If its efficiency was a smidge higher, this Moto can 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 look after the stylus). Take into accout, Motorola will probably announce a brand new model early in 2026.
Different Motorola Telephones to Contemplate
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 telephone’s body for a cool, virtually bezel-less impact. Fashionable just some years in the past, the pattern fell out of trend as a result of it was simply more durable to make use of the telephone (bezels will be good!). I have not 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 does not impress as a lot because the stiff competitors with its $550 MSRP. Efficiency is a bit too uneven (I seen a number of lag within the digital camera app). The principle digital camera is strong, however the lackluster software program replace coverage makes it exhausting to suggest. It is a significantly better deal when it dips throughout main sale occasions.
Motorola Razr+ (2025) for $700: The Razr+ is equivalent 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 does not provide an enormous enchancment over the Razr 2025, however does not sit too removed from the Razr Extremely. You may discover the shortage of an ultrawide digital camera annoying, particularly for group selfies, and the battery right here is the smallest of the present lineup. You’ll be able to 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 suggest ready for a sale. This telephone has dipped as little as $580, which is unbelievable for a folding telephone.
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{Photograph}: Julian Chokkattu
Moto G 5G 2026 for $200: The Moto G 2026 is sort of equivalent to the Moto G Play 2026 beneath, besides it has double the storage (expandable through 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 everyday (when you’re affected person). Even with extra megapixels, do not anticipate a lot from the cameras; they’ll take satisfactory images in good lighting, however wrestle so much in low gentle. I used to be in a position to hit practically two days of battery life with common use, and I like that this telephone nonetheless has the headphone jack. Nevertheless, remember the fact that it would 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 least expensive telephone at all times sits in a clumsy spot. Sure, for underneath $200, this can be a serviceable handset that now options 5G connectivity. You get two-day battery life, a headphone jack, expandable storage, and a reasonably good design. However the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chip with 4 GB of RAM may 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 photos have lackluster colours. I took a number of calls, and the individuals on the opposite finish typically complained about my audio high quality, which is not nice. It is good that this ultra-budget telephone will get two Android OS updates, however when the Moto G Energy 2025 is on sale for $200 on Amazon and customarily 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. It is best to keep away from shopping for Moto G telephones from 2024 or earlier. They probably gained’t get any extra Android model updates, and the costs aren’t drastically totally different from the newest fashions. I additionally do not suggest shopping for the Moto G 2025 anymore since its successor is right here. Final yr’s Motorola Edge 2024 or the aforementioned Razr+ 2024 are the oldest I would go, so do not take into account anything.
The Competitors
{Photograph}: Julian Chokkattu
Motorola’s prime competitors comes from Google, Nothing, and Samsung. If you happen to requested me what telephone 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 Cellphone (3a) and the Cellphone (3a) Professional. They’re engaging, elegant, and reasonably priced handsets, although service compatibility just isn’t as simple. Nothing’s sub-brand CMF additionally has an equally glorious $279 telephone, the CMF Cellphone 2 Professional.
