Smart Android And Trik-Commenting on Andorid indeed never endless, because smart devices this one is often updated every certain amount of time. So that the market can always be garapnya menerinya with pleasure. And it is not denied if this device has become the lifestyle of each society. To not wonder if the 6th business information and many are turning to mobail smartphone. With Android which thoroughly dominated the mobile industry, choosing the best Android smartphone is almost identical to choose the best smartphone, period. But while Android phones have few real opponents on other platforms, internal competition is intense.
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.
Motorola Moto G6 Play 360-degree spin
Back in the day, the Motorola Moto G had a pretty clear angle going for it. It was the go-to, budget and vanilla Android device of choice for many. Since then, things have become a bit more complicated within the Motorola lineup. Now, there's a sprawling Moto E family, a growing Moto C and even a Moto E, all filling up the proverbial nooks and crannies of the budget niche as best they can.
While choice is hard to complain about, this new-found market saturation and segmentation do require some involved choices on the user's end. Thankfully, for the most part, the Moto G6 Play brings a balanced mix of design and features to the table. Just like its older predecessors, the G6 Play is plastic all around and it still works just as well.
There are plenty of advantages to using the relatively light and less dent-prone material. Lenovo has even put in the extra effort to coat the central frame in a metal-like fashion. We've seen more believable finishes out there, but still, a good effort.
In place of the more traditional unibody approach, Motorola decided to go for a modern look this time around and a glossy, curved back surface. Naturally, just like the rest of the body, it's plastic as well, but actually does a pretty convincing job of imitating metal.
This could potentially spell out trouble if you tend to bang and slap your phone around a lot. Plus, chances are you'll never get to see the surface fingerprint-free from the moment you first pick up the Moto G6 Play. Still, it does make for a decent hand feel.
Moto G6 Play in the hand
On a more positive note, the signature Motorola splash-resistant nano coating on the electronics inside is still part of the mix. We are kind of hesitant to get the phone deliberately wet to test it out. But then again, that's missing the point entirely. It's just meant to be the extra piece of mind in case of rainy weather or an accidental splash of water.
Hardware overview
In many ways, the Moto G6 Play has a traditional setup on the front - no capacitive navigation keys or fingerprint reader, a fairly wide bottom chin, with the entire surface covered by an undisclosed version of Gorilla Glass.
At the same time, however, the new Moto G look is trendier than ever, mostly thanks to an extra-tall, 18:9, LCD panel, shared by all three siblings. It even has rounded corners, in keeping with the trends of the day. Just like the regular Moto G6, the G6 Play gets a decently sized 5.7-inch display - fairly large for a "Play" device.
Moto G6 Play front side
The only real difference in the display department between the two devices is the resolution - it's 720 x 1440 pixels on the G6 Play. However, fewer pixels mean less strain on the GPU for on-screen rendering task. A bonus that is sure to shine through in the benchmark section of the review.
We can't fail to mention that Motorola didn't find it necessary to fit a notification LED on the front of the G6 Play, but there is still an LED selfie flash.
Like we mentioned earlier, the curved back side of the Moto G6 Plus is plastic and thus not necessarily the most sturdy surface out there. We would definitely recommend using the provided case, which also offers the bonus of not having to deal with the almost unnatural amount of dirt and grease the back accumulates.
Moto G6 Play back side
The camera module protrudes a bit, but it's nothing major. One would hope so, considering the G6 Play is 9mm thick. It has this watch dial effect going for it and the lack of a second camera module allowed Motorola to go for a vertical arrangement. So, there are no shocked and surprised smiley configurations on this one.
Right underneath the familiar circular camera module is an even more familiar and traditional "M" dimple. Long-term fans will remember the little signature detail was mostly for show back in the day. Now, it also doubles as a home for the fingerprint reader. Getting the dimple once again looks retro fancy in just the right way. Resting your index finger there during calls feels right.
The fingerprint reader itself is pretty reliable, but not exactly what we would consider speedy. It is more versatile than before now that Motorola can use it as an authentication to manage and auto-fill passwords in apps and websites and even log-on to Windows devices.
Moto G6 Play from the side
There's not a lot to mention about the sides of the Moto G6 Play. The bottom is almost entirely empty, housing only the dated microUSB port and the main microphone. So, where are the speakers then you ask? Well, turns out the phone only has one and it's the earpiece. It's pretty quiet as well, but more on that later.
The top is equally barren, with a pair of holes - one for the secondary, noise-canceling microphone and the other the tried and true 3.5mm audio jack. The left-hand side has a single cut-out for the card tray. Motorola could have done a better job slicing it out and then dampening it since it doesn't really sit flush and rocks in place a little bit when nudged. However, these are all petty complaints that get dwarfed by the fact that the tray has three whole slots (two in the Single SIM models). Two for SIM cards and a dedicated microSD one. That means you don't have to choose between another phone line and memory - always a plus in our book.
All the buttons sit pretty high up on the right side of the device. Perhaps a bit too high for comfort, if you have smaller hands. Other than that, they are nice and clicky and well-defined. The power button, while on the slim side, even has an edged pattern going for it, so its very easy to feel around.
Overall, as far as controls go, no real complaints. It seems Motorola has handled the transition to a new extra-tall aspect ratio pretty well.
Display
Extra-tall displays are an increasingly common sight on budget devices nowadays. Even though the new aspect ratios typically leave you with less horizontal real estate, it is still hard to complain or argue against the practical benefits of more vertical room for most everyday tasks. Especially, when the deal does not include a notch.
Just like many of its competitors, Motorola decided to hunker down and bring 18:9 to the masses, including as part of the affordable Moto G6 Play package.
