Pointing Spider-Man meme? Pointing Spider-Man meme.<\/p>\n
![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-2026-and-Moto-G-Play-2026-home-screen.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
<\/p>\n
Ryan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve spent a generation or two praising Motorola for making its budget-friendly phones look interesting. I gave it plenty of credit when it added colorful Pantone-based vegan leathers to Moto G devices from the top of the price range down to the bottom, and I stand by that. Its cheap Android phones still look better than the glossy plastic options that have come out of Samsung in recent years.<\/p>\n
However, there comes a point when a little bit of overlap is a bit too much, and I think we\u2019ve hit that. More specifically, here are the dimensions and weights for Motorola\u2019s two cheapest phones:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Phone A: 167.2 x 76.4 x 8.5mm (6.58 x 3.01 x 0.33 in), 202g (7.13 oz)<\/li>\n
- Phone B: 167.2 x 76.4 x 8.5mm (6.58 x 3.01 x 0.33 in), 202g (7.13 oz)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
They\u2019re\u2026 the same. In hand, they feel the same. No matter what you\u2019re using them for, they feel the same. It doesn\u2019t even matter which one I call the Moto G Play (2026) and which one the Moto G (2026), because you won\u2019t know the difference until I move on to the finer points of each design \u2014 literally just the cameras. By the way, before we keep going, the pink phone in this review is the Moto G (2026) while the blue-green one is the Moto G Play (2026), just to clear that up.<\/p>\n
![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-2026-and-Moto-G-Play-2026-stacked-up.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
<\/p>\nRyan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
Seriously, though, on top of the matching heights and weights, these nearly identical twins also use the same materials. Whether you opt for the super-cheap Moto G Play (2026) or the also-very-cheap Moto G (2026), you\u2019ll get a plastic frame, a vegan leather back, and a Gorilla Glass 3<\/a> display, which is the bare minimum Motorola could offer while still attaching the Gorilla Glass name. The fingerprint sensors in the power buttons are the same, too, which I\u2019ll call a positive because they work just as well as they always have. At least both phones have an IP52 water-resistance rating, but that\u2019s only for light splashes of water from a vertical angle (so, rain), and it won\u2019t protect them much overall.<\/p>\n
So, now it\u2019s time to talk about the one thing that actually separates the Moto G Play (2026) from its slightly (and I really mean slightly) better Moto G (2026) counterpart. One of these phones has one camera, one has two, but both want you to think they have three. It\u2019s a ridiculous design choice that makes the two look more capable than they are while also trying to make them both look like the Moto G Power (2026) \u2014 a phone that\u2026 oh, wait, still only has two cameras, but at least it has a better duo.<\/p>\n
Motorola wants its cheap phones to look premium, even if that means using fake camera rings.<\/p>\n
On one hand, I suppose I can understand how Motorola\u2019s repeated design makes it cheaper to develop both phones. However, as recently as 2024, Motorola was perfectly happy to give its single- and dual-camera designs smaller camera bumps that looked just as good with vegan leather finishes, while only taking up the space they actually needed \u2014 no pretending to be bigger or more flexible to look slightly more premium.<\/p>\n
If Motorola actually wanted its cheapest phones to look and feel better, it could have put an ultrawide camera on at least one of these phones, or upgraded some of the materials beyond the bare minimum. And yes, there is a headphone jack, which is nice, but it\u2019s no longer enough to make up for the general lack of durability, and neither is the expandable storage via the microSD slot.<\/p>\n
On the bright side, the display on both the Moto G Play (2026) and Moto G (2026) has a few decent specs. I like that its refresh rate tops out at 120Hz, and the 1,000 nits of peak brightness is alright in most conditions, but that\u2019s about all there is to get excited about. Otherwise, it\u2019s an LCD panel<\/a> with a low 720p resolution that makes everything look fine but unremarkable. And, at the sub-$200 price point, I can\u2019t say I\u2019m surprised.<\/p>\n
