Last month, Motorola announced the new Moto G6 family. But only within the last few days did the company announce which carriers will soon support the new phones.
Since the standard bearer, the Moto G6 will soon be available in North America, it’s time to ask ourselves: is the new phone a worthy upgrade over the previous Moto G5? Continue reading below to get an idea.
On the outside
- New 5.7-inch display with 18:9 aspect ratio
- Gorilla Glass back
- USB Type-C
While the Moto G line isn’t premium, it’s very important for Motorola. The Moto G remains the company’s best seller, and this year Motorola unveiled the standard Moto G6, alongside the lower-end Moto G6 Play.
The G6 makes the transition from the 16:9 display of the Moto G5 to a new and modern 18:9 screen with curved edges on the back. The G6 has also gotten increasingly closer to a flagship-level build, with a really sleek Gorilla Glass back.
Compared to last year’s model which came with a 5-inch display with FullHD resolution, the Moto G6 features a 5.7-inch screen that’s somewhere over 1080p. And like its predecessor, it includes a fingerprint sensor on the front that can detect gestures and so, replace the Android control keys.
However, while the Moto G5 includes a micro USB 2.0, the new Moto G6 offers the services of a USB Type-C. Both models include a 3.5mm headphone jack.
On the inside
- Better processor
- More RAM and storage
- Larger battery
Obviously, the Moto G6 takes advantage of an updated internal configuration. It relies on an octa-core 1.8GHz Snapdragon 450 processor, with options for 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage or 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
The predecessor included a 1.4GHz Snapdragon 430 chipset with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, as base version.
Many people are targeting the Moto G series, especially the G Play models for their battery life. The G6 takes advantage of a 3,000 mAh unit (just like the Galaxy S9’s), an improvement over the former’s 2,800 mAh power source.
Launching in 2018, the Moto G6 runs Android 8.0 Oreo (but not the newer 8.1 version). The G5 launched with Android 7.0 Nougat, but an upgrade to Oreo is in the cards.
Cameras
- Dual main cameras
- Better selfie snapper
While the Moto G5 launched with a single 13-megapixel primary sensor on the back last year, the Moto G6 features a dual-camera setup.
It’s comprised of a 12-megapixel sensor (f/1.8) and a secondary 5-megapixel one (f/2.2) with phase detection autofocus and dual-LED dual-tone flash.
As for selfies, the new G6 relies upon an 8-megapixel unit with f/2.2. The previous-generation Moto G5 used a 5-megapixel sensor with f/2.2. So you’ll be able to snap better self-portraits with the new G6.
Pricing
At launch, the Moto G5 was priced at €199 / $237. The phone was never officially offered in the US, where customers could only purchase the Moto G5 Plus model.
The phone features a 5.2-inch full HD display and relies on a Snapdragon 625 processor with 2GB/4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of storage Other specs include a 12-megapixel main camera and 3,000 mAh battery. Compared to the Moto G6, the G5 Plus does have a slightly more capable processor, but other than that it’s not superior in any other way.
Initially, the device was priced at $229. You can still buy it from places like Amazon for less.
Interestingly, this year things are going to be reversed. The Moto G6 Plus won’t be available in the States, while the Moto G6 will.
The phone will be priced at $249 and will go on sale at Verizon, TracFone Wireless, Ting Wireless, and Republic Wireless. It will also be available unlocked from retailers like Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target, Fry’s, and B&H Photo.
The G6 offers an 18:9 aspect display, a glass back and has dual cameras, which are all improvements over its predecessor. So you might want to consider ditching the old G5 or even the G5 Plus in favor of the newcomer.
