Hot topics

Motorola Moto G8 Power hands-on: it just runs and runs and runs

AndroidPIT Motorola Moto G8 Power Front 1
© nextpit

Read in other languages:

Motorola expands the Moto G8 series with the popular endurance model. As every year, the G8 Power gets a fresh look and more power once again. But Motorola is also giving the G8 Power more cameras for 2020. Do the upgrades pay off?

Motorola Moto G8 Power
Motorola Moto G8 Power: All deals

Motorola Moto G8 Power release date and price

Motorola's successful G-Series models have not been among the expensive flagship smartphones for some time now, but are well-received in the middle class. Accordingly, the price Motorola has announced for the Moto G8 Power is very attractive: €229.99 in Europe. Motorola names the beginning of March as the sales start date.

Motorola Moto G8 Power design and build quality

Motorola is finally expanding the G-Series with another model, the G8 Power. The optical relationship to the Moto G8 Plus is unmistakable. The small visible differences between the two G8 models from Motorola aren't so obvious at first glance, but on closer inspection, it first becomes apparent that the G8 Plus has a drop notch on the front and the G8 Power uses a hole-punched display for the selfie camera.

AndroidPIT Motorola Moto G8 Power G8 Plus Comparison 1
Dewdrop notch vs. hole-punched display. / © NextPit

From the rear, the G8 Plus and G8 Power can only be distinguished by the position of the LED flash. Otherwise, the G8 models are very similar in design.

AndroidPIT Motorola Moto G8 Power G8 Plus Comparison 2
Left G8 Power, right G8 Plus. / © NextPit

Motorola Moto G8 Power display

The Moto G8 Power's display measures 6.4 inches and uses the Max Vision Full HD+ panel, which Motorola has named for the G8 Power. This is an IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1,080 x 2,300 pixels. Colors and brightness of the display are good and viewing angle stable.

AndroidPIT Motorola Moto G8 Power Front 1
The bright and colorful IPS LCD display on the Moto G8 Power. / © NextPit

Motorola Moto G8 Power software

On the software side Motorola delivers the G8 Power with Android 10. This means you have all the conveniences of the latest Android version pre-installed at the factory. Of course, Motorola again adds some clever Motorola features to the software, including Moto Actions, which I personally find very helpful, such as the preview display.

Motorola Moto G8 Power performance

Inside the Moto G8 Power beats Qualcomm's Snapdragon 665 with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. This equipment is the same as that of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8T, so it's not surprising that the performance measurement using the benchmark apps are very similar, but you can't expect much more for the price of €229.99.

Motorola G8 Power benchmark comparison

  3DMark Sling Shot Extreme 3DMark Sling Shot Volcano

3DMark Sling Shot

Geekbench 5 (Single/Multi) PassMark
Memory
PassMark
Disk
Redmi Note 8T 1068 1045 1744 313 / 1388 12701 56034
Motorola G8 Power 1093 1039 1737 310 / 1362 12398 46677
Realm 5 Pro 2091 1980 2990 321 / 1498 12595 67088

Motorola Moto G8 Power camera

Motorola has upgraded the new Power with the new G8 camera. If the G7 Power had packed a good amera, the G8 Power now comes with a quad-camera setup consisting of the following individual components:

  • 16-megapixel wide-angle camera (f/1.7, 1.12μm)
  • 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with 118-degree aperture angle (f/2.2, 1.12μm)
  • 8-megapixel 2x telephoto camera (f/2.2, 1.12μm)
  • 2-megapixel macro lens (minimum distance 2 cm)
AndroidPIT Motorola Moto G8 Power Camera Module
With the G8 Power, Motorola now also relies on a multi-camera system. / © NextPit

In addition, there is a selfie camera with 16 megapixels and an aperture of f/2.0. How the camera performs in detail, we will find out for you when we do our final review.

Motorola Moto G8 Power battery

For a smartphone in the under 250 bucks, the Motorola Moto G8 Power really has a massive battery. Full 5,000 mAh batteries are hard to find even in current flagship smartphones. But the battery size itself is far from being enough to be an endurance runner. Only the combination of software and hardware can get the maximum out of the battery.

Since we have the device in the editorial office for only a few days and the first days the G8 Power had to go through the benchmark tests, I can't give you any valid battery life data in everyday use. But the G8 Power makes a very good impression in the battery benchmark and managed a full 18 hours and 51 minutes in the PC Mark battery test. In our final review, you will find out how well the Moto G8 Power performs in everyday life.

AndroidPIT Motorola Moto G8 Power Charging Port
With 18W the Moto G8 Power is quickly charged. / © NextPit

Once you have emptied the battery, you can quickly supply the Moto G8 with energy again thanks to the 18-Watt fast charging technology. The G8 Power comes with a power plug suitable for this too.

Early Verdict

For the time being, the Moto G8 Power makes a very good impression, as it is a very persistent Android smartphone for under €250. So the job is kind of done here. The Moto G8 Power has to prove in real-life test now that it not only runs and runs, but can also entertain.

The best Samsung Galaxy phones compared

  Best flagship Best all-rounder Best foldable Best compact foldable Best midrange model Best budget model
Device Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
Image
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S23
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
Samsung Galaxy A54
Samsung Galaxy A34
Rating
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review
Samsung Galaxy S23 review
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 review
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review
Samsung Galaxy A54 review
Samsung Galaxy A34 review
Check offer*
Go to comment (4)
Shu On Kwok

Shu On Kwok
Senior Editor

Since 1999, Shu has written about the colorful world of IT and telecommunications. His career started as a presenter at the five-hour TV show NBC GIGA, which led him through several career stages until he finally joined the AndroidPIT team in May of 2015. His passion for mobile devices and gadgets knows no boundaries. Whether Android, iOS or Windows, Shu feels at home with any OS.

View all articles
Liked this article? Share now!
Recommended articles
Latest articles
Push notification Next article
4 comments
Write new comment:
All changes will be saved. No drafts are saved when editing
Write new comment:
All changes will be saved. No drafts are saved when editing

  • Ibrahim Hossain Somrat 2
    Ibrahim Hossain Somrat Feb 9, 2020 Link to comment

    Best Mattress Topper for Back Pain

    What is the most uncommon thing in this phone?
    it's anything to make this one different than other smartphones?


  • David Martrano 29
    David Martrano Feb 8, 2020 Link to comment

    No OLED display, LCD, ba humbug. Probably no NFC either, nah!


  • 49
    storm Feb 7, 2020 Link to comment

    The Moto g line has always been a compelling offering.


    • David McCourt 16
      David McCourt Feb 7, 2020 Link to comment

      We like them here. Motorola's Stock 'Android + a few Moto extras' approach is great.

Write new comment:
All changes will be saved. No drafts are saved when editing