![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-2026-and-Moto-G-Play-2026-headphone-jack.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-2026-and-Moto-G-Play-2026-buttons.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
<\/p>\nJust to make sure, though, I\u2019ve run through just about the same list of videos, games, and social media scrolls on both devices. I\u2019ve gone back to rewatch trailers for most of the episodes of Fallout\u2019s second season, downloaded Pok\u00e9mon Go while walking around during Baltimore\u2019s biggest snowstorm in a decade, and scrolled through a nearly endless stream of people sledding, shoveling, and day-drinking because we\u2019ve all been trapped inside for almost a week.<\/p>\n
Overall, it\u2019s looked fine. I wouldn\u2019t want to watch an entire episode of Fallout, nor would I try to watch a movie (though I thought about it on my flight back from Florida with my family), simply because I\u2019m not sure the resolution would keep up with darker scenes. I\u2019d also hesitate to do too much gaming, not because it would look bad, but because I fear that Motorola\u2019s cheapest phones suffer from a serious power vacuum. And yes, I did get Pok\u00e9mon Go to run on both phones, but I felt like it took forever to start up, almost to the point where I was bored before I even started.<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t pick based on power anymore, either<\/p>\n
![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-2026-and-Moto-G-Play-2026-video-resolution.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
<\/p>\nRyan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
Previously, you might have thought, \u201cShared designs are no big deal, I\u2019ll just buy my phone based on its chipset.\u201d For a while, that would have worked. Now, not so much. Once again, the Moto G Play (2026) and Moto G (2026) are pretty much identical. They both feature MediaTek\u2019s Dimensity 6300 chipset (as does this year\u2019s Moto G Power), 4GB of RAM, and expandable storage via microSD card slots. The Moto G has slightly more base storage, with 128GB over the Moto G Play\u2019s 64GB, but that\u2019s about it.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the one positive I can actually draw from this shared chipset is that it brings 5G connectivity to the Moto G Play series for the very first time. I know it\u2019s hard to believe that Motorola offered a budget phone without 5G as recently as 2024, but I guess that\u2019s a sign that the Moto G Play\u2019s year off in 2025 was for the best.<\/p>\n
![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-and-Moto-G-Play-GeekBench-6-scaled.png\"\/ "\\"Moto")
![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-and-Moto-G-Play-PCMark-Work-3.0-scaled.png\"\/ "\\"Moto")
<\/p>\nOf course, for every step forward, Motorola\u2019s budget lineup also seems absolutely determined to take one step sideways. This time, it comes on the Moto G (2026). The previous version of that phone already had the Dimensity 6300 under the hood, which means it doesn\u2019t actually get a meaningful upgrade under the hood outside of doubling the base storage. And, again, there\u2019s a microSD slot on both of these phones, so extra base storage doesn\u2019t really move the needle too much.<\/p>\n
Anyway, since we already know there\u2019s so much shared territory here, let\u2019s put both of these cheap phones through our benchmarks to show just how identical they can be. As always, that means running the CPU and GPU through a set of pretty intense tests intended to separate the haves from the have-nots. Just don\u2019t forget that we\u2019re battling $200 devices, so there\u2019s not a lot of, well, \u2018have\u2019 to be had.<\/p>\n
As far as performance goes, the Moto G Play (2026) and Moto G (2026) are pretty much identical.<\/p>\n
As you can see above, there\u2019s not much to separate Motorola\u2019s cheapest offerings. In fact, the Moto G Play (2026) and Moto G (2026) put up almost identical numbers to the Moto G from last year, with the former either matching or exceeding its scores by at least a hair. Interestingly, the Moto G Play (2026) also seems to come out just barely ahead of Motorola\u2019s last generation, and it matches the more expensive Moto G Power (2026) in both multi-core Geekbench performance and the comprehensive PCMark test \u2014 again, shared chipsets and all.