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“If it ain’t broke, do not repair it” — that straightforward phrase appears to have been Motorola’s mantra with the 2026 Moto G, a midrange smartphone that intently mirrors final 12 months’s mannequin. On one hand, that is a great factor. I favored the 2025 Moto G so much — it is an ideal machine with a long-lasting battery and options that made it a “pocket-sized theater”.
The draw back to adhering so intently to the unique method, nonetheless, is that it retains most of the identical points. Let’s check out the 2026 refresh of this eye-catching $200 Android smartphone.
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Glossy and daring
One of the vital noticeable adjustments within the 2026 Moto G is its barely bigger type issue, measuring 167.15 x 76.40 x 8.44 mm (6.58 x 3 x 0.33 inches) and weighing 202 grams. This further heft would not make a lot of a distinction, because it’s nonetheless glossy and light-weight. It is also comfy to carry, due to its rounded corners and smooth vegan leather-based backing, which provides it a particular look.
Motorola made some daring design decisions, too. The cellphone boasts a placing Cattleya Orchid pink end, a way more eye-catching colour scheme in comparison with the Forest Grey of the 2025 mannequin. I additionally respect the inclusion of a headphone jack in an period dominated by Bluetooth earbuds.
Return of the pocket theater
The Moto G homes a 6.7-inch HD+ show with a decision of 1,604 x 720 pixels. Whereas the display is not 1080p, it nonetheless impresses with its vibrant and correct colours, sturdy peak brightness of 1,000 nits, and a easy 120Hz refresh fee. It is a strong mixture of options, enabling vibrant video playback and fluid scrolling.
Just like the older mannequin, the 2026 Moto G has a strong speaker system fine-tuned by Dolby Atmos. Audio output is wealthy, detailed, and immersive. One in all my favourite moments testing the smartphone was once I kicked again and watched Area Jam on YouTube for the primary time in years. The film highlighted the speaker’s means to churn well-balanced audio, from the soundtrack to character voices, with nothing feeling overshadowed or undertuned.
Improved digicam
Across the again of the cellphone, you can find a two-camera system consisting of a 50MP predominant and a 2MP ultrawide lens. One in all my greatest points with earlier fashions was their tendency to oversaturate colours. That drawback has largely been fastened.
Just like the 2026 Moto G Play (the opposite presently out there 2026 mannequin), colours seem extra balanced, leading to higher images — for me, anyway. Some folks like the additional saturation. Moreover, not like the Play mannequin, the Moto G holds up higher in low-light conditions. Under is a picture I took with my smartphone, which I imagine successfully illustrates its high quality. You may see the squirrel within the shade pretty clearly. That is one thing that the G Play would’ve struggled to seize.
I like to recommend importing your images to Google Drive or one other cloud storage service and viewing them on a pc monitor. The Moto G’s HD show would not do justice to the photographs taken by the digicam. They will look much less detailed than they really are.
Light-weight efficiency
The efficiency of Motorola’s 2026 Moto G is a well-recognized story. The smartphone runs on the identical MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset as final 12 months’s mannequin, delivering the identical nice expertise. Leaping between a number of apps, streaming films on Netflix, and looking the web all felt seamless, helped alongside by the 120Hz refresh fee and RAM Enhance function.
For many who might not know, RAM Enhance converts unused storage into digital reminiscence. It is extra helpful right here than on the Moto G Play, due to the larger 128GB storage drive. I also needs to point out you could develop the quantity as much as 1TB through a microSD card. Nonetheless, most of the identical limitations stay. It nonetheless struggles beneath heavier workloads. Graphically demanding video games like “Honkai: Star Rail” and “Genshin Affect” nonetheless set off stuttering and transient freezes on the machine.
Battery life is one other sturdy level. Motorola advertises as much as two days of steady utilization. To check this, I ran a YouTube livestream at 720p nonstop at a low display brightness till the battery gave out. And I managed to get a great 24 hours out of it. Not fairly the claimed two days, however nonetheless superb.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
Motorola’s 2026 Moto G is presently out there on the Motorola website for $200, making it a simple suggestion for consumers in search of a dependable low-to-midrange cellphone — particularly for those who choose the daring pink end. If the colour is simply too garish, it is also out there in Slipstream blue.
In comparison with the Moto G Play, this mannequin gives extra storage, a greater digicam system, and barely stronger efficiency, making it the higher purchase between the 2 in my view. Selecting between it and the 2025 mannequin is trickier, since they’re largely the identical cellphone apart from just a few refreshes. Go for the newer cellphone if digicam upgrades are necessary to you, or contemplate final 12 months’s Moto G for $150 for those who’re on a funds.
