Motorola announces updated Moto G 5G, Moto G 5G Power 2024

Motorola on Tuesday announced a refresh of the Moto G 5G and Moto G Power 5G, bringing both phones up to 2024 standards. The Motorola G line is the company’s home for affordable smartphones, which is saying something considering how much of a deal the Motorola Razr and Razr+ are. While the Moto G Play 2024 wasn’t anything to write home about, the Moto G 5G 2024 and the Moto G Power 5G 2024 are proper, modern 5G phones, with the current version of Android and enough processing power to handle entertainment apps and browsing. In the case of the Moto G 5G, you’re getting all of that for a lower starting price than last year, too.

Motorola/Pocket-lint

What’s new with the Moto G 5G?

Improved performance, same battery life

Motorola is saddling the Moto G 5G 2024 with a Snapdragon 4 Gen 1, the mid-range sibling to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. You can expand the RAM up to 8GB if you use Motorola’s RAM Boost feature which converts storage to more RAM, and that 128GB of storage can be expanded up to 1TB with a microSD card, if you so choose.

It’s a modest improvement in the grand scheme of things, but ultimately better than the Snapdragon 480+5G in the previous Moto G in terms of both CPU and GPU performance. The battery is unchanged, but Motorola says the 5,000mAh should still get you at least two days of battery life. You will get support for 18W charging rather than last year’s 15W, but there’s still only a 10W charger in the box.

In terms of display, the new Moto G has a 6.6-inch HD+ 120Hz screen that’s a bit more pixel-dense than the 2023 model, but not likely in a way that will feel meaningful. It’s paired with Dolby Atmos compatible stereo speakers, which is nice in theory, but means less on a smartphone than it does a pair of headphones or home theater equipment. At the back there’s a 50MP main camera and a 2MP macro, and for the front selfie camera you’ll get an 8MP sensor. That’s all wrapped in a green, almost faux leather finish that looks elegant compared to the plastic-y finish of some other budget phones.

The Moto G 5G 2024 will be available for $199.99 ($50 less than last year) from T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Google Fi, and several other prepaid carriers on March 21, before becoming available unlocked at Amazon and Best Buy on May 2.

Motorola/Pocket-lint

What’s new with the Moto G Power 5G?

Subtle, but meaningful upgrades across the board

The Moto G Power 5G 2024’s headlining feature remains its battery life and fast charging abilities. The new Moto G Power 5G’s battery capacity stays at 5,000mAh, just like the Moto G, but it now supports 15W wireless charging, and 30W wired charging, which Motorola claims allows it to be recharged in “minutes.” That battery powers a MediaTek Dimensity 7020 and 8GB of RAM that can be expanded to 16GB with RAM Boost. And as expected, storage on the Moto G Power 5G starts at 128GB, but it can be expanded to 1TB with the right microSD card.

Besides charging speeds and specs, the other notable change to the Moto G Power 5G is its new 6.7-inch 120Hz FHD+ display. That’s 0.1-inch larger than the previous Moto G Power 5G, but every bit helps. Big phones are popular after all. Along the back, the Moto G Power 5G has a similar 50MP main camera to the base Moto G, with the key difference of optical image stabilization for smoother videos while moving. It also has an 8MP macro that can also take 118-degree ultra-wide shots, and a 16MP camera on the front for selfies or video calls.

The Moto G Power 5G 2024, meanwhile, will be available for $299.99 from T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and prepaid carriers on March 22, before becoming available at Amazon and Best Buy on March 29.

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What these phones have in common

Android 14, a water-repellent coating

Both phones run Android 14, which includes access to some of Google’s new customization features and AI editing skills in Google Photos. Neither phone has an official IP rating, which is standard for Motorola phones. Motorola states that they have a “water-repellent design” and that they should be protected against “moderate exposure to water such as accidental spills, splashes, sweat or light rain.” They’re not waterproof and without an IP rating, you kind of just have to take Motorola’s word for it.

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