Manufacturers and suppliers of products do not have it that easy to appear confidently in a competitive market area – this does not only apply to the smartphone industry. But the need for affordable mid-range smartphones has also grown in Europe in recent years, which ultimately led to many manufacturers such as Xiaomi and Samsung flooding the smartphone market with various models on this continent as well. However, not every manufacturer brings a new smartphone model every two months, as seems to be the case with the Chinese giant Xiaomi.
Admittedly, when you look at it that way, Motorola isn’t exactly holding back on releasing new smartphone models either. There are currently more than twenty smartphone models to choose from on the company’s website. The Moto G73 5G is part of the popular G series, which is traditionally characterized by mid-range smartphones. We were able to test the device. We were particularly impressed by the top performance and the camera array. However, we could not understand some of the design decisions in this smartphone.
Design
The design is basically reminiscent of the cheaper Moto G23 and G13 models that we have already tested. However, a closer look reveals that there is something more behind it. The manufacturer would like to say to the customer, who now not only spends 150 or 200 euros for a smartphone, but 300 euros straight away: Watch out, you are getting a more expensive product here, a premium product compared to the cheaper entry-level models. Overall, the device is less “bulky” and designed with rounder edges. The matte plastic back is no longer flat, but rounded at the edges and flows into the case. The camera module is not hidden, but is slightly offset with accentuated rings in the middle, matching the color of the Motorola logo.
What remains almost identical to the other models is the screen: it is still flat and, at 6.5 inches, just as large as the other models we tested. The bottom edge, which is still comparatively thick, seems to be at least a little thinner than on the Moto G13. The dimensions are 161.4 × 73.8 × 8.3 mm, so the device is even marginally smaller and thicker than the Moto G23 – this is only visible in direct comparison. With its 181 g, which the Moto G73 tips the scales, it is not particularly heavy. We think it’s a shame that the Moto G73 doesn’t have a glass back or at least an aluminum case, especially compared to other mid-range smartphones. Although this would have a noticeable impact on the weight, it would give the device a slightly higher quality impression. Like many other models in the G series, this smartphone is also said to be “water-repellent” – an official IP certification is not offered.
Display
A big upgrade compared to the cheaper models in the Moto G range is the display. It is an IPS panel with a refresh rate of 120 Hertz, a nice resolution of 2400 × 1080 pixels and a pixel density of 405 ppi. This is significantly better than the panel of the Moto G23 – the resolution there was only 720p – but we can only give the panel a limited positive rating in this context. Because in this price range, OLED screens that offer better black levels and more appropriate color reproduction are no longer a rarity.
We find it regrettable that Motorola decided against a better OLED panel here. The display brightness also shows the objective disadvantages of the IPS technology. Because while the Moto G72, for example, still had a brightness of around 900 cd/m² thanks to its OLED display, these values almost halved to around 560 cd/m² in the latest model. We definitely expected better here. Otherwise, we are still satisfied with the display – the colors are great, and everything feels very fluid, especially thanks to the high refresh rate.
Camera
The built-in camera of the Moto G73 surprised us positively. These are two lenses on the back – a 50-megapixel main sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera. At the front is a 16-megapixel selfie camera. There is no macro lens (in our opinion pointless anyway) this time – the ultra-wide-angle camera takes over the task here. It is not uncommon for manufacturers of mid-range smartphones to save a few euros in the camera area in order to be better in other areas (such as the processor or the display). Conveniently, that doesn’t seem to have been the case with the Moto G73.
Overall, the cameras deliver perfect results, and depending on the situation, the images are still usable even in difficult lighting conditions. During the day, the accurate color reproduction is a big plus – where some other smartphones have problems, for example with the correct display of the sky, the Moto G73 didn’t seem to have had any difficulties. The colors look fresh, lively and warm.
There is a good dynamic range – only the shots from the wide-angle camera seemed to be washed out in some scenes and gave the impression that there was a subtle gray haze on the shots. In other positions, on the other hand, the colors popped even more with the ultra wide angle; the green in particular was much more trendy here. The selfie camera was satisfactory, even during video calls. We think it’s a shame that the user is denied the option of recording 4K videos.
Pictures taken with the Moto G73 5G
Pictures taken with the Moto G73 5G
Furnishing
The heart and brain of the Motorola Moto G73 is a Mediatek Dimensity 930. The processor, which is manufactured using the 6 nm process, was launched in May 2022. This is a really solid chip that delivers great performance. While it’s not a Snapdragon chip, it’s comparable to the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 695G in benchmarks. It was convincing in everyday use: Almost all processes ran quickly, and the device doesn’t even shy away from gaming under the leadership of this chip. During operation, the device only got really hot at high outside temperatures, otherwise the heat emission was kept within limits.
The processor is accompanied by 8 GB of RAM, which is a standard value in this price range. We find it very positive that the built-in memory in the Moto G73 can be up to 256 gigabytes in size and that it is UFS 2.2 memory. This is faster compared to the eMMC technology used in the cheaper Moto models. Communication takes place via 5G – very good – or via WiFi 5 (IEEE 802.11ac), as well as via the latest Bluetooth standard 5.3. The fingerprint scanner resides in the power button, the built-in speakers are good, loud enough and are always suitable for music playback or phone calls. There’s even a 3.5mm audio jack and a slot for a microSD card.
Moto G73 5G im Test
Moto G73 5G im Test
Software
The software running on the Moto G73 is Motorola’s own version of Google’s latest Android 13 operating system. We always love pure Android – of course, the operating system is only really pure from the developer themselves, but Motorola is always damn close with their smartphones. The few pre-installed applications can be uninstalled without any ifs and buts (with the exception of the system apps, of course). The operating system is also complemented by clever features and gestures or the personalization interface My UX – great. A single point of criticism: when the smartphone is started up, a synthetic voice always shouts an unfeeling “Hello Moto!” at the user. This is unnecessary, annoying and caused a few moments of horror.
battery pack
The battery life of the Moto G73 is pretty good not only because of the sheer size (5000 mAh), but also thanks to the quite efficient chips and the not too bright display. In PCmark’s battery test, the smartphone lasted a solid 12.5 hours. With regular use, the smartphone easily lasted two days without being charged in between. Recharging is via USB-C with an included 30-watt power adapter. In the test, it took about an hour and 20 minutes to bring the device from two to 100 percent – that’s good.
Preis
The Moto G73 5G is available in white and black for 299 euros directly from Motorola. In retail, the price in the only memory configuration of 8/256 GB tends to drop to just under 250 Euro.
Conclusion
It’s hard to give an overall negative verdict on the Moto G73 5G. Sure – the smartphone has its disadvantages, especially when it comes to the display, and there is huge competition ahead of it, especially in the mid-range segment. If you are still looking for a smartphone with excellent battery life, fun performance and good design, you will definitely find it here. The few minus points can definitely be got over in view of the appealing price.