With the new $299 Moto G Power 5G, Motorola seems to be focusing on more than just long battery life. The phone, which was announced on Thursday, is part of Motorola’s affordable G series and has received a number of notable hardware updates over last year’s version, including 5G compatibility, an upgraded display, and a new front camera. But these changes may come at a cost, as the new version of the G Power is $100 more expensive than its predecessor and is rated for shorter battery life. The Moto G Power 5G will be available unlocked, which means it can be used on any carrier, starting April 13th.
Enhancements include a 6.5-inch screen with a resolution of 1080p and a refresh rate of 120Hz. A high refresh rate, which makes animations smoother when browsing the web or using apps, is a rarity for a file A phone under $300. Phones in this price range usually top out around 90Hz.
The front camera on the Moto G Power has a new 16MP sensor, up from 8MP in last year’s version. Hopefully, the newer sensor will improve the quality of selfies and video chats. The main rear camera is 50MP just like last year, along with a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor for portrait mode.
Moto G Power 5G will also be available in metallic black.
Motorola
The phone will also include either 128GB or 256GB of storage — which is pretty spacious for a $299 phone — with the option to add 1TB of space using a microSD card. The G Power 5G also has 4GB or 6GB of RAM, depending on the model, stereo speakers, a headphone jack, and it comes with a 10W charger though the maximum charging speed is 15W.
Battery life has always been one of the high points of the Moto G Power, but it looks like Motorola may have cut back on it with the new model. Motorola expects the new Moto G Power’s 5,000mAh battery to provide 38 hours of battery life, while last year’s version was said to last three days on a single charge. Plus, the Moto G Power’s 5,000mAh battery isn’t as unique as it once was now that more phones under $500 have the same capacity.
My recent experience with $170 2023 Moto G Play It makes me worry about the new Moto G Power. Although the Play easily gets two days (and possibly a third) of battery life, the phone’s MediaTek Helio G37 processor was so slow that some apps wouldn’t load. The Moto G Power runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 930 processor – which might be fine – but I’ll have to test it to make sure it can run basic apps with ease.
However, if the Moto G Power 5G really has enough power — as it should, given its name — it could be a really great value for $299.