Corrupting the internet is what smartphones and the use of its applications have done. Well, it’s easier to shoot movies with one hand, so people hold the phone in portrait position during shooting. According to Motorola’s claim, about 70 percent of the customers shoot videos vertically. Their newest phone guinea pig has a solution.
Motorola One Action has a dedicated video action camera. This horribly makes your video playback horizontally when you actually film vertically. It’s such a feature that I didn’t even know I needed until I tried it out.
The end of the vertical video?
Motorola One Action ends up with 3 rear cameras, one primary 12 megapixel sensor and f/1.8 aperture, then there’s a depth camera used for portraits, it runs at 5 megapixels, and honestly it feels a bit like a mix of main and added assistance. Next you get the 16 megapixel wide angle action camera, which also comes with f/2.2 aperture too. That one also offers a 117 degree viewing angle, so the whole scene looks wider, even when you move around.
The former two lenses are typical of a phone at this price point-249 euros (~$278)-but that latter just sets it apart from most. It’s a wide-angle lens, so you could fit more in one shot, and uses pixel binning technology, which means that it combines pixels to capture more light. Having 4 megapixels is the result, but one that would do better for low light.
And then comes the action camera. Because it is placed horizontally in the module, even though you shoot in the vertical position, the footage will still be recorded in landscape orientation.
You can now view the content of a 21:9 movie on your phone without having black side bars next to it.
It works well, but frankly when shooting vertically the live preview of the video is very small indeed. A visual fix to the plague of vertical video; every phone should come equipped with something like this. The action camera can record movies in 21:9 aspect ratio and includes electronic image stabilization. It supports filming up to Ultra HD at 30 frames per second, using the main lens.
Motorola’s Hyperlapse mode lets you use the action cams without having to awkwardly keep the phone,all the way, horizontal. The Motorola One Action is also designed so that making video feels less like a chore and more like something any casual smartphone owner can manage
But don’t worry, you can do that as well! Further, you can switch over to the main camera to shoot vertical video. And if you want vertical filming with a wide angle lens , you have to keep the handset positioned in a horizontal posture too.
So far, I cannot give an opinion about the main camera and depth sensor, but I expect great photos with a little light and very mediocre results when there is not much light. This is standard for cameras on phones at this price, just like Nokia 7.1.
I’m still convinced that the future lies in the 21:9 aspect ratio.
Of course, there are the usual Motorola camera extras, like Spot Color, an effect that leaves just one color in a black and white photo, and Cinemagraph, among others. The depth of blur can be adjusted even after taking portrait mode pictures.
I will test the camera when I hold it in full review, but boy, I am looking forward to using the action camera most. I doubt it will alter the course of daily camera photography but certainly will find itself being used quite often.
21:9 on Narrow Phones-
Motorola and Sony are big in having 21:9 phones. And I’m all for it. While in earlier times, typecast for short, wide-screen monitor televisions in 16:9 (e.g., the Samsung Galaxy S7), this 21:9 aspect ratio is more compatible with a tall, narrow kind of screen-more so in 18:9 or 19:9, which stretches in between that standard for mobile.
What’s so unique about 21:9? Movies are normally shot at this angle. Now, Motorola was selling it as a CinemaVision display, hence you should be able to watch a full-on 21:9 movie on your phone without those annoying black bars beside the content. By the way, even Sony has 21:9 displays in its 2019 models including Xperia 1 and Xperia 10 Plus.
But then again, most of the videos you’ll be watching will probably not be in 21:9. You might be familiar with some YouTube videos-the form factor they use is 16:9, and their stretched-squeaky look is especially bothersome on the Motorola One. Yes, you will find movies on Netflix (and YouTube) with the 21:9 dimension, but they are not something very common.
I would say that 21:9 phones would come in handy as they feel amazing being held and handled. The Motorola One Action is so extremely narrow-you might consider it a remote-so that it could easily wrap around with my palm. But that’s when I once changed the phone to get up.
The Exynos chip can sometimes feel lithe if one is into intensive gaming or spends much time glued to their phone.
