Moto G82 5G: A Bold Leap into Premium Features while Maintaining Budget Appeal

Motorola has introduced its G series beyond the Rs. 20,000 price range in India, with the Moto G82 5G being the first model to command such a price. It comes with a 120Hz pOLED screen, stereo audio, an IP52 rating, and a primary camera with 50 megapixels. Is the price point justified by these features, or should you consider opting for a more affordable option? Here’s my assessment.

Moto G82 5G pricing in India

The Moto G82 5G is offered at Rs. 21,499 for the 6GB RAM model, while the 8GB RAM option is available for Rs. 22,999. Both variants are equipped with 128GB of internal storage. Motorola provides two color options: Meteorite Grey and White Lily.

Design of the Moto G82 5G

Motorola asserts that the Moto G82 5G is the most compact and lightweight smartphone in its category. Its design seems to be influenced by the Motorola Edge 30 (Review), which makes a similar claim. The Moto G82 5G features a flat plastic frame aligned with contemporary design trends. The edges of the phone are rounded to ensure comfort while gripping it.

The device showcases a 6.6-inch pOLED screen, utilizing the same display technology as the higher-end Motorola Edge 30. Motorola indicates that the pOLED display contributes to a slimmer profile and minimizes bezels. It incorporates a hole-punch cutout designated for the front-facing camera.

The acrylic rear of the Moto G82 5G mimics glass

 

Handling the Moto G82 5G with one hand was not cumbersome, and its weight of 173g did not lead to discomfort. The device is equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor along with the volume controls, positioned on the right edge. Although the power button was easily accessible, reaching the volume buttons required a slight stretch of my fingers when using the phone single-handedly.

All ports are located on the lower edge, while the top houses a secondary microphone. The left side is solely dedicated to the SIM tray. Although the back panel has a glass-like appearance, it is actually made from acrylic, which offers better resistance to shattering upon accidental falls. The camera module is situated in the upper-left corner and protrudes slightly from the back. The ‘batwing’ logo from Motorola is centrally placed. Lastly, the Moto G82 5G features an IP52 certification, ensuring it is resistant to splashes from liquids.

My unit in Meteorite Grey tended to show fingerprints quite readily, necessitating frequent wipes of the back. Fortunately, Motorola includes a transparent case in the packaging to help mitigate this issue.

Specifications and software of the Moto G82 5G

The Moto G82 5G is driven by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 octa-core SoC. This same processor is featured in the Moto G71 5G (Review), which was assessed recently. Other devices such as the Vivo T1 (Review) also harness this SoC, albeit at a more competitive starting price. As previously mentioned, you have two options for RAM, but both variants come with 128GB of storage. The device is equipped with a hybrid SIM slot, meaning that expanding storage will require sacrificing the use of a second SIM card.

The Moto G82 5G boasts Bluetooth 5.1, dual-band Wi-Fi, support for 13 5G bands, and dual-4G VoLTE capability. Its 6.6-inch display has a full-HD+ resolution with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a touch sampling rate of 360Hz. Additionally, the Moto G82 5G includes stereo speakers compatible with Dolby Atmos. The smartphone is powered by a 5,000mAh battery that supports 30W fast charging, and Motorola provides a 33W TurboPower charger with the device.

The Moto G82 5G comes with Android 12 pre-installed

 

The Moto G82 5G operates on Android 12 with Motorola’s MyUX interface layered on top. The UI customization is minimal, offering a close resemblance to stock Android. When I conducted this review, my unit was running the Android security patch from April 2022. Motorola has guaranteed an upgrade to Android 13 and three years of security updates. Such guarantees for updates are always a positive aspect, provided they are issued promptly.

Motorola has effectively limited bloatware, with only the Facebook app pre-installed, which can be easily removed. The interface offers theming options through the Moto application, which also houses Moto Actions that allow users to control various smartphone functionalities, like the camera and flashlight, through gestures.

Performance of the Moto G82 5G

The Moto G82 5G managed to handle my everyday tasks smoothly without any lags or stuttering. Multitasking on my review unit with 6GB of RAM was effortless. Application loading times were generally within acceptable ranges. The display provided good viewing angles and was bright enough for outdoor use. Watching videos was engaging, aided by the stereo speakers for an immersive auditory experience. Those interested in media consumption will certainly find the Moto G82 5G appealing.

