Smartphone Comparison: Motorola Moto G30 vs. Motorola Moto G85
1. Specifications Comparison
Design
| Feature | Motorola Moto G30 | Motorola Moto G85 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 165.2 × 75.7 × 9.1 mm | 161.9 × 73.1 × 7.6 mm | The G85 is more compact and slimmer, making it more pocketable and comfortable to hold. The G30 has a noticeably larger volume, making it feel bulkier. |
| Weight | 200g | 171g | The G85 is significantly lighter, resulting in less fatigue during extended use. The G30's added weight can be a drawback. |
Display
| Feature | Motorola Moto G30 | Motorola Moto G85 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 6.5" | 6.67" | The G85 has a slightly larger screen, offering a more immersive viewing experience. |
| Resolution | 720x1600 | 1080x2400 | The G85 has a much sharper display. Text and images will appear noticeably clearer, improving the overall visual experience. |
| Pixel Density (PPI) | 269 | 395 | The G85 offers a significantly crisper display, reducing pixelation, especially noticeable with text or detailed images. |
| Technology | IPS LCD | P-OLED | The G85 features a superior P-OLED display that delivers richer colors, deeper blacks, and better contrast compared to the G30's IPS LCD, resulting in a more vibrant display. |
| Refresh Rate | 90Hz | 120Hz | The G85's 120Hz refresh rate provides smoother scrolling and animations, enhancing the perceived responsiveness of the phone, although the difference is not dramatic. |
| Brightness | 0 nits | 1600 nits | The G85 is significantly brighter, making it much easier to use outdoors in bright sunlight, while the G30's screen might be hard to see clearly. The '0 nits' for G30 likely means no official specification, making comparison difficult, but it is far less bright than 1600 nits. |
| Screen Protection | Unknown | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | The G85 has superior screen protection, reducing the risk of scratches and damage from minor falls; this information is missing for the G30. |
Performance
| Feature | Motorola Moto G30 | Motorola Moto G85 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 (11 nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 (6 nm) | The G85's chipset is more modern and efficient, resulting in faster processing, better multitasking, and better power efficiency. |
| AnTuTu Score | 170,968 | 475,000 | The G85 offers significantly better performance, loading apps faster, performing better in demanding tasks and being much more suitable for gaming. |
| GPU | Adreno 610 | Adreno 619 | The G85 has a more powerful GPU, improving graphics performance, especially noticeable in gaming and video editing. |
Camera
| Feature | Motorola Moto G30 | Motorola Moto G85 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Camera Resolution | 64 MP | 50 MP | While the G30 has a higher megapixel count, the G85's larger pixel size and better sensor often result in better low-light performance and dynamic range. |
| Main Camera Aperture | f/1.7 | f/1.79 | The G30's wider aperture allows slightly more light to reach the sensor which can improve low-light performance, but sensor quality is more important. |
| Main Camera Sensor Size/Model | - | 1/2", Sony LYT-600 | The G85 benefits from a larger sensor size and a specific, likely more efficient sensor from Sony that is likely better in low-light conditions. |
| Main Camera Pixel Size | 0.70 µm | 1.00 µm | The G85's larger pixel size allows it to capture more light per pixel. Resulting in better low-light performance and less noise in the pictures. |
| Selfie Camera Resolution | 13 MP | 32 MP | The G85 offers higher resolution for selfies, allowing for more detail. |
| Selfie Camera Aperture | f/2.2 | f/2.4 | The G30's wider aperture may allow slightly more light, but this is likely less important than sensor and pixel size. |
| Selfie Camera Pixel Size | 1.12 µm | 0.70 µm | The G30's larger pixel size may perform slightly better in low-light conditions for selfies. |
| Wide-Angle Camera | 8MP, f/2.2, 1.12 µm | 8MP, f/2.2, 1.12 µm | Both phones have comparable wide-angle lenses, providing similar capability for capturing expansive scenes. |
| Portrait Mode (depth) | 2MP, f/2.4, 1.75 µm | N/A | The G30 has a dedicated depth sensor, which may assist in creating better portrait mode effects compared to the G85 which does not have a dedicated depth sensor. |
| Macro Lens | 2MP, f/2.4, 1.75 µm | N/A | The G30 has a dedicated macro lens, allowing for close-up photography, which the G85 lacks. |
