro device. In 2022, Motorola has spiced up its Moto G lineup and after some interesting shows from the Moto G51 and Moto G31, we get the more expensive Moto G71 as the natural Redmi Note competitor.

For its price of Rs. 18,999, the Moto G71 goes after trendy features of the segment – an AMOLED display, 5G connectivity, large battery, a 50MP main camera, and a new Snapdragon chip. To top it off, it brings back Motorola’s renowned “stock Android” experience. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

With the Redmi Note 11 Pro and Realme 9 Pro around the corner, the Moto G71 seems too conservative, while being a stellar smartphone for its price. Let me explain.

Under Lenovo, Motorola has stuck to safe designs that is borderline boring in most cases. The Moto G71 shares the same dull design as the cheaper Moto G31, until you let it shine under the sun. This too has a polycarbonate body but it emulates glass on the rear, especially with its matte finish and a tasteful colour gradient. The rounded rectangular camera hump gets more detailing while the Moto logo hides the fingerprint scanner cleverly.

After so long, I am happy to report that Motorola fixed the buttons! The G71 has tactile volume, power and Google Assistant buttons that feel built to last. The front is dominated mostly by the display and an unusually fat chin that looks out of place on a 2022 phone. No Gorilla Glass here but Motorola says the display can withstand some abuse. I haven’t seen any scratches so far. There's no screen guard pre-applied and yo don’t get it