Motorola Moto G52 VS Moto G22: review and comparison

May it be #betterMotoG we have already established this with the release of the first, mythical generation, but over the years the question has become more complex. Not only has the competition become much more intense and therefore the range is no longer the queen of cheap Android smartphones, it has also multiplied significantly. The current range has at least 5 models, from the inexpensive G22 to the quasi-premium G82. Today we are comparing the G22 with the model that is in the middle, or the G52.

As expected in this price range, plastic is the material of choice for the back in both devices. Although G52 is the more prestigious model of the two, from behind the G22 is nicer – either because of the slightly more lively color, or because the shell is not rounded on the sides, or because it has a more “frosted” and pleasant to the touch finish. G52, on the other hand, is very glossy. A common sore point is that they get too easily filled with fingerprints.

The design is unmistakably Motorola, with the classic stylized M in the center and all the physical buttons on one side – a solution that isn’t the best for capturing screenshots. G52 is IP52 certified, G22 is not (although Motorola indicates an unspecified “water repellent design); and is satisfied with a single speaker and a charging speed that stops at 15 W (moreover with a 10 W charger in the package) compared to the 30 of the G52. On both we find the fingerprint scanner on the power button and the 3.5 mm audio jack, but on the G52 it is positioned on the lower edge, next to the USB-C port, while on the G22 on the upper one.

G52 is significantly lighter and in the box is a protective silicone case – nothing fancy, but it does the job – and a pair of wired earbuds, which we mention just for the sake of completeness. It is also a few millimeters lower, despite the fact that the diagonal of the display is practically identical; thanks to better optimized frames. The width is practically identical: they both hold well in the hand, although it is very easy to accidentally activate the fingerprint scanner on the power button and inadvertently unlock the device. It’s a common problem with these design choices, even though the scanner itself has always found itself reasonably accurate and fast (more so than the optical ones below the display, say, even if their convenience remains unbeatable).

90 Hz refresh for both, and very similar sizes, but the similarities end there. There is no match between the OLED technology of the G52 and the LCD technology of the G22, especially for the quality of the Always-On Display. The LCD is less bright (but you can read well even in direct sunlight), it has narrower viewing angles and the white tends to be a little pink (the OLED instead turns towards the teal, but in a way much less noticeable). The brightness sensor tends to be a bit too stingy either way. Generally the use of the touch screen is positive, but let’s say excellent for the G52 and only very good for the G22, which occasionally loses a few touches.

On both devices, of course, there is support for the dark theme, for the night light mode (with the possibility of adjusting its intensity) and for adjusting the intensity of the colors. A couple of G52 exclusives are the split screen and the “Attentive Screen”, which detects when a user is watching it and avoids turning off. Even the lock screen has different operating logics: on the OLED display notifications are grouped into their respective app icons, and just press them to preview them. The LCD model only shows now and any notifications but you have to completely reactivate the display to continue further.

Both smartphones are based on Android 12 and the security patches date back to June 2022. By default, Motorola guarantees three years of security updates (so far we believe they are quarterly, as they were originally from March 2022) and at least one Android version upgrade. As usual, with its MyUX Motorola does not overturn the original code developed by Google.

The Material You is present in its totality, but the in-depth customizationincluding the dynamic theme (OS color palette automatically generated from the background image), the shape of the icons and the font is prerogative of G52; there are of course custom wallpapers and sounds, but otherwise Motorola relies on Google software also for integrated apps (phone dialer, gallery, mail client, SMS client and so on). Exceptions are the camera, which we will discuss in the dedicated section, and the launcher.

The launcher doesn’t have much to say – as often happens for phones of Chinese origin, it is possible to choose between the classic Android mode with the app drawer and the more iPhone-style one, without drawer and with apps that are launched directly from the various pages of the Home. It offers three variants of Moto Widget, with details on time, date, weather and more. In general, the customization options are quite limited. Another prerogative of the G52 is the Moto app, which offers a whole series of additional special features and tips to make the most of your device.

A detail that struck me looking at the two devices closely was how the system is not exactly identical. It is understandable that in the most prestigious device there are some exclusive features, but certain settings pages (and not only them) are simply ordered and organized in a different way.

