Motorola Moto G 5G (2023) review: Should you buy it?

Motorola built its budget Android lineup on the idea of having a model for everyone. The Moto G Power went after those who wanted big batteries, the Moto G Stylus covered those who wanted a stylus, and the Moto G Play was the most affordable entertainment-focused option for everyone else. Then, the Moto G 5G brought top-end speeds to the company’s budget portfolio for the first time. Now, with the exception of the super-cheap Play line, 5G has trickled out to other Moto G devices while remaining the Moto G 5G’s only real defining feature. However, to compensate for the lack of new tricks, the Motorola Moto G 5G (2023) packs a serious price cut compared to its predecessor — down to $249 from $399.

As usual, Motorola’s budget design is a game of follow the leader. The Moto G 5G (2023) is almost identical to the Moto G Power 5G, sporting a square camera bump, matching plastic construction, and a textured fingerprint-averse finish. It’s not far off from the Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) either, though the Moto G 5G (2023) is slightly smaller and sacrifices the eponymous pen. Motorola’s most affordable 5G device has the thickest side rails of the trio, though they make all of the buttons and ports easier to find with the headphone jack tucked away on the bottom edge. The fingerprint reader is hidden in the power button and proved quick and accurate during our testing, even if it’s not convenient for left-handed use.

The Moto G 5G (2023) runs Android 13 out of the box, with Motorola’s light, smooth My UX skin on top. It’s about as close to stock Android as you can get, though there’s quite a bit more bloatware than we’ve seen in recent years, including gaming, shopping, entertainment hubs, and curated apps like Publishers Clearing House Plus — all familiar faces from my time reviewing other recent Moto G phones. Motorola’s underwhelming update support hasn’t improved, either, with the Moto G 5G (2023) pegged to a single Android update and three years of bi-monthly security patches. Unlike most phones, even at this price, there’s still no NFC either. That means you won’t be able to use Google Pay or Nearby Share.

On the bright side, there’s no shortage of screen real estate on the Moto G 5G (2023). It packs a 6.5-inch HD+ LCD panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The refresh rate is nice, but it’s a little dim in sunlight and the 720p resolution is a little lacking even at this price. Hiding behind that display is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 480 Plus chipset, backed by 4GB of RAM. The chipset was good enough for casual use during my time with the phone, including scrolling social media and responding to work emails while away from my desk, but gaming is a virtual non-starter. Intense titles like Genshin Impact lagged heavily, and lighter games like Marvel Snap were still enough to beat up the battery.

Motorola has learned a few lessons with its budget-friendly camera phone setups, the most important of which is ditching the 2MP depth sensor. The Moto G 5G (2023) now carries just two rear lenses — a 48MP wide shooter backed by a 2MP macro option. While the dedicated macro lens wasn’t particularly impressive, the primary camera offers larger pixels and a wider maximum aperture than its predecessor. Motorola is also slowly but surely making progress in image processing, with generally accurate colors and decent details in good lighting. However, the two-camera setup significantly limits the Moto G 5G (2023)’s zoom flexibility. You can check out a gallery of camera samples here.

Unfortunately, the Motorola Moto G 5G (2023) isn’t a video shooter’s best friend. Quality tops out at 1080p at 30fps on both the front and back — including the macro sensor. This is in line with other budget phones at similar price points but is probably not useful for much more than sharing on an Instagram story that will disappear after a while. What’s more interesting is that the Moto G 5G (2023) defaults to a 9:16 aspect ratio for video instead of its 3:4 standard for photos. It’s meant for social media shooting, just not high enough quality. On the bright side, the Moto G 5G (2023) has stereo speakers, pairing a single down-firing unit with the earpiece. I was impressed and pleasantly surprised by the volume — even if there’s some distortion once you hit the highest level.

Sticking with the good news, a modest 5G processor and excellent battery life are still a match made in heaven. While the Moto G 5G (2023) won’t cruise through intensive gaming, I pushed through around two days of mixed usage. I spent time scrolling on social media, streaming music through Spotify, and some light navigation while in New York City. The Moto G 5G (2023) seems to handle any of these tasks without issue, though when you combine two — like Spotify and navigation — battery results suffer. Thankfully, the Moto G 5G (2023) supports 15W wired speeds, an upgrade from the previous 10W rate so that you can get back up to a full charge in around an hour and forty minutes. There’s no wireless charging, nor is there a charger in the box, so you may want to invest in a new one with the money saved from Motorola’s price cut.

Motorola’s latest Moto G 5G (2023) chops its asking price, bringing it up against some of the most affordable Android phones you can find. Here are just a few worth considering:

• Samsung Galaxy A14 5G ($199.99 at Amazon): Like the Moto G 5G, Samsung’s most affordable 5G device got a price cut to go with its flagship-inspired style. It beats Motorola’s entry with better software support and a more reliable 50MP primary camera. Both phones share an affinity for plastic constructions, however.
• OnePlus Nord N300 ($228 at OnePlus): The most affordable Nord is, in many ways, OnePlus’ equivalent of the Moto G 5G (2023). It sticks with a simple design, two rear cameras, and a headphone jack on the bottom edge. We prefer Motorola’s software experience, though arguing with the Nord N300’s 33W wired charging is tough. OnePlus also beats Motorola in offering a less-than-impressive two years of security coverage.
• Motorola Moto G Power 5G ($279 at Amazon): Motorola’s own Moto G Power 5G steps in to take most of the Moto G 5 G’s defining features, offering 5G for the first time. It bumps up to a Full HD+ display and picks up 2GB of additional RAM for a little more processing punch. As a Moto G phone, the Moto G Power 5G has plenty in common with the Moto G 5G in terms of software and updates, but its extra cost is worth the improvements.