Users looking to same a few bucks from the regular Moto G6 won't have to sacrifice on screen diagonal at all.
The Play does come with a slight bump down in resolution. But, 720 x 1440 pixels and a density rating of 282ppi is still pretty decent for an entry-level phone.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | ||
| 0.564 | 776 | 1376 | |
| 0.418 | 610 | 1459 | |
| 0.415 | 582 | 1402 | |
| 0.548 | 555 | 1013 | |
| 0.419 | 554 | 1321 | |
| 0.351 | 551 | 1570 | |
| 0.356 | 531 | 1492 | |
| 0 | 518 | ∞ | |
| 0.288 | 510 | 1771 | |
| 0.378 | 503 | 1331 | |
| 0.364 | 484 | 1330 | |
| 0 | 482 | ∞ | |
| 0.339 | 476 | 1404 | |
| 0.236 | 458 | 1941 | |
| 0.266 | 415 | 1560 | |
| 0 | 408 | ∞ | |
| 0.45 | 362 | 802 | |
| 0 | 348 | ∞ | |
The IPS LCD panel Moto managed to acquire and fit inside the G6 Play budget is decent, if not particularly impressive. Under normal conditions, its brightness tops off at 476 nits, with respectable enough contrast. Max Auto allows it to shine at up to 554 nits, at the cost of some contrast.
Sunlight contrast ratio
- Apple iPhone X
5.013 - OnePlus 5T
4.789 - Samsung Galaxy S8
4.768 - Samsung Galaxy S8+
4.658 - Samsung Galaxy S9
4.63 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
4.615 - Samsung Galaxy S9+
4.537 - Motorola Moto Z2 Play
4.459 - Oppo R11
4.454 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
4.439 - OnePlus 3
4.424 - Samsung Galaxy S7
4.376 - HTC One A9
4.274 - Oppo R15 Pro
4.251 - Samsung Galaxy Note7
4.247 - Samsung Galaxy A3
4.241 - Nokia 8
4.239 - Google Pixel 2 XL (pre-update)
4.234 - OnePlus 3T
4.232 - Google Pixel XL
4.164 - ZTE Axon 7
4.154 - Samsung Galaxy Note8
4.148 - Meizu Pro 7 Plus
4.147 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
4.124 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
4.124 - Huawei Mate 10 Pro (normal)
4.096 - Samsung Galaxy Note5
4.09 - Huawei P20 Pro
4.087 - Nokia 6 (2018)
4.052 - Google Pixel 2 (pre-update)
4.023 - LG V30
4.022 - Huawei Nexus 6P
4.019 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro
3.998 - OnePlus X
3.983 - Vivo Xplay5 Elite
3.983 - Oppo R7s
3.964 - Apple iPhone 7
3.964 - Apple iPhone 8 (True Tone)
3.957 - Huawei P9 Plus
3.956 - Meizu Pro 6 Plus
3.935 - Lenovo Moto Z
3.931 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016)
3.918 - OnePlus 5
3.914 - Samsung Galaxy C5
3.911 - Samsung Galaxy C7
3.896 - Samsung Galaxy A5
3.895 - Samsung Galaxy J7 outdoor
3.879 - Samsung Galaxy J2 outdoor
3.873 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
3.865 - Samsung Galaxy A8
3.859 - Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)
3.842 - Sony Xperia XZs
3.818 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016)
3.817 - Motorola Moto X (2014)
3.816 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
3.812 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
3.804 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) outdoor mode
3.802 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
3.798 - LG V20 Max auto
3.798 - Sony Xperia XZ
3.795 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
3.789 - Apple iPhone 6s
3.783 - Meizu Pro 5
3.781 - Microsoft Lumia 650
3.772 - Xiaomi Mi 6
3.767 - Sony Xperia XZ1
3.765 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
3.756 - Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact
3.729 - Apple iPhone 8 Plus (True Tone)
3.725 - Oppo F1 Plus
3.709 - Vivo X5Pro
3.706 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
3.688 - Huawei P20
3.683 - Apple iPhone SE
3.681 - Huawei Mate 9
3.68 - Samsung Galaxy A7
3.679 - Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact
3.675 - Meizu PRO 6
3.659 - BlackBerry Priv
3.645 - Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra
3.597 - Apple iPhone 7 Plus
3.588 - Sony Xperia XZ2
3.58 - LG G6
3.556 - Apple iPhone 6s Plus
3.53 - Motorola Moto Z Play
3.526 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)
3.523 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) outdoor mode
3.523 - Acer Jade Primo
3.521 - Microsoft Lumia 950
3.512 - Oppo R7 Plus
3.499 - Nokia 7 plus
3.479 - nubia Z11
3.466 - Huawei P10 Plus
3.456 - HTC U Ultra
3.453 - Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
3.445 - Samsung Galaxy J7
3.422 - Motorola Moto G6 Play
3.419 - Meizu MX5
3.416 - LG V20
3.402 - Huawei P10
3.379 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
3.378 - Oppo R9s
3.352 - Honor 8 Pro
3.341 - Oppo F7
3.333 - Oppo R7
3.32 - Lenovo P2
3.316 - Archos Diamond Omega
3.305 - Honor 9
3.289 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
3.276 - Nokia 5
3.261 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
3.244 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
3.238 - Samsung Galaxy J2
3.235 - Sony Xperia X Performance
3.234 - Xiaomi Mi Note 2