| Video Recording | 1080p@30/60fps; No stabilization; Slow-motion: Yes, 60fps | 1080p@30/60fps; Yes stabilization; Slow-motion: No, 30fps | The G85 has video stabilization that the G30 lacks, leading to smoother footage; both have different slow motion capabilities with the G30 capturing slow motion at 60fps while the G85 captures slow motion at 30fps. |
| DXOMARK Score | N/A | Overall: 88, Photo: 83, Video: 109 | The G85's DXOMARK score indicates good, but not top-tier, camera performance, specifically in video recording |
| Camera Features | Quadruple camera, Digital zoom, Autofocus, Touch focus, Phase detection autofocus (PDAF), Laser autofocus (LAF), Continuous shooting, Geotagging, Panorama, HDR, Face detection, White balance settings, ISO settings, Exposure compensation, Scene mode, Self-timer, RAW | Dual camera, Digital image stabilization, Optical Stabilization (OIS), Digital zoom, Autofocus, Touch focus, Phase detection autofocus (PDAF), Laser autofocus (LAF), Continuous shooting, Geotagging, Panorama, HDR, Face detection, White balance settings, ISO settings, Exposure compensation, Scene mode, Self-timer, RAW | The G30 includes a depth and macro sensor that the G85 lacks. The G85 has optical image stabilization (OIS) and digital image stabilization (DIS) that the G30 lacks, resulting in better image quality, especially in low-light conditions and while capturing video. |
Battery
| Feature | Motorola Moto G30 | Motorola Moto G85 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5000 mAh | 5000 mAh | Both phones have the same battery capacity, suggesting similar battery life for typical usage. |
| Charging | 15W fast charging, Li-Ion | 30W fast charging, Li-Polymer | The G85 charges much faster which can be convenient for users who need to quickly top up their battery. |
| Removable | Non-removable | Non-removable | Both batteries are non-removable and will need professional replacement. |
Software and Connectivity
| Feature | Motorola Moto G30 | Motorola Moto G85 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| OS | Android 11 (Upgradable to 12) | Android 14 | The G85 offers a newer OS, which typically includes better features, improved performance, and enhanced security. |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11ac, Dual Band, Hotspot, Direct | 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6), Dual Band, Hotspot, Direct, Display | The G85 has Wi-Fi 6 for faster and more reliable connections, especially useful in crowded networks. The G85 additionally supports Wi-Fi Display, making it easier to mirror the device to other screens. |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 LE | 5.1 LE | The G85 has a newer Bluetooth version, which typically has slightly improved connection reliability and efficiency, although it may not be a huge difference in everyday usage. |
| GPS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, SUPL, Galileo | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, QZSS, Galileo | The G85 supports more satellite systems (Beidou, QZSS), resulting in more precise location accuracy, particularly in challenging environments. |
| SIM | Dual Nano SIM | Dual Nano SIM + eSIM | The G85 provides more flexibility with eSIM support, useful for those who travel or want to easily switch between carriers. The G30 does not have eSIM. |
Storage and Audio
| Feature | Motorola Moto G30 | Motorola Moto G85 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Storage | 64 GB or 128 GB | 128 GB or 256 GB | The G85 offers more storage for users with large media libraries and many apps. |
| RAM | 4 GB or 6 GB | 8 GB or 12 GB | The G85 comes with much more RAM, improving multitasking and app performance, especially for users who run multiple apps simultaneously or play demanding games. |
| Expandable Storage | No | No | Neither phone supports expandable storage. |
| Audio Quality | Basic | Dolby Atmos, Stereo Speakers, 2 microphones | The G85 offers superior audio output with Dolby Atmos, stereo speakers and 2 microphones, resulting in a more immersive experience and improved audio capture. |
Security and Sensors
| Feature | Motorola Moto G30 | Motorola Moto G85 | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fingerprint Sensor | Rear-mounted | Basic | Both phones have a fingerprint sensor, which will offer similar basic biometric security. |
| Sensors | Fingerprint, Proximity, Accelerometer, Gyroscope | Fingerprint, Proximity, Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscope | The G85 includes a compass that the G30 does not have, providing additional directional information. |
2. Key Differences Analysis
Motorola Moto G30 Advantages:
- Dedicated Depth Sensor: The G30 has a dedicated depth sensor, which may result in better portrait mode photos.
- Dedicated Macro Lens: The G30 has a dedicated macro lens for taking close-up shots, lacking on the G85.
