Moto G35 5G Review: Affordable Excellence in Performance

The Indian smartphone market in 2024 has witnessed a surge in launches across various categories, ranging from entry-level devices to premium flagship models and even foldable phones. In the highly competitive budget segment, brands are vying for dominance by introducing devices with incremental yet significant upgrades over their predecessors. Among these launches, Motorola recently introduced the Moto G35 5G, positioning it as the brand's most affordable 5G smartphone. This device aims to stand out in a segment crowded with rivals such as the Redmi A4 5G, Tecno Spark 30C 5G, and Lava Blaze 2 5G.

The Moto G35 5G is priced attractively at ₹9,999 in India and is available in a single configuration featuring 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. But does it offer enough features and performance to justify its price tag and compete effectively with other smartphones in the sub-₹10,000 category? Let's dive deeper into the details and find out in this comprehensive Moto G35 5G review.

Moto G35 5G Features,Price

Moto G35 5G Design: A Familiar Aesthetic

The Moto G35 5G sports a design that feels both polished and recognizable, bearing a striking resemblance to its more premium counterpart, the Moto G45 5G. In fact, with both devices placed side by side and their rear panels facing upward, distinguishing between the two might prove challenging. Despite being a budget device, the Moto G35 5G stands out as one of the more refined-looking smartphones in its segment.

This handset is available in two finishes: a matte option and a vegan leather variant. The latter not only adds a touch of sophistication but also ensures a firm grip, reducing the chances of accidental slips. The green-colored vegan leather variant we reviewed particularly impressed us with its premium feel.

The device features a plastic frame with smooth edges, ensuring a comfortable in-hand experience. On the left, you'll find the SIM tray, while the right side houses the power button and volume rocker. The power button also functions as a fingerprint scanner, offering added convenience. At the bottom, there's a USB Type-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a speaker grille, making the phone functional and versatile for various user needs.

Motorola includes a transparent TPU case in the box to protect the device without masking its sleek design. The package also contains an 18W charger and a USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable, ensuring you have everything needed to get started right away.

Overall, while the Moto G35 5G's design doesn't break new ground, it achieves a balance of aesthetics and practicality, making it a strong contender in the budget smartphone category.

Moto G35 5G: Decent Display

For its price of ₹10,000, the Moto G35 5G delivers an impressive display experience. The phone boasts a 6.72-inch FHD+ IPS LCD panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate and HDR10 support. With a pixel density of 392 PPI, the screen ensures sharp text and vivid visuals, making it one of the standout displays in its price range. This is particularly notable when compared to competitors that often offer only 720p resolution screens.

The display performs well even in outdoor lighting conditions, maintaining good visibility. Watching 1080p HDR content on platforms like YouTube and popular OTT services is a pleasure, thanks to the vibrant colors and detailed visuals. Additionally, the Gorilla Glass 3 protection enhances the display's durability, adding peace of mind for everyday use.

However, the display isn’t without its quirks. While the panel supports a 120 Hz refresh rate, some apps, such as Google Chrome, WhatsApp, and YouTube, default to 60 Hz regardless of the refresh rate setting. Even in the "Auto" mode, the refresh rate fluctuates between 60 Hz and 90 Hz, failing to reach the promised 120 Hz in certain scenarios. For the smoothest scrolling experience, you’ll need to manually set the refresh rate to 120 Hz in the display settings, though many apps will still revert to 60 Hz.

Another minor drawback is the design alignment. The phone features a noticeable chin at the bottom of the display, and the status bar alignment could use improvement. The clock is positioned slightly too far to the left, while the battery percentage appears off-center on the right, which may bother some users who value precise alignment.

Despite these shortcomings, the overall display quality is commendable for a budget smartphone. While it is an LCD panel and lacks the deep contrast levels of AMOLED displays, it avoids issues like green line defects, which can sometimes plague OLED screens. This reliability, paired with the vibrant and sharp display, makes the Moto G35 5G a strong contender for those seeking value at an affordable price.

The screen performs adequately indoors and in shaded environments, but visibility struggles in direct sunlight. Digging into the display settings, I discovered an “Extra Brightness” toggle under Settings > Display, which significantly improved outdoor visibility. However, enabling this feature comes at the cost of increased battery consumption.

