▷Moto G7 Play review: low cost but what autonomy! 🥇

Moto G7 Play is the smallest of the family: it is compact, light and economical. A device designed for those who do not expect much from their smartphone but still capable of giving some solid satisfaction. We talk about it in this one review.

Moto G7 Play: the technical sheet

Dimensions: 147,3 x 71,5 x 8,0 mm
Weight: 149 g
Display: 5,7″ IPS LCD – 720 x 1512 pixel
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 632
GPU: Adreno 506
RAM: 2 GB
Memory: 32 GB
Network: 4G LTE – Dual SIM
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, USB Type-C, GPS
Battery: 3000 mAh
Rear camera: 13 MP
Front Camera: 8 MP
Video: 4K @30 fps
Operating System: Android 9.0 Pie

An abundant notch

The first thing you will notice about the Moto G7 Play is the notch, abundant, a little anachronistic and similar to the one seen on Motorola One. Don't worry, in reality it will not bother you too much in daily use even if it takes away some space for notifications, which will force you to lower the relative curtain to check emails, messages, missed calls, etc. The notch is set in a 5,7-inch IPS LCD display with HD + resolution. Yes, that's right, on paper it's not a lot, but in reality the screen behaves well: it is bright, the colors are quite natural and the behavior in direct sunlight is convincing.

The rear of the terminal is instead in plastic, enriched with a knurled texture which facilitates the grip and prevents the device from slipping from your hands. On the back we also find the usual circular module of the camera and the fingerprint reader, while on the sides we have the on / off button and the volume rocker, on the right, and on the left the slot for the two SIMs and the microSD, essential seen that the memory of this Moto G7 Play stops at 32 GB.

Finally, the presence of the USB-C connector is surprising, unusual on a device of this range but certainly highly appreciated.

Pleasantly fluid

We don't have any surprising specs on board - the processor is one Snapdragon 632 e the RAM if closed solid 2 GB. Don't panic though: this pairing in fact manages to give you pretty good performance and a really smooth user experience, of course also thanks to the software. In fact we have on board Android 9.0 Pie in versione stock, version enriched only by some features typical of Motorola devices. These include Moto Display, which allows you to interact with notifications even without unlocking the device, and Moto Actions, so you can control the device with some simple gestures.

Connectivity is absolutely promoted. The 3000 mAh of the battery is not many but software optimization allows you to get to the end of the day with average use. Obviously this does not happen with intensive use but users of this kind are certainly not the target of this Moto G7 Play.

What is a little less convincing is the connectivity. Yes, we have 4G, but WiFi is not dual band and NFC is also missing, which will force you to give up the now increasingly used Google Pay. Such a pity.

Don't expect miracles

The yield of the photographic sector is rather predictable: both cameras - the rear 13 megapixel one and the front 8 megapixel one - behave discreetly in conditions of excellent brightness, taking advantage of the automatic HDR (which can be deactivated if you don't like the effect). Things change when the sun goes down, with noisy and decidedly unsatisfactory photos.

Finally, the videos can be shot in 4K and 30 fps but it will be difficult to appreciate them on this display. The result then suffers somewhat from the stabilization assistance.

Moto G7 Play: buy it or not?

Moto G7 Play is a device intended for those on a budget - only 189 € to take it home - but still expects a responsive device, with good autonomy and a very convincing software. However, you will have to be willing to make some sacrifices, unfortunately starting from the NFC.