Motorola’s Moto G Power (2026) is now on sale for $299. Here’s what early reviews and a teardown say about battery, display, cameras, updates, and repairs.
January 14, 2026 — Motorola’s latest budget workhorse, the Moto G Power (2026), is now in the spotlight as the first big wave of hands-ons, full reviews, and even a teardown lands online. The headline hasn’t changed: this is still a “Power” phone built around long battery life. What has changed is the conversation around what you’re trading away to get it.
Across early coverage, a clear pattern emerges: the Moto G Power (2026) delivers strong endurance and tougher-than-average durability for the money, but it’s held back by a familiar set of compromises—midrange performance, a still-limited update promise, and an internal design that makes repairs harder than it should be for a phone many people buy to keep for years. (Global Blog)
Below is the complete breakdown of what’s making news today—based on the newest reviews, hands-on impressions, and teardown findings.
Moto G Power (2026) price and availability on January 14, 2026
Motorola positioned the Moto G Power (2026) as a $300 value pick—and the pricing is straightforward:
- US price:$299.99 MSRP
- Where to buy (unlocked): Best Buy, Amazon, and Motorola’s own store
- Carrier availability: Motorola says it’s available at Verizon, with additional US carriers rolling out “in the coming months.” (Global Blog)
Motorola’s official announcement set January 8 as the on-sale date for unlocked channels and Verizon, so as of today (Jan 14), the phone is already widely available online. (Global Blog)
Key specs at a glance: what you get for $299
Motorola’s own spec highlights—and what reviewers are testing—paint a very consistent picture of the hardware:
- Display: 6.8-inch FHD+ LCD, 120Hz
- Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 6300
- Memory: 8GB RAM, plus RAM Boost (virtual RAM) up to a total of 24GB
- Storage: 128GB + microSD expansion (up to 1TB noted in at least one review)
- Battery: 5,200mAh
- Charging: 30W wired “TurboPower”
- Cameras (rear): 50MP main with OIS + 8MP ultrawide/macro
- Selfie camera: 32MP
- Durability: IP68/IP69 water resistance, MIL-STD-810H testing, Gorilla Glass 7i
- Software: Ships with Android 16 (Global Blog)
Motorola also leans heavily on “smart extras” typically missing from budget phones—like Circle to Search and Google Gemini support—baked into its out-of-box software story. (Global Blog)
The big selling points reviewers agree on
1) Battery life is the core reason this phone exists
Motorola markets “two days” of power from the 5,200mAh cell, and early lab testing and real-world commentary broadly support the idea that endurance is a strength. (Global Blog)
Tom’s Guide, for example, measured 18 hours and 22 minutes on its battery test—an improvement over last year’s model in the same test—while also noting that everyday use barely dents the battery over a multi-day stretch. (Tom’s Guide)
Android Headlines’ review similarly lists “long-lasting battery” as a primary pro—framing it as the differentiator that can justify the “Power” price bump over cheaper Moto G variants.
2) Durability is unusually strong for the price tier
Motorola isn’t just promising splash resistance; it’s pushing an “everyday tough” message built on a combination of:
- IP68 + IP69 water protection
- MIL-STD-810H testing claims
- Gorilla Glass 7i (Global Blog)
Tom’s Guide includes “impressive water resistance” among its pros, and Motorola explicitly pitches the phone as the “most durable smartphone in its class.” (Tom’s Guide)
3) Design touches you don’t always see in budget phones
The Moto G Power (2026) is getting credit for feeling nicer than many $300 devices.
- 9to5Google highlights the grippy finish of the “Pure Cashmere” colorway and says the fit and finish feel “rather nice” for the segment. (9to5Google)
- Android Headlines’ review calls out the textured vegan leather feel and Motorola’s Pantone color choices as a standout.
- And yes—the 3.5mm headphone jack is still here, which Android Headlines explicitly praises as a “feature most other manufacturers forgot.”
The compromises that keep coming up in reviews
Display: still LCD, still not a “sunlight champ”
The Moto G Power (2026) keeps a large LCD panel at 120Hz—fine on paper, but reviewers are still pointing out limitations.
Tom’s Guide notes that while the 2026 model improves brightness over the prior generation, the screen remains hard to see in bright sunlight, citing lab measurements and direct comparisons to brighter competitors. (Tom’s Guide)
9to5Google’s hands-on also mentions visible “bleed” and vignetting around the edges of the display, even while calling it improved over past Moto G experiences. (9to5Google)
Performance: acceptable for basics, shaky for heavier gaming
There’s no getting around what this is: the Dimensity 6300 is built for affordability and efficiency more than raw speed.
- 9to5Google describes performance as “fine,” but notes hiccups like scrolling jank and a jittery notification shade—pinning some of that on Motorola’s software optimization. (9to5Google)
- Android Headlines lists “gaming performance is still a little laggy” as a con, while still saying the phone feels snappy in everyday use (with a notably fast fingerprint sensor).
