Why I prefer this $200 Motorola phone over Samsung and Google’s budget models

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Motorola’s 2026 Moto G is available for $200.
• It has a better camera, and keeps standout features like loud Dolby Atmos speakers and a long-lasting battery.
• It also keeps the same hardware as before, so the phone still struggles with heavier workloads.

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“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” — that simple phrase seems to have been Motorola’s mantra with the 2026 Moto G, a midrange smartphone that closely mirrors last year’s model. On one hand, that’s a good thing. I liked the 2025 Moto G a lot — it’s a great device with a long-lasting battery and features that made it a “pocket-sized theater”. 

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The downside to adhering so closely to the original formula, however, is that it retains many of the same issues. Let’s take a look at the 2026 refresh of this eye-catching $200 Android smartphone. 

Sleek and bold

One of the most noticeable changes in the 2026 Moto G is its slightly larger form factor, measuring 167.15 x 76.40 x 8.44 mm (6.58 x 3 x 0.33 inches) and weighing 202 grams. This extra heft doesn’t make much of a difference, as it’s still sleek and lightweight. It’s also comfortable to hold, thanks to its rounded corners and soft vegan leather backing, which gives it a distinctive look.

Motorola made some bold design choices, too. The phone boasts a striking Cattleya Orchid pink finish, a much more eye-catching color scheme compared to the Forest Gray of the 2025 model. I also appreciate the inclusion of a headphone jack in an era dominated by Bluetooth earbuds.

Return of the pocket theater

The Moto G houses a 6.7-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 1,604 x 720 pixels. While the screen isn’t 1080p, it still impresses with its bright and accurate colors, strong peak brightness of 1,000 nits, and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. This is a solid combination of features, enabling vibrant video playback and fluid scrolling.

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Like the older model, the 2026 Moto G has a robust speaker system fine-tuned by Dolby Atmos. Audio output is rich, detailed, and immersive. One of my favorite moments testing the smartphone was when I kicked back and watched Space Jam on YouTube for the first time in years. The movie highlighted the speaker’s ability to churn well-balanced audio, from the soundtrack to character voices, with nothing feeling overshadowed or undertuned.

Improved camera

Around the back of the phone, you will find a two-camera system consisting of a 50MP main and a 2MP ultrawide lens. One of my biggest issues with previous models was their tendency to oversaturate colors. That problem has largely been fixed.

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Similar to the 2026 Moto G Play (the other currently available 2026 model), colors appear more balanced, resulting in better photos — for me, anyway. Some people like the extra saturation. Additionally, unlike the Play model, the Moto G holds up better in low-light situations. Below is an image I took with my smartphone, which I believe effectively illustrates its quality. You can see the squirrel in the shade fairly clearly. This is something that the G Play would’ve struggled to capture.

I recommend uploading your photos to Google Drive or another cloud storage service and viewing them on a computer monitor. The Moto G’s HD display doesn’t do justice to the images taken by the camera. They can look less detailed than they actually are.

Lightweight performance

The performance of Motorola’s 2026 Moto G is a familiar story. The smartphone runs on the same MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset as last year’s model, delivering the same great experience. Jumping between multiple apps, streaming movies on Netflix, and browsing the internet all felt seamless, helped along by the 120Hz refresh rate and RAM Boost feature.

For those who may not know, RAM Boost converts unused storage into virtual memory. It’s more useful here than on the Moto G Play, thanks to the bigger 128GB storage drive. I should also mention that you can expand the amount up to 1TB via a microSD card. However, many of the same limitations remain. It still struggles under heavier workloads. Graphically demanding games like “Honkai: Star Rail” and “Genshin Impact” still trigger stuttering and brief freezes on the device.

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Battery life is another strong point. Motorola advertises up to two days of continuous usage. To test this, I ran a YouTube livestream at 720p nonstop at a low screen brightness until the battery gave out. And I managed to get a good 24 hours out of it. Not quite the claimed two days, but still very good.

ZDNET’s buying advice

Motorola’s 2026 Moto G is currently available on the Motorola site for $200, making it an easy recommendation for shoppers seeking a reliable low-to-midrange phone — especially if you prefer the bold pink finish. If the color is too garish, it’s also available in Slipstream blue.

Compared to the Moto G Play, this model offers more storage, a better camera system, and slightly stronger performance, making it the better buy between the two in my opinion. Choosing between it and the 2025 model is trickier, since they’re largely the same phone aside from a few refreshes. Opt for the newer phone if camera upgrades are important to you, or consider last year’s Moto G for $150 if you’re on a budget.