Moto G (2026) and G Play (2026) review: A bad year for Motorola’s budget phones

https://www.androidauthority.com/motorola-moto-g-play-2026-review-3635255/

Publish Date: 2026-05-08 06:34:00

The Moto G (2026) is a little bit better than the Moto G Play (2026), but the bar is pretty low. While it adds a second rear camera, it doesn’t benefit from an updated chipset, and it still suffers from limited durability and a poor update commitment that will probably have you researching your next phone within a year or two.

Back in the day, each of Motorola’s cheap phones had its own identity. Each one had a slightly different design, chipset, and cameras, all of which made their price points feel justified. And even though I’d review one after the next after the next, I always found something to praise for those Android users living with a pretty limited budget.

Now, though, I feel like Motorola’s strategy makes no sense. After spending time with both the $169 Moto G Play (2026) and the $199 Moto G (2026), I don’t know why anyone would pick from the very bottom of Motorola’s barrel. Although they’re some of the cheapest phones that money can buy, there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s time to reach higher, and here’s why.

Pointing Spider-Man meme? Pointing Spider-Man meme.

Ryan Haines / Android Authority

I’ve 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.

However, there comes a point when a little bit of overlap is a bit too much, and I think we’ve hit that. More specifically, here are the dimensions and weights for Motorola’s two cheapest phones:

Phone A: 167.2 x 76.4 x 8.5mm (6.58 x 3.01 x 0.33 in), 202g (7.13 oz)
Phone B: 167.2 x 76.4 x 8.5mm (6.58 x 3.01 x 0.33 in), 202g (7.13 oz)

They’re… the same. In hand, they feel the same. No matter what you’re using them for, they feel the same. It…

Source