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We could solely be a few weeks into the brand new yr, however Motorola has already launched its third Moto G telephone for 2026, and I have been utilizing it for the previous few weeks. After testing final yr’s Moto G Energy 2025, I had pretty tepid expectations for the Moto G Energy 2026, and rightfully so; the newest mannequin is merely a minor spec bump over its predecessor, and in some methods, a downgrade.
There are some advantages to getting the newer mannequin, from having the newest OS to the slight improve in battery capability. Nevertheless, after a couple of weeks with the Moto G Energy 2026, it hasn’t fairly satisfied me that it ought to exist, and Motorola could have been higher off skipping a yr, because it did with the Moto G Play in 2025.
Opening the field, you’ll be forgiven for mistaking this for the Moto G Energy 2025. The telephones are nearly an identical in design; even the size are the identical, right down to the millimeter. That stated, there are refined variations within the digicam housing: The Moto G Energy 2025 was extra of a closed rectangular form, whereas the 2026 mannequin has a extra open form that followers out towards the system’s body.
It took me some time to note as a result of these two telephones are so related. Nevertheless, what I seen virtually instantly is how the telephone feels. Motorola’s marketing campaign in opposition to glass pack panels continues into 2026, and the Moto G Energy 2026 has essentially the most fabric-like texture I’ve seen or felt on a Motorola telephone, save for the Alcantara Razr Extremely 2025.
The way in which the feel is carried out on the again makes it appear and feel like material till you get a better look, and even then, it could actually nonetheless be onerous to inform. However regardless of its artificial nature, it makes the Moto G Energy 2026 really feel fairly grippy and a tad extra premium than even its predecessor.
It additionally means you may by no means have to fret about fingerprints smudging the system. It additionally helps with sturdiness; there isn’t any glass on the again to fret about breaking, and the spectacular MIL-STD-810H spec and IP68/IP69 water- and dust-resistance score imply I haven’t got to fret in regards to the inclement Seattle climate ruining the telephone. The harder Gorilla Glass 7i must also show extra sturdy than its predecessor, however I happily have not needed to put that to the take a look at.
Sadly, a lot of the design type of goes in opposition to that premium really feel. The body matches the colour properly, however the telephone is slightly thick and barely boxy attributable to its flat sides. It is the identical 8.7mm thickness because the 2025 mannequin, however at a time when telephones are slimming down, it does really feel a bit unwieldy, even for a midrange system.
Then, transferring to the entrance, the slightly giant and uneven bezels additionally remind you that it is a low-cost Android telephone. Thankfully, the show itself is not too dangerous. It is solely a 120Hz LCD panel, however in my use, I discovered the colours surprisingly vibrant, and the brightness feels pretty ample, even at simply 1,000 nits. My solely situation is that the auto brightness typically feels too aggressive or not aggressive sufficient, prompting me to manually alter it.
Other than the design, the Moto G Energy 2026 additionally borrows its predecessor’s processor. The MediaTek Dimensity 6300 is a succesful chip, nevertheless it’s not essentially the most performant nor environment friendly. Curiously, it is also the identical chip used within the lower-end Moto G Play 2026 and Moto G 2026, though Motorola makes up for it right here with extra RAM. The result’s a telephone that may deal with each day duties, comparable to rapidly opening and juggling apps, however not a lot past that.
|
Class |
Moto G Energy 2026 |
|---|---|
|
Software program |
Android 16 |
|
Software program replace promise |
Two OS upgrades, three years of safety updates |
|
Show |
6.8-inch FHD+ (2388 x 1080), LCD, 120Hz refresh fee |
|
Chipset |
MediaTek Dimensity 6300 |
|
Storage |
128GB, expandable |
|
Reminiscence |
8GB |
|
Rear Digital camera 1 |
50MP wide-angle, f/1.8, 1.22μm (by way of pixel binning) |
|
Rear Digital camera 2 |
8MP ultrawide+macro imaginative and prescient, f/2.2, 1.12µm |
|
Rear Digital camera 3 |
Ambient gentle sensor |
|
Selfie Digital camera |
32MP, f/2.2, 1.28μm |
|
Water Resistance |
IP68/IP69 |
|
Safety |
Gorilla Glass 7i, MIL-STD-810H Certification |
|
Battery & Charging |
5,200mAh, 30W wired charging |
|
Connectivity |
5G, Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 5, FM Radio |
|
NFC |
✔ |
|
Dimensions |
166.62 x 77.10 x 8.72mm |
|
Weight |
208g |
|
Colours |
PANTONE Night Blue, PANTONE Pure Cashmere |
Gaming is doable, however you may be unable to adequately take pleasure in graphics-intensive video games on the highest settings. I will play Honkai: Star Rail at excessive settings and 30fps, however something past that may noticeably push the telephone, with the body fee dropping to 10-20fps even in 60fps mode. To get smoother gameplay, you may need to play in medium graphics settings, which is able to present nearer to 30fps on the expense of some graphics high quality.
