Moto G31 First Impressions: Extremely Well-Packed

Motorola’s famous Moto G smartphone line recently received five new versions for worldwide markets, which are now making their way to India. These smartphones range in price from the high-end Moto G200 to the mid-range Moto G71 to the entry-level Moto G31. The Moto G31 is the first of five smartphones to launch in India, with a starting price of Rs 12,999 for the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage model and Rs 14,999 for the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant. 

I was sent the 4GB RAM model in Meteorite Gray for review. Additionally, a Baby Blue finish is available, which is a combination of blue and purple. The polycarbonate unibody of the phone features a minor groove design on the rear that improves grip. Although it is composed of polycarbonate, it does not appear cheap and even comes with an IPX2 water resistant rating. In comparison, the Moto G30 (review) was dust and water resistant to an IP52 classification.

The Moto G31 features a dedicated Google Assistant button. 

The top features a 3.5mm headphone socket, while the bottom features a single speaker and a USB Type-C connector. All buttons are located on the right. At the top, there is a dedicated Google Assistant button; below that, there is a volume lock and a power button. On the rear, the fingerprint sensor features the Moto branding. The SIM tray features a hybrid dual SIM configuration, accommodating two Nano-SIM cards or one Nano-SIM and a microSD card (up to 1TB). 

The Moto G31 sports a 6.4-inch AMOLED hole punch display, which is becoming increasingly prevalent in smartphones in this price range. However, with a 60Hz refresh rate, it may appear to be a downgrade over the G30’s 90Hz display.

When used in Portrait mode, the 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle digital camera doubles as a depth sensor. 

Motorola’s Moto G31 is brimming with possibilities, and you also get near-stock Android 11, which is uncommon in this segment. This phone has a somewhat different look than its predecessor, but has several useful features such as an AMOLED display. It features one fewer digital camera on the back, but compensates with a dual-role ultra-wide-angle digital camera. Additionally, I anticipate some performance differences with the switch to a MediaTek CPU, which should also affect battery life. Therefore, stay tuned to Devices 360 for my comprehensive assessment, which will be published shortly, to determine whether or not the Moto G31’s new hardware changes are worthwhile and whether or not the Moto G31 can maintain the Moto G30’s all-around appeal.