Moto G35 5G Software: Clean UI with Some Bloatware

The Moto G35 5G runs on Android 14, layered with Motorola’s proprietary My UX interface. This user interface is consistent with what is seen on Motorola’s higher-end models like the Moto G45 5G. It maintains a clean, almost stock Android experience while incorporating Motorola-specific features such as Motorola Secure, which provides a secure folder and network protection, and Family Space, a suite of parental control tools.

While the software feels uncluttered overall, Motorola’s App Manager introduces an element of bloatware. After completing the setup process, users are prompted to “try” three third-party applications via the Moto App Manager. This preinstalled app also informs users that it will install three additional apps monthly whenever a system update is applied. The upside is that these apps can be easily uninstalled, giving users control over what stays on their device.

In terms of updates, the Moto G35 5G is set to receive only one Android OS upgrade, meaning it will likely update to Android 15 in the coming year. While this aligns with the company’s policy for budget smartphones, it feels underwhelming, especially for a device launching with Android 14—an operating system that’s already been available for a year. Competitors in this price range often offer at least two major Android upgrades, making this aspect of the Moto G35 5G a missed opportunity for Motorola.

On the bright side, the smartphone is slated to receive security updates until August 2027, which ensures it will remain secure for at least three years. This is a positive for those who prioritize device longevity and security, although the lack of extended Android OS updates may still be a concern for some users.

Despite the minor presence of bloatware and limited OS upgrade policy, the Moto G35 5G's software experience is mostly positive, thanks to its clean UI and inclusion of useful, Motorola-exclusive features. For users seeking a near-stock Android experience with a few added utilities, this handset delivers well within its budget-friendly positioning.

Moto G35 5G Performance: Solid for Everyday Use

The Moto G35 5G is powered by the 6nm Unisoc T760 chipset, an octa-core processor introduced in July. This SoC combines six Arm Cortex-A76 cores clocked at 2.2GHz and four Cortex-A55 cores at 2GHz, paired with a Mali-G57 MC4 GPU. In terms of performance, it aligns closely with the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC, though the Dimensity 6300 edges slightly ahead with faster A76 cores (2.4GHz) but an older Mali-G57 MC2 GPU.

This chipset isn’t designed for high-end performance, but it handles everyday tasks competently. Activities like web browsing, texting on WhatsApp, and scrolling through social media platforms such as Instagram or Facebook run smoothly. However, some minor lag becomes noticeable in resource-heavy applications like Snapchat and Google Maps, particularly during prolonged use.

For casual gaming, the Moto G35 5G delivers an acceptable experience. Games like Asphalt Legends Unite ran smoothly on default settings, and even more demanding titles like Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) are playable, albeit on the lowest graphics settings. During testing, third-party games that came pre-installed on the phone also performed without a hitch, reinforcing the device’s capability for light gaming.

To evaluate its performance against competitors, I ran benchmark tests to compare the Moto G35 5G with similar devices like the Redmi A4 5G, Samsung Galaxy A16 5G, and Infinix Note 40X. The results showed that the G35 5G holds its own and even rivals higher-priced models in certain aspects, making it a competitive choice in its price range.

While the Moto G35 5G’s Unisoc T760 chipset isn’t designed for power-hungry tasks, its performance is more than sufficient for users seeking a reliable device for basic to moderate usage. Its ability to handle casual gaming and multitasking without overheating or stuttering makes it a good choice for budget-conscious buyers.

The display, while not perfect, enhances the overall experience with its sharp resolution and high refresh rate, though its outdoor performance leaves room for improvement. The "Extra Brightness" feature is a handy addition but requires careful use to prevent excessive battery drain.

In conclusion, the Moto G35 5G offers decent performance for its price. While it’s not built for hardcore gaming or resource-intensive tasks, its balance of features, display quality, and everyday usability makes it a solid contender in the budget smartphone segment.

Moto G35 5G Cameras: Capable for the Price

The Moto G35 5G is a budget-friendly smartphone that offers a dual-camera setup on the rear. Notably, Motorola has opted to skip the unnecessary addition of low-resolution macro or depth sensors, which often underperform in this price range. Instead, the focus is on delivering practical and usable cameras that cater to everyday photography needs.

Primary Camera Performance

The phone features a 50-megapixel primary camera, which performs admirably for a budget device. In well-lit conditions, it captures bright images with a respectable level of detail. Colors are vivid, and the camera manages to reproduce skin tones naturally when shooting portraits. For close-up subjects, the level of detail is particularly impressive, and the camera app operates smoothly, allowing users to take photos quickly without any lag.

