The Motorola Moto One Macro arrives as an intriguing option in the budget smartphone segment, particularly for photography enthusiasts who want macro capabilities without breaking the bank. This device carries Motorola's signature near-stock Android experience while packing some interesting camera tricks up its sleeve.

Design and Build Quality

At first glance, the Moto One Macro follows Motorola's recent design language with its waterdrop notch and slightly textured back panel. The polycarbonate body feels sturdy in hand, though it obviously lacks the premium feel of glass-backed devices. The rear-mounted fingerprint sensor doubles as the Motorola batwing logo, positioned perfectly for natural finger placement. What surprised me was the weight distribution - despite its 186g weight, the phone feels balanced and comfortable for one-handed use.

The 6.2-inch HD+ display won't win any resolution awards, but it's perfectly serviceable for daily use with decent color reproduction. Outdoor visibility could be better, but at this price point, the performance is about what you'd expect. The teardrop notch houses a modest 8MP front camera while keeping screen real estate maximized.

Performance and Software

Powered by the MediaTek Helio P70 chipset coupled with 4GB RAM, the Moto One Macro delivers adequate performance for everyday tasks. You won't be breaking any benchmark records, but apps open reasonably quickly, and basic multitasking is handled without much fuss. The 64GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD) provides ample space for most users' needs.

Where Motorola continues to shine is with its software implementation. Running nearly stock Android 9 Pie (with promised Android 10 update), the interface is clean and bloatware-free. Motorola's useful additions like Moto Actions and Moto Display remain present, adding genuine value without cluttering the experience. The dedicated Google Assistant button might prove divisive - some will find it convenient while others may trigger it accidentally.

Camera System - The Macro Specialist

The headline feature here is undoubtedly the macro camera - a 2MP dedicated sensor specifically for close-up photography. In testing, it delivered surprisingly good results for a budget device, allowing for sharp focus at just 2cm distance. The autofocus struggles occasionally in variable lighting, but when it locks on correctly, the detail capture is impressive for this price segment.

The primary 13MP shooter performs adequately in good light, producing images with decent dynamic range. Low-light performance is predictably mediocre, though the dedicated night mode helps salvage some shots. The 2MP depth sensor assists with portrait mode, which works reasonably well for subject separation. Video recording tops out at 1080p/30fps with electronic stabilization that's effective for casual use.

Battery Life and Charging

With a 4000mAh battery, the Moto One Macro easily powers through a full day of moderate to heavy use. In my testing, screen-on time consistently reached 6-7 hours with mixed usage including social media, photography, and video streaming. The included 10W charger feels sluggish in 2019, taking nearly 2.5 hours for a full charge. There's no support for fast charging or wireless charging, which is expected at this price point.

Final Verdict

The Moto One Macro carves out a specific niche for itself - it's one of the most affordable ways to experiment with macro photography while still getting a competent daily driver. The clean software, reliable battery life, and unique camera capabilities make it stand out in the crowded budget segment. While power users and mobile gamers should look elsewhere, photography enthusiasts on a tight budget will find plenty to like here.

Motorola Moto One Macro Full Specifications:

General:

Dimensions: 157.6 x 75.4 x 9 mm

Weight: 186 g

Build: Plastic back, plastic frame

SIM: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)

Display:

Type: IPS LCD, 16M colors

Size: 6.2 inches, 95.9 cm2 (~80.7% screen-to-body ratio)

Resolution: 720 x 1520 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~271 ppi density)

Platform:

OS: Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 10

Chipset: Mediatek MT6771 Helio P70 (12nm)

CPU: Octa-core (4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A53)

GPU: Mali-G72 MP3

Memory:

Internal: 64GB 4GB RAM

Card slot: microSDXC (dedicated slot)

Main Camera:

Triple: 13 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/3.1", 1.12µm, PDAF

2 MP, f/2.2, (macro)

2 MP, f/2.2, (depth)

Features: LED flash, HDR, panorama

Video: 1080p@30/60fps

Selfie Camera:

Single: 8 MP, f/2.2, 1.12µm

Features: HDR

Video: 1080p@30fps

Sound:

Loudspeaker: Yes

3.5mm jack: Yes

Communications:

WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot

Bluetooth: 4.2, A2DP, LE

GPS: Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO

NFC: No

Radio: FM radio

USB: microUSB 2.0

Features:

Sensors: Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity

Battery:

Type: Li-Po 4000 mAh, non-removable

Charging: Charging 10W

Colors:

Space Blue, Ultra Violet