Like the Moto G8, camera performance is a bit of a mixed bag. The Moto G9 Play’s main camera takes 12-megapixel still images (via a process called pixel binning) and, as far as I could tell, there’s no option to take a full 48MP image. Provided you’re graced with plenty of light, still images look quite lovely for the price, with a decent amount of detail and clean, neutral-looking colours. In design terms, Motorola has mixed up the formula again, most notably when it comes to the rear camera placement. Now situated in a neat square in the top-centre portion of the phone, the three cameras and LED flash module are spaced evenly apart in a 2×2 grid, with a sensibly-placed circular fingerprint reader – with the Motorola “M” logo etched onto it – sitting just underneath. The next case on the list is the leather case for the Motorola Moto G9 Play. Not only does this protector add aesthetic value to your phone, it also provides 360-degree protection with its hard PC exterior and soft silicone interior. It has a strong and double-sided magnetic closure which secures your phone, money and cards in safely and a built-in stepless stand lets you convert the cover into a stand and watch video with a handsfree experience on your phone, anywhere you want. This is the perfect case for you if you want a wallet and phone cover in one.

Its large size is also a big benefit for almost all games and apps. Can you do better for the same cost? Yes. Xiaomi sells several phones for similar money with higher resolution displays. The Xiaomi Redmi 9 and Redmi Note 9 have 1080p screens, as does the Realme 6. Available user storage is less due to preloaded software, and is subject to change without notice due to software updates. The front camera has an 8MP f/2.2 sensor that seems to smear fine detail in anything less than good lighting. But we think it’s a perfectly acceptable selfie camera at this level. The Moto G9 Play also has a Portrait mode for selfies, which is a lovely touch. Portable Chargers - Whichever portable charger you get, you can charge your phone wherever you are. Choose from solar chargers, waterproof external batteries, inductive power banks, and a variety of other options so you never have to worry about a dead battery again. Motorola adds some shortcut gestures, but Peek is perhaps its most useful addition. This is a display that pops up when the Moto G9 Play is sitting idle, say on a table, and you ‘bump’ it to set off the motion sensors.The Moto G9 Play isn’t very good at accurately judging exposure levels, however, and I often had to use the on-screen exposure slider to boost the overall brightness of a photograph. Low-light performance is pretty dire, too, with a noticeable amount of visual noise and a distractingly warm hue to images shot indoors under less than ideal lighting. Video is severely restricted, though. You can only shoot at up to 1080p resolution, 60 frames per second. And we recommend using 1080p, 30fps most of the time, as it’s the best quality mode on offer that also allows for electronic image stabilization (EIS). Footage looks jerky and ugly without EIS.

As for the other cameras, the macro unit allows you to get up to 4x closer to your subject than the regular snapper, capturing finer details up close. It’s fun to use, but results are variable. It was a particularly windy day when I was testing this feature for my review, and the camera struggled to focus on the quivering flowers in the garden. Certain features, functionality, and product specifications may be network dependent and subject to additional terms, conditions, and charges. All are subject to change without notice. For the stat nerds out there, the Moto G9 Play’s bonus cameras use f/2.4 OmniVision OV02B sensors. And the main one is a 48MP f/1.7 Samsung GM1, used in a great many cheap phones including the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 and TCL 10L. Attributes present here typical of phones at the price include that photos taken in indoor lighting look soft and desaturated, and right down at pixel level images tend to look either noisy or processed. However, given the price, the Moto G9 Play performs admirably enough.

My club trendy

This is only around a third of the brightness of a phone like the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, but it is still enough to make the phone reasonably clear outdoors. We only wished there was a little more on tap when out shooting photos in bright conditions.

The Moto G9 Play has a perfectly solid screen. However, we are now quite accustomed to 90Hz and 120Hz screens, and the switch down to a 60Hz one with clearly sub- OLED pixel response times did take a day or two to bed into. Finally, the Moto G9 Play can only record video at up to 1080p (Full HD) resolution at 30fps. There’s no option to record at 60fps or higher resolutions but the footage is fully stabilised at least. Motorola Moto G9 Play review: Verdict When it comes to battery life, however, that’s when the Moto G9 Plus begins to pull ahead. Lasting 19hrs 46mins on a single charge in our video rundown test, the Moto G9 Plus’ stamina is increased by roughly 8% when compared with the Moto G8, and it lasted longer than both the Nokia 5.3 and Xiaomi Redmi Note 9.All battery life claims are approximate and based on the median user tested across a mixed use profile (which includes both usage and standby time) under optimal network conditions. Actual battery performance will vary and depends on many factors, including signal strength, network and device settings, temperature, battery condition, and usage patterns.

Tenth on this list is the ultra-thin case for the Motorola Moto G9 Play. Unlike the Armor cases, this case is processed with a matte finish, giving your phone a sleek and minimal look. With 4 layers of independent dying process, it prevents the case from yellowing, fading and scratching. The raised bezels lift the screen and camera off flat surfaces and the pronounced buttons are easy to feel and press, while precise cutouts fit most cables, making it the perfect thin cover for your phone. Asphalt 9’s frame rate is inconsistent, which it is on most affordable phones, and it doesn’t look as pretty as it might on a higher-end mobile, but it’s still fun. The Moto G9 Play has a 5,000mAh battery that outlasts plenty of top-end phones with similar capacity according to our testing. On lighter days we are left with over 40% charge by bedtime. We have never needed to give the phone a top-up to make sure it lasts the day.It scores 1,376 in Geekbench 5, far better than the ~900 you’d see from the Moto G8 Play. This phone uses the same processor as the step-up Moto G9 Power. As for the cameras, the Moto G9 Play uses a triple-camera array on the rear. The primary snapper is a 48MP (f/1.7) affair, and this is complemented by a 2MP (f/2.4) macro and a 2MP (f/2.4) depth-sensing unit. Eagle-eyed readers might have noticed that the depth sensor actually replaces the Moto G8’s wide-angle camera, which is a bit of a shame. In my view, the option to squeeze more stuff in the frame is more beneficial than any marginal gains achieved by a depth sensor. Gaming is no problem either. Fortnite runs at an acceptable 20-30fps, only usually dropping below 20fps when falling from the dropship or taking to the skies in the plane. PUBG runs well at ‘balanced’ graphics, and you can’t use the higher-end modes anyway.