Motorola just dropped two new budget Android phones in its G series lineup, and this time, the Play name is back in action.
A new Moto G Play joins the family
Motorola is growing its Moto G lineup in North America with two new budget-friendly phones: the Moto G 2026 and Moto G Play 2026. And here, we’re focusing on the latter. It follows up the Moto G Play 2024 with a few welcome upgrades – while still keeping that super wallet-friendly price tag.
The Moto G Play 2026 packs a big 6.7-inch LCD screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate and up to 1,000 nits of brightness. It’s not a flagship display, but for this price range, it’s surprisingly solid and more than enough for everyday use.
What really caught my eye, though, is the design. Despite being a cheap phone, it doesn’t look like one. Motorola went for a single color this time – Pantone Tapestry – a deep blue shade with a leather-like finish that actually looks pretty nice.
As expected for its class, it’s rated IP52, meaning it can handle a bit of dust and a splash or two, but definitely not a dive in the pool. The screen uses Corning Gorilla Glass 3, which is old at this point, but still does a decent job against scratches and small drops.
When it comes to cameras, keep your expectations realistic. It looks like there’s a dual setup on the back, but there’s actually just one 32 MP main sensor – a step down from the 50 MP camera on the last model. You do get an ambient light sensor, though. On the front, there’s an 8 MP selfie camera.
Daytime photos should come out sharp enough, with natural colors and decent details. You’re not getting anything spectacular here, but it’s perfectly fine for casual shots.
Motorola also added some AI tricks to make things easier. The phone uses Quad Pixel Technology along with AI features like Night Vision, Auto Smile Capture, and Portrait mode – all designed to boost your photos without you doing much.
Inside, there’s a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chip – not a powerhouse, but it does bring one major upgrade: 5G support. That alone makes the Moto G Play 2026 a lot more appealing than its predecessor.
Storage-wise, you get 4 GB of RAM (expandable to 12 GB with RAM Boost) and 64 GB of internal storage, plus microSD expansion up to 1 TB. Nothing crazy, but it fits the phone’s affordable nature.
Battery life should also be solid thanks to a 5,200 mAh battery that promises up to two days of use. When you do need to recharge, it supports up to 30W and 18W TurboPower charging – giving you hours of use in just minutes.
Out of the box, the Moto G Play 2026 runs Android 16, offering a cleaner, smarter experience with access to Google Gemini and Circle to Search. You also get Motorola’s Hello UX suite with features like Moto Secure, Family Space, and the classic gesture shortcuts – all meant to keep things simple and user-friendly.
Price and availability
n the US, the Moto G Play 2026 will be sold unlocked starting November 13 on motorola.com, BestBuy.com, and Amazon.com, with in-store availability at Best Buy coming soon.
The price? $169.99 – a slight bump from the last model, but the addition of 5G makes it easy to justify.
It’ll also be available online at T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, Total Wireless, and Straight Talk, plus online and in-store at UScellular and Cox Mobile starting November 13.
In the following months, you’ll see it hit more carriers and retailers, including Cricket Wireless, AT&T, Verizon, Verizon Prepaid, Visible, Simple Mobile, Tracfone, Walmart Family, Consumer Cellular, Xfinity Mobile, and Boost Mobile.
Competing in a crowded space
The Moto G Play 2026 is stepping into a packed budget phone market. Samsung’s Galaxy A16 5G is one of its main rivals at a similar price, with a big advantage – way better software support (something Motorola still struggles with).