Moto G53 5G Review: A Budget-Friendly Mid-Ranger with 5G Connectivity

Motorola Moto G53 5G - Are you in the market for a mid-range phone that won't break the bank? Do you also want the convenience of 5G connectivity? If so, you might want to check out the Moto G53 5G. This budget-friendly mid-ranger offers some solid features at an affordable price point, including a 120Hz refresh rate display, water-resistant design, and more. But is it worth your investment? Let's find out in this comprehensive review.

Design and Display:

The Moto G53 5G has a simple and minimalistic design, with a plastic back and frame and a subdued frosted finish. It also features a water-resistant design, although it doesn't have an official Ingress Protection rating. The phone measures 162.7 x 74.7 x 8.2mm and weighs 183g, making it easy to handle and carry around.

One of the phone's main highlights is its 6.50-inch IPS LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate. While the display has a lower 720 x 1600px resolution than some of its competitors, the 120Hz refresh rate makes up for it. It's smooth and responsive, and the display can dial down to a minimum of 60Hz to save energy. The display also offers decent color accuracy, although it's not as sharp or contrasty as the 1080p AMOLED display on the previous Moto G52 model.

Performance and Software:

Under the hood, the Moto G53 5G is powered by the Qualcomm SM4350-AC Snapdragon 480+ 5G chipset, with an octa-core processor consisting of 2x2.2 GHz Kryo 460 and 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 460. It also features an Adreno 619 GPU. While the performance is not the strongest in its class, it's decent for day-to-day use and some casual gaming. The phone is available in several memory configurations, including 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, and 128GB 8GB RAM. It also supports microSDXC memory cards that use a shared SIM slot.

The Moto G53 5G runs on the Android 13 operating system with a near-stock software experience. It also features some custom Moto features, including personalization options, gesture shortcuts, and peak display function. The software is clean, simple, and easy to use, without any bloatware or unnecessary features.

Camera:

The camera setup on the Moto G53 5G is a bit of a mixed bag. The phone features a 50MP wide (main) camera with an f/1.8 aperture and a 2MP macro camera with an f/2.4 aperture. While the main camera captures decent photos with plenty of detail, good contrast, and true-to-life colors, there is some softness and graininess when you zoom in. The main camera also does a decent job with portrait mode, with good edge detection. However, the phone lacks an ultra-wide camera, which is a step down from the previous Moto G52 model.

In low-light conditions, the Moto G53 5G struggles a bit. The photos are soft, grainy, and quite dark, even with the automatic night mode enabled. The phone also has an 8MP or 16MP front camera, which does a decent job with selfies, with enough detail and nice colors.

Battery Life:

One of the Moto G53 5G's strongest features is its battery life. The phone has a large 5000mAh battery that provides excellent endurance, with a score of 123 hours in our tests. However, the charging speed is a bit of a letdown, with only basic 10W charging support compared to the 30W charging support on the previous Moto G52 model. With the 10W adapter, it takes over two and a half hours to fully charge the phone, which is slower than some of its competitors.

Miscellaneous Features:

The Moto G53 5G also features a side-mounted fingerprint reader for biometrics, as well as a standard headphone jack and stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support. It also has FM radio support in some markets and regions, but this is dependent on the availability of FM radio in your area.

Specifications:

Body: The Moto G53 5G measures 162.7 x 74.7 x 8.2mm and weighs 183g. It features a glass front, plastic back, and plastic frame with a water-resistant design.
Display: The phone comes with a 6.50-inch IPS LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 720 x 1600px resolution, a 20:9 aspect ratio, and 270ppi.
Chipset: The Moto G53 5G is powered by the Qualcomm SM4350-AC Snapdragon 480+ 5G (8 nm) chipset with an octa-core processor consisting of 2x2.2 GHz Kryo 460 and 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 460. It also features an Adreno 619 GPU.
Memory: The phone is available in several memory configurations, including 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, and 128GB 8GB RAM. It also supports microSDXC memory cards that use a shared SIM slot.
OS/Software: The Moto G53 5G runs on the Android 13 operating system.
Rear camera: The phone features a 50MP wide (main) camera with an f/1.8 aperture, 1/2.76" sensor size, 0.64µm pixel size, and PDAF. It also has a 2MP macro camera with an f/2.4 aperture.
Front camera: The phone features either an 8MP wide (main) camera with an f/2.0 aperture, 1/4" sensor size, and 1.12µm pixel size or a 16MP wide (main) camera with an f/2.2 aperture and 1.0µm pixel size.
Video capture: The rear camera can capture video at 1080p@30fps, while the front camera can capture video at 1080p@30fps.
Battery: The Moto G53 5G has a 5000mAh battery with 18W wired charging in China and LATAM markets, 10W wired charging in international markets, and reverse wired charging.
Misc: Other features of the phone include a side-mounted fingerprint reader, FM radio (market/region dependent), a 3.5mm jack, and stereo speakers.

The Moto G53 5G is a budget-friendly mid-ranger with some solid features, including 5G connectivity, a 120Hz refresh rate display, water-resistant design, and great battery life. However, the phone also has some downsides, including a lower-resolution display than some of its competitors, a weaker chipset, and a lack of an ultra-wide camera. If you're looking for a phone with 5G connectivity and don't need the most powerful performance or camera capabilities, the Moto G53 5G is a decent option. But if you're willing to spend a bit more, there are other mid-range phones on the market that offer more bang for your buck.

Overall, the Moto G53 5G is a solid budget phone that offers good value for its price point. Its 5G connectivity, 120Hz refresh rate display, and water-resistant design are all compelling features, especially for users who don't need the most powerful performance or camera capabilities. However, the phone does have some drawbacks, such as a lower-resolution display and weaker chipset, which may not appeal to all users. Ultimately, the Moto G53 5G is a good choice for anyone on a budget who wants to experience the benefits of 5G without breaking the bank.