Moto G23 Performance & Benchmarks
Now, an important note here is that the G23 is available in two configurations: one with 4GB of RAM and then another with 8GB, which is the one we chose. Given how close the specs of the G13 and G23 are, we expect the 4GB variant of the G23 to perform about as well as the G13. That being said, 8GB of RAM feels like a total game-changer, so if you have the choice: go for that one!The performance of the G23 is truly impressive. System navigation felt fluid and responsive, while switching between apps was quick and painless. The phone is completely capable of multitasking without any issue to the point that even two 3D games running at the same time was doable. And the G23 didn’t even get warm!
Moreover, this budget Moto phone is a great option for a cheap gaming phone. It handled everything that I threw at it — with the clear intention of challenging it — without breaking a sweat. All tested games ran at high frame rates at medium to low settings, without excessive battery drain or heating.
The G23 handled watching content in 4K very well, with a slight recovery time needed to flush it out when you are done. That being said, you wouldn’t really need to do that in any realistic situation, so just know that 1080p is as enjoyable as ever for watching media.
The biometric sensors on the G23 are truly impressive too. The fingerprint didn’t return any errors, even when my fingers were wet. But with Face Unlock, I was truly impressed, because the smartphone not only managed to continuously recognise me with glasses and in the dark, but also did so from impressive distances, to the point where it unlocked itself on accident a few times. A bit of a double-edged sword this one!
Moto G23 OS / Android Version
Motorola is known for releasing most of its phones with pure versions of Android, and the G23 also continues the tradition. That being said, it does come with some Moto-exclusive features and quirks.
Here’s a quick list of the tricks the G23 can pull off:
- Twist it twice and it starts up the camera
- Shake it and it turns on the flashlight
- Tap it with three fingers and it takes a screenshot
Do they work? Absolutely! Were there times where they came in hand? For sure. Would I evade them at all times unless in a pinch? Yep. The movements are just a bit too erratic and childish to be repeatedly done when in a crowd.
The G23 can also attempt to learn your usage pattern in order to change up the apps on your Home Screen’s bottom bar. For example, if it detects that you tend to browse Instagram while taking your first break at around 10:00 AM, then it will place that app on the row. While that sounds great, the G23 didn’t get to know me that well, as it offered up completely nonsensical suggestions. Then again, I only spent a week with it.
If you stick with the G23 for the entire three year period, for which it will be officially supported by Motorola, the story may be different and the feature — worthwhile. Oh, and said period also includes a single OS upgrade, presumably from Android 13 to 14.
Moto G23 Battery
I had a really tough time draining the G23’s battery and I say that with the utmost respect. The phone’s battery life is truly impressive, as it survived an entire day of gaming, streaming and me taking photos of my cats with 17% of battery. Standby time was also impressive, with the phone losing less than 5% in about 10 hours. When the time to recharge it eventually came, it took about two hours to get it juiced up enough for me to go out and play around with the camera some more.
Moto G23 Audio Quality & Haptics
The Moto G23 has a bold engraving of “Dolby Atmos” on top, and luckily its audio performance can live up to the branding. While it does produce some excessive noise at loud volumes, overall sound quality was great.
Soundscape separation was clear, highs didn’t stab my ears and basses didn’t rumble excessively. Sometimes, however, songs lacked a presence of midrange tonality, which removed some of the oomph I had come to expect. This didn’t happen while watching videos though, so that’s good.
On the other hand, haptics were disappointing. The motor in the G23 simply couldn’t keep up with my typing speed, and I’m not even that fast on a virtual keyboard. The result brought a sluggish sensation, which made the phone feel way slower than it actually was.
Call quality and microphone clarity were great, with the latter gaining bonus points for some really impressive noise cancellation. The G23 also comes with the coveted 3,5 mm headphone jack, which is always a welcomed inclusion.
Moto G23 Summary and Final Verdict
All in all, the G23 can absolutely meet the expectations associated with the given price range. For a budget phone, it shows great promise in terms of performance. If you decide to pick the Moto G23 for your daily driver, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised, as long as you can accept its few, but noticeable shortcomings.
