Moto E7 Power review – a breath of fresh air in the entry-level segment

• The primary highlight of the Moto E7 Power is undoubtedly stock Android and the bloatware-free experience it offers.
• While a clean experience is always a great addition, it’s also worth considering the entire package that a phone offers in terms of display, performance and cameras.
• Does the Moto E7 Power strike a good balance between good software and adequately robust hardware? Let’s find out.

The entry-level phone segment is still one of the most competitive segments in India, offering buyers a wide variety of options, each with a varying degree of value for money. There are alternatives from Xiaomi, Realme, Oppo and Vivo that offer similar features but each with its own customised experiences. However, not all entry-level phones are made equal.

Often phones in this segment are riddled with ads and bloatware – the two things which have an immediate impact on the user experience.

That is where phones like the Moto E7 Power come in offering a clean, bloat-free experience at competitive prices. If you are in the market for a phone that doesn’t scream ads at you, the Moto E7 Power promises to be a good option.

I put this phone through the paces to understand if it is worth your consideration.

Moto E7 Power price and availability

The Moto E7 Power is priced at ₹7,499 for the 2GB RAM varaint and ₹8,299 for the 4GB RAM variant in India. It comes in two colours – Tahiti Blue and Coral Red. It will be available for purchase on Flipkart starting from February 28.

At this price point, the Moto E7 Power competes with these phones:


Design, build quality and display

The Moto E7 Power comes with a plastic build and the phone I tested had a matte finish. However, the first look at the phone is enough to tell you it is an entry-level device. The plastic build doesn’t inspire confidence, and the phone feels blocky to hold.

As far as design and build quality are concerned, Motorola could have done a better job. The buttons on the right feel wonky to use, but thankfully, there were no squeaky noises during my tests.

The phone sports a 6.5-inch HD+ display, with slightly thick bezels and a noticeably thick chin. The display gets bright enough indoors, but readability under direct sunlight can be challenging. The colour reproduction is good and uniform.

Software

Software is unarguably the biggest strength of the Moto E7 Power. It runs on stock Android with almost zero bloatware. This comes as a breath of fresh air in this price segment, so kudos to Motorola -- owned by Chinese firm Lenovo -- for this. It comes with the Facebook app bundled, but it can be uninstalled.

Apart from this, the Moto E7 Power sticks to stock Android, with zero modifications to the interface. It does have a dedicated button to summon Google Assistant, which can be useful if you use it frequently.

The one area where Motorola could have done better is the Android version – the Moto E7 Power comes with Android 10 out of the box instead of Android 11, which has been out for over 5 months now.

Performance and battery life

An octa-core MediaTek chipset drives the phone, paired with up to 4GB memory and 64GB storage. In my tests, I noticed the Moto E7 Power stutter while scrolling and navigating. However, it is worth remembering that this is an entry-level phone, so sheer power is not the important consideration here.

The phone is powered by a 5,000mAh battery that lasts for over a day of usage, with intermittent calls and messages, streaming a few videos on YouTube and browsing social media. It comes with a standard 10W charger.

Camera

The Moto E7 Power sports a dual camera setup on the back with a 13MP primary camera and a 2MP secondary camera.

Daylight shots were decent, but colours were slightly washed out.

The phone struggled a bit in slightly more challenging conditions. Essentially, the camera is serviceable but you shouldn’t expect it to do wonders.

Verdict

The Moto E7 Power is an entry-level smartphone and as such, the primary focus is on the basics like the software and ease of use. It does well in these two areas since it runs on stock Android and features almost no bloatware. The memory and storage are adequate as well, so that is another point in Motorola’s favour.

The display quality and camera performance could have been better, though. The design and build feel unfinished, too. But if you need a simple, no-frills entry-level phone, the Moto E7 Power is worth considering.

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