Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Motorola launches three 2021 Moto G phones, including Play, Power, and Stylus
- During this year’s CES event, Motorola launched three 2021 Moto G phones: the Moto G Play, Moto G Power, and Moto G Stylus.
- Each phone fits firmly in the budget category with Snapdragon 400- and 600-series processors.
- All three phones are available to pre-order now in the US and will hit general sale in an unlocked form on January 14.
Today, Motorola took the wraps off three new entries in the very popular Moto G lineup. Once again eschewing numbers this year, the three devices land in the Play, Power, and Stylus series.
None of the devices rise above the budget sector, with the Moto G Stylus’ Snapdragon 678 processor being the most powerful of the bunch. However, keeping these phones cheap is part of what’s made them so globally successful.
In addition, none of the phones ship with NFC chips or the latest version of Android, two very notable omissions.
Below, you’ll find the necessary details on how these 2021 Moto G phones stand.
2021 Moto G Play
The Motorola Moto G Play is the cheapest and weakest of the three new devices. It features a Snapdragon 400-series processor and has a low-end dual camera setup on the rear. There’s a huge chin at the bottom of its 6.5-inch 720p display, too.
However, the phone does have an enormous 5,000mAh battery. For reference, that’s the same battery capacity we expect to see with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. When you combine that feature with the very low entry price of this 2021 Moto G phone, you find a device that’s perfect for folks who perform light tasks on their phone constantly throughout the day.
If you’re looking for a bargain, this is the phone for you, as it starts at just $169.99.
Here are the specs for this phone:
| Motorola Moto G Play (2021) | |
|---|---|
Display | 6.5-inch IPS LCD 20:9 aspect ratio HD+ (1,600 x 720) 269ppi |
CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 |
RAM | 3GB |
Storage | 32GB internal microSD slot (supports up to 512GB) |
Power | 5,000mAh battery 10W wired charging No wireless charging |
Cameras | Rear: 13MP wide (ƒ/2.0, 1.12μm) 2MP depth sensor (ƒ/2.4, 1.75μm) Front: 5MP wide (ƒ/2.2, 1.12μm) |
Ports | Single SIM tray (nano SIM + microSD) USB-C port (USB 2.0 speeds) 3.5mm headphone jack |
Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac No NFC chip ATT & Cricket bands: 4G | LTE band 2/4/5/12/14/30/66 3G | WCDMA band 1/2/4/5/8 2G | GSM band 2/3/5/8 Global bands: 4G | LTE band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/25/26/38/41/66/71 3G | WCDMA band 1/2/4/5/8 3G | CDMA band BC0/BC1/BC10 2G | GSM band 2/3/5/8 |
Security | Rear capacitive fingerprint reader |
Operating system | Android 10 |
Dimensions & weight | 166.6 x 76 x 9.4mm 204g |
Colorways | Misty Blue, Flash Gray |
2021 Moto G Power
Next up, we have the Motorola Moto G Power. This phone ups the processing power of the Play by offering a Snapdragon 662 chip. It also throws in a triple-lens rear camera system with a 48MP main sensor and keeps the enormous 5,000mAh battery of the Play.
See also: The phones with the best cameras available right now
However, the rest of the specs are pretty much the same. As such, this phone is for the buyer who wants to stay within a budget but doesn’t want to go as low-end as the Moto G Play. That will cost buyers a bit more, as this phone starts at $199.99 for the 3GB/32GB variant (exclusive to Best Buy in the US) and $249.99 for the 4GB/64GB model available everywhere else.
