motorola 2026 moto g power
ZDNET Highlights
- Motorola’s 2026 Moto G Power is available for $300.
- It’s a solid budget package with long battery life and a Full HD+ display.
- However, this is only a minor upgrade compared to the 2025 model.
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For the past several weeks, I have been testing this 2026 moto g powerThe last of Motorola’s 2026 series — for now. During CES 2026, the company unveiled its first foldable smartphone, the Razer Fold, so there’s more to come. But for the beginner group, I’d like to think that Motorola has saved the best for last. It offers the best user experience of its generation, and I recommend it over others.
Also: Best Awards of CES 2026
My biggest criticism of Motorola’s 2026 lineup is that it closely mirrors the previous generation: Many of these phones look almost identical to their 2025 counterparts. However, even though the 2026 Moto G Power shares a lot of DNA with the 2025 edition, it offers more meaningful upgrades that allow it to stand out in its own right.
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better features
The biggest upgrades in the 2026 Moto G Power were made to the battery and camera system. It has a 5,200mAh battery, which is slightly larger than the previous generation’s 5,000mAh cell. It doesn’t seem like a big change, but the extra size improves longevity. As part of testing, I played a 720p YouTube livestream nonstop, and the device lasted 20 hours before it tapped out. It’s possible to double that run time by activating Maximum Battery Saver.
Also: Why I like this $200 Motorola phone compared to cheaper models from Google and Samsung
This restricts most of the device’s features, except for essential functions and apps like Phone, Messages, Settings, and the Google Play Store. A Motorola representative told me those four apps were “designated as essential,” so they remain active. This is a device intended for use in emergency situations only. Activating it can extend battery life to more than 40 hours, as was the case with my review unit.
The selfie camera has been upgraded to a 32MP lens, which delivers clearer photos with better color accuracy. Like the rest of the 2026 series, the Moto G Power’s rear camera received the same color correction changes. Photos taken by mobile devices are not overly saturated. To illustrate my point, I have included a photo I took of a group of plush penguins to demonstrate the quality of the camera.
Another standout camera feature is night vision. When the light sensor detects a low-light environment, the phone offers an opportunity to activate the device, allowing the lens to capture more light for brighter, higher quality night photos. You have to keep your hands steady to get a clear shot. Fortunately, optical image stabilization keeps the camera steady, reducing blur caused by slight hand movements.
Motorola also told me that Night Vision captures multiple frames “selecting moments of minimal motion.” Below is a photo I took of a distant house light using night vision, and I think it turned out pretty good. Despite less than optimal conditions, you can see all objects very clearly.
smooth and durable
Design-wise, the 2026 Moto G Power is largely unchanged from the 2025 model, apart from the new available colors. It is a 6.8-inch phone that weighs a little over 200 grams and is robustly built. The screen is made of Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, which is highly resistant to scratches and can survive drops of up to three feet onto asphalt. Motorola’s smartphone is also rated IP69, which means it can withstand brief submersion underwater.
Like other models in the series, the back is covered with vegan leather. I’m not sure whether Motorola changed the material or used some other material, because the back of the Moto G Power feels distinct, rough, like real leather. I really like this build. The back of other phones was soft, almost cloth like. The experience with this phone was good.
Also: I tried Motorola’s Razr Fold at CES 2026, and it’s the company’s most ambitious phone yet
Coming back to the display, it sports a Full HD+ resolution (2388 x 1080 pixels), and it is the best screen among the 2026 trio. It outputs high-resolution visuals with consistently bright and vibrant colors. On other Moto G models, the screen quality was so low that it almost ruins the camera. Their display doesn’t do the photos, they do them any justice. Thankfully, this isn’t a problem with the Moto G Power.
Under the hood, the phone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset. I’m going to be completely honest here: I don’t have anything to say about the 6300 that I haven’t already said. This is a good example of hardware.
Nearly every Motorola smartphone in the 2025 and 2026 line uses this chipset, and it’s a solid midrange platform that’s great for casual Internet browsing and light photography, but struggles under heavy workloads like mobile gaming. In this instance, the Full HD+ display does a lot of the heavy lifting, lifting the 2026 Moto G Power above the rest.
ZDNET’s shopping advice
moto g power Now available on the company’s website for $300. You can choose from two colors: Evening Blue and Pure Cashmere, which is a bright, pearly white.
I have advised readers in previous reviews to consider the 2025 model if they want a mobile device similar to the 2026 version but at a lower price. However, in this instance, I can confidently say that this Moto G Power model is better than its predecessor thanks to the improvements made to the battery and camera.
