If its efficiency was a smidge higher, this Moto could be a house run. It is price contemplating if cash’s tight, however spring for the Moto G Stylus when you can (even when you do not take care of the stylus). Consider, Motorola will probably announce a brand new model early in 2026.
Different Motorola Telephones to Take into account
I recommend you persist with the telephones above, however listed here are different options when you’re unhappy.
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{Photograph}: Julian Chokkattu
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{Photograph}: Julian Chokkattu
Motorola Edge 2025 for $430: Motorola is likely one of the few corporations nonetheless making smartphones with waterfall shows, the place the sides of the display mix into the cellphone’s body for a cool, nearly bezel-less impact. In style only a few years in the past, the pattern fell out of trend as a result of it was simply more durable to make use of the cellphone (bezels could be good!). I have never had as many points with the touchscreen on this mannequin, and whereas I believe the general aesthetic is sweet with the vegan leather-based again, the Edge would not impress as a lot because the stiff competitors with its $550 MSRP. Efficiency is slightly too uneven (I seen a whole lot of lag within the digital camera app). The primary digital camera is strong, however the lackluster software program replace coverage makes it arduous to advocate. It is a significantly better deal when it dips throughout main sale occasions.
Motorola Razr+ (2025) for $700: The Razr+ is an identical to the Razr+ (2024), besides it employs Motorola’s titanium-reinforced hinge for improved sturdiness. The specs are in any other case the identical, nevertheless it sits in an odd middle-ground the place it would not provide a large enchancment over the Razr 2025, however would not sit too removed from the Razr Extremely. You may discover the dearth of an ultrawide digital camera annoying, particularly for group selfies, and the battery right here is the smallest of the present lineup. You may at all times avoid wasting money and purchase 2024’s Razr+ (7/10, WIRED Recommends), which has good efficiency and strong cameras, however I extremely advocate ready for a sale. This cellphone has dipped as little as $580, which is improbable for a folding cellphone.
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{Photograph}: Julian Chokkattu
Moto G 5G 2026 for $200: The Moto G 2026 is almost an identical to the Moto G Play 2026 beneath, besides it has double the storage (expandable by way of microSD), helps barely sooner wired charging, and the entrance and rear cameras pack extra megapixels. It is a $20 distinction, so when you’re eyeing both one, you actually ought to go for the Moto G 5G 2026. Efficiency is equally sluggish, although completely usable each day (when you’re affected person). Even with extra megapixels, do not count on a lot from the cameras; they’ll take satisfactory pictures in good lighting, however wrestle so much in low mild. I used to be capable of hit practically two days of battery life with common use, and I like that this cellphone nonetheless has the headphone jack. Nonetheless, take into account that it should solely obtain two Android OS updates and three years of safety updates. I believe you are higher off shopping for the 2025 Moto G Energy or ready for the 2026 Moto G Energy and catching it on sale.
Moto G Play 5G 2026 for $180: Motorola’s most cost-effective cellphone at all times sits in a clumsy spot. Sure, for below $200, it is a serviceable handset that now options 5G connectivity. You get two-day battery life, a headphone jack, expandable storage, and a fairly good design. However the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chip with 4 GB of RAM could be very sluggish—prepare to attend a second or two, generally extra, for an app to launch or a webpage to load. Photograph high quality is satisfactory; most of my photographs have lackluster colours. I took a number of calls, and the folks on the opposite finish typically complained about my audio high quality, which is not nice. It is good that this ultra-budget cellphone will get two Android OS updates, however when the Moto G Energy 2025 is on sale for $200 on Amazon and usually presents sooner efficiency, double the storage, and higher digital camera high quality, the Play is hard to justify.
What Motorola Telephones to Keep away from
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Motorola telephones diminish in worth pretty rapidly. You need to keep away from shopping for Moto G telephones from 2024 or earlier. They probably received’t get any extra Android model updates, and the costs aren’t drastically completely different from the newest fashions. I additionally do not advocate shopping for the Moto G 2025 anymore since its successor is right here. Final 12 months’s Motorola Edge 2024 or the aforementioned Razr+ 2024 are the oldest I might go, so do not contemplate anything.
The Competitors
{Photograph}: Julian Chokkattu
Motorola’s high competitors comes from Google, Nothing, and Samsung. In the event you requested me what cellphone to purchase, I’d level you to the Google Pixel 9a ($499). It has a lot of the options people need in a smartphone, together with wi-fi charging. Nothing additionally has new units, the Telephone (3a) and the Telephone (3a) Professional. They’re engaging, elegant, and reasonably priced handsets, although provider compatibility isn’t as simple. Nothing’s sub-brand CMF additionally has an equally glorious $279 cellphone, the CMF Telephone 2 Professional.