Here are the specs for the 2021 Moto G Power:
| Motorola Moto G Power (2021) | |
|---|---|
Display | 6.6-inch IPS LCD 20:9 aspect ratio HD+ (1,600 x 720) 267ppi |
CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 |
RAM | 3GB (Best Buy model) 4GB (Others) |
Storage | 32GB internal (Best Buy model) 64GB internal (Others) microSD slot (supports up to 512GB) |
Power | 5,000mAh battery 10W wired charging with included charger 15W wired charging with a compatible charger No wireless charging |
Cameras | Rear: 48MP wide (ƒ/1.7, 0.8μm) 2MP depth sensor (ƒ/2.4, 1.75μm) 2MP macro (ƒ/2.4, 1.75μm) Front: 8MP wide (ƒ/2.0, 1.12μm) |
Ports | Single SIM tray (nano SIM + microSD) USB-C port (USB 2.0 speeds) 3.5mm headphone jack |
Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac No NFC chip Global bands: 2G: GSM band 2/3/5/8; 2G: CDMA band BC0/1/10; 3G: UMTS band 1/2/4/5/8; 4G: LTE band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/14 & 17/25/26/29/30/38/41/66/71 |
Security | Side-mounted capacitive fingerprint reader |
Operating system | Android 10 |
Dimensions & weight | 165.3 x 76 x 9.5mm 207g |
Colorways | Flash Gray, Polar Silver, Glowing Blue |
2021 Moto G Stylus
Finally, we have the Motorola Moto G Stylus. Like the Samsung Galaxy Note series, this phone features a stylus pen that lives inside the phone itself. From the bottom right of the device, you can pop out the stylus whenever you need it or tuck it away whenever you don’t.
Unlike the Galaxy Note series, though, the stylus included with this 2021 Moto G phone doesn’t have any Bluetooth capabilities. It’s just a plastic stick with a soft tip.
To make room for the stylus, Motorola needed to shave down the battery capacity of this phone by 20% as compared to the other two devices on this list. That’s a pretty big trade-off, but you also get a better processor, a higher-resolution display, more storage, and more RAM.
Those beefier specs will up the price, of course. The Moto G Stylus starts at $299.99, making it the most expensive of the three on this list.
Check out the full specs for this phone below:
| Motorola Moto G Stylus (2021) | |
|---|---|
Display | 6.8-inch IPS LCD FHD+ resolution |
CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 678 |
RAM | 4GB |
Storage | 128GB internal microSD slot (supports up to 512GB) |
Power | 4,000mAh battery 10W wired charging with included charger 18W wired charging with a compatible charger No wireless charging |
Cameras | Rear: 48MP wide (ƒ/1.7, 0.8μm) 8MP ultra-wide (ƒ/2.2, 1.12μm, 118-degree FoV) 2MP depth sensor (ƒ/2.4, 1.75μm) 2MP macro (ƒ/2.4, 1.75μm) Front: 16MP wide (ƒ/2.2, 1μm) |
Ports | Single SIM tray (nano SIM + microSD) USB-C port (USB 2.0 speeds) 3.5mm headphone jack Stylus slot |
Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac No NFC chip Global bands: 2G: GSM band 2/3/5/8; 2G: CDMA band 0/1/10; 3G: UMTS band 1/2/4/5/8; 4G: LTE band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/14 & 17/20/25/26/29/38/40/41/66/71 |
Security | Side-mounted capacitive fingerprint reader |
Operating system | Android 10 |
Dimensions & weight | 167 x 78 x 9mm 213g |
Colorways | Aurora Black, Aurora White |
Moto G phones: Pricing and availability
To recap, here are the prices of the three phones Motorola launched today in its famous G Series:
- $169.99 — Moto G Play with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage
- $199.99 — Moto G Power with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage (Best Buy only)
- $249.99 — Moto G Power with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage
- $299.99 — Moto G Stylus with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage
Whichever phone you choose, they are all available to pre-order right now from Motorola.com. Just click the prices above to buy your selection.
On January 14, the phones will exit the pre-order stage and become available for general sale from many retail partners. That includes Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and more.
Additionally, the 2021 Moto G series will land on US carriers “in the coming months.” Motorola wouldn’t say when but did confirm they are coming to most major budget carriers, including Cricket, Metro by T-Mobile, Boost Mobile, and more. In the case of the Moto G Play, that will also come to the major wireless carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.
The Moto G Play and Moto G Power will also land in Canada at some point in the future, although Motorola would not give a specific date.