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Motorola adds 5G and 120Hz technology to its hot new Moto G Power... at a price

By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: Apr 06, 2023, 9:34 AM

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Motorola adds 5G and 120Hz technology to its hot new Moto G Power... at a price

Instead of simultaneously announcing all the new mid and high-end smartphones we know the company is preparing, Motorola seems to want to spend more time than usual in the limelight this quarter, taking the wraps off the global Edge 40 Pro flagship a couple of days ago and now doing the same with the much humbler Moto G Power 5G.

That leaves the Moto G Stylus (2023), G Stylus 5G (2023), Edge 40, and Razr+ (2023) for announcements at later dates, and knowing Motorola, a bunch of other lower-profile G and E-series models could also see daylight in the coming months.

For the time being, though, we'd like to focus our attention squarely on the Moto G Power 5G, which lacks 2023 branding for the simple reason that this is the first member of the big-battery handset family to support "modern" 5G speeds in addition to "outdated" 4G LTE connectivity.

A fast, smooth, and powerful new mid-ranger for the US market

Remember how few upgrades the Moto G Power (2022) brought to the table compared to its 2021 predecessor? The 2023 edition is pretty much the polar opposite, not only adding 5G support to the winning G Power value equation but also 120Hz display refresh rate technology and better storage and memory options.

That's right, this 5G-enabled new candidate for the title of best budget phone in the world will be available with up to 6GB RAM and 256 gigs of local digital hoarding room, unlike its 4G LTE-only forerunner, which caps off at 4 and 128GB respectively.

The 120Hz LCD screen, meanwhile, also improves on its 90Hz predecessor with Full HD+ resolution (more specifically, 2400 x 1080 pixels), thus promising superior overall sharpness in addition to silky smooth mobile gaming experiences.

The screen-to-body ratio is enhanced as well from under 80 percent to a solid 84 percent with the simple help of thinner bezels, which obviously means the Moto G Power 5G is all in all more compact than the G Power (2022). The height, width, and even depth numbers are lower this time around, and unsurprisingly, the same goes for the product weight too.

Under the hood, a decently snappy MediaTek Dimensity 930 processor runs the show, and on the software side of things, you get Android 13 out the box... with no explicit long-term support commitment, which is clearly not ideal.

The not-so-great things, the price point, and the release date

While a 5,000mAh battery for a 6.5-inch device is not an inherently bad spec, Motorola's 38-hour endurance promise certainly feels a little underwhelming.

The Moto G Power (2022) is officially rated at "up to 3 days", which is awfully vague and arguably unrealistic, but it's abundantly clear that the faster, sharper, and smoother G Power 5G will deliver much lower real-life autonomy scores between charges in the lack of a cell size increase.

It's also a tad disappointing to see the charging capabilities minimally upgraded from 10 to 15W, especially with the recommended price jacked up from $199.99 to $299.99 stateside.

The triple rear-facing camera module combining a 50MP primary shooter with 2MP macro and 2MP depth sensors seems to have gone completely unchanged, and the same goes for the sluggish 10W charger included in the retail box as standard.

Said boxes will start arriving after April 13, mind you, which is the official US release date of the "universally" unlocked Moto G Power 5G variant. The aforementioned $299.99 price tag is only valid for that unlocked model with no strings attached, of course, while carriers like Metro by T-Mobile, Spectrum Mobile, and Xfinity Mobile will give you various deal sweeteners in the "coming months."

Curiously enough, there are no words on impending availability at major operators like Verizon and T-Mobile itself, but you probably shouldn't panic just yet. Something tells us this is only the first announcement of at least a few.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.