Another big point of difference between the two devices is the processor inserted into their respective SoCs. Basically, we can say that the G22’s MediaTek consists exclusively of those that the G52 uses as an energy-saving core, albeit with more sustained clocks, and it shows. Not even the G52 is always perfectly smooth, but the G22 struggles a lot more – especially during the first configuration, app installation and any other operation that requires a little power.

The benchmark results are below to see. It is precisely in this perspective that I have often wondered what’s the point of a high refresh displayif the system as a whole is not able to guarantee fluidity even during the most trivial operations, such as opening the notification curtain, scrolling the drawer or web browsing.The G52 tested here has 6 GB of RAM; there is a 4 GB variant but it seems that it has not been sold by us. G22 is only available with 4GB.

Said this, All in all, the G52 gets along very well when it comes to multimedia. It has nice loud stereo speakers (asymmetrical, yes, but less noticeable than in other devices) and with a surprising amount of bass, especially when you consider the price range, and the nice bright OLED display makes a great impression at video playback. streaming. Not even gaming is to be underestimated: the SoC is not undermined even by a “brick” of the caliber of Genshin Impact, even if there is some slowdown every now and then. During longer operations, throttling phenomena are almost absent and temperatures never reach critical thresholds.

G22, on the other hand, can be fine for streaming videos, but the low resolution of the display (LCD) and the single speaker are a significant step down, and the same can be said for gaming a bit more demanding. Among other things, the security level of the DRM Widevine stops at L3 for G22, while on G52 it arrives at L1.

On the reception side, the two devices are substantially paired, and the results are only fair. In my area of ​​poor reception “of trust” I found complete loss of signal where other smartphones manage to stay hooked, even just to receive WhatsApp messages, and more effort than usual in restoring the connection. On the telephony side, the victory of G52 is clear both on the audio side in the capsule (much more full-bodied and clear) and on the microphone side (much lower, even if at the expense of a little something on the high frequencies).

The autonomy, on the other hand, is exceptional in both devices. With light use it is extremely easy to reach two full days of use (with a few percentage points left over!) Even with several hours of screen on. However, the G52 has a much faster charging: 30 W against 15. Furthermore, the charger in the pack of the G22 is only 10 W, so we can talk about a nice 3 to 1 round.

The photographic sector is essentially identical between the two devices. The sensors are the same, with the only difference that on the cheaper G22 there is an extra depth sensor (2 MP). On the G52 this task is carried out by the ultra-wide angle. The main sensor is an ISOCELL JN1 which behaves in a more than decent way with optimal light conditions. The ultrawide, as often happens in this price range, produces decent shots only in perfect light, and the same goes for the front. Unfortunately, on the video side we are penalized by the absence of optical stabilization and by the support of nothing better than the FHD 1080p @ 30 FPS, both for the main and for the front.

Nevertheless, a qualitative difference between the two devices is perceived, naturally in favor of the G52. Perhaps it has to do with the SoC’s ISP, perhaps more generally with the significant difference in processing power available. Interestingly, there are two completely different apps to manage the camera – one, that of the G52, available on the Play Store, the other apparently not.

Here are some shots that demonstrate the main methods available with some comments.

NOTE: to the left always G22, on the RIGHT always G52

Ultimately, it doesn’t take long to realize that it’s # betterMotoG52 than G22, at least from a pure quality standpoint; and it would be a big problem if it were the other way around. The price issue remains to be understood. As we have said, the price lists are respectively € 219 and € 299, therefore a difference of € 80. Looking at the best offers currently available, it drops to respectively 138 (4 + 64 GB size) and 229 € (6 + 128 GB size), so a difference of 90 €. Everyone thinks with their wallet, of course, but we can say this: you really give up on a lot by settling for G22 – more than anything else it often falls below the acceptable threshold in everyday use.

Still looking at the web price, the choice of Android smartphones is almost endless in this range at the moment. On the top is Realme 9, which at least is 5G, has a 90 Hz display but only LCD (IPS), or Samsung Galaxy A33, which has both 5G and 90 Hz OLED and a good SoC. OPPO A96 has the same chip as Moto G52, more RAM and more internal storage, but it’s dual cam only and the 90Hz display is LCD. Looking down, on the other hand, Samsung Galaxy M13 may be a good choice: 90 Hz LCD HD, SoC similar to that of G22 but a little more recent (Cortex-A55 vs A53) but a little bit is lost on the camera side.

(update of 09 September 2022, 6:15 pm)