Moto G22: Ambitious Features Undermined by Performance Shortcomings

The budget smartphone market is rapidly changing, with most brands striving to incorporate additional features while reducing costs. A notable player in this space is Motorola, which has recently been on a phone-launching roll. The Moto ‘G’ lineup has welcomed new additions, including the Moto G22.

This newly launched smartphone has impressive specifications, featuring a 50-megapixel quad-camera system at the back, a 5,000mAh battery, and a 90Hz screen, among other highlights. Priced at Rs. 10,999, it goes head-to-head with other budget options like the Realme C31 (Review) and the Redmi 10 Prime (Review). While the Moto G22 seems to provide good features for anyone seeking a competent budget device, does it deliver on performance as well? Let’s investigate.

Pricing and Variants of Moto G22

The Moto G22 is offered in India in a single configuration featuring 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Officially, it is priced at Rs. 10,999, although I’ve observed that the price sometimes drops to Rs. 9,999 on platforms like Flipkart and Motorola’s online store.

Design of Moto G22

Budget smartphones appear to be adopting a more premium look and feel these days, and the Moto G22 is no different; its full plastic back is visually appealing, especially in the Cosmic Black variant I have. The Moto G22 is also available in Iceberg Blue and Mint Green, both of which look attractive in promotional images.

Rather than the typical Motorola curved-back design, the Moto G22 features a flat design reminiscent of the iPhone 12. While the device does pick up some fingerprint marks, they are largely unnoticeable unless viewed from certain angles. It feels comfortable in hand, with edges that are not sharp enough to warrant a protective case for usage.

The Cosmic Black variant of the Moto G22 presents a sleek appearance

The quad-camera system at the rear has a slightly different finish than the back panel, showcasing a metallic texture while integrating well into the overall aesthetic, particularly with the black option. The camera module does protrude a bit, causing the phone to wobble when set on level surfaces.

On the front, the Moto G22 features a tall display with a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera. The display bezels are relatively thin on the sides, but the top part takes up some screen space, and there is a more prominent chin at the bottom. Weighing in at 185 grams, the Moto G22 feels light and well-balanced, making it easy to operate with one hand.

The power button and volume controls are located on the right side of the device, while the top edge contains a 3.5mm headphone jack. The bottom features a USB Type-C port, a speaker grille, and the primary microphone. The SIM slot on the left side supports two nano-SIM cards and a microSD card of up to 1TB at the same time. Along with the phone, Motorola provides a protective case and a TurboPower 20W charger in the box.

Specifications and Software of Moto G22

At the core of the Moto G22 is the MediaTek Helio G37 SoC, built on a 12nm process. This chip includes an octa-core CPU that can clock up to 2.3GHz, paired with the IMG PowerVR GE8320 GPU, which has a peak frequency of 680MHz. The Helio G37 also supports displays at a 90Hz refresh rate, which is utilized by the Moto G22’s 6.5-inch HD+ IPS LCD.

In terms of connectivity, the smartphone supports dual-band Wi-Fi ac, 4G LTE, GPS/A-GPS, and Bluetooth 5. Though there isn’t an official IP rating, Motorola claims the device features a water-repellent coating that can handle minor spills and splashes. The phone is powered by a 5,000mAh battery with support for up to 20W charging.

The streamlined software on the Moto G22 is commendable, though some pre-installed apps are present

Motorola is recognized for its nearly stock Android experience, and the Moto G22 does align with that, running Android 12 out of the box, which is relatively rare in this price range. My review unit was equipped with the June 2022 security patch, and the company promises three years of security updates for this model.

While the Moto G22 includes some bloatware like Josh and Dailyhunt, users can opt out of installing these during setup. Interestingly, the device incorporates the Glance wallpaper carousel, which seems inspired by brands like Xiaomi and Realme. If desired, this feature can be disabled through the settings menu.

I have always favored a straightforward UI experience, and the Moto G22 delivers on that front. Navigating through the interface was intuitive, and finding options was hassle-free. Additionally, the ‘Theme Engine’ introduced in Android 12 allows users to customize the home and lock screens. Widgets and built-in app icons adapt to the wallpaper colors, creating a cohesive look. However, the overall usability was not as seamless as I had hoped, but I will elaborate on this shortly.

Motorola’s devices are also known for classic gestures, such as the karate-chop motion to activate the flashlight, the three-finger gesture for screenshots, and the twist to launch the camera. However, like the Realme C31 (Review), the Moto G22 lacks a dedicated gallery app, forcing users to rely on Google Photos or opt for a third-party alternative.

Moto G22 Performance and Battery Life

The Moto G22 supports biometric authentication through both a fingerprint scanner and facial recognition. The fingerprint sensor, located in the power button, is easy to access and provides reliable recognition, though there is a slight delay in unlocking the device. The tactile feedback from the buttons was satisfying. Facial recognition proved inconsistent even in well-lit settings; after detecting my face, the device took a few seconds to unlock.

While the MediaTek Helio G37 is designed for efficiency, I found that it struggled to perform even basic tasks adequately on the Moto G22, which features a lightweight UI. Applications like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook lagged during simple scrolling. Despite setting the display to 90Hz, the smoothness I anticipated was absent.

The Moto G22 struggled with basic tasks like scrolling through social media apps, and multitasking was a challenge

The user interface also felt sluggish when multiple apps were active in the background. Switching between applications and multitasking could become frustrating. Additionally, unlocking the phone often resulted in a disjointed experience, with apps and widgets on the home screen taking time to load. During use, the back panel of the Moto G22 would frequently heat up, even after merely 15 minutes of running basic applications like Instagram.

