The Motorola Moto G15 is a basic phone that sticks to the essentials. It’s not especially fast, and it won’t wow you with performance or any advanced features or extras, but for basic messaging, browsing, and listening to music, it’s fine.
This isn’t aimed at power users or those who want to take the very best photos possible. But it has everything you “need” here and for someone after a dependable, everyday device it’s a sensible choice.
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Design
These days, phones basically look the same. Sure, on occasion, we see some refinements and small changes, like the shape of the camera array or whether or not it’s an edge-to-edge screen, but very rarely are there any drastic differences. This is the same for the Moto G15; if you’ve seen any smartphone in the last ten years, you’ll know exactly what this device looks like. That’s not to say it looks bad; it looks fine, there’s just nothing here that stands out.
One thing I do like, though, is that although the back is made of plastic, it’s been designed to mimic vegan or faux leather. And it works well. It looks nice, has a comfortable grip to it, and doesn’t collect fingerprints like glass-backed phones do.
It’s a pretty standard build overall, as mentioned, it has a plastic back, but it also has a plastic frame, and it boasts a Gorilla Glass 3 screen. Weighing a comfortable 190g, it’s not too heavy, and it’s got an IP54 rating for splash resistance. It looks and feels fine.
Display
The display is a 6.72-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD panel with a 1080p resolution. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a phone in this category. Nothing gorgeous or groundbreaking, but good enough for basic use.
It boasts a 60Hz refresh rate, which again is fine, but unfortunately, it lacks HDR support, so the colours aren’t as crisp or vibrant as other devices.
Don’t expect smooth scrolling or OLED-style contrast here, but you shouldn’t really be expecting these sorts of features from a phone in this category. It’s certainly not premium, but it’s not poor either; it does what it needs to.
Performance
The Moto G15’s performance is a clear reminder that this is a low-end device.
The MediaTek Helio G81 chipset and 4GB of RAM are enough for basic tasks, but there’s not much headroom here.
Yes, the phone can feel sluggish when multitasking, and heavier apps or games are, most of the time a step too far. But for calls, messages, streaming, and light browsing, it gets the job done.
It’s not speedy, but it is stable. And again, for a phone in this category, you shouldn’t really expect to be able to play the latest and greatest graphically demanding games, or perform intense video editing.
Battery
The battery life on offer here is very good. The G15 has a 5,200mAh battery, which comfortably lasts more than a full day, and lighter users could stretch it to two.
Unfortunately, charging is limited to 18w wired, and there’s no charger in the box, but if you top it up overnight, you won’t be left wanting during the day.
Cameras
The 50MP main camera delivers decent shots in good lighting, and it’s nice to see a proper 5MP ultrawide lens instead of filler sensors, like a macro lens. There’s also an 8MP selfie lens.
The results are fine for casual photos; they come out clear enough, though colours and detail aren’t especially vibrant, and you will notice a lack of sharpness and finer qualities, especially in selfies.
Low-light performance is limited, and the video capabilities are basic, maxing out at 1080p at 30 frames per second. But again, it’s suitable for everyday snaps and social sharing.
Features & Connectivity
There’s no 5G, but the basics are well-covered.
It supports 4G, dual SIM, NFC (in most markets), Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 5, and it has a headphone jack. There are also options for expandable storage. And there’s a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
These are all very welcome features, making the G15 feel more rounded than you might expect.
Software
You get Android 15 out of the box, with Motorola’s clean and mostly stock UI. There are a few helpful features like gesture controls and Moto Secure, though some pre-installed bloatware will need removing.
Software updates are limited to around two years, so long-term support isn’t a strong point, but for the price, it’s still reasonable.
Verdict
The Moto G15 is a thoughtfully designed, reliable device that handles basic smartphone duties without fuss.
It’s a respectable performer that makes the right compromises, so long as your expectations match its modest ambition.
If you’re after the basics, and only the basics, the Moto G15 won’t disappoint.
