DETAILED TEST OF THE MOTOROLA ONE POWER
When the Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus received the update to Android 8.1 Oreo, Moto announced the Moto One Power, the company’s first phone under the Android One program. The two events may not be an accident and may be Moto’s way of reassuring users who have so far been frustrated by the company’s updates policy. It’s a bit ironic, because when Moto was owned by Google, Google used it as a means to implement certain standards on Android phones: a clean and minimalist user interface, regular updates and the recent Android features. Well, that’s exactly what the Android One program is achieving now, and many manufacturers signed up for it last year. The trend is visible. Users prefer the clean look of a standard Android over a bloated one like EMUI or ColorOS, and while Moto sticks to its standard Android roots with minimal changes, the company has been asked not to support devices under a year old. The answer is Moto One Power, a product that the Lenovo brand intends to use to compete with players such as Xiaomi, Honor, etc. in the middle segment.
The Moto One Power, to compete hard, uses a relatively new Snapdragon Chipset under the hood, with a slit screen to keep up with the changing times. But what is really remarkable is the huge 5, 000 mAh battery and the fact that updates are now regulated under the Android One program. We have seen that Xiaomi Nokia and Mi A2 phones release security updates regularly. We expect the same for a single-engine motorcycle. But is the promise of regular updates enough to convince users to ditch the most popular phones? Let’s find out.
Design
Moto phones have always stood out from the rest by their design. I remember when the Moto G5 came out last year with a metal cover, and it was very different from the Xiaomi and Honor phones, which were more or less similar to each other. Even when the Moto X hit the market, its compact form factor was the envy of many.
The Moto One Power is a major departure from that philosophy. Now it looks like Redmi Note 5 Pro and even more like Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1. It is quite thick and bulky due to the giant battery. There is a slotted display on the front panel. Moto has a lot of Shaved glasses on the screen and looks pretty awesome.
It will be difficult to recognize the Moto One Power among smartphones of other well-known brands, but that does not mean that it is difficult to use. However, when using the included cover, the Phone seems too thick and becomes heavy. I like that the screen curves the same way as the rounded corners of the cover because it makes things much more symmetrical, even if the notch is opposed.
The back panel, which has a polished matte finish, is clearly separated from the cover, just like the removable back panels of older phones. I tried to apply force and remove it, but it looks good, glued with glue.
One way to distinguish the Phone from others is with the Batwing motorcycle logo on the fingerprint sensor mounted on the back. That’s something the company has been doing with phones for a long time. The hump of the camera is also quite minimal and the Phone always rests on a flat surface. At the bottom there is a speaker grille on each side of the USB Type-C port, and on the right there is a compartment for the SIM card with a dedicated microSD card slot.
Yes, the Moto One Power seems quite versatile, but at the same time it is quite functional. It is pleasant to hold and use, and the rounded corners make it easy to grip the phone.