3.228 - Motorola Moto X Play
3.222 - Oppo F3 Plus
3.218 - Huawei Mate 9 Pro
3.206 - Huawei P9
3.195 - Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
3.19 - ZTE Nubia Z17
3.159 - Oppo R11s
3.153 - Lenovo Vibe Shot
3.113 - HTC U11 Life
3.108 - Motorola Moto X Force
3.105 - LG Nexus 5X
3.092 - HTC U11
3.089 - Huawei Mate S
3.073 - Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
3.065 - Apple iPhone 6 Plus
3.023 - Asus Zenfone 4 ZE554KL
3.019 - Sony Xperia XA1
3.012 - Motorola Moto X4
3.012 - Sony Xperia L1
2.994 - LG Q6
2.987 - Huawei P10 Lite
2.974 - Samsung Galaxy Note
2.97 - Huawei P20 Lite
2.952 - Xiaomi Redmi 5
2.951 - Huawei Mate 8
2.949 - Sony Xperia XA2
2.938 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
2.92 - Xiaomi Redmi 3S
2.913 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
2.913 - Sony Xperia XA Ultra
2.906 - LG G5
2.905 - HTC One S
2.901 - Huawei Honor View 10
2.896 - Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime
2.893 - Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus
2.884 - Sony Xperia XZ Premium (sRGB)
2.877 - Sony Xperia XZ Premium
2.877 - Sony Xperia Z5
2.876 - Nokia 3
2.871 - Microsoft Lumia 550
2.851 - Lenovo Moto M
2.813 - Xiaomi Redmi 3 Pro
2.803 - Sony Xperia Z5 compact
2.784 - Nokia 2
2.752 - Meizu MX6
2.751 - LG V10
2.744 - Huawei Mate 10 (normal)
2.742 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
2.737 - Xiaomi Redmi 3
2.735 - Huawei Honor 7X
2.734 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
2.714 - Meizu M5
2.71 - Sony Xperia M5
2.69 - Xiaomi Mi A1
2.689 - Huawei P9 Lite
2.679 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
2.679 - vivo V7+
2.671 - Vivo V3Max
2.659 - Xiaomi Mi Mix
2.658 - Huawei Mate 10 Lite
2.654 - Oppo F5
2.653 - Doogee Mix
2.642 - Xiaomi Mi 4i
2.641 - Xiaomi Redmi 4a
2.635 - Xiaomi Mi 5X (Standard)
2.616 - Sony Xperia XA
2.609 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus
2.582 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus (max auto)
2.582 - Meizu M5s
2.58 - Xiaomi Mi 4c
2.574 - LeEco Le Max 2
2.567 - Microsoft Lumia 640
2.563 - Asus Zenfone 3 ZE552KL
2.563 - Huawei P Smart
2.563 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
2.561 - HTC U11+
2.556 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A (Y1)
2.556 - Lenovo Moto G4
2.544 - Lenovo K6 Note
2.544 - Oppo F1
2.528 - Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
2.525 - Huawei Honor 7 Lite / Honor 5c
2.506 - Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
2.503 - BlackBerry Motion
2.494 - Oppo F1s
2.481 - Motorola Moto G
2.477 - Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus
2.473 - Huawei G8
2.471 - Huawei nova
2.467 - Lenovo Vibe K5
2.459 - Meizu m3 max
2.447 - Xiaomi Mi 4
2.424 - Xiaomi Mi 5X (Auto)
2.417 - HTC 10 evo
2.407 - Huawei Honor 7
2.406 - Vivo V7
2.404 - Sony Xperia E5
2.386 - ZUK Z1 by Lenovo
2.382 - HTC 10
2.378 - Oppo F3
2.376 - vivo V5 Plus
2.371 - Meizu m1 note
2.362 - Huawei nova plus
2.329 - Razer Phone
2.328 - HTC One E9+
2.305 - Alcatel One Touch Hero
2.272 - Sony Xperia L2
2.266 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
2.254 - Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
2.253 - HTC U11+ (EU)
2.253 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (MediaTek)
2.249 - Sony Xperia C4 Dual
2.235 - Xiaomi Mi Note
2.234 - Motorola Moto G (2014)
2.233 - LG Nexus 5
2.228 - Huawei P8
2.196 - Meizu M5 Note
2.189 - Huawei Honor 6
2.169 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
2.166 - OnePlus Two
2.165 - HTC One X
2.158 - LG Aka
2.145 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (X20)
2.145 - Archos 50 Diamond
2.134 - Xiaomi Redmi Note
2.119 - Xiaomi Mi 4S
2.095 - Acer Liquid X2
2.084 - Huawei P8lite
2.078 - vivo V5
2.059 - Moto G 3rd gen max manual
2.026 - Xiaomi Mi 3
2.001 - Xiaomi Mi Max
1.996 - Sony Xperia E4g
1.972 - OnePlus One
1.961 - Sony Xperia Z2
1.944 - Meizu m3 note
1.923 - BlackBerry Leap
1.892 - Meizu m2 note
1.892 - HTC Butterfly
1.873 - ZTE Nubia Z9 mini
1.759 - Sony Xperia U
1.758 - Asus Zenfone Selfie
1.68 - Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
1.675 - ZTE Nubia Z9
1.659 - Jolla Jolla
1.605 - Motorola Moto E
1.545 - Sony Xperia M
1.473 - Sony Xperia L
1.351 - Xiaomi Redmi 2
1.311 - HTC Desire C
1.3 - Nokia X
1.291 - Meizu MX
1.221 - Sony Xperia E
1.215
The Moto G6 Play offers a less than stellar experience under strong sunlight, but it's still usable in most cases.
On a more positive note, color accuracy is surprisingly good, if a few conditions are met. In it's default mode, the whites on the G6 Play screen have a distinct blue hue. Switching between the Standard and Vivid color modes does little to correct that. The maximum deltaE sits at 6.4, with a maximum of 13.3 in the blue.