- Tom’s Guide is more blunt: it calls performance “lackluster,” noting the chipset doesn’t meaningfully improve year over year. (Tom’s Guide)
Wireless charging is gone
This is one of the most repeated “downgrade” notes in current coverage.
Tom’s Guide calls out wireless charging removal directly as a negative compared to the 2025 model. (Tom’s Guide)
9to5Google also says Motorola “ditched wireless charging” this generation. (9to5Google)
And side-by-side comparisons published this month list wireless charging: No for the 2026 model.
For buyers who used last year’s Moto G Power as a cheap “wireless charging everything” device, this is a real change.
Updates: the “budget tax” that’s hard to ignore in 2026
Software support is becoming one of the biggest decision drivers in the sub-$400 category—and reviewers keep warning about Motorola’s history here.
9to5Google points to Motorola’s stated policy of two OS updates and three years of security updates for the Moto G line. (9to5Google)
Tom’s Guide echoes the short support window, noting that while the phone ships with Android 16 (so you’re starting current), longer support is increasingly common even among budget rivals. (Tom’s Guide)
That’s a big reason 9to5Google frames the Moto G Power (2026) as a trade-off: you’re getting solid hardware value, but giving up long-term software confidence—especially compared with phones that now advertise 6–7 years of support. (9to5Google)
Charging: fast enough, but there’s a catch (and no charger in the box)
PhoneArena reports that the box contents are minimal—no charger and no case, just a USB-C cable and paperwork.
And while the phone supports 30W wired charging, Android Headlines warns that rapid charging may require Motorola’s own charger to hit top speeds—an important detail for shoppers who expect any USB-C PD brick to deliver “full” charging performance.
PhoneArena’s charging measurements put a full charge at about 1 hour 9 minutes, with a 30-minute top-up reaching 53%.
Cameras: a “good enough” budget setup, with a selfie boost
Motorola’s official pitch emphasizes a 50MP main camera with OIS and Quad Pixel tech, plus an 8MP ultrawide/macro lens and a 32MP selfie camera—paired with software features like Auto Night Vision and Google Photos editing tools (Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, and more). (Global Blog)
Tom’s Guide’s takeaway is basically what you’d expect at $299: rear cameras are serviceable, not standout—but the selfie camera upgrade is meaningful if you take a lot of front-camera shots. (Tom’s Guide)
Android Headlines also lists “pretty good camera for around $300” among its pros.
The teardown news: durability vs. repairability tension is real
One of the most consequential pieces of coverage this week isn’t a review at all—it’s a teardown, and it highlights a trade-off that matters if you buy budget phones to keep them running for years.
Android Headlines reports that a PBKreviews teardown gave the Moto G Power (2026) a 5/10 repairability score, citing heavy adhesive and difficult battery access.
Key teardown takeaways:
- The battery is strongly glued and lacks pull tabs or an easy-release system.
- Multiple ribbon cables—including the display cable—run under the battery, raising the risk of accidental damage during repairs.
- Accessing components like the power/volume buttons may require removing the screen, making common repairs more complex than they need to be.
In plain terms: Motorola is pushing toughness and sealing, but the internal layout can make repairs harder—exactly the opposite direction many budget buyers (and right-to-repair advocates) want.
So… should you buy the Moto G Power (2026) in 2026?
The emerging “review consensus” on January 14 is that the Moto G Power (2026) is best understood as a durable, battery-first $299 phone that’s pleasant to use day-to-day—as long as you’re realistic about performance, display quality, and long-term software support.
It’s a smart buy if you want:
- Excellent battery life without paying flagship money (Tom’s Guide)
- A tougher phone (IP68/IP69 + MIL-STD testing claims) for work, travel, or clumsy days (Global Blog)
- Headphone jack + microSD expansion in 2026 (Tom’s Guide)
Think twice if you care most about:
- Long software support (this is where reviewers point shoppers toward other brands) (9to5Google)
- Top-tier display visibility outdoors (Tom’s Guide)
- Easy, affordable repairs after a couple of years (battery replacement in particular)
- Wireless charging, which multiple reviews say is no longer part of the package (Tom’s Guide)
Tom’s Guide goes as far as suggesting budget shoppers may be better served by Motorola’s cheaper non-Power models if battery is your main priority, while 9to5Google argues the bigger question is whether you should step up slightly in price to get much stronger software support. (Tom’s Guide)
What to watch next
More full reviews are still rolling out, and at least one major outlet has already teased that it has the phone “in for review,” suggesting more detailed testing is imminent. (X (formerly Twitter))
For now, the Moto G Power (2026) is shaping up as a familiar Motorola story: great battery + strong durability + good value, wrapped in a set of compromises that matter more than ever in 2026—especially updates and repairability.
