We live in an age where phones come in all shapes and sizes. From premium flagships to entry-level, budget-friendly devices, it’s easier than ever to find a phone that works for you. The Motorola Moto G Power does its absolute best to skirt the line between high-end performance and a low-end price point. Brands like Samsung, Google and even Apple have released phones in the budget category to appeal to consumers who don’t want to spend over $1,000 on a smartphone. So, where does the Moto G Power fit into this conversation?
Motorola hit the ground running this year by releasing two smartphones, The Moto G 5G and the Moto G Power. These devices both fall into the category of affordable smartphones as they come in at under $500 USD. In the modern era of smartphones, we are seeing more and more companies create phones at this price point in order to put more devices into the hands of their consumers. When looking at budget phones, you always have to remember you’re not getting something that will compete with the premium devices out there, but what Motorola was able to do with the Moto G Power is pretty impressive.
The unboxing experience was a very pleasant one, as Motorola usually doesn’t have much unnecessary packaging. You’re greeted with the phone, a USB C (male to male) cable in the box, and a small user guide. This might just be a personal issue I have with new devices, but I’m often annoyed that the power block is excluded when you get new smartphones.
“The Motorola Moto G Power does its absolute best to skirt the line between high-end performance and a low-end price point.”
I do hope that companies will begin to give consumers the appropriate power block for these devices because it’s becoming a huge inconvenience to have to go buy a power block each and every time I get new tech. Other than that, for this budget phone, you get everything you need for your smartphone – clean and compact packaging.
The Moto G Power feels really nice in your hand, and the screen is pretty decent. With its 6.8-inch display, the phone is bigger than your average phone, as it rivals the size of other big display phones like the Google Pixel 9 XL. That being said, the Motorola Moto G power isn’t even the same weight class as the Pixel series of Android smartphones.
A big miss with this phone is that the display is extremely average at best. With such a big screen, this phone is rocking a 120hz IPS LCD display, but again, we have to remember that this is a budget device. On a positive note, the screen on this device is a Corning Gorilla Glass 5, so it could take a few drops without the worry of it shattering.
On first bootup, the Moto G Power is running on the latest OS, Android 15. For a budget phone, I was surprised to see that it runs on an octa-core processor (2×2.4 GHz Cortex-A76 and 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) but comes with only 8 GB of RAM. A feature I love about this phone is that it not only includes 128 GB of internal storage, but also offers the option to add an SD card for expandable memory of up to 512 GB.
If you’re someone who plays a lot of mobile games like Balatro or Pokémon Go, or if you love taking photos and videos, you won’t have to worry about storage space or your phone slowing down while running multiple applications.
Most budget phones on the market usually don’t have great cameras, but the Moto G Power aims to change that when it comes to quality photography on lower-tier phones. With an impressive 50-megapixel main camera and an 8-megapixel ultrawide front camera, this smartphone does its best to punch above its weight class. Both the main and front cameras offer video output at 1080p and 30 fps, producing great videos and photos in natural light. The downside is that media recorded in low light doesn’t turn out well and often requires additional editing, either in the onboard editor or your preferred editing software.
My daily driver is the Google Pixel 8 Pro. That being said, it’s not entirely fair to compare the two, as the Pixel 8 Pro is classified as a premium device. I needed a reference point to evaluate the Moto G Power’s camera performance. This phone excels when photographing outdoors in natural light. Although it lacks a dedicated macro lens, it does offer an ultrawide option suitable for capturing landscapes or including multiple subjects in group photos. One significant benefit of natural light photography on this device it’s the ability to reproduce vibrant, true-to-life colors in images and videos. By taking several side-by-side comparisons with the Pixel 8 Pro, the inconsistency in image quality is very apparent.
Despite the Moto G Power’s 50-megapixel camera, its lack of macro and telephoto lenses significantly limits its ability to accurately capture the scale of subjects being photographed. This results in a loss of fine details, with images displaying a slight degree of pixelation that becomes more noticeable in video recordings. The Moto G Power also struggles with indoor photography; the lens does not effectively capture darker colours, and the contrast can occasionally give photos a blurred appearance.
While the night sight feature helps enhance brightness in low-light photos, the resulting images often appear overly processed, which I found unappealing. It’s clear that the camera does not compete with those of premium smartphones; however, considering the technology within this device, it offers a reasonably satisfactory experience—provided one is not a photography expert.
“The Motorola Moto G Power is one of the best budget smartphones on the market today, and there isn’t much negative to say about it.”
The battery life on this phone was surprisingly impressive. I like to stress-test a smartphone’s battery by using it during my average commute to work, which typically takes an hour and a half each way. This includes watching videos on public transit and listening to music via Bluetooth headphones. The Motorola Moto G Power lasted through the entire workday and the commute to and from home, using roughly 70 percent of the battery. It features the same 5000 mAh battery as the Motorola Moto G, but the Moto G Power includes wireless charging capabilities—one of my favourite features.
The Motorola Moto G Power is one of the best budget smartphones on the market today, and there isn’t much negative to say about it. So the question stands: who is the Moto G Power for? This device could appeal to individuals seeking a backup phone or those who want a modern smartphone without the extensive features typically found in flagship models.
For many consumers, investing $1,500 in a new device can be challenging. In contrast, a budget-friendly option like the Moto G Power offers a more affordable alternative while still providing all the essential functionalities of contemporary smartphones. If you’re not looking to break the bank and want a new, affordable smartphone, the Motorola Moto G Power could be the right choice for you.