However, setting the color temperature from the default setting to Warm does yield tangible results. This way, you can get the color deviation down to a respectable average deltaE of 3.8 and a maximum of 6.5. Almost what we would consider color-accurate.
Moto G6 Play Battery Life
At 9mm thick, the Motorola Moto G6 Play is quite a chunky phone, no question about it. Still, it does compensate for it's girth, at least to some extent, with a large 4,000 mAh battery. Sure, you could justifiably argue that a lot of the juice end up kind of wasted on the inefficient 28nm Snapdragon chipset. Undoubtedly, something newer, like the Snapdragon 450 would do a better job, with its 14nm node. Failing that, the older and now likely more affordable Snapdragon 625 is tried and true and still a solid choice.
But, we might be getting a bit too picky. The Snapdragon 430 (non-US) review unit, we tested at the office still did a solid job, stretching the 4,000 Mah battery pack to its full extent.
It scored an overall endurance rating of 92 hours - more than respectable.
Looking at the particular numbers in detail, Motorola appears to have done a bang-up optimization job all-around. The near-vanilla Android OS definitely helps a fair bit and as a result, the Moto G6 Play easily breaks the 200-hour barrier in standby.
Even with its older 28nm development process, the Snapdragon 430 and its X6 LTE modem, in particular, manage to clock in over 30 hours of call time. Google's Chrome browser and File app/video player don't disappoint either. Both manage to keep pushing content on the HD+ display for over 14hours on a single charge. Overall, while the Moto G6 Play is a bit on the chunky side, it feels quite comfortable away from a power outlet for prolonged periods of time.
Motorola was also considerate enough to include support for its own Turbo power fast charging standard in the Moto G6 Play. It is actually one of the cheapest phones out there, with quick top-off support.
The Moto G6 Play is, theoretically capable of sucking in power at up to 15W. However, we can't really confirm is a compatible Turbo Power charger will be provided in the box. Package contents frequently differ from market to market and Lenovo has a pretty bumpy track record in this area. So, the best way to go about it is to check with your local retailer of choice.
Our endurance rating denotes how long a single battery charge will last you if you use the Motorola Moto G6 Play for an hour each of telephony, web browsing, and video playback daily. We've established this usage pattern so our battery results are comparable across devices in the most common day-to-day tasks. The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case you're interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones we've tested will compare under your own typical use.
Loudspeaker
Motorola was definitely generous in the battery department, but the loudspeaker setup is a whole other story. The Moto G6 Play only has a single speaker - the earpiece, above the display. It is powered to pump out some volume and that's about it.
| Speakerphone test | Voice, dB | Ringing |
Overall score | |
| 64.1 | 65.3 | 68.5 | Below Average | |
| 62.6 | 68.0 | 71.0 | Average | |
| 64.5 | 72.9 | 72.0 | Good | |
| 66.1 | 70.0 | 76.2 | Good | |
| 66.7 | 70.6 | 75.0 | Good | |
| 67.0 | 69.3 | 76.1 | Good | |
| 66.1 | 68.4 | 82.1 | Good | |
| 65.9 | 70.8 | 85.8 | Very Good | |
| 66.4 | 71.1 | 85.1 | Very Good | |
| 76.1 | 72.7 | 81.0 | Excellent | |
| 67.4 | 72.2 | 91.6 | Excellent | |
| 91.5 | 74.9 | 86.9 | Excellent |
The G6 Play is a bit quiet, especially in its default mode, with the audio equalizer turned off. Speaking of which, it's a bit odd that Motorola decided to provide a really in-depth audio equalizer, for the single, underwhelming speaker. It even bears the Dolby audio branding.
Dolby audio equalizer
Still, we can't complain too much, unlike most smartphone audio tuning suit, this one did not reduce the overall output volume. On the contrary, it increased it slightly, while also managing to open up the soundstage noticeably. If configured correctly, that is.
If you spend enough time tweaking the sliders and toggles, for your content of choice, you can actually achieve tangible results, like a clearer voice in movies or richer simulated bass, if that's your thing.
Audio quality
Motorola Moto G6 Play matched the splendid clarity of its Plus sibling in the active external amplifier part of the test. Its loudness fell seriously short though, giving away its lower standing.
Loudness remained below average when we hooked up our headphones too, but the clarity was downright impressive. The Moto G6 Play delivered a performance that would be worthy of a device with a much higher price tag. Unless you have high impedance headphones and the volume is actually a deal-breaker, you really can't wish for much more than that.
| Test | Frequency response | Noise level | Dynamic range | THD | IMD + Noise | Stereo crosstalk |
| +0.06, -0.03 | -89.0 | 86.6 | 0.0052 | 0.019 | -87.3 | |
| +0.06, -0.03 | -90.5 | 87.1 | 0.0054 | 0.028 | -77.3 | |
| +0.00, -0.03 | -93.6 | 93.5 | 0.0050 | 0.011 | -94.6 | |
| +0.02, -0.02 | -93.5 | 93.4 | 0.0067 | 0.033 | -81.0 | |
| +0.01, -0.10 | -92.5 | 92.7 | 0.0019 | 0.0077 | -91.2 | |
| +0.50, -0.20 | -91.4 | 91.8 | 0.0079 | 0.402 | -51.5 | |
| +0.10, -0.20 | -37.5 | 80.4 | 0.0018 | 4.735 | -93.3 | |
| +0.05, -0.03 | -94.3 | 90.2 | 0.0027 | 0.019 | -58.6 | |
| +0.02, -0.31 | -38.8 | 81.7 | 0.0013 | 4.690 | -95.9 | |
| +0.25, -0.23 | -93.3 | 90.4 | 0.0045 | 0.227 | -53.9 | |
| +0.02, -0.01 | -92.6 | 92.6 | 0.0021 | 0.012 | -94.4 | |
| +0.17, -0.03 | -92.0 | 92.1 | 0.0023 | 0.092 | -52.8 |
Motorola Moto G6 Play frequency response
You can learn more about the tested parameters and the whole testing process here.