The identical goes for The place Winds Meet, which is able to expertise lots of pop-in whereas enjoying, which will be distracting. That stated, it’s a very massive recreation, and you would be higher off enjoying it on a console.
Sadly, the 128GB of inner storage could hold you from downloading too many high-quality video games anyway, though help for expandable storage could assist when you’ve got a microSD card mendacity round. I’ve needed to delete loads of objects as a way to totally set up Honkai: Star Rail and The place Winds Meet.
As for the software program, the Moto G Energy 2026 runs the newest model of Moto UX primarily based on Android 16. The general expertise is not a lot completely different from Motorola’s Android 15 software program, with seemingly no occasion of Google’s Materials 3 Expressive. That stated, you get the brand new Modes choice borrowed from the Pixel that roughly takes over the Do Not Disturb button, letting you simply swap between pre-programmed or custom-made modes.
I used to be completely shocked to see that bloatware was saved to a minimal. You might choose in to put in some apps, however the one factor I needed to disable after setup was the Video games folder, which tries to shoehorn recreation suggestions from the Play Retailer. The Look lock display screen, tucked away in settings as “Sensible lock display screen,” can also be disabled by default, which I used to be completely happy to see.
Sadly, there is no such thing as a At all times On Show, however you continue to get Motorola’s Sleep show, which helps you to work together with notifications and music controls with out totally waking up the system. Motorola’s gestures are additionally right here, comparable to chopping the telephone twice to activate the flashlight, twisting it to activate the digicam, and a customizable quick-tap gesture that permits you to double-tap the again of the telephone. I used to be additionally completely happy to see the Sidebar choice right here for fast entry to my favourite apps.
Whereas AI is seemingly in all places as of late, do not count on a lot of it right here. The MediaTek chipset does not appear too succesful in that regard, so that you’re restricted to Circle to Search and Gemini. Thankfully, these are arguably two of a very powerful options Google has launched lately, so I am completely happy that a minimum of these two are current.
Sadly, there have not been any notable enhancements within the digicam division. Many of the sensors are the identical as these on the 2025 mannequin, save for a brand new 32MP front-facing digicam. That is to not say picture high quality is dangerous, however you will not be significantly impressed by the photographs. You will get some respectable photos in the course of the day with good lighting, however the photographs lack element and might get noisy in any other case.
That goes for the ultrawide digicam too, which doubles as a macro sensor. You’d assume there is a third digicam sensor on the again, given the structure of the digicam housing, however what seems to be like a 3rd digicam is definitely an ambient gentle sensor that does not seem to supply a lot profit.
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The Moto G Energy 2026 actually shines within the battery division, because of the 5,200mAh battery. It is 200mAh bigger than its predecessor, and whereas I might’ve hoped for a considerably bigger capability to essentially drive dwelling the “Energy” in its identify, it provides loads of energy. Motorola estimates as much as two days, though I have been in a position to common simply over sooner or later with considerably heavy use.
The 30W charging helps, although it’s going to take about 40 minutes to go from 1 to 50% and just below 2 hours to achieve a full cost. Given the massive battery, that is not too surprising, though sooner charging could be good. Sadly, there isn’t any wi-fi charging, which is an odd omission given its presence on last-year’s mannequin.
Finally, the Moto G Energy 2026 is a strong telephone that feels an excessive amount of like its predecessor. The $300 worth is enticing sufficient that there is little purpose to not purchase one when you’re in search of an inexpensive Android telephone, however you can even get away with final yr’s mannequin with roughly the identical expertise.
After all, with Android 16 on board, you get OS upgrades as much as Android 18 and updates till 2029, in order that’s an additional yr of help when you actually take care of it. Nevertheless, for a similar worth, you can even take into account competing telephones with longer software program help, comparable to final yr’s Galaxy A26.
The Moto G Energy 2026 begins at $300 and is obtainable now at Verizon, with different carriers to observe within the coming months. Nevertheless, you could be higher off ready for the following Moto G Stylus in order for you an excellent, inexpensive telephone.
Motorola
Moto G Energy 2026
Strong and low-cost
The Moto G Energy 2026 could also be practically an identical to its predecessor, nevertheless it stays a strong telephone with nice battery life and a processor that may deal with each day duties.
