Motorola Moto G22: The budget smartphone game just got more complicated. Motorola’s Moto G22 arrives with promises of flagship features at basement prices, but sometimes good intentions don’t translate to good experiences. Priced at just ₹10,999, this device represents everything right and wrong with ultra-affordable smartphones.

Design That Punches Above Its Weight

First impressions matter, and the Moto G22 doesn’t disappoint here. The phone feels surprisingly premium for something costing less than most people spend on lunch for a week. The matte finish on the back provides excellent grip while resisting fingerprints – a thoughtful touch that many expensive phones overlook.

At 8.5mm thick and weighing 185 grams, it’s definitely on the chunky side. But there’s something honest about its heft that makes it feel substantial rather than cheap. The plastic construction might not win design awards, but it’s built to survive real-world usage without breaking your heart or your bank account.

The camera bump protrudes noticeably from the rear, but it’s organized in a way that looks intentional rather than afterthought. Available in Cosmic Black, Iceberg Blue, and Pearl White, the color options give users some personality without getting too flashy.

Display That Divides Opinion

Here’s where things get interesting – and not always in good ways. The 6.5-inch IPS LCD screen offers a 90Hz refresh rate, which sounds impressive until you realize it’s hampered by HD+ resolution. That’s 720 x 1600 pixels spread across a fairly large display, resulting in noticeable pixelation that becomes obvious during everyday use.

The 90Hz refresh rate should make everything feel smooth, but the underlying hardware struggles to maintain consistent frame rates. This creates a frustrating experience where the promise of smooth scrolling is constantly interrupted by stutters and delays.

Brightness levels are another pain point. Even at maximum settings, outdoor visibility remains challenging. The display peaks at around 400 nits, which was adequate five years ago but feels dated now. Colors tend to look washed out, and contrast ratios leave much to be desired.

Performance That Reveals Budget Constraints

The MediaTek Helio G37 processor represents the phone’s biggest compromise. Built on a 12nm process with eight cores running at modest clock speeds, this chipset simply wasn’t designed for 2024 expectations. Daily tasks like opening apps, switching between them, or typing messages often involve noticeable delays.

Gaming performance is particularly rough. Popular titles like PUBG Mobile run with significant frame drops and texture pop-in issues. Even lightweight games struggle to maintain playable frame rates. The 4GB of RAM provides adequate multitasking for basic usage, but don’t expect to keep multiple apps running smoothly.

Storage options include 64GB and 128GB variants, both expandable via microSD. The eMMC storage is noticeably slow, contributing to the overall sluggish feel when loading apps or transferring files.

Camera System That Surprises

Against all odds, the quad-camera setup delivers respectable results. The 50MP main sensor captures detailed photos with good color reproduction in daylight conditions. Images show impressive clarity for a budget device, though dynamic range remains limited.

The 8MP ultrawide lens adds versatility, even if quality drops significantly compared to the main sensor. The 2MP macro and depth sensors feel like spec-sheet padding rather than useful additions. Night photography reveals the budget nature immediately – expect noise, blur, and generally unusable results.

The 16MP front camera handles selfies adequately, though portrait mode struggles with edge detection around hair and ears.

Battery Life That Actually Delivers

The 5000mAh battery represents this phone’s strongest feature. Real-world usage easily stretches into two full days for moderate users. Video streaming, social media scrolling, and general app usage barely dent the battery percentage.

During testing, an hour of video streaming at full brightness consumed only 5% battery – impressive efficiency that makes the phone practical for users who can’t charge frequently. The 15W charging speed feels slow by modern standards, taking nearly three hours for a complete charge, but the exceptional battery life makes this less problematic.

Software Experience That Stays Clean

Near-stock Android 12 provides a refreshing change from heavily customized interfaces. Motorola adds minimal bloatware, keeping the experience clean and recognizable. The company promises two years of security updates, which is reasonable for this price range.

Motorola Moto G22 The Verdict: Knowing What You’re Getting

The Moto G22 succeeds as an emergency phone or secondary device. Its exceptional battery life and decent build quality make it suitable for users who need basic smartphone functionality without premium expectations. However, anyone hoping for smooth performance or vibrant displays will find themselves frustrated.

At ₹10,999, it’s cheap enough to overlook significant flaws, but only if you understand what you’re buying. This isn’t a phone for anyone who values responsive performance or quality displays – it’s a communication device that happens to run Android.