The One Action, with its tightly set bezels, is suddenly surprising the design with a 6.3-inch display-a common format among the other bestsellers being Samsung Galaxy S10e and Apple iPhone XR. Its almost bezel-less design gave it a sense of modernity, and I think the positioning of the 12-megapixel front shooter is quite appealing.
Just like the Motorola One Vision that has been launched across markets outside the US. The display turns out to be an IPS LCD, and resolution: 2520 x 1080 (432 pixels per inch). This makes it sharp and colorful, even though brightness could be improved.
Though the materials themselves don’t give that most important premium touch I like so much, this design, in its simple yet clean rear, especially in those two colors purposed for the United States–denim blue and pearl white-would definitely make up for that. I’m not the biggest fan of Aqua Teal, which Motorola promised would gift to the U.S.
It’s dimpled by Motorola. The minimalist back holds a single firing speaker designated at bottom, flanked by the USB-C charging port. The body is rated IPX2 for water resistance, meaning it can withstand rain but not much else.
Motorola One Action | Unlocked | Made for US by Motorola | 4/128GB | 16MP Camera | Denim: Buy it now
Unlocked Motorola One Action – 6.3 inches – 128GB – Denim Blue – PAGL0003US (Renewed): Buy it now
Performance and battery life:
The Motorola One Action comes with a Samsung Exynos 9609 processor and 4GB of RAM, just like the One Vision too. In our review , performance was pretty good for those everyday duties such as social networking, email checking and messaging. All these processes, however, allowed for faster app-loading speeds without being excruciatingly slow. On the other hand, being a demo, very few apps were actually loaded onto the phone I tried.
So, are you ready to listen? Another big bummer sits beside the Motorola One Action. The U.S. model doesn’t work with Android One programs.
If you really enjoy gaming or just heavy usage, Exynos might feel kind of weak, like, in practice. I’ll have to try it myself to be sure, i guess. There are not many Exynos phones actually sold in the U.S. but I did like Samsung’s Galaxy A50, it had a slightly more solid Exynos 9610.
This device gives you 128GB internal storage, which is honestly a lot for a phone in this price tier; plus there’s a MicroSD card slot if you need extra space. In my reading, the Motorola One Action comes with a 3,500mAh battery, and that should cover a full day without too much fuss.
No Android One in the U.S. part
Here’s another real letdown, sort of tied to the Motorola One Action again. The U.S. version is not part of the Android One program. Android One is a Google initiative that promises a cleaner, bloatware-removed experience and it’s supposed to include three years of monthly security patches, plus two years of operating system upgrades. The global model is included in that program, but the U.S. model is not. Motorola says it ended Android One support in the U.S. because it wasn’t a major buying reason.
Whatever the case, it was a mistake, in my opinion. Updates are what make phones safe and eliminate bugs while bringing new features to a phone when it is launching with the latest version of Android. Motorola only offers industry-standard security updates, meaning any update in case of a serious malware threat. Any update on the operating system is a freebie. Android Q will be yours sometime in August, and that will be it.
A few Android One phones show up in the U.S. via HMD Global , the same maker behind Nokia phones, and they come with update promises, like the Nokia 7.1 and the Nokia 9 PureView . But the models that are sold through carriers—such as the Nokia 2V and Nokia 3.1 Plus—aren’t part of that deal, even though HMD said they are working with carriers to push the update out.
The Motorola One Action, though , isn’t tied to any carrier yet and it will hit the market as an unlocked phone, so Motorola really should be taking more precautions with update management.
For the rest, the interface stays nearly all stock Android. It feels smooth , tidy , and pretty simple to follow. You still get the standard Motorola tricks, like chopping the device twice to switch on the flashlight or twisting the phone twice to bring up the camera.
Tech Reviewer & Product Analyst
Định Bia has spent over 10 years testing consumer electronics with a focus on smart technology. He work as a product advisor at Biareview where he helped customers find the right devices for their needs. He personally tests every product featured on this site using a consistent evaluation framework covering quality, durability, and value. All reviews are based on experience, not influenced by the manufacturer.