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the bigger surprise with the 2026 Moto G lineup is how it compares to Samsung\u2019s cheapest Galaxy A17 5G, which is the phone most people will likely be considering as an alternative to these phones. Despite Samsung\u2019s in-house Exynos 1330 taking the lead in single-core Geekbench 6 performance, it is then surpassed by the entire Motorola lineup across both multi-core and PC Mark testing. There are, however, versions of the Galaxy A17 5G with up to 8GB of RAM, which may boost its performance numbers if you\u2019re willing to pay extra.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m at least a little surprised by such a result, I have to admit. I figured that the Moto G Play would barely be able to handle its 4GB of RAM and upgraded chipset \u2014 after all, that\u2019s what\u2019s happened pretty much every time I\u2019ve used the phone outside of my apartment. It takes forever and a day to launch apps like Pok\u00e9mon TCG Pocket, and loading up Warhammer 40,000 Tacticus for the first time in a few months felt like I would never reach the point of active gameplay.<\/p>\n
And, since we\u2019re talking about gaming, I figure this is a good chance to flip over and show you perhaps the most identical set of benchmarks I\u2019ve ever recorded. I\u2019m no stranger to seeing cheap phones hold up pretty well during a stress test, but comparing recent Motorola launches to the Galaxy A17 5G takes it a step further.<\/p>\n
![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-and-Moto-G-Play-Wild-Life-Extreme-Stress-Test-scaled.png\"\/ "\\"Moto")
<\/p>\nRyan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
They\u2019re. All. Identical. There\u2019s not really anything to separate one Moto G device from another, aside from maybe one or two runs here and there. The Moto G (2026) is a hair higher at first, and the 2025 model dips just once at around run number nine, but otherwise, they mirror each other all the way. Unfortunately, the Galaxy A17 5G sticks out like a sore thumb with its thin blue line below the rest, but the truth is that graphics performance across the board is about the same.<\/p>\n
Simply put, I\u2019d look elsewhere if you want to game. I\u2019d look elsewhere if you want to multitask. I\u2019d honestly recommend you find a deal through your carrier or bump up your budget if you want to do much with your next super-cheap phone, because Motorola\u2019s inclusion of Perplexity and its weak, weak software promise don\u2019t do much to elevate these underpowered phones.<\/p>\n
I can’t keep using cheap phones that stumble through something as simple as opening an app.<\/p>\n
And no, I know that I shouldn\u2019t expect the world from dirt-cheap devices, but I feel as if Motorola is stooping below some invisible floor. If you want to tout your budget-friendly phones for supporting certain AI platforms, you have to give them at least the power to run properly. Right now, Perplexity<\/a> lags for a good couple of minutes when I open it on either phone, which is enough time for me to either Google a question myself or move my more important research over to my laptop. The bar here is low, yet I\u2019m still disappointed.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the one thing that the Moto G Play (2026) and Moto G (2026) truly do well is offer bigger batteries than their closest competitors. Both phones pack matching 5,200mAh cells, jumping across the 5,000mAh barrier that\u2019s so often seen as the limit for affordable, US-based phones. No, neither one has anything on the incredible capacities offered by Silicon-Carbon cells, but you\u2019re not paying nearly as much, either.<\/p>\n
And, when you set about trying to drain those batteries, you\u2019ll find that Motorola\u2019s cheap phones keep pretty good pace with their closest competitors.<\/p>\n
![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-and-Moto-G-Play-Battery-Life-Workloads-scaled.png\"\/ "\\"Moto")
<\/p>\nRyan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
Alright, so I mean it\u2019s not ideal that the latest Moto G lineup doesn\u2019t beat its 2025 competition across the board. It\u2019s not great that it doesn\u2019t consistently top Samsung\u2019s cheapest phone, either. However, Motorola\u2019s beefy batteries don\u2019t get left behind, beating Samsung in our web browsing tests and putting up a good fight in 4K video playback. Unfortunately, though, Samsung\u2019s smaller 5,000mAh cell outpaces Motorola\u2019s whole lineup across the rest of our segments.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve also noticed a bit of a hiccup when I\u2019m not using the Moto G Play or the Moto G: passive battery drain. It\u2019s not on par with Google\u2019s old Pixels, but I charged up both cells one evening and found they\u2019d dropped from 100% to an identical 70% by lunchtime the next day. If I\u2019d been using both phones during that time, I don\u2019t think I would have complained, but they\u2019d sat there idly the entire time, making it pretty concerning to see such a drain.