- Slightly wider main camera aperture: The G30's main camera has a slightly wider aperture, which may result in better performance in very low-light conditions.
Motorola Moto G85 Advantages:
- Significantly Superior Display: The P-OLED display with higher resolution, pixel density, brightness and refresh rate offers a much more vibrant and smoother visual experience, especially in bright sunlight.
- Massively Better Performance: The Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 chipset offers significantly higher performance than the Snapdragon 662, resulting in faster app loading and smoother multitasking.
- Better Camera Quality: Despite lower MP, the larger sensor and pixel sizes, coupled with OIS, result in better photos, especially in low light, and a better video recording experience.
- Faster Charging: 30W charging is significantly faster than the G30's 15W.
- Newer OS: Android 14 provides access to the latest features, performance and security updates.
- More RAM and Storage: The G85 offers more RAM for smoother multitasking and more internal storage for apps, photos and media.
- Better Audio Experience: Dolby Atmos, stereo speakers and 2 microphones.
- eSIM Support: Adds flexibility for managing multiple phone numbers.
- Improved Connectivity: Newer Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 provide faster and more reliable connections and more precise location with additional satellite support.
- Lighter and Slimmer Design: Making it more comfortable to use and carry.
- Better Build Quality: Corning Gorilla Glass 5 screen protection.
Trade-offs:
- G30 loses OIS, Depth & Macro Cameras: The G85 lacks a dedicated depth and macro camera and relies on software for such effects, the G30 does have this, but the performance of the G85's camera should outweigh this.
- G30 video stabilization: The G30 lacks video stabilization.
- Main camera resolution: G85 has slightly lower resolution, however, the G85's better sensor, pixel sizes, and OIS are likely better than the slightly higher resolution on the G30.
3. User Profiles & Recommendations
Motorola Moto G30:
- Ideal User: Budget-conscious users who need basic smartphone functionalities, such as calls, browsing, and social media. Users who value having a depth and macro camera.
- Use Cases:
- Casual browsing and social media use.
- Basic photography and videography in good lighting conditions.
- Users who prefer slightly wider camera aperture and a depth/macro sensor.
- Price-to-Value: The G30 offers a lower price point but lacks the display quality, performance and some camera features offered by the G85.
Motorola Moto G85:
- Ideal User: Users who value high-quality display, faster performance, better camera capabilities, and advanced features, while still remaining budget conscious.
- Use Cases:
- Gaming, multitasking and demanding apps.
- Mobile photography, especially in varied lighting conditions.
- Frequent video recording and viewing.
- Users who prioritize a brighter, smoother, more colorful display and high responsiveness.
- Travelers who might benefit from eSIM support and more precise GPS.
- Price-to-Value: The G85 offers a better value proposition for the slightly higher price because of its superior display, faster charging, better performance and a better camera system.
4. Decision Framework
Key Questions:
- How important is display quality? If a vibrant, high-resolution screen with good outdoor visibility is critical, the G85 is the better choice.
- How important is performance and speed? For users who multitask, game, or frequently use demanding apps, the G85's superior chipset and RAM are essential.
- How important is camera quality and additional features? If video stabilization, better image quality, especially in low-light, and OIS are important, the G85 is a better choice. If a depth and macro sensor is needed, the G30 is the choice.
Scenario-Based Recommendations:
- Budget-Conscious Basic User: If budget is the absolute primary concern, and basic phone use is all that is needed, the Moto G30 may be suitable. However, for a very slight increase in price, the G85 offers a far superior experience.
- Performance and Camera Focused: For users wanting a smoother experience with superior cameras, the G85 is the only option in this comparison.
- Balanced User: For a balance of price and performance, the Moto G85 offers a far superior overall experience, and is worth the slight price increase over the G30.
My Choice
If I had to choose, I would choose the Motorola Moto G85.
Reasoning:
The G85 offers a significantly superior user experience across almost all key areas. While the Moto G30 is less expensive, the G85's much better display, vastly improved performance, better camera with OIS, faster charging, and updated software make it a far better purchase. The G85 is more future-proof due to better hardware and software, and the better screen, battery charging, and audio experience make it a better device to use daily.
The slight compromise in macro and depth sensor on the G85 is negligible compared to the vast improvement in the overall quality of the device. The G85 is a modern phone, while the G30 shows its age in the comparison, it’s much better to purchase the better of the two devices.
