Motorola Moto G7 preview: Everything we know so far
UPDATED: Full specs have leaked, along with new photos
Half a decade later, Motorola’s Moto G line is still at the top of the class in the budget space. Last year’s Moto G6 came in three variants – and all three earned five-star reviews from Stuff.
It’s about that time for the Moto G7 to roll out, and based on the early leaks, Motorola plans to go big with this one – both by expanding the lineup and adding even more polish than before, despite what we expect to be affordable pricing for the entire range.
Looking to get a great phone for modest cash in 2019? The Motorola Moto G7 could be another winner. Here’s what we know so far about the full line.
When will the Motorola Moto G7 be out?
The Moto G6 line debuted in April 2018, but it sounds like Motorola won’t wait until spring to roll out the next batch of G phones.
TechTudo reports that Motorola has sent out invites for a 7 February launch event in Brazil – a couple of weeks before loads of other phones are unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at the end of February.
The Moto G6 also launched in Brazil in 2018, as the phones are very popular in the region, so a similar Moto G7 reveal makes sense. If true, then a release in February also makes sense.
(Leaked case renders via SlashLeaks)
Fact or fiction?
It all sounds pretty reasonable to us.
How much will the Motorola Moto G7 cost?
Despite myriad enhancements, the Moto G6 line kept things plenty affordable: the Moto G6 Play sold for £169, the standard G6 went for £219, and the larger and more powerful Moto G6 Plus sold for £269.
Leaker Ishan Agarwal suggests a €149 (about £130) price for the lowest-end Moto G7 Play and a €209 (about £185) price for the battery-boosted Moto G7 Power. Meanwhile, 9to5Google points to a €360 European price, which translates to about £315. That’s a bit of a bump over last year’s Plus model.
Here are proper leaked photos of the Moto G7 Plus via TudoCelular, which has contributed other leaks in the run-up to release.
Fact or fiction?
Those prices sound about right, and we expect the Moto G7 and G7 Plus prices to be pretty close to last year’s.
Also Read › The most anticipated smartphones of 2019
What will the Motorola Moto G7 look like?
You’re apparently looking at it in the photos above and below. Motorola has been an incredibly leaky ship over the last year, with nearly every smartphone leaking out in advance, and the G7 is no different.
Droid Shout got its hands on the first renders, and leaker Ishan Agarwal has since followed up with the higher-quality versions on this page. The Moto G7 and G7 Plus (shown here) are nearly identical except for size, it appears, with a small teardrop notch on both and a fair chunk of bezel at the bottom (with a Motorola logo).
The Moto G7 Play and G7 Power both have larger notches, with the Play being the widest of all thanks to what looks like a dedicated front-facing flash. The Play also looks to have the fattest bottom "chin" bezel. Scroll further down the screen and you’ll see one of several photos of the Moto G7 Play from the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), via Droid-Life. It’s real.
They’re all sleek and curvy on the back, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it’s glass only on the G7 and G7 Plus, but plastic on the Play and Power models. Case render leaks also point to a 3.5mm headphone port on at least the core Moto G7, so that’s one feature that shouldn’t be dropped in the new line.
Fact or fiction
While not entirely as polished as top-end flagship phones, the Moto G7 seems to come pretty close given the massive price savings.
What about the Motorola Moto G7’s screen?
The Moto G7 and G7 Plus are both expected to pack 1080p LCD displays… and both reportedly at 6.24in. That’s a bit of a size bump over the 5.7in and 5.9in displays of the Moto G6 models, and it’s definitely surprising that they’re the same size this time around.
The Moto G7 Power is expected to have a 6.2in display at 720p, while the smaller Moto G7 Play comes in at 5.7in and 720p.
Fact or fiction?
You’ll get the better screens with the Moto G7 and G7 Plus, but the other models pack in different perks instead.
How much power will the Motorola Moto G7 pack?
The Moto G7 line will opt for mid-range processors, as expected. Leaked specs via Motorola’s own Brazillian website point to a Snapdragon 636 with 4GB RAM on the Moto G7 Plus, the most powerful version in the bunch.
As for the other three models, they will all apparently share the slightly weaker Snapdragon 632, with 4GB RAM on the Moto G7, 3GB RAM on the Moto G7 Power, and 2GB RAM on the Moto G7 Play. It’s a bit surprising to see the Moto G7 share the same tech as those likely cheaper models, but the RAM difference could come into play with everyday performance.
Storage-wise, expect 64GB on the Moto G7 and G7 Plus, and 32GB on the G7 Play and G7 Power, with the ability to expand all of them via microSD cards.
Fact or fiction?
You should get solid power from all of these, but none are meant to be flagship contenders.
What kind of cameras will the Motorola Moto G7 have?
Both the Moto G7 and Moto G7 Plus are expected to double up on the back, with a 16-megapixel camera (f/1.7) supported by a 5MP depth sensor on the Plus. The Moto G7, meanwhile, will go with 12MP (f/1.8) and 5MP.
We’ll see just one back camera on the Moto G7 Play and Power models, according to the leaked renders, along with an LED flash. Spec leaks put it at 13MP (f/2.0) on the Moto G7 Play and 12MP (f/2.0) on the Moto G7 Power.
As mentioned above, all four phones feature a single front camera at 8MP (f/2.2), but the Moto G7 Play’s wider notch seems to accommodate a dedicated LED flash as well.
Fact or fiction?
Will the Moto G7 and G7 Plus keep the camera crown in this price range? We’re excited to find out.
Is there anything else I should know about the Motorola Moto G7?
As you might surmise from the name, the Moto G7 Power is set to be the battery beast of the bunch: leaks suggest a huge 5,000mAh cell within. However, the other three models apparently will settle for just 3,000mAh – even the G7 Plus.
Earlier rumours had pointed to potential wireless charging in the mix, but that doesn’t appear to be the case based on recent leaks. It makes sense, given the expected price range. At least the Plus model comes with a 27W TurboCharger, although we’re not sure yet about the other models.
Renders suggest that all four models will put the fingerprint sensor on the back this time around, saving some precious real estate under the display.
Fact or fiction?
If you’re considering a Moto G7 this year, which version will be best for you? We’ll find out when the official details and pricing are revealed, but here’s our look at the current Moto G6 crop for reference.
Andrew Hayward
Freelance Writer 
