Tracfone Moto G 5G (XT2213DL) Review, Specs and Features
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| Tracfone Moto G 5G Review (XT2213DL) |
Featuring a 6.5" HD screen, octa-core processor, Android 12 and 5G network capability, the Moto G 5G (2022) is a budget smartphone with good specs and available from Tracfone at a surprisingly low price.
The Moto G 5G joins several other 5G budget devices newly available from Tracfone in 2022 including the Samsung Galaxy A13 5G and Galaxy A23 5G. (We'll compare all of these devices further along in this review). Motorola has offered other 5G capable devices, but the Moto G 5G is targeted as their budget 5G smartphone.
Along with the 5G speeds, the Moto G comes with 50 MP triple rear camera setup, 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage. How does that all stack up? We'll here's our list of pro's and con's.
Moto G 5G 2022 Quick Facts
What we Like:
Long Battery Life
5G Network Access
Smooth performance
What we Don't Like:
720p screen
Slow charging speed
Mediocre camera
Straight away we can see some solid features on the Moto G 5G but, as with most low-cost devices, there are a variety of corners that had to be cut.
The 5G network access at this price point is a big plus and a feature many users are looking for. Even if 5G networks are still several years away from being fully implemented, it is still a feature we like to see. (Learn more about What 5G is, or find out more about Tracfone's 5G network coverage and maps)
An unlocked Moto G 5G version is available that comes with 6 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage while the Tracfone version has just 4/64 GB. But the Tracfone version reflects the difference with a subsidized price that is a lot lower. In general, we find the original retail price to be a bit too steep, but that has quickly dropped to more enticing sale prices for both the Tracfone and unlocked versions.
Motorola also offers the Moto G Stylus 5G 2022 (unlocked) which has a larger screen, better processor and a variety of other features. We expect Tracfone to offer it in the near future.
Time for the full break down of features and specs on the Stylus.
Tracfone Moto G 5G 2022 (XT2213DL) Features and Specs
Below are the features followed by the technical specs
- Android 12
- 5G Network Capable (Verizon)
- Access to over 1 million apps on the Google Play Store
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- GPS, GLONASS
- Bluetooth 5.1
- Alarm Clock
- MP3 Player
- Standard 3.5mm headphone jack
- Voicemail, Caller ID, Call Waiting
- SMS/MMS
- USB Type-C 2.0 connection
- USB Charger (10W Fast Charging)
- Sensors: Fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
- Water-repellent design
- Hearing Aid Compatible
Moto G 5G 2022 (XT2213DL) Specs
Size: 6.51 x 2.98 x 0.37 in (7.2 oz)
Camera: Triple Rear Camera - 50 MP (wide), 2 MP (macro), 2 MP (depth), 13 MP front camera
Screen: 6.5" HD touchscreen with 720x1600 resolution (270 ppi)
Processor: 2.2 Ghz Octa-core (MediaTek Dimensity 700) Processor
Memory: 4 GB
Storage: 64 GB and dedicated MicroSDXC card slot
Battery: 5,000 mAh with about 38 hrs usage time (non-removable)
Motorola was originally founded as an American telecommunications company back in 1928. But in 2011, after several years of significant losses and challenges, the company was split and the mobile phone segment of the company was sold to Google. Two years later, the Motorola mobile phone segment was sold again, this time to Lenovo.
During the ownership by Google, the popular Moto G line was first released, as an unlocked, budget smartphone that still packed features to keep up with all the daily needs of users. Since transitioning to Lenovo, that has continued with now a large lineup of Moto G phones released every year.
There has not been much consistency from Motorola when it comes to naming their devices each year other than the classic 'Moto G' name. For 2022, their 'budget' offering for the Moto G line are the Power, the 5G, and the Stylus with a Stylus 5G version as well.
Many Tracfone BYOP users are very familiar with the Motorola brand as it has released a number of low cost unlocked phones capable of being used with Tracfone going back to the original Moto G.
Time to take a closer look at all the features on the Moto G 5G.
Tracfone Moto G 5G 2022 Review
Touchscreen
For a budget phone, the 6.5" HD screen on the Moto G 5G is what you would expect. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. It has a resolution of 720x1600, a ratio of 20:9 and pixel density of about 270 ppi. The screen is an IPS-LCD panel with 90hz refresh rate.