Near-Stock Android Oreo, with a few additions
One of the long-standing staples of Motorola's smartphone business has always been a clean Android experience. The Moto G6 Play continues the fan-favoured tradition as well. It boots an Android 8.0 Oreo ROM, that, for the most part, is almost identical to what you would find on a Google Pixel device.
Lock screen • Home • App drawer
Other standard, AOSP aspects of the UI include the notification shade and quick toggles area. Also, the way the OS handles its multi-windows capabilities and the rolodex recent app switcher.
Recent apps • notifications and quick toggles
There are, however, some tweaks, sprinkled in in a really subtle manner. We definitely appreciate Motorola's efforts to keep the Moto assistant additions tidy and well organized under one roof. Nothing is shoved into your face, without asking for permission first. During initial setup, the OS lets you willingly opt into some bloat, or alternatively, pick up the useful apps from the list. It even asks permission to recommend new apps to you in the future.
Moto initial setup
Like we mentioned already, all the other additional features are neatly packed into the Moto app. It has a couple of tabs. Suggestions offers a card-style interface with various tweak and settings advice, Moto surfaces for you, based on your activities. These are organized into subject themes, of sorts. Then there is the features tab, chunk full of specific Moto features.
Moto suggestion screen
Going down the list, first we have the "Moto Key" feature, which basically extends you fingerprint authentication, with password management and autofill capabilities for the web and even authentication for supported Windows devices.
Moto Key
Since the Moto G6 Play has its fingerprint reader mounted on the back, Motorola decided to skip on all the navigation gestures, present on its regular and Plus sibling. It does make more sense to try and navigate the UI on those two, using the front-mounted readers.
Moto Display
Moto Display is another long-standing proprietary feature that's being continuously refined. It's sort of like an always-on display, giving you notification at a glance, only it's not always on. It only lights up just when a new notification comes up or if you wave your hand in front of the phone. On this screen, you can act upon the notifications, ignore or straight-up dismiss them. There's not much in the way of customization the way you can change the Samsung Galaxy's always on display - the implementation is more like Pixel 2's.
Moto Actions
Also part of Moto Display is Night Display - the phone will display warmer colors to filter out the blue light that's known to mess up your sleep according to research.
Moto Actions
In the Moto actions category, you'll find gestures like 'pick up to stop ringing', which most phones have, but a couple that are unique to Moto include "chop twice for flashlight", and "twist for quick capture".
The default app package is plucked straight out of AOSP. That includes things like the dialer, clock, calendar, etc.
Call app • Messages • Calculator • Calendar • Clock
You also get a fairly complete set of Google's cloud-based office apps out of the box. Including Sheets and Docs.
Google apps
For the sake of thoroughness, we will note that despite its apparently sincere efforts to limit bloat on the G6 Play, Motorola did pre-load a few other apps as well, like Microsoft Outlook and LinkedIn. These are obviously the aftermath of some partnership deals and could be considered bloat by many users. Still, a couple of apps to uninstall is hardly an issue, nor a blemish on Moto's overall vanilla Android set up. So long as things are kept in check, that is.
Google Photos • Google Play Music
As for multimedia, it's all in the hands of Google and its default apps. Google Photos is in charge of gallery-related tasks and video playback, while Google Play Music is the audio player. There's an FM radio too, with RDS and recording capability.
What is custom is the system-wide Dolby Audio sound control with presets for movies, music, games, and voice, plus two custom slots. The Intelligent Equalizer will adapt to the content, and you can bias it in three different ways, plus you can also tweak a 10-band EQ yourself.
Like we mentioned in the audio quality section, the equalizer does make a tangible difference to quality and even boosts volume a little bit. Meaning, there is no real reason not to keep it on at all times.
Synthetic benchmarks
The Motorola Moto G6 Play was never meant to be a performance powerhouse in any way, shape or forms. Still, in 2018, we are finally a bit past the days when you had to take anything you could get for $200, or so. That being said, we approached the Snapdragon 430, 3GB RAM review unit with clear expectations of a smooth overall experience. Definitely not unreasonable, especially considering the near-stock Moto Android ROM.
To our surprise, however, the Moto G6 Play experiences some noticeable performance dips, even when dealing with everyday tasks.
Frankly, it's an odd position to find a current Moto G device in. While far from ideal, we know for a fact that the Snapdragon 430 has plenty of power to drive a fluent UI experience, if nothing else. The raw performance numbers out of the Moto G6 Play indicate the same as well. So, we can only surmise, the occasional hiccups and dropped animation frames while browsing the menus and opening apps are due to some odd optimization issue. Hopefully one that gets cleared up quickly.
Before we move on to the actual scores, it is worth noting that certain US carriers and retailers will be offering the Moto G6 Play with an even less-powerful Snapdragon 427 chipset. You should probably stay away from it, if possible. It only has four Cortex-A53 cores and the GPU is downgraded from the Adreno 505 to the Adreno 308. Definitely not ideal.
Speaking of the CPU, the non-US Moto G6 Play, we are testing, has eight Cortex-A53 cores at its disposal, clocked at 1.4 GHz. While that overall configuration is pretty popular in the budget market segment, 1.4 GHz is a pretty low clock.
