Motorola moto g37 5G: style beyond its price tag

Arthur Goldstuck of Gadget reviews Motorola's sub-R5,000 moto g37 5G, and finds a budget phone that looks and feels far pricier than it is – at least on the outside.

The Pantone Nautical Blue finish, with its soft leather-like texture, is the standout feature, complemented by a matching rubber cover in the box rather than the usual clear or black bundled case.

Less honest is the camera island's design: of four circles on the back, only one houses the actual 50MP main camera, with the others taken up by a sensor, a flash, and what Motorola openly calls a "decorative lens" – a fake camera circle designed to suggest a more sophisticated multi-camera system than the phone actually has.

That single camera performs adequately in daylight, though detail softens on enlargement and there's no ultrawide lens. Low-light shots need patience via Night Vision mode, and video tops out at 1440p with no 4K option.

The 6.67-inch, 120Hz display is smooth and bright, but its HD+ resolution (264 PPI) leaves text and images looking less crisp than on Full HD rivals. A MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chip and 4GB RAM handle everyday tasks but strain under app-switching, and Motorola's "RAM Boost" – borrowing storage space to simulate 12GB – doesn't substitute for real memory.

Battery life is a strength, easily covering a full day, though charging is slow at 20W. Android 16 comes close to stock, stereo speakers are serviceable, and the phone retains a 3.5mm headphone jack, 128GB storage with microSD expansion, dual SIM slots, and IP64 dust and splash resistance.

Priced at R4,499 through Vodacom, PEP and Ackermans, Goldstuck's verdict is that the g37 5G suits buyers wanting a modern 5G phone without flagship spending – and, thanks to its colour-matched design, one that doesn't disappear into generic anonymity once it's in a case.

SOURCE: Gadget