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, the active drain on both phones doesn\u2019t seem nearly as bad as the passive. I\u2019ve been able to keep both phones away from chargers for more than a day, sometimes even two days, at a time. They barely sip power when you\u2019re browsing the web or swiping through Instagram reels, working almost directly against what the just-okay battery results would suggest. And, when you do have to charge either cheap phone, at least you finally find one of their differences.<\/p>\n
![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-and-Moto-G-Play-Charging-Time-and-Power-scaled.png\"\/ "\\"Moto")
<\/p>\nRyan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
Yes, finally, a difference. The Moto G Play (2026) charges at a mere 18W, while its Moto G (2026) counterpart \u2014 and the previous Moto G \u2014 both reach 30W. You might not think it sounds like much, and it often doesn\u2019t show up as a huge difference on paper due to thermal throttling, but in this case, the slightly more expensive phone will save you an entire hour of your day and roughly 20 minutes over the Galaxy A17 5G. That\u2019s an almost unbelievable gap considering just how close these two phones are otherwise, but it\u2019s true.<\/p>\n
These days, I would call that a case of the Moto G (2026) keeping up with the times while the Play falls painfully behind. Not even Google\u2019s slowest-charging Pixel 9a is that slow, raising the bar just a little bit to 23W. Perhaps the bright side is that the Moto G series doesn\u2019t require any special charging technology. You could grab a USB PD PPS charger or one of our other fast favorites<\/a>, but you\u2019re mostly gearing up for your next upgrade by then. And no, there\u2019s no wireless charging, though that\u2019s not unexpected at this price tier.<\/p>\n
Two cameras are better than one\u2026 I guess<\/p>\n
![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-2026-and-Moto-G-Play-2026-moto-g-back-panel.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
<\/p>\nRyan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
Although there\u2019s been very little \u2014 save for an extra hour on a charger \u2014 to separate the Moto G (2026) from the Moto G Play (2026), there\u2019s a little more daylight when we take a longer look at their budget camera setups<\/a>. I\u2019ll stand by the fact that it\u2019s silly for Motorola to put empty camera rings on the back of both phones, but at least there\u2019s a tangible difference in the sensors inside the few occupied rings.<\/p>\n
On the Moto G Play (2026), that means having a lone 32MP wide-angle sensor. It\u2019s about as basic as it gets, offering a maximum aperture of \u0192\/2.2 and video recording up to 1080p at 30 fps. There\u2019s really not a whole lot else to say about it, other than maybe the fact that its individual pixels are slightly larger than those on the Moto G (2026), at 0.64\u00b5 compared to 0.61\u00b5. While that might be good for light intake in low-light situations, it\u2019s not a great look for long-range zoom, as you\u2019ll see in a minute.<\/p>\n
Otherwise, I have to give almost all the advantages to the Moto G (2026). It has a sharper 50MP primary sensor, a wider maximum aperture of \u0192\/1.8, and actually has a secondary camera, albeit a dedicated 2MP macro shooter. Despite the slightly better flexibility, the Moto G (2026) offers the same set of just-okay video recording specs, so choosing between these two really comes down to what you can do with your still imagery and accepting that you\u2019re capped at just 8x digital zoom.<\/p>\n
And, as you could guess, that means it\u2019s time to dig into some sample photos from each phone in hopes of picking out a winner.<\/p>\n
Motorola Moto G Play (2026)\n<\/p>\n
Motorola Moto G (2026)\n<\/p>\n
Remember when I referenced the pointing Spider-Man meme above while talking about the designs of these two phones? Yeah, go ahead and copy and paste that whole thing down here. Unsurprisingly, the samples from both cameras are 90% the same, and that\u2019s being conservative. The fields of view are identical, the level of detail is about the same despite the different resolutions, and the artificial bokeh from portrait mode matches, too.<\/p>\n
