Moto One 5G Ace Review: Solid 5G Phone, Battery Life Champ
Moto One 5G Ace: Software, Pricing, And Final Verdict
Moto One 5G Ace Software And User Experience
The Moto One 5G Ace runs Moto’s almost stock build of Android 10.
It’s the same responsive and clutter-free experience as with the
One 5G -- or any other current Moto handset for that matter. You
get a few helpful extra features thrown in, but otherwise everything’s the way it’s supposed to be, from the launcher, to
the settings, to the recent apps. This software is a delight to
use, and Moto deserves serious props here.
We’re still big fans of Moto’s clock/weather/fitness widget, and the Ace includes Moto Actions and Moto Display as well. This adds features like face unlock, controlling the flashlight with double hand chop, auto-scrolling in the screenshot editor, and keeping the screen on while you’re looking at it. Since the fingerprint reader is located in the back, the Ace lacks Power Touch. Instead, you can swipe down on the fingerprint sensor to check notifications.
We’re still big fans of Moto’s clock/weather/fitness widget, and the Ace includes Moto Actions and Moto Display as well. This adds features like face unlock, controlling the flashlight with double hand chop, auto-scrolling in the screenshot editor, and keeping the screen on while you’re looking at it. Since the fingerprint reader is located in the back, the Ace lacks Power Touch. Instead, you can swipe down on the fingerprint sensor to check notifications.
Another feature that carries over from the One 5G is Moto Gametime, a game mode that lets you disable notifications or calls while gaming (among other things). But we’ve saved the best for last. Since the Ace is sold unlocked, it ships with absolutely zero bloatware. You’re not going to find a single carrier or partner app pre-installed here. There’s just Google’s familiar roster of apps, plus a handful of Moto apps. Hurray!
Moto One 5G Ace Pricing And Competition
The Moto One 5G Ace (6GB / 128GB) is available unlocked for $399 from Best Buy, Walmart, B&H Photo, Amazon, and Motorola.
It’s also coming to Consumer Cellular, Google Fi, Metro by
T-Mobile, T-Mobile, Republic Wireless, Verizon, and Xfinity Mobile
-- plus customers in Canada -- in the next few months. In Europe,
the Moto G 5G (4GB / 64GB) is pretty much identical to the Ace,
and costs £249.99 / €299.99.
Here in the US, T-Mobile sells a variant of the Ace with a 6.53-inch display, 4500mAh battery, and Snapdragon 765 as the $400 REVVL 5G (6GB / 128GB). Another option is the Ace’s older sibling, the $445 Moto One 5G (4GB / 128GB) for AT&T. But the Ace’s main competitor is the $299 OnePlus Nord N10 5G (6GB / 128GB). It’s powered by a Snapdragon 690, but offers a 90Hz display and 64MP main camera.
Moto One 5G Ace Final Verdict
Summing things up, the Moto One 5G Ace inherits most of the
Moto One 5G’s strengths (lovely display, fantastic battery life)
and weaknesses (lackluster cameras, mono speaker) -- while losing
the 90Hz refresh rate and macro light ring, but gaining RAM (6GB
vs. 4GB) -- all for $45 less. As a bonus, the Ace’s Snapdragon 750G doesn’t appear to be much of a downgrade over the One 5G’s
Snapdragon 765.
While the Ace is a solid 5G phone overall, it feels like Moto’s cruising along. Sure, the user experience is excellent thanks to its clean Android OS with a few thoughtful tweaks, but that’s true of almost every other Moto handset. And the all-plastic build is a letdown when you look at Moto’s mid-range history of devices with more premium materials. Finally, $399 isn’t as competitive without a 90Hz display, especially when the Moto One 5G only costs $45 more and the OnePlus Nord N10 5G sells for just $299. So, let’s hope MSRP drops quickly out of the gate. Finally, if battery life is of the utmost importance to you, the Moto One 5G Ace tops the charts and blew away every other phone we've tested. Kudos for another battery life champion, Moto.
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