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Verdict
Lenovo has unleashed an almost flagship camera phone with a mid-range price tag in the Motorola One Zoom.
It cuts corners to cost what it does - this isn’t the sleekest or the most powerful phone at its price, but get past that and you’ll open yourself up to a world of beautiful images without breaking the bank.
From a utility point of view, it’s a champion. It’s very well put together, includes a case and TurboPower charger in the box, has a great screen, stock UI, a headphone jack and sensational battery life. All in all, an easy phone to recommend.
Who's this for?
If you don’t need maximum power and a super sleek design, the Motorola One Zoom is an exceptional device. While it only packs 4GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 675 chipset, its cameras, battery life and screen make it a great choice for photo-focused smartphone buyers on a budget of under $450/£400.
Should you buy it?
Definitely, if you want an almost flagship-grade, versatile camera without breaking the bank. While the One Zoom is outclassed by the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro from a design point of view, and that phone also packs a better chipset, its camera isn’t quite as capable.
First reviewed: October 2019
Competition
The Motorola One Zoom isn't the only good phone at this price. Consider these alternatives.
Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro
The Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset, a triple camera setup and 4,000mAh of battery power. It stacks up to the Motorola One Zoom in most respects, and features a pop-up camera, but its UI is nowhere near as close to stock Android, and it doesn’t quite pack the photography capabilities of Motorola’s latest quad-camera phone.
Read our full Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro review
Oppo R17 Pro
The Oppo R17 Pro is a fantastic looking smartphone with a similar price to that of the Motorola One Zoom. Get past the design though, and the Motorola One Zoom trumps it in virtually every respect, with a bigger battery and a much better camera system, not to mention a much more stock user interface.
Read our full Oppo R17 Pro review
Xiaomi Mi 9 SE
The Xiaomi Mi 9 SE could be considered the iPhone SE of the Android world. It’s compact, capable and cost-effective. With a triple camera setup that offers similar zoom ranges to the Motorola One Zoom, it’s a great looking, small package.
In turn, if you don’t want the Zoom’s big bold display, don’t need four cameras, and want one of the best, most pocket-friendly options around, the Mi 9 SE is a great alternative.
Read our full Xiaomi Mi 9 SE review
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