Of course, I feel like I need to apologize for my samples leaning so heavily on reds and blues. As I said, we\u2019ve had quite the snow this winter here in Baltimore, which means that everything has taken on one reflection or another as the city tries to find a way to dispose of its winter colors. As such, it all just looks redder or bluer than usual. Anyway, you can see that both phones have some of the same quirks, like the sky that\u2019s much lighter towards the horizon over Brown\u2019s Wharf. It\u2019s not a bad look, just interesting given the otherwise consistent blue of the sky.<\/p>\n
Also, I\u2019ve noticed that the Moto G Play (2026) skews much warmer in its color recreation, a look that I personally prefer, though I know some may not. Here\u2019s another set of samples for a slightly closer head-to-head look.<\/p>\n
![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-Play-2026-skyline-2x-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
Moto G Play – 2x zoom![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-Play-2026-sculpture-4x-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
Moto G Play – 4x zoom![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-2026-snowy-skyline-2x-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
Moto G – 2x zoom![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-2026-sculpture-4x-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
Moto G – 4x zoom<\/p>\nOnce again, the Moto G Play\u2019s results are warmer at both 2x and 4x zoom, and this time, I think the random bits of metal in the bird sculpture look just a little bit sharper from the cheaper phone. It may be due to slightly better light capture from the larger megapixels on a sunny day, but I\u2019m not entirely sure. The difference isn\u2019t huge, though, and I\u2019m not sure it\u2019s enough to outweigh the Moto G\u2019s macro sensor.<\/p>\n
Mentioning the macro sensor, I\u2019d say it\u2019s\u2026 fine. I mean, it\u2019s a 2MP sensor, so I didn\u2019t expect the world from it. Sometimes it\u2019s pretty sharp, as in the case of the lightbulb to the right. I like the texture in the green bulb housing, and I like that both lights are in focus. Other times, though, the macro sensor struggles. Some bits of icy snow might be decently sharp, but it\u2019s not a guarantee on the left, and trying to capture anything that can blow in the breeze is a challenge. I got lucky with the sprig in the middle, but it took a couple of tries.<\/p>\n
Alright, let\u2019s move on to some (very) limited zoom.<\/p>\n
Moto G Play (2026)\n<\/p>\n
![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-Play-2026-church-1x-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
1x zoom![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-Play-2026-church-2x-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
2x zoom![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-Play-2026-church-4x-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
4x zoom![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-Play-2026-church-8x-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
8x zoom<\/p>\nMoto G (2026)\n<\/p>\n
![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-2026-church-1x-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
1x zoom![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-2026-church-2x-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
2x zoom![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-2026-church-4x-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
4x zoom![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-2026-church-8x-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
8x zoom<\/p>\nThis time, there\u2019s not a whole lot to separate the Moto G Play (2026) from the Moto G (2026). Both offer the same zoom ranges, topping out at a mere 8x digital zoom. Yes, the Play is once again just a bit brighter and maybe a hair warmer, but I don\u2019t think that works in its favor this time. If you look at both 8x zoom samples, the Moto G\u2019s result looks sharper and better-defined, thanks to slightly darker lines, especially on the side facing the sun. The Moto G Play, however, looks a bit washed out on the same side, and the sky is noticeably grainy \u2014 not something you\u2019d expect on a cloudless day.<\/p>\n
![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-Play-2026-selfie-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
Moto G Play![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-Play-2026-portrait-selfie-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
Moto G Play – Portrait![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-2026-selfie-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
