Motorola’s enhancing its more affordable Moto G line, which includes design and durability improvements for the $200 Moto G and $300 Moto G Power compared with what you could get last year in phones that cost under $300.
In particular, Motorola’s new $300 Moto G Power phone is gaining both IP68 and IP69 certifications, making it one of the cheapest phones that could survive a drop into the pool.
Motorola revealed both phones Tuesday, and they include returning features from last year’s models like 120Hz refresh rate displays, 5,000-mAh batteries, support for Dolby Atmos audio and 30-watt wired charging (a boost from the 2024 Moto G 5G’s 18 watts).
The Moto G Play also continues to be one of the cheaper phones on the market to include 15-watt wireless charging, and both phones will ship with Android 15.
And after years of offering just one additional software update to its Moto G phones, Motorola is upping its software support policy to two major updates for these phones while holding with its existing promise of three years of security updates.
This is still lacking behind Samsung’s six-year software and security update commitment that the $200 Galaxy A16 is receiving, but for Motorola it’s a small move that will bring customers who buy these phones more value.
Motorola says the Moto G Play has also achieved a US Department of Defense MIL-STD-810H certification, which is a long way of saying the phone is rated to survive falls from nearly 4 feet, temperatures between minus 4 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 to 60C) and humidity levels up to 95%. Still, a phone case and screen protector might be helpful in case this phone tumbles onto the pavement, but using it in a swimming pool or hot tub shouldn’t be an issue.
The Play, however, isn’t designed to be used while underwater, and Motorola said the phone’s tested to withstand immersion in up to 1.5 meters of fresh water for 30 minutes. The Moto G 5G does get a water-repellent design, which Motorola defines as being protected against accidental spills, splashes and light rain.
Both Moto G phones are getting a 50-megapixel wide camera and a 16-megapixel selfie camera. The secondary rear camera on the Moto G is a 2-megapixel macro camera, while the Moto G Play gets an 8-megapixel ultrawide. The Play also gets a slightly taller 6.8-inch display versus the 6.7-inch display on the Moto G.
Both phones will be available unlocked and through wireless carriers in the US, with the Moto G coming first on Jan. 30, followed by the Moto G Play on Feb. 6.