GeekBench 4.1 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Huawei P Smart
939 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
882 - Xiaomi Mi A1
877 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
874 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
848 - Xiaomi Redmi 5
766 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
734 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
665 - LG Q6
652 - Motorola Moto G6 Play
639 - Motorola Moto G5S
635
But even with a level playing field, competing against other Snapdragon 430 devices, we can see the Moto G6 Play loose some ground.
More compound benchmarks, like AnTuTu tell a pretty similar story. Even the older Moto G4 seems to fair better, overall, with its Snapdragon 617 chipset.
AnTuTu 6
Higher is better
- Motorola Moto G5S Plus
64360 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
63019 - Xiaomi Mi A1
61762 - Huawei Honor 6X
57012 - Xiaomi Redmi 5
56136 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
49094 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
47495 - Motorola Moto G5S
47283 - Lenovo Moto G4
46949 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
46822 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
45742 - Moto G Plus
45690 - Motorola Moto G6 Play
40735 - LG Q6
40558
Basemark OS 2.0 is a bit more favourable towards the Moto G6 Play, but the estimated performance ball-park is still pretty much the same.
Basemark OS 2.0
Higher is better
- Motorola Moto G6 Plus
1525 - Huawei P Smart
1486 - Huawei Honor 6X
1309 - Xiaomi Mi A1
1262 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
1226 - Xiaomi Redmi 5
1222 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
1007 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
999 - Motorola Moto G6 Play
922 - Motorola Moto G5S
899 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
389 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
349 - Lenovo Moto G4
341
An Adreno 505 GPU is tasked with pushing pixels to Moto's new extra-tall display. It's no powerhouse either, but it still has enough "umph" to feel comfortable at 1080p resolutions. That being said, the HD+ (720 x 1440 pixel) panel on the Moto G6 Play leaves some breathing room. It's the reason behind the noticeably higher on-screen rendering numbers.
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Motorola Moto G6 Plus
14 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
9.9 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
9.8 - Xiaomi Mi A1
9.8 - Xiaomi Redmi 5
9.4 - Huawei P Smart
8.7 - Huawei Honor 6X
8.4 - Motorola Moto G5S
7.1 - Motorola Moto G6 Play
7.1 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
7.1 - Moto G Plus
6.6 - Lenovo Moto G4
6.5 - LG Q6
5.8 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
5.1 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
5.1 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
4.9
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi 5
18 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
13 - Motorola Moto G6 Play
13 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
10 - Xiaomi Mi A1
9.7 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
9.6 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
9.5 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
9.4 - Huawei P Smart
8.3 - Huawei Honor 6X
7.9 - Motorola Moto G5S
7.5 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
7 - Moto G Plus
7 - Lenovo Moto G4
6.8 - LG Q6
5.4 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
5.1
We've said it before and we'll say it again - synthetics can only go so far in painting an accurate real-world performance picture. Modern game engines have become exceptionally good at dynamically scaling back details and overall rendering loads co accommodate even the most "potato-level" of hardware.
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Motorola Moto G6 Plus
9.8 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
6.5 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
6.4 - Xiaomi Mi A1
6.4 - Xiaomi Redmi 5
6.1 - Huawei P Smart
5.4 - Huawei Honor 6X
4.8 - Motorola Moto G5S
4.6 - Motorola Moto G6 Play
4.6 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
4.6 - Moto G Plus
4.2 - Lenovo Moto G4
4.2 - LG Q6
3.8 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
3.3 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
3.2 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
3.2
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi 5
13 - Motorola Moto G6 Play
10 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
9.3 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
7.3 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
7.2 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
6.9 - Xiaomi Mi A1
6.3 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
6.2 - Motorola Moto G5S
5 - Huawei P Smart
5 - Huawei Honor 6X
4.6 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
4.5 - Moto G Plus
4.5 - Lenovo Moto G4
4.5 - LG Q6
3.6 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
3.3
Even with its standing UI fluidity issues, we had no problem playing casual games on the G6 Play. The extra screen width and ample room to grab the handset on either side and rest you thumbs still score high in our book as gaming quality of live improvements.
GFX 3.1 Car scene (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Motorola Moto G6 Plus
5.6 - Huawei Honor 6X
4.6 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
3.5 - Xiaomi Mi A1
3.5 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
3.5 - Xiaomi Redmi 5
3.4 - Huawei P Smart
3.2 - Motorola Moto G6 Play
2.6 - Moto G Plus
2.6 - Lenovo Moto G4
2.6 - Motorola Moto G5S
2.5 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
2.5 - LG Q6
2.1 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
1.9 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
1.9
GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Redmi 5
6.8 - Motorola Moto G6 Play
5.3 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
5.2 - Huawei Honor 6X
4.8 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
3.9 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
3.8 - Xiaomi Mi A1
3.5 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
3.4 - Huawei P Smart
2.9 - Moto G Plus
2.8 - Lenovo Moto G4
2.8 - Motorola Moto G5S
2.7 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
2.5 - LG Q6
2 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
1.9
Once we get to OpenGL ES 3.1 tests, frame rates understandably tapered off. Still, while it might be tempting to look for better raw performance in older GPUs and consequently chipset packages, the Adreno 505 still has the advantage of supporting modern standards, like Vulkan 1.0 and OpenGL ES 3.1 to begin with. API's modern versions of Android rely on and build upon constantly.
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal
Higher is better
- Motorola Moto G6 Plus
187 - Lenovo Moto G4
144 - Huawei Honor 6X
139 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
137 - Xiaomi Mi A1
136 - Motorola Moto G6 Play
100 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
100 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
93 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
92
On a side note, while the quoted GFX 3.1 Car scenes frame rates are still far from acceptable for any king of actual gaming experience, it was interesting to see the Moto G6 Play out-inch its more powerful G6 Plus sibling on resolution difference alone.
