Motorola Moto One Macro smartphone review

The "One" line from Motorola, which consists of 5 models: One, Power, Vision, Action, Pro, has been replenished with one more novelty. The entry-level model Motorola Moto One Macro debuted on October 9th. The highlight of the novelty is the presence of a macro camera with a focal length of 2 cm. In addition to a specialized camera, the device will please with a battery that will provide good autonomy.

You will learn more about the camera, battery, specifications and other features of the Motorola Moto One Macro in our review.

Motorola Moto One Macro Review

Design and ergonomics

Like most budget smartphones, the Moto One Macro's back is made of polycarbonate. But visually it is extremely difficult to guess about the material of the cover, since it is very similar to glass. The beautiful appearance in duet with "glass" creates a gradient from dark blue to light blue. The coating is easily soiled, fingerprints remain on the entire surface, and it is also prone to scratches. It is better to use a case for protection.

The top edge of the smartphone is occupied by a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a microphone, the bottom is a USB Type-C connector for charging the battery and connecting to a computer and peripheral devices, as well as a second microphone and speaker. The right side is occupied by a volume key and a button for turning the device on / off, as well as unlocking / locking it, the left side is a tray for a SIM card and a memory card (or two SIM cards).

On the front side of the device, 96.7 cm2 of area is occupied by a screen. In its upper part in the middle, in the teardrop-shaped cutout, there is a selfie camera and an earpiece. In the lower part there is a large “chin”. At the top of the rear panel on the right side there are: a macro lens in a separate module, under it is the main camera, a depth sensor, a laser autofocus system and a dual LED flash. Also in the upper part of the cover there is a fingerprint scanner, decorated with the company logo, in the lower part - the inscription "motorolaone".

The selfie camera has a water cut, with an IPX2 level protection.

Cameras and their features

Main camera

The rear camera is expressed by three lenses:

1. The macro lens has a resolution of 2 megapixels, a pixel size of 1.75 microns, an aperture of f / 2.2 and a sensor size of 1/5.
2. The main sensor is expressed with aperture f / 2.0, a 1 / 3.1 sensor, a pixel of 1.12 microns and a resolution of 13 megapixels.
3. The third lens is a 2MP depth sensor. The sensor size is 1/5, the pixel is 1.75 microns and the aperture is f / 2.2.

Also, the rear camera is complemented by a dual LED flash and a laser autofocus system.

Camera features:

• geolocation and panorama;
• continuous shooting and autofocus;
• HDR and phase detection;
• digital zoom and burst shooting;
• timer and high-resolution zoom (Hi-Res Zoom mode takes several photos of the same scene, after which they are combined into one);
• image optimization and live filter;
• smile auto capture and intelligent composition;
• ISO control and exposure compensation;
• portrait (bokeh is obtained without processing due to the fact that the camera focuses from a distance of 2 cm) and manual mode;
• output of the finished photo in RAW and electronic video stabilization;
• integration with google lens and spot light;
• high dynamic range mode and laser autofocus;
• slow-mo video effect at 120 frames per second and Full HD video at 60 frames per second.

The main camera has average quality indicators, with a medium dynamic range, colors are dull. Pictures taken in daylight have warm tones and smoothed out details. The good quality will please the pictures taken in landscape and portrait mode.

Photos taken with a macro camera are of high quality. You can get as close as possible to the subject and capture as much detail as possible, thanks to focusing at a distance of 2 cm. The finished photographs have a high level of brightness, contrast and color reproduction. How the macro camera takes pictures can be seen below.

Front-camera

The selfie camera has a resolution of 8 megapixels, an aperture of f / 2.2, a pixel size of 1.12 microns. The camera supports HDR technology and is capable of recording video in 1,080 resolution at 30 frames per second.
The front camera, like the main one, takes photos of average quality. The pictures are not very bright, but the prevailing warm colors distract attention from the overall quality.

In general, the image quality is very good for a budget smartphone. And if you consider that the main culprit in the creation of the new model was the macro camera, then there is no point in finding fault with the quality of other cameras, because the macro camera shows excellent results, and this is the main thing.