The Moto G82 5G yielded respectable results in benchmark testing. It scored 404,838 points on AnTuTu. On Geekbench 5, it achieved scores of 657 for single-core and 1929 for multi-core tests. The Moto G82 5G also performed adequately in 3DMark’s Slingshot benchmark with a score of 4031 points. In GFXBench, the Moto G82 5G reached 17fps on the Car Chase benchmark. These results were comparable to the Moto G71 5G and the Vivo T1 (Review), though the iQoo Z5 (Review) remains a leading contender in performance within this price bracket thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC.

The camera module on the Moto G82 5G has a minor protrusion

 

Gaming performance was satisfactory, with the Moto G82 5G running Call of Duty: Mobile smoothly at ‘High’ graphics settings and ‘High’ frame rates. The game performed well at these configurations without lag or stuttering. After a 20-minute session, there was a six percent decrease in battery life. While the smartphone did become slightly warm, it was nothing of concern.

The battery life was commendable for my usage, which included Instagram browsing, watching YouTube videos, making calls, and web surfing. The Moto G82 5G lasted over a day with this usage pattern. During our HD video looping test, the device operated for 16 hours and 13 minutes. The substantial 5,000mAh battery charged swiftly with the included 33W charger, reaching 42 percent in half an hour, with a full charge taking just over an hour.

Camera performance of the Moto G82 5G

The Moto G82 5G features a triple camera arrangement comprising a 50-megapixel main camera with optical stabilisation (OIS), an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. For selfies, it includes a 16-megapixel front camera. The camera application is user-friendly and packed with features, allowing you to swipe left or right on the viewfinder to switch between modes. It offers quick toggles for HDR, enhancing bright scenes, and an Auto Night Vision mode that activates automatically in low-light environments.

With the monsoon season active in Mumbai, most photographs I took with the Moto G82 5G were under overcast conditions. Daytime images displayed solid details, with recognizable objects nearby. The camera automatically activated HDR, which enhanced the dynamic range of the images. Photos captured with the ultra-wide-angle lens maintained the same color balance but lacked the same detail as the primary lens.

Daylight shots from the primary camera (top) and ultra-wide-angle camera (bottom) (Tap to view full size)

 

 

Close-up images exhibited sharpness and accurate colors. The device was prompt in achieving focus and achieved a pleasing soft bokeh effect in the background. Portrait shots showcased commendable edge detection, with the phone permitting adjustments to the background blur level. Macro captures were reasonable quality. The software also intelligently suggested switching between the main and macro camera based on the distance from the subject.

Close-up image taken with the primary camera of the Moto G82 5G (tap to view full size)

Macro photograph taken using the dedicated macro camera on the Moto G82 5G (tap to view full size)

 

Low-light performance was impressive, with the phone automatically engaging Auto Night Vision for optimal image capture. Each shot took around three seconds to capture and demonstrated good details on nearby subjects. Distant elements appeared soft but were still identifiable. When manually activating Night Vision, it provided a brighter image with improved detail.

Low-light photo (top) and Night mode shot (bottom) from the Moto G82 5G (Tap to view full size)

 

 

Selfies taken with the Moto G82 5G performed well in both daylight and low-light circumstances. Selfie portraits exhibited good edge identification, although the device applied a filter for smoothing, which can be disabled for those who prefer a more natural appearance.

Selfie portraits in daylight (top) and low-light (bottom) from the Moto G82 5G (Tap to view full size)

 

 

Video recording is limited to 1080p for both the primary and front-facing cameras. The stabilization was not up to par with my expectations, as the footage exhibited jitter during movement. This was particularly evident in low-light conditions. Given that the primary camera includes OIS, I expected better stabilization, but the results were below average.

Conclusion

The Moto G82 5G represents the inaugural G-series smartphone to surpass the Rs. 20,000 threshold, though it remains competitively priced below Rs. 25,000, a segment that is not overly saturated. With a sharp display, stereo sound, and splash resistance, Motorola has endeavored to set the device apart from its rivals. The Moto G82 5G may attract buyers willing to exceed the Rs. 20,000 mark for its features.

Nevertheless, for those willing to invest slightly more than the asking price of the Moto G82 5G, devices like the Realme GT Master Edition (Review) and the iQoo Z5 (Review) present significantly superior performance. Those with a focus on camera quality should consider the Realme 9 Pro+ (Review), which also boasts enhanced video recording capabilities. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option with features similar to the Moto G82 5G, alternatives such as the Moto G71 5G (Review) and the Vivo T1 (Review) should also be on your radar.

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