Basemark X seems to offer a better and more generalized picture of where the Moto G6 Play stands in terms of pure graphical prowess, without taking into consideration and resolution variances.
Basemark X
Higher is better
- Motorola Moto G6 Plus
14357 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
10484 - Xiaomi Mi A1
10472 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
10466 - Xiaomi Redmi 5
9953 - Huawei P Smart
8834 - Huawei Honor 6X
8458 - Motorola Moto G6 Play
7620 - Motorola Moto G5S
7558 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
7516 - Lenovo Moto G4
6932 - Moto G Plus
6769 - LG Q6
6336 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
5489 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
5383 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
5160
All things considered, the performance aspects of the Moto G6 Play are sort of a mixed bag for us. On the one hand, everything seems to work well enough. On the other, it is unfortunate to see a vanilla Android experience suffer from lack of optimization, especially on entry-level hardware that doesn't have any siginifcant power margins to spare.
Based on track record alone, we are willing to put our faith in a swift fix for any performance issues, currently observable on the G6 Play. Failing that, it should be noted that these are minor to the point where we can learn to live with them ourselves. Still, we would be lying if we said you can't get a smoother experience for your money elsewhere.
Single 13MP camera
Unlike its two bigger siblings, the Moto G6 Play doesn't get the privilege of a fancy dual-camera setup. It is stuck with a single 13MP snapper, with 1.12µm pixels. It sits behind an f/2.0 lens. Nothing really too spectacular. There are still a couple of extras sprinkled in, like phase detection autofocus and a surprisingly decent EIS stabilization for video.
Anyway, the camera app is one of the software bits that are Motorola's own instead of Google's, and it's been slightly reworked for the latest wave of Moto devices. Now you get a swipe action for switching between stills, video, and assorted modes (tapping on the icons works too). To get access to the settings, you need to go to those extra modes, which is a little counter-intuitive, but not a huge deal.
Camera interface
Professional mode is now called (more fittingly) 'Manual' and is accessed from a toggle in the viewfinder - not the extra modes. It lets you dial in your own ISO, shutter speed, or exposure compensation, as well as pick a white balance preset and manually adjust focus - all pretty standard. Still, pretty full-featured and in-depth for a budget device.
Manual mode
Compared to the Moto G6 Plus, the Play seems to be missing some advanced color modes, including the object recognition features, spot color, and cut-out mode. The portrait mode is a particularly sore omission. It is still possible for some of those to arrive with a future update, though, at least the ones that don't necessarily rely on a second camera. The camera app even received a couple of updates while we were testing the phone.
Image quality
Still quality on the Moto G6 Play is expectedly nothing to phone home about. Still, after quite a bumpy and winding road, it is pretty safe to say that in 2018, we are finally at a point where there are virtually no potato-grade cameras. Even in the lower price segments.
Motorola Moto G6 Play camera samples
The samples we managed to grab with the Moto G6 Plus on a lovely sunny day look perfectly fine.
Especially if their sole purpose is to end up compressed on a social network page. There is plenty of resolved detail and low levels of noise and noise-suppression artifacts.
More Motorola Moto G6 Play camera samples
Sharpness is fine, especially in the center of the frame. Corner-softness is observable, but nothing really out of the ordinary for a budget device. The dynamic range is rather low, with detail frequently lost in the shadows or clipped highlights in the sky and bright spots. Thankfully, Motorola doesn't try to compensate too much for any of that in post-processing. Instead, going for a pretty laid-back algorithm, with arguably natural color science.
HDR Off • HDR On • HDR Off • HDR On • HDR Off • HDR On
If you want some extra help recovering lost detail, there is HDR. It even features an Auto toggle, which is surprisingly accurate in judging scenes. In most cases, the effects on the final still are positive, so there is really no reason not to keep it on Auto all the time.
HDR: Off • Auto • On
Here are some low-light photos for you to check out as well. HDR worked well here in evening out exposure but unfortunately, HDR low-light photos come out a lot softer than the regular ones.
Motorola Moto G6 Play low-light samples
The Moto G6 Play captures quite decent panoramas. The alignment and stitching algorithm is good. There doesn't seem to be any forceful compression going on in the frame. We do have a couple of slight complaints, however. For one, the processing phase for every panorama takes over 30 seconds. We do realize the Snapdragon 430 is pressed for power, but that just seems a bit too excessive. Plus, with all that number-crunching going on, one might think the end-result would have more resolution. It could definitely use some more pixels.
Motorola Moto G6 Play panorama samples in both orientations
You can also see how the Moto G6 Play stacks up against other devices in our extensive photo compare database.
Moto G6 Play against the Moto G5S Plus and the Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) in our Photo compare tool
Selfies
For selfies, the Moto G6 Play relies on an 8MP f/2.2 camera, that sadly lacks autofocus. But it does have a flash. The focus distance is a bit too long for comfort and it's pretty easy to leave your face blurry.
Motorola Moto G6 Play selfie samples
That seems to be the selfie's main problem. Other than that, it has plenty of detail and decent dynamic range. There is a beauty mode. A not exactly subtle one, but its intensity does lend itself to adjustment via a slider.
Beauty mode: Off • On • Max settings
Moto's noise-reduction proved surprisingly impressive, even on the selfie side. Having a dedicated selfie LED flash definitely helps in low-light conditions.
You can either use it as a standard flash or leave it on, as a torch. The latter makes more sense for vlogging.
Moto G6 Play low-light selfies
We were also pleasantly surprised to see that the Pro mode is available for the selfie camera as well. Naturally, that's minus the manual focus control.