While the faster screen refresh rate is a nice feature to have, the lower resolution 720p display is a little disappointing but one area Motorola had to shortcut to keep the price low. Brightness and colors are both pretty good, but struggle a little outdoors in the sunlight. The screen is generally on par with similarly priced devices.
For a better touchscreen experience, consider the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G or the
Moto G Stylus 2022.
Performance - Processor, RAM and Internal Storage
The Moto G 5G gets the MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor which is a mid-level chip mostly seen in budget 5G devices. For the Moto G 5G, it does provide surprisingly smooth operation and can handle most games and resource intensive apps just fine. It is paired with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage.
There is also an external Micro SD card slot for up to 1 TB additional storage and it is often a great place to store media or music to free up space on the device.
The
Samsung Galaxy A13 5G shares the same processor, and is about the same price, while the slightly more expensive
A23 5G features a better Snapdragon processor.
Camera
While the Moto G 5G does have three cameras on the rear, the 2 MP depth sensor and 2 MP macro shooter aren't all that useful. The main, 50 MP camera does produce pretty good images in good lighting but detail starts to struggle in lower lighting situations or at night. The main camera uses pixel binning and so the images you get are actually 12.5 MP.
On the front is the 13 MP selfie camera that does a great job capturing images to share with family and friends and generally has good details and colors.
For video, the Moto G 5G offers 1080p and 30fps and the quality is good enough for sending to a friend or posting on social media, but not that great compared to video technology in more expensive devices.
Battery Life
Long battery life is the standard on budget Motorola devices and the Moto G 5G get's that thanks to a 5,000 mAh battery that provides up to 2 days of usage on a single charge.
The long battery life is a great feature, but the slow charging speed will force many users to simply put the phone on the charger over night. It's just 10W charging speed and no wireless charging so it will take several hours to recharge fully.
Android OS
The Moto G 5G comes with Android 12 OS and will likely get an upgrade to Android 13 when that becomes available down the road.
Android 12 comes with a host of design, performance and security updates over previous versions that make it safer and more useable. Some of the updates include more privacy control, the ability to limit apps from using your exact location, and improved accessibility options.
Motorola provides a handful of additional features including their popular gesture controls that add things like chop to turn on the flashlight, and twist to open the camera app.
In general, Motorola is known for keeping a more stock version of the Android OS which many users prefer.
Design
The overall design is a little chunky with somewhat large bezels on the front but this is pretty common for lower-end devices. Motorola is very consistent with the overall design of the Moto G 5G and it follows many of their recent releases with a familiar layout of buttons and ports.
The side mounted fingerprint reader doubles as the power button and provides very snappy results. On the bottom are the 3.5mm headphone jack, power plug, and speaker.
Construction is plastic, with a matte back panel. If you have seen or tried a recently released Motorola smartphone, the feel of this device will be very similar, and that's not a bad thing.
Conclusion - Should You Buy the Moto G 5G?
The Moto G 5G offers a budget smartphone with 5G network capability that will be an attractive option for some users, especially those who prefer Motorola's features and almost stock Android experience.
At it's retail price, there are several other attractive options available, specifically the newly released
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G which shares some similar features like the processor, storage and RAM, but has a higher resolution screen, Android 13, and similar retail price. The
Galaxy A23 5G is another option which is about the same price, offers a full HD screen, snapdragon processor, and quad-rear camera setup.
For many, the choice to buy the Moto G 5G can come down to price and preferred experience. Motorola typically has a very simple and clean Android OS experience that some prefer over the UI skin and software additions Samsung includes with their phones. So if you like the clean experience, the Moto G 5G is an affordable budget option to consider. For those that like Samsung's additions, shop one of their capable budget offerings.
Bottom Line - The Moto G 5G isn't the most exciting device, but it gets the job done and covers all the basics while also offering 5G. And the fact that it is already on sale for surprisingly low prices ($99), it would be a great deal for many users who want 5G network capability but don't need a powerful camera or high resolution screen. The Samsung alternatives we mentioned above, are also good options to consider, but likely won't get as steep a discount as the Moto G 5G. A newer alternative is the Moto G Power 5G 2023, which should be available very soon.
Where to Buy the Moto G 5G
The Moto G 5G is available from several online retailers and prices are likely to change often. Look for sale prices under $200. We'll continue to update this as needed.
Moto G 5G User Guide and Phone Details
That concludes our review of the Moto G 5G. Please leave a comment below with your thoughts or questions.
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