For years, Motorola has dominated the budget smartphone market in the US with its Moto G line, but these Android phones have never felt particularly exciting. Phones like the Google Pixel 3A or even the new Nothing Phone (2a) have almost always offered more features, better performance, cooler designs, and better cameras for a few dollars more.
They also suffered from a lack of support for near field communication (NFC), the sensor that allows touch-based payments for contactless payments at cash registers, train stations and the like. Motorola famously avoided this benefit on its sub-$300 phones in the United States for nearly a decade, even though it has been standard on competing devices that cost as little as $150. This year’s Moto G Power 5G changes that: it’s easily the best Moto G the company has ever made, and it’s honestly the best phone you can buy for under $300 right now.
Hello Moto
It’s important to make sure you’re looking at the Moto G Power 5G for 2024, as the name of this device has remained the same for several years. One of the best parts of the new version is its look and feel. Gone is the boring shiny plastic design in favor of a textured vegan leather backing that does a surprisingly good job of resisting fingerprints (although dust and lint tend to get stuck in the grooves). I suggest buying the Pale lilac modelbut midnight bluewhich for me is blacker, is also handsome.
Photography: Julian Chokkattu
When using this phone, it’s easy to forget that it costs only $300. The 6.7-inch LCD screen is sharp and I haven’t had any problems reading the screen on sunny days. The speakers sound decent, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the side-mounted fingerprint sensor is reliable.
The performance also stands out. This Motorola is powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 7020 chipset with 8GB of RAM, and while you’ll notice some stutters here and there, such as when switching between apps, it’s otherwise pretty snappy and fluid. I found that it works more smoothly than Samsung Galaxy A35 5G ($400), which I’m currently testing, even if Samsung scored slightly higher in the benchmark tests. To allay any concerns, I’ve used the Moto G Power 5G as my daily smartphone for almost a month now and haven’t had any issues.
The 5,000 mAh battery cell comfortably lasts a full day of heavy use (I’ve hit 39 percent after five hours of screen on), with enough to get you through the next morning on a single charge. One of the biggest surprises is that you can recharge this phone wirelessly. I say this because wireless charging is generally not available on smartphones under $400. Nothing is fancy The phone (2a) at $350 doesn’t even have it. I love placing my phone on the wireless charger on my bed rather than searching for a cable in the dark, so it’s a welcome addition and I hope wireless charging makes its way into cheap phones.
Similarly, I love that a sub-$300 Moto G finally has NFC support. It was time! I’ve used it to pay for subway fare, late-night trips to the deli, and coffee. No wallet needed.