In tune with the times, the Moto G54 offers three refresh rate modes, just like its predecessor. So, you get Auto, 120Hz, and 60Hz. I’ve stuck to the Auto option since I got this phone, which allows me to get the best of both worlds: fast refresh rate when I need it and optimization for better battery life when I don’t. It’s worth mentioning that the phone has just a 60Hz refresh rate when in Battery Saver mode.

The color temperature is more than acceptable, and you can also switch between two color modes: Natural and Saturated. I tested both of these and finally opted for the former mode, as it felt more natural to my eyes.

On the downside, the glass that protects the front display is way too reflective for my taste. As if that’s not enough, the screen is a bit dark, primarily because the brightness is far from ideal.

Also, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed with the LCD display technology. That is already a very outdated technology. Even budget-friendly devices like this one have started adopting OLED displays, so Motorola could have done better on that front.

I found it incredibly challenging to see visuals when outside. But what’s even strange is that the phone doesn’t really look that bright when you’re using it indoors. Overall, even though the display boasts a responsive 120Hz refresh rate, I don’t think it’s good enough to satisfy the needs of the average user.

Moto G54 5G Camera

Uncannily good performer

Right off the bat, I must advise you to abstain from any high expectations on the camera front. With that being said, the photos the Moto G54 produces are far from bad for its price range.

The device features a dual camera setup on the back with a 50MP primary sensor with OIS and a 2MP macro camera. The latter is practically useless, but it’s still there if you want to play with it. On the front, you get a 16MP camera with a Portrait mode that allows you to capture great Instagram-worthy photos (so long as you abstain from using the Portrait mode.)

Main Camera – Day

I found trying to shoot the perfect photo with the Moto G54 to be something of a hit-and-miss. Under direct sunlight, the shots appear pleasant, sharp, and with accurate colors. But when natural sunlight is absent (or insufficient), you get over-saturated colors that make the images look rather unnatural.

Main Camera – Low-light

As you can see from the photo samples, you get respectably detailed images when you shoot low-light snapshots with Night Vision. There’s no oversaturation of the colors, nor did I notice oversharpening.

But once you turn off the Night Vision mode, you get images that aren’t exactly perfect. I noticed some blurriness here and there, and detail is lacking, too. If you have the choice, I advise you to stick to Auto Night Vision, as photos in that mode are much sharper and more detailed.

Portrait Mode

With this mode, you should have a little patience. If the object you’re trying to capture isn’t perfectly still, you can get rather unappealing results. If you get things right, though, you may get some quite decent shots.

Zoom Quality

I’ve tested the 2X zoom on the Moto G54. As you can see from the photo samples above, the details are pretty crisp, and the colors appear natural.

However, While shots look decent at 2X zoom, quality deteriorates substantially the more you zoom in. Overall, this smartphone isn’t very good at zooming.

Macro Camera

As you might expect, the 2MP macro camera is practically useless. While the phone does a good job of focusing objects from a small distance, the photo quality is rather disappointing. What surprised me, though, was that colors appeared mostly natural. Then again, you can’t really expect anything much from this sensor.

Selfies

To me, the front snapper tends to oversharpen selfies a bit, especially when you’re taking daytime selfies. Still, at no point did I think colors are way too saturated, i.e., the selfie camera does a pretty good job of capturing accurate colors, both daytime and nighttime.What’s rather disappointing is how selfies look in Portrait mode. As you can see from the photo samples, I look perfectly fine right until you get to my hair. Indeed, as we’ve noticed with its predecessor, the Moto G54 can’t really handle anything apart from sharp and clean edges in this mode.

Video Quality

You can’t shoot videos in 4K with this smartphone, which is undoubtedly a minus. Not necessarily a big one, though, for we have to stay mindful of the phone’s price point.

Overall, I believe this phone is capable of shooting pretty neat videos without any unpleasant oversharpening of the details, considering its price point.

Moto G54 5G Performance and Benchmarks

Acceptable…or is it?

Unlike the previous-generation Moto G53, where Motorola opted for a Snapdragon 480+ 5G SoC, the Moto G54 features an Octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 7020 processor clocked at 2.2GHz and an IMG BXM-8-256 GPU. The phone I’ve been using comes with 128GB of internal storage space and 4GB RAM, and I found it to be just about enough.

As for its performance, the Motorola phone handles everyday tasks with acceptable but insufficient speed. You can expect good performance without hiccups when watching YouTube videos, browsing through social media, and even playing some games. I tested it with Call of Duty and NFS: No Limits, but I guess it can handle other undemanding titles well, too.

Switching between apps and games is easy, but some stutters are to be expected here and there when you start pushing it. One thing about this phone’s performance set me aback, though. That was the fact that it heats up quite quickly.

It doesn’t need that much pushing around to start getting warm, either; it would sometimes get hot from simply scrolling through Facebook. Things don’t get better when you start playing games. Of course, this issue could be fixed with future software updates.

As for the biometrics, I was left with mixed feelings about it. While the fingerprint reader, positioned at the power button, didn’t give up on me at any point, the face unlock worked relatively haphazardly. Sometimes, it would recognize my face from weird angles, but it wouldn’t always work in low light or if I attempted a smile.

As an additional note, people who like wearing oversized sunglasses would probably have to take them off if they wish to unlock their phones via the face unlock option.

Performance Benchmarks

From the metrics above, it becomes painfully clear that the Moto G54 5G doesn’t really impress with performance. In fact, it has about half the performance power of the Pixel 6a.

Moto G54 5G OS/ Android version

A spanking-clean Android experience

The Moto app is perfect for individuals who want to check out the extra features Motorola throws to sweeten the pot. Via this app, you can get a detailed tour of how to use Motorola’s unique features, and set up different gestures (more on those follows), among other things.

There’s a pretty neat sidebar that provides quick access to key apps like Calculator, Google Calendar, and Messages. You can also tune it to fit your taste by adding or removing apps.

Motorola’s neat and useful gesture controls are present on its Moto G54. For context, I’ve listed some of the other gestures you can set on the smartphone:

• Access the camera by twisting your wrist twice
• Turn on/off the flashlight with two chopping motions
• Lift your phone to unlock it
• Swipe your finger through the middle of the screen to access split-screen mode
• Place three fingers on the screen for a screen snapshot

As you can see, those are pretty handy and add extra convenience to the interface. In terms of support, we expect this device to receive Android 14 and about three years of security updates. Although three years of security updates is normal for a phone from this price range, just one major OS update seems a bit inadequate.

Moto G54 5G Battery

Just about enough

The Moto G54 5G has a 5,000mAh battery on deck that supports 20W TurboCharging.

Generally, you get about a day with moderate use. When you’re not touching it way too much, you can get as much as a day and a half. That is definitely decent, but I can’t say it’s super impressive, given that Motorola’s made it a habit to provide users with devices that last up to two days.

Without further ado, I suggest you check out the PhoneArena battery test results to get a better idea of how well this smartphone competes with others in the same price bracket.

PhoneArena Battery Test Results

On the PhoneArena browsing battery test, the Moto G54 5G endured 10.8 hours of video streaming and about 12 hours and a half of web browsing. When you play games, this device will keep going for a tad over seven hours before the lights go out.

The test we used consists of automated web browsing and scrolling over a Wi-Fi network at a pre-set screen brightness.

Moto G54 5G Charging Speeds

Who needs fast charging anyway?