Ultrawide Camera

The 8-megapixel ultrawide camera is a useful addition for capturing wider frames, but it lacks the sharpness and clarity of the primary sensor. When comparing images taken with both cameras, the difference in detail is evident. For instance, a sign photographed from across the street was readable when using the primary camera but appeared blurry and illegible in the ultrawide image. This makes the ultrawide sensor more suitable for casual wide-angle shots where fine details are less critical.

Low-Light and Night Photography

In low-light or nighttime conditions, the 50-megapixel primary sensor is the clear standout. The camera app includes a Night Vision mode, which enhances the quality of photos taken in dark environments. While it takes a couple of seconds to process the image, the results are worth the wait, as the photos show significantly improved detail and brightness compared to regular shots. The ultrawide camera, on the other hand, struggles in such scenarios and is best avoided when lighting is limited.

Selfie Camera

On the front, the Moto G35 5G houses a 16-megapixel selfie camera. During the day, it produces satisfactory results, capturing decent details and natural skin tones. In darker settings, the camera manages to let in enough light to produce recognizable selfies. However, noticeable smoothening and noise can affect the overall image quality in such conditions.

Video Recording

The Moto G35 5G supports video recording at up to 4K resolution at 30fps with the primary camera and up to 1080p at 30fps with the ultrawide sensor. While the primary camera produces decent video quality, the absence of image stabilization means that videos can appear shaky if the phone isn’t kept steady. The ultrawide camera is less impressive for video recording, as it lacks sharpness and detail, making the primary camera the better option for capturing videos.

The Moto G35 5G’s camera setup may not compete with mid-range or flagship devices, but it delivers a solid experience for its price. The 50-megapixel primary sensor is the highlight, excelling in daylight and performing reasonably well at night with the help of Night Vision mode. The ultrawide camera, while functional, has limitations in terms of detail and low-light performance.

For selfies and videos, the phone offers satisfactory results, provided you manage your expectations within the constraints of its budget-friendly price point. Overall, the Moto G35 5G’s camera system “gets the job done,” making it a decent choice for casual photographers seeking a value-for-money device.

Moto G35 5G Battery: Efficient Yet Slow to Recharge

The Moto G35 5G boasts impressive battery efficiency, largely due to its power-efficient Unisoc T760 chipset. The phone easily provides over a day and a half of usage before requiring a recharge. In our HD video loop test, the device lasted approximately 18 hours and 50 minutes, which is quite commendable for a budget smartphone. However, it's important to note that these are synthetic benchmarks and may not reflect real-world scenarios perfectly.

Real-World Battery Performance

During regular daily usage, the Moto G35 5G exhibits minimal battery drain both during active use and in standby mode. Activities like making WhatsApp calls, browsing the web, scrolling through social media, and playing casual games resulted in approximately 5.5 hours of screen-on time with around 21 hours of standby life. This indicates that the phone is well-suited for light to moderate users who need reliable battery performance throughout the day.

Charging Experience

The downside to the Moto G35 5G’s stellar battery life is its slow charging speed. Equipped with an 18W charger included in the box, the device takes around two hours to go from 0 to 100%. While this may feel sluggish compared to devices offering faster charging technologies, the long-lasting battery life somewhat compensates for the slower recharge times.

Moto G35 5G Review: The Final Verdict

The Moto G35 5G is a strong contender in the sub-₹10,000 price segment, offering features that punch above its weight. It delivers reliable performance, outpacing some pricier models like the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G and Infinix Note 40X in benchmark tests. Additionally, the inclusion of 5G connectivity, solid battery life, and a decent camera setup makes it a well-rounded option for budget-conscious buyers.

However, there are trade-offs to consider. The phone comes with only one Android OS upgrade, which is disappointing compared to competitors like the Galaxy A16 5G, which is set to receive up to six upgrades. For users who prioritize long-term software support, this could be a dealbreaker.

Alternatives to Consider

If you’re exploring other options in this price range, you might want to look into devices like the Redmi A4 5G, Tecno Spark 30C 5G, or the slightly older Lava Blaze 2 5G. Each of these models offers unique features that cater to different user preferences, making them worthy alternatives to the Moto G35 5G.

Bottom Line

The Moto G35 5G excels where it matters most for a budget smartphone: battery life, overall performance, and 5G connectivity. While its slower charging times and limited software support may not appeal to everyone, it remains an excellent choice for users seeking a dependable device under ₹10,000.