The most confusing phone series from Motorola in terms of naming convention, moto g, has just welcomed the new generation. And if the naming convention, like g power, g play, or just regular ‘g’, isn’t confusing enough, the US phone brand is adding a dose of automobile naming convention to confuse more.
Meet the moto g – 2026 and moto g play – 2026. I know. I also stopped and double-checked the calendar. We are still in 2025. But Motorola just loves that automobile-style model year thing, where a phone launched this year becomes next year’s model.
Anyhoo, the new moto g – 2026 and moto g play – 2026 are here to serve your daily dose of budget-friendly entertainment. Both feature large 6.7-inch 120 Hz displays that can hit 1,000 nits of brightness, so you can doomscroll even under direct sunlight. They are powered by 5G chips and boast up to 12 GB of RAM Boost, which is a first for the moto g play line. The displays are bright, smooth, and built for binging—whether that’s Netflix, YouTube, or just watching your battery percentage drop slower than expected.
Speaking of batteries, both devices pack a 5,200 mAh cell good for up to two days of runtime. The moto g supports 30 W TurboPower charging, while the moto g play gets 18 W—still respectable at this price point. That’s enough juice to get through hours of videos, games, or endless arguments with autocorrect.
Photography gets a decent upgrade too. The moto g comes with a 50 MP main camera with Quad Pixel technology and a 32 MP selfie camera, while the moto g play rocks a 32 MP main shooter and an 8 MP front camera. Both cameras are AI-powered for automatic tuning, so you can focus on posing while the phone does the math. Features like Night Vision, Portrait Mode, and Auto Smile Capture make sure your food photos and selfies look good, even when your lighting situation does not.
Design-wise, both phones bring PANTONE color flair to the table. The moto g arrives in Slipstream Grey and Cattleya Orchid Purple, while the moto g play comes in Tapestry Blue. Each has a leather-inspired finish, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, and IP52 water resistance, so it should survive light rain—or a spilled latte during your morning scroll.
On the software side, both models run Android 16 out of the box with Hello UX, Moto Secure, and built-in Google Gemini access. The experience is clean, smart, and ready for your daily chaos.
And if you act fast, Motorola is tossing in a Gift with Purchase (GwP): a limited-edition moto audio accessory, available while supplies last through select retailers and Motorola’s official store.
The moto g – 2026 will be available starting December 11, 2025, while the moto g play – 2026 lands earlier on November 13, 2025, in North America and Canada. The moto g – 2026 retails for US$199.99, and the moto g play – 2026 for US$169.99.
Images: Motorola.
