One of the most prolific smartphone manufacturers out there is not only working on two different foldables with very competitive price points, but also an even cheaper mid-range Android soldier with a "conventional" design. Like the Razr 50 and Razr 50 Ultra, the Moto G85 5G is clearly just about ready for its official introduction to the world, although we're still not sure exactly when that will end up happening.
It obviously can't be long now, at least based on the wealth of information revealed by a couple of different sources over the last couple of weeks, as well as the handset's second visual leak in the space of a few days. This comes from X superstar Evan Blass (aka @evleaks), showcasing the undoubtedly fast-approaching device in even greater detail and higher clarity than last week, as well as two new colors.
What's missing here?
If something feels off after looking over the high-quality and almost certainly 100 percent reliable renders in the gallery below, allow us to put you out of your misery really quickly by telling you what Motorola seemingly "forgot" to include on the Moto G85. Unlike last year's G84, this thing appears to do without the 3.5mm headphone jack that's been a staple of budget-friendly mobile devices since the beginning of time, which could definitely cause a bit of frustration among potential buyers and hardcore Moto fans.
It has to be said that Motorola was one of the first major Android smartphone brands to follow Apple's suit and drop this universally beloved component from its high-end models years ago, which did not stop the company from releasing countless low to mid-end handsets with a 3.5mm jack since then.
For whatever reason, the Moto G85 5G will apparently do what no Moto G-series phone has done before, and if history is any indication, we fear this could start a new trend for affordable Motorola devices and possibly even non-flagships from other Android brands.
What's incredibly frustrating about the G85 is that it otherwise looks much swankier than its predecessor, with unusually pronounced screen curves (for a mid-ranger), exquisitely thin bezels, a predictable but always welcomed hole punch centered at the top of a beautiful P-OLED display rumored to measure close to 6.7 inches in diagonal, and in another unusual move for a presumably low-cost smartphone, an eye-catching vegan leather finish at the back (especially in a bright green hue).
The rumored specs are also not bad at all
Previously expected to pack an as-yet-unannounced Snapdragon 4 Gen 3 processor, the Moto G85 5G is now believed by a generally trustworthy social media tipster to employ a similarly mysterious Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 SoC. This is said to be an octa-core affair (duh!) with up to 2.3GHz CPU clock speeds and an Adreno 619 GPU included, and something tells us it will prove faster than both the aforementioned Snapdragon 4 Gen 3 and the outdated Snapdragon 695 inside the Moto G84 5G.
The primary 50MP OIS-equipped camera visible in all the renders leaked so far, meanwhile, is expected to be paired with a secondary 9MP sensor in charge of both ultra-wide-angle and macro photography on the back of the G85. The single front-facing snapper will likely get an even more substantial upgrade from the one taking care of selfie duties on the Moto G84, jumping from 16 to 32 megapixels.
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Then you have a respectable 8GB RAM coupled with 256 gigs of internal storage space and a hefty 5,000mAh battery supporting 33W charging technology squeezed into a relatively lightweight 173-gram body with a 6.67-inch panel sporting FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate capabilities.
If you can overlook the missing jack, this bad boy is likely to provide pretty much unrivaled value for a starting price expected to circle the €300 mark in Europe. Unfortunately, an official US release seems about as unlikely as President Biden's reelection, but if you're patient, Motorola could bring a jack-less Moto G-series mid-ranger stateside in the relatively near future too.
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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'.
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