An example of a photo taken with a macro camera

Display

The aspect ratio of 19.5 to 9 makes the smartphone comfortable to use with both two and one hands. The Moto One Macro display is made using IPS LCD technology. The diagonal of the display is 15.75 cm (or 6.2 inches), the screen-to-body ratio is 81.3%.

With a low resolution of 720 by 1,520 pixels and a low pixel density of 270 ppi, the display produces bright colors and decent viewing angles. The sharpness of the image is weak, it will be lost in the sun, but it will be enough for watching films and videos.

Performance

Somewhat surprising is the presence of a fairly powerful processor in the face of the Mediatek MT6771 Helio P70 in a budget smartphone. The processor runs on 4 powerful Cortex-A53 cores at 2.0 GHz and 4 Cortex-A73 cores, also at 2.0 GHz. The central processing unit is built according to TSMC 12 nanometer FinFET technological process. The CPU works in duet with the Mali-G72 MP3 GPU.

Processor features:

• MediaTek CorePilot 4.0 technology minimizes power consumption and improves user interaction with the interface. Tasks are distributed according to voltage and frequency across suitable clusters and cores;
• Advanced MediaTek NeuroPilot, together with intelligent multi-threaded scheduler and APU up to 525 MHz, makes AI work up to 30% more efficient than Mediatek MT6771 Helio P60;
• The Helio P70 delivers fast and fluid gameplay with minimal lags, good frame rates and average graphics (user reviews suggest that in games like Asphalt 9 and PUBG MOBILE, at medium graphics settings, the phone provided a smooth game with a decent frame rate );
• Improved hardware image processing capabilities;
• High quality of any cellular connection and service, quick call setup and improved sound quality, thanks to MediaTek 4G LTE WorldMode modem.

Mediatek MT6771 Helio P70 in AnTuTu test scored 156,906 points. It is noteworthy that the Snapdragon 660 scored less points, namely 145,000.

The smartphone was also tested on the popular Geekbench. The test results are as follows: in single-threaded mode, the device scored 1429 points, in multi-threaded mode - 5584 points.

Interface

One Macro has Android 9 pie operating system. Motorola has somewhat supplemented the standard OS by improving navigation and gesture controls. In addition, Motorola promises to update Android to version 10 by the end of 2019.

Autonomy

Not so long ago, the question of good autonomy of inexpensive smartphones was not raised, the battery capacity was almost always small. Now the budget options are pleasing with their capabilities.
Motorola Moto One Macro has a large non-removable lithium-polymer battery - 4000 mAh. Optimization of the operating system and low power consumption of the screen also helps to hold out 2 days without recharging.

Motorola supports 10W charging. Power is not bad, but for 4000 mAh, at least 15W would be the best option.

Unlocking

You can unlock your device using:

• front camera that supports face recognition;
• rear-mounted fingerprint scanner;
• button for turning on and off, as well as for unlocking and locking the device, which is located on the right edge.

Cost and memory

The Motorola Moto One Macro costs about $ 140. The novelty comes in only one version of memory: with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of built-in. If the amount of memory is not enough, then you can always purchase a memory card up to 512 GB. One color modification is also available - a gradient of dark blue and light blue. Flipkart online store sales start on October 12th.

Equipment

Motorola Moto One Macro comes in a purple box, in which the user will receive:

• smartphone in a transparent silicone case;
• USB cable - C;
• warranty card;
• operating instructions;
• key to open the slot;
• charger with a power of 10 watts.

Specifications

Advantages and disadvantages of new items

• good build quality;
• Beautiful design;
• IPX2 level protection;
• excellent macro quality;
• laser autofocus system;
• high performance;
• large battery capacity;
• face unlocking;
• the presence of a slot for a memory card;
• fingerprint scanner.

• the soiled surface of the back panel.

Conclusion

Motorola Moto One Macro is a budget smartphone designed especially for macro lovers. In addition to the high quality indicators of the macro lens, the smartphone has the following positive aspects:

• Despite its low cost, the novelty is equipped with a powerful and nimble processor, which will provide fast multitasking without freezing. Also, at medium settings, the phone is suitable for many games with high demands;
• Nice appearance, with imitation glass on the back panel, as well as high-quality assembly;
• Large battery capacity that will provide 2 days of battery life with fairly intensive use.