Motorola recently released the Moto G 2018 family. There are three phones in the range. Motorola Moto G6 Play is the cheapest phone in the range. Even though the phone doesn’t have particularly impressive specs, it is still a great phone and even better than the Moto G6 Plus version in some departments. Moreover, this is supposed to be a cheap phone so it is not logical to expect it to have high-end specs. Is the Moto G6 Play worth it? Let’s find out in our Moto G6 Play review.
Moto G6 Play Review
Moto G6 Play Hardware
Even though the Moto G6 Play doesn’t boast of the most recent hardware package but packed inside are all the tried and tested components. They run well in combination with Motorola’s simple software. The Moto G6 Play review is incomplete without the mention of the chip powering it. The phone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC, an octa-core processor that clocks at a frequency of 1.4 GHz. It is accompanied by the Adreno 505 GPU. The phone has 3GB of RAM. The onboard memory is 32GB and expandable up to 128 GB via MicroSD.
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The Moto G6 Play has a huge battery of 4000 mAh. Not only is it surprising to see such a large battery in an affordable phone, but more astonishing is the fact that the phone weighs around 173 grams and it is 8.95 mm thick. The dimensions of the phone are 154.5 x 72.2 mm.
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The Moto G6 Play is a dual-SIM smartphone with two large slots for Nano SIM only. However, you will have to sacrifice the MicroSD slot if you intend to insert two SIMs in the phone.
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The phone sports a huge 5.7-inch display with IPS LCD technology. It has a resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels and it is only HD. The workmanship is good and so is the quality of the panel so you get good results even with just HD.
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On the back of the phone, there is a camera system housed inside a central porthole. It has a 13 MP F2.0 camera and a single-tone LED flash. The LED flash is also present in the front with the 8 MP selfie shooter.
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Motorola Moto G6 Play Connectivity
The phone has LTE with speeds up to 75 Mbps in upload 150 Mbps in the download. Apart from that, there is Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n, MicroUSB port, and FM radio. Even though there is nothing new, the good thing is there aren’t any problems. The reception of the Moto G6 Play is really good. However, more is expected from the next generation, especially when it comes to the USB port and download.
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The phone also has a gyroscope, accelerometer, and proximity sensor. There is also a fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone, just below the camera and it has been adorned with the M logo of Motorola. Design wise, this looks good. The phone doesn’t have a digital compass, unfortunately, so even though the GPS is quite accurate, it is quite difficult to identify the direction while navigating.
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Moto G6 Play Design & Materials
The Motorola Moto G6 Play has good ergonomics. However, the handset has a certain impediment because of its large display and both its frames. However, the frames are pretty good and the lower one only has the Motorola logo which helps to increase the size of the device.
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If you are ok with the huge size of the smartphone, you are most likely going to like it. The back of the phone looks modern and chic with a slight mirror effect (kind of like that seen on the OnePlus 6 Mirror Black) and S-shaped light reflection. As mentioned before, on the back the logo of Motorola is printed on the fingerprint reader, which makes the phone look really stylish. Another thing that sets the Moto G6 Play apart is the is the porthole that houses the camera.
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The Motorola Moto G6 Play is made of plastic and glass. On the front, there is glass to protect the display with an oleophobic treatment, and on the back, there is plastic.
Display, Audio & Multimedia
The Motorola Moto G6 Play sports a 5.7-inch display. It is of a good quality. The phone has a single speaker for providing audio on call and speakerphone. It is positioned just above the display. Since there isn’t any dedicated speaker, the sound is strong but flat and there is no bass. However, this hasn’t affected the audio, which is strong and clear.
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You can also play most games on the phone easily without any major problems. However, the games that have been optimized for the Snapdragon platform run well but few jump frames and some lag a lot. So, if you are into gaming, this might not be the phone for you. However, most of the problems can be solved with wired headphones. Thankfully, the 3.5 mm jack audio port has been retained.
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Camera
Even though you cannot a lot from the camera of a phone in this price range, there are other phones on the market in the same price range that do better. The quality of shots isn’t hight. During the daytime, the brighter areas are burned easily. In the evening and in low light conditions, there is noise. The HDR can also be saved.
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Basically, the camera of the Motorola Moto G6 is a far cry from that of the Motorola Moto G6 Plus. The 13 MP camera with an aperture of F2.0 performs as well as it can, but it is surely not enough. Thankfully, the selfies are good. This is because of the front flash in part as it illuminates the subject, which is particularly useful in lowlight conditions.
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Battery
As mentioned in this Motorola Moto G6 Play review earlier, the battery is huge. Basically, you will not have to worry about charging the phone every day. The 4000 mAh battery, coupled with the HD display and some other features lower energy consumption. With moderate use, the phone can last even two days with a single charge. In fact, sometimes the battery lasts more than two days. You can also charge the phone using the TurboPower charger, which improves the charging time of the phone.
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Software
You get the classic Motorola experience at the software level. It is a little different than the Android Stock experience. The phone ships with Android 8.0.0 Oreo and the security patches were in April 2018. Motorola has made little additions such as the addition of a proprietary camera app. Another app is Moto, which provides functions to manage the phone such as:
- Reducing the display screen just by dragging the finger from the center to the lower edges
- Freeing memory by following on-screen instructions that usually asks you to delete double photos
- Managing apps that are consuming a lot of battery to extend battery life
- Enabling Moto Key, to access apps, websites, and devices with a fingerprint
- Enabling Moto Actions to perform actions by making gestures. For instance, touching with 3 fingers captures a screenshot and shaking the smartphone activates the Torch
- Enabling Moto Display which shows notifications with the screen off and also lets you manage the lighting to reduce eye strain.
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Basically, for a smartphone in this range, the software of Moto G6 Play is responsive and fluid. If you have always used high-end smartphones, you may find a little slowness in performing actions. However, compared to other smartphones in the same price range, it is still very good.
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Motorola has come out with some really great best buy products this year. The G series has been really successful in the medium-low price range. The Motorola Moto G6 Play provides long-lasting autonomy. The size of the phone is also acceptable. It has a low weight and balanced hardware features.
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Motorola Moto G6 Play retails for 199 euros but you may find a lower price than that online which will make the price-quality ratio even better. If you are looking for an affordable phone with a high yield, this is the phone for you. It is particularly recommended to those who want good autonomy.
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