Motorola Moto G6 Play review

Introduction

Few brands can boast such a monumental legacy as Motorola - one of the original forefathers and titans on the mobile scene. And it's not just the brick-like phones of the past that contribute to this special status either. You only need to turn the clock back five years or so from now to see the original Moto G at the forefront of a budget smartphone revolution. One that is continuing to this day, compelling manufacturers to constantly push the envelope on what is possible with a budget device.

Of course, financial turmoils, several buyouts, management and business changes later, these historic Motorola glory days appear to be in the past. But even so, Moto lives on and so does the Moto G. Now in its sixth generation and a sprawling family of three - the G6, G6 Plus and last, but not least, the G6 Play.

All that being said, at $200, the latter can't really hope for the instant recommendation, many of its predecessors got back in the day. Especially in 2018, with good quality value offers flying in left and right and seriously mounting competition from the likes of Xiaomi, Huawei and even a resurrected Nokia.

Motorola Moto G6 Play

• Body: Plastic back; 154.4x72.2x9mm; 175 grams; p2i water repellent nano coating on some markets
• Screen: 5.7-inch, 18:9, HD+, IPS LCD, MAX Vision
• Rear Camera: 13MP, f/2.0 lens; Secondary 5MP; LED flash; 1080p@30fps video recording
• Front Camera: 8MP, 1080p@30fps video recording; LED selfie flash
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430, octa-core Cortex-A53 1.4GHz
• Memory: 3/4GB RAM, 32/64GB, dedicated microSD slot for up to 128GB expansion
• OS: Android 8.0 Oreo
• Battery: 4,000mAh, Turbo Charge 15W
• Connectivity: Optional Dual SIM (4G), Bluetooth 4.2, GPS/GLONASS, Dual-band (some markets) Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, microUSB
• Misc: Fingerprint reader on back

However, don't do kicking the Moto G6 Play to the side quite so hastily. The proverbial runt in the Moto G litter still has a lot going for it, besides a legendary reputation. Lenovo managed to cram a massive 4,000 mAh battery, inside the 9mm thin handset and even throw in snappy 15W fast charging support in the mix.

Just like its bigger sibling, the G6 Play has an extra-tall Max Vision display. It's even complete with rounded corners, for a truly contemporary look. All the while, the Moto G6 Play remains a lot truer to the original Moto G spirit than the rest of the family.

Motorola Moto G6 Play in official photos

A clean front, with no controls and only on-screen navigation and a the familiar "M" dimple on the back, make for a rather classic experience, that long-time fans of the series might actually prefer. Of course, that's also complimented by the traditional Vanilla approach to Motorola's Android ROMs. Another integral and well-known part of the Moto G mix.

Join us on the following pages, as we explore the new, yet familiar Moto G6 Play in more detail.