Motorola's new Moto G Play 2024 is now officially here, and it benefits from a range of upgrades to its camera and storage hardware but still misses out on 5G networking for some reason. While the Moto G Play 2024 is still very affordable at just $150, it's a shame that Motorola didn't see fit to add 5G connectivity to the handset, especially since we are now in 2024, as the model name suggests.
Hardware
Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 680, the Moto G Play 2024 isn't setting any performance standards but is a decent chipset at this particular price point and an upgrade over the lackluster MediaTek chip in the predecessor. The SoC is accompanied by 4GB of RAM, which can be further extended with 2GB of virtual RAM in the settings app. Storage gets a bump over last year's model with 64GB built-in, which can be further extended via the MicroSD card slot.
Like the 2023 edition, the Moto G Play 2024 sports a 6.5-inch display with HD+ resolution (1600 x 720), a 90Hz refresh rate, and Corning Glass 3 protection. There's a bit of a chin at the bottom of the display, which is quite noticeable.
A good-sized 5,000mAh battery keeps the lights on, and wired charging gains a bump in speed from 10W to 15W, although Motorola only sees fit to include a 10W charger in the box. This isn't exactly unusual because Motorola often equips its phones with faster-charging rates than the included charger is capable of. It's penny-pinching for sure and doesn't help the brands' cause, in my opinion. Motorola claims the battery is good for a couple of days of usage.
Still No 5G
As mentioned in the opening paragraph, the Moto G Play 2024 makes do with 4G/LTE connectivity, which is a shame since 5G is becoming more prevalent. Surely, its addition wouldn't have altered the pricing strategy that much. Still, if 4G/LTE is fast and cheap enough for you, the lack of 5G will likely not influence your decision to buy the Moto G Play 2024.
When Three Become One
Despite moving from a trio of rear sensors to a single camera setup, the camera department gets the biggest upgrade over last year's model. It's wild that Motorola has realized what so many reviewers have said over the years: that it's better to have a single rear camera that is good rather than three mediocre snappers that produce mediocre results.
The single 50MP sensor features 4-in-1 Quad Pixel Binning technology, Phased Detection AutoFocus, and a F/1.8 aperture; this represents a solid upgrade from the Moto G Play 2023's 16MP main sensor and pair of 2MP sensors. The 50MP snapper also brings new camera features such as HDR, 8x digital zoom, Pro Mode (with Long Exposure, RAW Photo, and Dual Capture Shot. An 8MP selfie camera sits in the punch-hole at the top-center of the display.
Another possible fly in the ointment is that the phone runs Android 13 out of the box, so it will be interesting to see when Motorola updates the Moto G Play 2024 to Android 14.
Availability
You'll be able to pick up the Moto G Play 2024 from selected carriers on January 26th, with the unlocked Moto G Play 2024 going on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Motorola's online store starting February 8th.
