The best Motorola phones (2025), tested and reviewed

If he performs a little better, this Moto will be a home race. It’s worth considering if money is tight, but spring for the Moto G Stylus if you can (even if you don’t care for the stylus). Keep in mind that Motorola will likely announce a new version in early 2026.

Other Motorola phones to consider

I suggest you stick with the phones above, but here are other alternatives if you’re not satisfied.

Motorola Edge 2025 at $430: Motorola is one of the few companies that still makes smartphones with waterfall displays, where the edges of the screen blend into the phone’s frame for a gorgeous, almost bezel-less effect. This was a popular trend just a few years ago, but fell out of fashion because the phone was difficult to use (edges can be good!). I didn’t have many issues with the touchscreen on this model, and while I think the overall aesthetic is great with the vegan leather back, the Edge doesn’t impress as much as the stiff competition with a $550 MSRP. Performance is a bit choppy (I noticed significant lag in the camera app). The main camera is solid, but the lackluster software update policy makes it difficult to recommend. It’s a much better deal when it drops during major sale events.

Motorola Razr+ (2025) for $700: The Razr+ is identical to the Razr+ (2024), except it uses a titanium-reinforced Motorola hinge for improved durability. The specs are the same, but they fall in the weird middle where they don’t offer a huge improvement over the Razr 2025, but they don’t stray too far from the Razr Ultra. You might find the lack of an ultra-wide camera annoying, especially for group selfies, and the battery here is the smallest in the current lineup. You can always save some cash and buy the 2024 Razr+ (7/10, WIRED recommends), which has good performance and solid cameras, but I highly recommend waiting for a sale. This phone is down to $580, which is great for a foldable phone.

Photo: Julian Chocato

Moto G 5G 2026 for $200: The Moto G 2026 is almost identical to the Moto G Play 2026 below, except that it has double the storage space (expandable via microSD), supports slightly faster wired charging, and the front and rear cameras have more megapixels. That’s a $20 difference, so if you’re eyeing either, you should really go for the Moto G 5G 2026. Performance is similarly slow, though it’s perfectly usable day to day (if you’re patient). Even with more megapixels, don’t expect too much from the cameras; They can take acceptable photos in good light, but have great difficulty in low light. I was able to get nearly two days of battery life with average use, and I like that this phone still has a headphone jack. However, keep in mind that it will only receive two Android OS updates and three years of security updates. I think you’re better off buying the Moto G Power 2025 or waiting for the Moto G Power 2026 to go on sale.

Moto G Play 2026

Photo: Julian Chocato

Moto G Play 5G 2026 for $180: The cheapest Motorola phone is always put on the backburner. Yes, for under $200, this is a serviceable phone that now features 5G connectivity. You get two days of battery life, a headphone jack, expandable storage, and a very nice design. But the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chip with 4GB of RAM is very slow, so be prepared to wait a second or two, sometimes more, for an app to launch or a web page to load. Image quality is acceptable. Most of my photos have faded colors. I’ve had several calls, and people on the other end have generally complained about the sound quality, which isn’t great. It’s nice that this ultra-budget phone will get a couple of Android OS updates, but when the Moto G Power 2025 is on sale for $200 on Amazon and generally offers faster performance, double the storage, and better camera quality, it’s hard to justify the Play.

Which Motorola phones should you avoid?

Motorola Moto G 2025

Photo: Julian Chocato

Motorola phones depreciate in value very quickly. You should avoid purchasing Moto G phones from 2024 or earlier. They likely won’t get any more Android version updates, and the prices aren’t significantly different from the latest models. I also wouldn’t recommend buying the Moto G 2025 anymore since its successor is here. The Motorola Edge 2024 or the aforementioned Razr+ 2024 from last year is the older I would choose, so don’t think anything else.

Competition

Photo: Julian Chocato

Motorola’s biggest competition comes from Google, Nothing, and Samsung. If you asked me which phone to buy, I’d point you to the Google Pixel 9a ($499). It has most of the features people want in a smartphone, including wireless charging. There are also no new devices, the Phone (3a) and the Phone (3a) Pro. They’re attractive, stylish, and affordable phones, although carrier compatibility isn’t that easy. The CMF sub-brand also has a premium $279 phone, the CMF Phone 2 Pro.