Selfie manual mode
Video
The Snapdragon 430 chipset means that the Moto G6 Play is limited to 1080p video capture. There are no high frame rate modes either. Just regular old 1080p@30fps. In sort of a surprising match, however, Motorola did throw in an EIS algorithm. It's controlled by the stabilization toggle on the very clean camera UI.
Moto G6 Play camera UI
While on the subject, not only does the stabilization work surprisingly well, but it even comes with a real-time preview during capture.
Just like the stills, the 1080p clips, themselves, are actually quite usable. These get recorded in a standard AVC, plus AAC stream, inside an MP4 file, with a bit rate of about 18 Mbps and stereo audio. A bit more detail wouldn't hurt and the same goes for the dynamic range. Still, we can't nitpick too much.
For those of you who want to pixel peep on your own computers, we've uploaded a short sample straight out of the phone (1080p@30).
Last, but not least, you can check out the Moto G6 Play in our video compare tool.
Moto G6 Play against the Moto G5S and the Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) in our Video compare tool
Competition
The original Moto G from some 5 years ago was a real game-changer in terms of value and an easy instant recommendation. A lot has changed since then. The legendary American brand has been changing ownership quite a bit over the last few years. Internal turmoil and brand-identity aside, the sprawling budget scene the phone launches on looks quite different in 2018.
There are a lot more options to explore. Perhaps even too many. Even Motorola's own lineup now features a trio of Moto G devices. And that's on top of other viable affordable devices, like the Moto E line. Which brings us to our first couple of contenders - the Moto G5S and G5S Plus. Sure, neither features a trendy new 18:9 display, but other than that, specs-wise the Moto G5S is an almost perfect match to the G6 Play. Its bigger brother - the G5S Plus is even more alluring, complete with a much more-potent and power-efficient Snapdragon 625 chipset, as well as a dual 13MP camera setup.
Samsung has some well-rounded devices up on offer around the $200 mark as well. The budget Galaxy J7 (2017) pairs a sizeable battery, with another battery-efficient chipset - the Exynos 7870 and a Super AMOLED panel - sharp, colorful and also easy on the battery. There are some interesting accompanying options as well, like the option for the more compact and slightly more premium Galaxy A3 (2017) instead. Or even saving a few bucks with the older J7 (2016), which still offers most of the models highlights.
The resurrected Nokia has been soaking up quite a bit of attention lately and rightfully so. HMD is putting a lot of effort into build quality and producing reasonably priced devices with a great bill of material and overall durability. The original Nokia 6 from last year seems to match the Moto G6 Play almost spec to spec even down to the overall clean approach to Android. Price-wise the two aren't far apart either.
Moto G5S Plus • Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) • Nokia 6 • Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro • Huawei Honor 9 Lite
Of course, we can't glance over Xiaomi's constantly growing lineup for affordable models. The trendy Chinese brand has become amazingly quick in adopting new tech in its products. The most obvious competitor to the Moto G6 Play would be the Android One running Mi A1. A Snapdragon 625 and dual camera setup make for a more potent hardware platform for pretty much the same price tag. The soon-to-hit-markets Mi A2 looks even more enticing but might be a little outside the budget. Currently, the Redmi Note 5 Pro seems to offer the best value for your buck, with a trendy exterior and pretty potent internals.
Last, but not least, Huawei and its Honor sister-brand have a stable finger on the pulse of the market and some really competitive devices to offer. You can pretty much match the Moto G6 Play spec for spec with the new Huawei Y7 Prime (2018) and potentially even save a few bucks in the process. However, devices like the Huawei P smart and the Honor 9 Lite arguably have even more value to offer, within roughly the same budget.
Verdict
It's really hard to make any noticeable dent in today's highly-competitive and overcrowded budget smartphone scene. Adapting as you go seems to be the only path to survival and Motorola has been doing plenty of it lately. The company's excellent reputation backed by Lenovo's distribution network helps it along its way too.
It really is the closest you can come to an old-school Moto G device in spirit. And that has value in itself.
Pros
- Combines a classic Moto control layout with a trendy new extra-tall display on the cheap
- There's a dedicated MicroSD cars slot on the SIM tray, so you can have to SIM cards and and SD at the same time.
- Display has decent brightness, contrast and sunlight legibility. It is surprisingly color-accurate, when set propperly. The only thing you are really loosing compared to the regular G6 is resolution.
- Great battery endurance at 92 hours. Quick top-offs, thanks to Turbo Power charging support, up to 15W.
- Good, clean audio quality through the 3.5mm jack. A bit quiet, though.
- A fine blend of vanilla Android and just the right amount of useful proprietary customizations
- Good photo and video quality. Full-featured manual mode. LED selfie flash. EIS for video is a great little bonus and it works surprisingly well.
Cons
- No notification LED and MotoDisplay isn't quite like an always on display (not that it automatically renders the LED redundant)
- The speaker is not particularly loud or clear. Audio output though the 3.5mm jack is also on the quiet side.
- Some noticeable performance dips (skipped transition animation frames and micro-stutters) are observable even while just browsing the UI. Likely an optimization issue that should get fixed, since the Snapdragon 430 can drive a smoother experience.
- Video capture is limited to 1080p@30fps.
- The selfie fixed focus sweet spot is a bit distant, which resuts in the faces getting blurry at times.
Despite the few minor issues we found with the Moto G6 Play, it definitely won't steer you wrong. It's a dependable phone with a nice feature set. However, in this price range you can (and should!) get hardware that provides hiccup-free performance. So if you shop around a bit, there is more value to be had elsewhere. We hope Lenovo sorts things out with the Moto G6 Play performance, otherwise as things stand right now, it's hard for it to get the recommendation it deserves.
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