Motorola Moto G31

The lack of 5G-and speed holds it back, but the Moto G31 is comfy to hold and offers long battery life

- JENNIFER ALLEN

SCORE DODO

PRICE 64GB, £142 (£170 inc VAT) from motorola.co.uk

The cheaper end of the smartphone market is increasingly cluttered, but Motorola hopes to cut through the sludge with its Moto G31. By ignoring 5G, its tactic is to concentrate on more visible aspects of the device think design and screen - while stuffing in a whopping great battery to keep it going for two days.

It's the build of the phone that will likely delight you most. Offering curved edges and a textured rear, it felt good to hold and secure in my hands (which are smaller than most people's, so normally aren't fond of big phones). Motorola sent us the mineral grey model to review - it's also available in “baby blue” - and it looks classy despite its plastic body.

Along with the usual buttons for volume and power, you'll find a fingerprint reader on the right-hand side. The reader would have felt more comfortable on the back, but it means that the rear of the phone has a minimalist air, other than the camera lenses in the top left-hand corner. The textured plastic body means no risk of fingerprints either, so it looks good no matter how long you've been using it for.

The bottom holds the USB-C charging port and a speaker, but you'll search in vain for a headphone jack. And while there is some water resistance, it's the minimal IPX2 rating (drops of water at a 15° angle) so this is a phone to keep well away from the beach.