Motorola Moto G35 5G: A Budget 5G Contender with a Big Screen and Long Battery Life

As 5G smartphones become increasingly accessible, Motorola continues to target the budget segment with its Moto G series. The newly launched Moto G35 5G combines a high-refresh-rate display, massive battery, and dual-camera setup at an affordable price. Here’s a detailed analysis of its strengths and compromises.

Design & Build: Lightweight and Eco-Friendly

The Moto G35 5G features a slim profile (7.79mm thickness) and weighs 192g (silicone/vegan leather version) or 188g (PMMA/acrylic version), making it comfortable to hold despite its 6.72-inch screen. The rear panel comes in bold Guava Red, Leaf Green, and Midnight Black colors, with the red and green variants using silicone/vegan leather for grip and texture, while the black model opts for eco-friendly PMMA acrylic.

Durability highlights include Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection and a water-repellent coating, offering basic resistance against splashes and rain. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor doubles as a power button, ensuring quick and secure unlocks.

Display: 120Hz LCD with 1000 Nits Brightness

The phone’s standout feature is its 6.72-inch FHD+ LCD (2400 × 1080 pixels, 391 PPI) with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and up to 240Hz touch sampling rate, delivering smooth scrolling and responsive touch controls. The display peaks at 1000 nits brightness—rare in this price range—and supports HDR10, enhancing outdoor visibility and video playback quality.

However, typical LCD limitations persist, including lower contrast ratios and slight backlight bleed in dark environments. The 87% screen-to-body ratio also results in noticeable bezels. Still, for users prioritizing eye comfort and value, this panel excels for daily media consumption.

Performance: Unisoc T760 Chipset with Expandable RAM

Powered by the Unisoc T760 5G processor (6nm fabrication), the phone delivers mid-range performance with a CPU configuration of 4×A76 cores (2.2GHz) + 4×A55 cores (1.8GHz) and a Mali-G57 GPU. Benchmark scores hover around 350,000 on AnTuTu, comparable to the Snapdragon 695, handling casual gaming (e.g., COD Mobile) smoothly but struggling with heavy titles like Genshin Impact at high settings.

Storage starts at 4GB RAM + 128GB ROM, expandable via a 1TB microSD card. Motorola’s RAM Boost technology virtually extends RAM to 12GB, alleviating multitasking bottlenecks. The device runs Android 14 with a near-stock interface, free of bloatware—a boon for users seeking a clean Android experience.

Camera System: Dual Lenses with AI Enhancements

The rear setup includes a 50MP main sensor (f/1.8, Quad Pixel Technology for 1.28µm effective pixels) with PDAF and an 8MP ultra-wide lens (120° FoV, f/2.2). Features like Night Vision mode, AI portrait, and Google Lens integration enhance versatility, while video recording tops out at UHD 30fps (main cam) with stabilization.

The 16MP front camera (f/2.45, Quad Pixel for 2.0µm) supports AI-driven Auto Smile Capture and Night Selfie mode, though low-light performance remains average.

Battery & Charging: QG50 Cell with 18W Support

A 5,000mAh battery (model QG50) ensures longevity, lasting 1.5 days with moderate use. Real-world tests show ~18 hours of video playback or 6 hours of gaming (PUBG Mobile at medium settings). However, charging is limited to 18W, requiring ~2 hours for a full recharge—a notable drawback compared to rivals offering 30W+ fast charging.

QG50 for Moto G35 5G

Ideal for: Budget-conscious users prioritizing screen quality and battery endurance—students, elderly users, or those needing a secondary device. While rivals like the Redmi Note 13 offer faster charging, the Moto G35 5G stands out for its streamlined software and reliable daily performance in the entry-level 5G segment.