Moto G![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-2026-portrait-selfie-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
Moto G – Portrait<\/p>\nAnd now, for the final bit of comparison, the selfie cameras. Pretty much everything I\u2019ve said above holds once again, though you might notice that the Moto G Play\u2019s selfie camera frames my face much tighter. Its 8MP sensor is still warmer than the other, giving both samples a slightly more pleasing look, especially where the sun hits my jacket on my shoulder. Yes, it makes some details, like my zipper and the puffed-up panels, harder to see, but the gray is a bit more accurate.<\/p>\n
The Moto G (2026), on the other hand, has a 32MP selfie camera with a wider field of view. It\u2019s probably the better bet if you want to fit more people into your shot, especially if you bump out to the wider view, but I don\u2019t love how cold the final images look, even if there\u2019s a bit more visible detail on the front of my coat.<\/p>\n
Neither of these phones can record 4K video, but the real kicker is the lack of 60fps at 1080p. Motorola\u2019s video stabilization is actually pretty good, but I\u2019m just not impressed with the smoothness.<\/p>\n
If you want to check out full-resolution versions of these images (and more), you can do so at this Google Drive link<\/a>.<\/p>\n
I think it\u2019s time to retire the Moto G Play and give the Moto G some love<\/p>\n
![\"Moto](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Moto-G-2026-and-Moto-G-Play-2026-both-in-hand.jpg\"\/ "\\"Moto")
<\/p>\nRyan Haines \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
After all this, you might sit here and think, \u201cHey, the Moto G Play sounds like a pretty good deal.\u201d After all, it\u2019s one of the few phones you can get for less than $200, and it does most of what Motorola\u2019s next cheapest phone does. So, it\u2019s probably worth buying, right? Well, I don\u2019t really think so. On paper, it definitely looks that way, but in practice, the frustrations of using both of these phones have me itching to open my wallet just a bit wider.<\/p>\n
And yes, I know that when you\u2019re buying at this price point, you have to be willing to make concessions. However, both of these phones come with enough headaches that you\u2019ll get much better value by picking up something just a bit more expensive. The Moto G Play (2026) has just one camera, agonizingly slow charging speeds, and base storage that\u2019s barely useful without a microSD card. Oh, and its mere two years of Android updates falls sorely behind the likes of Samsung\u2019s budget lineup.<\/p>\n
Motorola’s budget phones should be better than this, and I’m sad they’re not.<\/p>\n
Although the Moto G (2026) is a bit better, I still wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s worthwhile. It didn\u2019t get a chipset upgrade from the previous generation, its macro sensor is too inflexible for me to recommend, and its materials are still just fine. It feels more like a Moto G Play Plus while barely adding $20 of value. I\u2019m disappointed that I didn\u2019t like its camera results just a bit more, and I can\u2019t get over the fact that Motorola added fake camera rings to make these phones look a bit fancier.<\/p>\n
So, if you\u2019re (wisely) considering something outside this Moto G duo, I have plenty of suggestions to offer. The first is that you try Motorola\u2019s next step up in the Moto G Power (2026) ($299.99 at Amazon<\/a>). That phone actually takes a step forward in terms of durability, packing IP68 and IP69 protection with a Gorilla Glass 7i display. It also charges at 30W, still has a headphone jack, and pairs its wide camera with an ultrawide sensor that you might actually use every once in a while. Unfortunately, its update commitment is still pretty modest, but at least you\u2019re getting more of everything else for your money.<\/p>\n
![\"CMF](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CMF-Phone-2-Pro-On-table-in-the-middle-of-a-tea-set.jpg\"\/ "\\"CMF")
![\"Motorola](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Motorola-Moto-G-Power-2026-rear-hero.jpg\"\/ "\\"Motorola")
<\/p>\nSamsung\u2019s cheapest option adds a third camera to the mix (for real this time), offering wide, ultrawide, and macro coverage. Its charging speed is a bit slower than the Moto G and Moto G Power, but its software support more than makes up for it. You\u2019ll get six years of updates out of this $200 device, carrying it through to the start of the next decade. Oh, and One UI is a bit more customizable than Hello UX, if you\u2019re into that.<\/p>\n