Benchmark tests further highlighted my experience with the Moto G22; it scored merely 114,222 in AnTuTu, with Geekbench results of 170 for single-core and 955 for multi-core. The GFXBench Car Chase test yielded a score of 5.6fps, while the PCMark Work 3.0 test produced a score of 5,683. These results fell short of expectations, particularly when compared to the similarly priced Realme C31, which performed better with its Unisoc T612 chipset.

Although gaming isn’t a highlighted feature of the Moto G22, I tested it with both heavy and lighter games. Titles like Apex Legends Mobile and BGMI were nearly unplayable even at the lowest graphic settings, which was anticipated. Conversely, Call of Duty: Mobile performed adequately at ‘Low’ settings, allowing for some victories. However, I experienced lag during in-game explosions. Asphalt 9: Legends ran well in ‘Performance’ mode but had its challenges. Lighter games like Temple Run and Subway Surfers functioned smoothly.

The display resolution of the Moto G22 might not be exceptional, but it aligns with other devices within this price bracket. The 720×1600 pixel LCD screen showcased jagged edges on app icons and text, indicating its lower resolution. Nonetheless, colors appeared well-balanced, making movie and TV show viewership enjoyable.

Viewability from different angles did not present significant color shifts. Although the Moto G22 is supposed to support Widevine L1 certification, Netflix did not recognize this, while I could stream movies at 1080p on Amazon Prime Video. Users can select either Natural or Saturated color profiles. While the speaker quality was satisfactory, it lacked a bit on the bass end.

In daily use, which comprised casual gaming and streaming movies and videos, the Moto G22’s 5,000mAh battery successfully lasted beyond a day. During our HD video loop test, it operated for 20 hours and 10 minutes, indicating good endurance. The provided 20W TurboPower charger was capable of charging the Moto G22 to 36 percent within half an hour and 59 percent in one hour, though full charging took over two hours.

The Moto G22 features a rear quad-camera configuration with a 50-megapixel main camera

Camera Performance of Moto G22

The Moto G22 features an intriguing quad-camera configuration at the back, which is uncommon in this price range. Its camera array comprises a 50-megapixel primary lens with an f/1.8 aperture, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens with an f/2.2 aperture and a field of view of 118 degrees, a 2-megapixel depth sensor with an f/2.4 aperture, and a 2-megapixel macro lens also with an f/2.4 aperture.

On the flip side, there’s a 16-megapixel camera with an f/2.45 aperture. The camera interface is user-friendly and well-organized, ensuring that required shooting modes and settings are easy to access. The Moto G22 supports «dual capture» for photos and videos, which is advantageous, along with various filters and beautification options. However, I encountered several crashes and lags within the camera app, particularly while switching modes, which was quite frustrating.

Photos captured by the primary lens are pixel-binned to 9.4-megapixels by default, with additional options for 6-megapixels or ‘High-resolution’ in settings. The majority of my shots were taken in overcast conditions. Initially, the images appeared satisfactory, but zooming in revealed a lack of detail. I appreciated the Moto G22’s primary lens for consistently maintaining neutral colors, allowing for more creative flexibility in editing.

Sample shot from the Moto G22’s primary camera during daylight (tap to see full size)

Ultra-wide-angle sample shot from the Moto G22 during daylight (tap to see full size)

 

The primary camera also tends to crop images more than I preferred. Switching to the ultra-wide-angle lens noticeably decreased the image quality, revealing cooler tones compared to the primary camera. Fortunately, corner distortion was minimal.

Macro shots were average, lacking in detail due to the lower resolution of the camera. Portrait shots were decent, with a good blur effect and quick autofocus; the camera app allows you to set the level of blur in real-time.

Portrait mode sample taken with the Moto G22 (tap to see full size)

Low-light performance of the primary camera was mediocre, as many images captured in dim lighting exhibited significant noise. The ultra-wide camera also suffered in detail retention, although the images remained usable. Engaging the ‘Night Vision’ mode brightened images but introduced noise in certain areas.

Selfies taken with the front camera were acceptable, showing good detail, though backgrounds in backlit shots often got overexposed. Portrait selfies were inconsistent, frequently failing to blur hair and background correctly. Selfie quality in low-light conditions was below par.

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Sample shots highlighting low-light conditions (top) and selfies (bottom) captured by the Moto G22 (tap to see full size)

The Moto G22 records videos in 1080p and 720p at 30fps, but the daylight recordings often fell short, lacking clarity. The footage was not stabilized, and I noticed noise even in well-lit surroundings. Low-light video performance was equally deficient, with pronounced noise. Recording with the ultra-wide-angle camera is possible but switching lenses during filming is not allowed.

Final Thoughts

The Moto G22 may draw interest due to its quad-camera system and minimalist design. Coupled with a near-stock Android experience and a commitment to three years of security updates, it stands out in its price range. The robust 5,000mAh battery and included 20W charger is another noteworthy aspect. Additionally, the 90Hz refresh rate and inclusion of Android 12 are definite perks.

However, these features do not compensate for its disappointing performance. Daily use of the Moto G22 can be frustrating, as it struggles with even fundamental tasks. It feels like a lost chance for Motorola, as it could have been a solid contender in this market segment if it had prioritized a smoother Android experience over showcasing extra rear cameras.

If you’re seeking alternatives within this pricing tier, consider the Realme C31 (Review) and the Redmi 10 Prime as commendable options. If a clean software experience is a priority for you, the Nokia G21 (Review) is also worth consideration.

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