Moto G6 Plus, G6 & G6 Play are now official: Affordable entry-level troopers
With the hopes of continuing its strong presence in the entry-level segment of the market, Motorola today announces meaningful refreshments to its G- and E-series.
The new G6 Plus, G6 and G6 Play, just like their predecessors, are looking to deliver great value for the money. Of the three, the G6 Plus is positioned as the most powerful handset, while the G6 Play is the most affordable one.
Design-wise, the phones are mostly similar in terms of aesthetics and feature a gradual, meaningful evolution over the G5 and G5 Plus. We get smaller bezels, a trendy tall device footprint thanks to the 18:9 displays, and most interestingly, a front-facing fingerprint scanner still. Although most and every smartphone manufacturer has surrendered and either dropped or positioned the fingerprint scanner at the rear of the phone, Moto proves to be one of the last bastions of front-positioned fingerprints scanners. Don't mistake this one for a button, though - it's just a sensor, navigation is again software-based.
The new G6 Plus, G6 and G6 Play, just like their predecessors, are looking to deliver great value for the money. Of the three, the G6 Plus is positioned as the most powerful handset, while the G6 Play is the most affordable one.
Hardware-wise, it's hard to be disappointed at what you get for the price. Here are all the essential specs detailed for brevity, showing how the G6 Play differs from the regular G6:
| Moto G6 Plus | Moto G6 | Moto G6 Play | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 160 x 75.5 x 8 mm, 167g | 153.8 x 72.3 x 8.3 mm, 167g | 154.4 x 72.2 x 9 mm, 175g |
| Display | 5.9" IPS LCD, Full HD+, 18:9 aspect ratio | 5.7” IPS LCD, 1080p Full HD+, 18:9 aspect ratio | 5.7" IPS LCD, 720p HD+, 18:9 aspect ratio |
| Processor | Snapdragon 630 processor | Snapdragon 450 processor, 1.8 GHz octa-core CPU, 600 MHz Adreno 506 GPU | Snapdragon 427 processor, 1.4 GHz quad-core CPU, Adreno 308 GPU |
| RAM | 6 GB | 3GB / 4GB | 2GB / 3GB |
| Storage | 64 GB | 32GB / 64GB + microSD | 16GB / 32GB + microSD |
| Battery | 3200 mAh | 3,000mAh, 15W Turbo Charging | 4,000mAh, 10W Fast Charging |
| Rear camera | 12 MP & 5 MP dual rear cameras, f/1.7 aperture | 12 MP & 5 MP dual rear cameras w/ f/1.8 aperture | 13 MP w/ phase detection autofocus (PDAF), f/2.0 aperture |
| Front camera | 8 MP front camera | 8 MP front camera | 8 MP front camera |
| Connectivity | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/dual band 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, nano SIM | 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 4.2 EDR + BLE, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, nano SIM | 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz, microUSB, Bluetooth 4.2 EDR + BLE, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, nano SIM |
| Sensors | Fingerprint reader, accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light, proximity, magnetometer, ultrasonic | Fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light, proximity, magnetometer (e-Compass), ultrasonic | Fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light, proximity, magnetometer (e-Compass), ultrasonic |
| Colors | Deep Indigo, Nimbus | Black, Deep Indigo | Deep Indigo |
| Operating system | Android 8.0 Oreo | Android 8.0 Oreo | Android 8.0 Oreo |
Now, for the most important aspect of the new devices - their pricing and release date.
Well, good news overall: Moto is keeping the phones as affordable as their predecessors.
The Moto G6, which is the mid-spec'd device, will start at $249, while the G6 Play will carry a very affordable $199 price tag. The highest-end of the three, the G6 Plus, will be available across countries in Asia, Europe and Latin America, and will come with a suggested price of EUR 300. This will translate to $300 or less in the US, but it seems like the phone isn't destined to be sold stateside, at least officially. All three phones are available in Brazil today, next week in Mexico, and over the coming months in the rest of their intended markets. From Moto's wording, it seems like the G6 and G6 Plus may make an appearance in the US.
The Moto G6, which is the mid-spec'd device, will start at $249, while the G6 Play will carry a very affordable $199 price tag. The highest-end of the three, the G6 Plus, will be available across countries in Asia, Europe and Latin America, and will come with a suggested price of EUR 300. This will translate to $300 or less in the US, but it seems like the phone isn't destined to be sold stateside, at least officially. All three phones are available in Brazil today, next week in Mexico, and over the coming months in the rest of their intended markets. From Moto's wording, it seems like the G6 and G6 Plus may make an appearance in the US.
Overall, we'd say that Moto would continue to be one of the domineering names on the affordable market with its not-too-shabby G6 Plus, G6 and G6 Play.
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