Flagship smartphones, like the Samsung Galaxy S22, iPhone 14, and Motorola Razr 5G, are creating all the buzz thanks to their extraordinary performance, superior features, and multitasking capabilities. Unfortunately, they are not for everyone because of their high price point.
So, what do you go with when you can’t afford a flagship device that goes for at least $500? You find a mid-range device that offers smooth performance, solid cameras, and long battery life at a fraction of the cost, of course!
The Motorola Moto G Pure and Motorola Moto G Power are reliable mid-range smartphones coming in at below $250 that balance affordability, reliable performance, a sleek design, and long-lasting battery.
Though these two Motorola smartphones are part of the same Moto G Series, they have some notable differences that could make you look one way or the other. Let’s dive into the specs, features, and facts about the Motorola G Pure and Motorola G Power to help you settle on the best smartphone on a budget.
Motorola Moto G Pure vs. Moto G Power: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Motorola Moto G Pure | Motorola Moto G Power | |
|---|---|---|
| Release Date | October 2021 | February 2022 |
| List Price | From $159.99 | From $199.99 – $249.99 |
| Body | Dimensions: 167.4 x 75.6 x 8.8 mm (6.59 x 2.98 x 0.35 in) Weight: 188 g (6.63 oz) | Dimensions: 167.2 x 76.5 x 9.4 mm (6.58 x 3.01 x 0.37 in) Weight: 206.5 g (7.16 oz) |
| Processor | MediaTek G25 Helio 2.0 GHz | MediaTek Helio G37 2.3 GHz |
| Display | Size: 6.5 inches Type: IPS TFT LCDResolution | Size: 6.5 inches Type: IPS TFT LCD, 90HzResolution: |
| Camera | Rear camera: 13 MP wide lens, 2 MP depth sensor Selfie camera: 5 MP (F/2.4, 1.12um) | Rear camera: 50 MP wide lens2 MP macro sensor2 MP depth sensor Selfie camera: 8MP (f/2.0, 1.12um) |
| Memory and Storage | 3GB RAM, 32GB built-in storage, 512GB expandable storage | 4GB RAM, 64GB or 128GB built-in storage, 512GB expandable storage |
| Battery | Size: 4000 mAh Battery life: 2 days Charging speed: 10W | Size: 5000 mAh Battery life: 3 days Charging speed: 10W |
- 6.5" Max Vision HD+ display
- Super responsive
- Compatible with major carriers
- Dual-camera system with night vision
- Water-repellent design
Motorola Moto G Pure vs. Moto G Power: What’s the Difference?
Let’s break down the key differences between these two phones below.
Price and Release
A major selling point for the Moto G Series smartphones is their affordable price point, below the $250 mark. The Moto G Pure was released in late 2021 when it sported an enticing price tag of $159. Almost two years later, you can now get it for as little as $99 on Amazon.
A few months later, in Feb 2022, the Moto G Power (2022) came, which retails at $199 for the 64GB version and $249 for the 128GB version. You may be lucky to find either version on sale for up to 40% less. More storage on the Moto G Power is a welcome upgrade that was not available on the Moto G Pure, which is only available in a 32GB version.
Design
One thing Motorola got right with the Moto G Series mid-range smartphones is a simple design that’s far from basic or cheap. The Moto G Pure has a deep indigo, textured plastic back that’s grippy, nice to touch, and prevents smudges or scratches. Still, on the back, the G Pure has a slim, vertical camera stacked in its upper left corner and the Motorola logo that doubles as the fingerprint scanner at the center.
The device measures 6.6 × 3.0 × 0.3 inches (HWD) and weighs 6.6 ounces, which makes it well-balanced and comfortable to hold and use in one hand. Unlike many flagship smartphones, such as the Motorola Edge, the G Pure has a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a microphone at the top. The bottom has a USB-C charging port, a speaker, and a second microphone. The left edge of the G Pure houses the SIM and microSD slot, while the right side is home to the volume rocker and the textured power button. All these design features make it hard for anyone to guess that this is a budget device.
Its close rival, the Moto G Power, is available in either ice blue or moonlight gray. Like the G Pure, it has a textured matte plastic backing with elegant swirls that take away any plasticky feel or look of this device. The back houses a small cutout for a triple-stacked camera on the left, and the iconic Motorola “M” logo, disguised as the sensitive and intuitive fingerprint sensor, is centered.
Once again, there’s a 3.5 mm jack on the phone’s top edge, while at the center of the bottom edge is a USB-C charging port with a speaker and microphone on either side. The SIM and microSD slot are on the left side, and you’ll find the textured power button and volume rocker on the right. The Moto G Power is lightweight, at only 206.5 grams (7.2 ounces), and has just the right dimensions (6.6 × 3.0 × 0.4 inches) to make it easy to hold and use comfortably in one hand.
Display
Neither the Moto G Pure nor the Moto G Power has a perfect display because they both have a relatively low resolution and a disappointing level of pixelation. Nonetheless, it’s worth discussing because it works, especially considering the price point of both phones.
The Motorola G Pure has a 6.5-inch LCD panel made of strengthened glass, which is expansive, but the huge bezels, with an 81% screen-to-body ratio, make it feel a bit squeezed. The G Pure display is also interrupted by a front-facing camera at the top-center. It has a 1,600 x 720p resolution which makes it bright with good color accuracy, but it has an annoying pixelation level that negatively impacts the visibility under different lighting and limits viewing angles on this device. The display issues are amplified by the lack of an anti-reflective coating that typically helps improve viewing angles.
The Moto G Power display is almost identical to the G Pure display because it also has a 6.5-inch LCD panel and the same 1,600 × 720 resolution. Again, the viewing angles are compromised at this resolution, especially in dim or very bright lighting, and you’ll also notice some pixelation. However, the G Power has a 90Hz refresh rate that makes swiping and scrolling slightly faster than the G Pure, which has a 60Hz refresh rate. The bezels on the G Power are also overwhelmingly huge, with a screen-to-body ratio of 79%. The display is also interrupted by a punch-hole camera for the selfie camera.
©Haelen Haagen/Shutterstock.com
Performance
The performance of a smartphone is dependent on the processor used, the RAM, and the Android version installed. The Motorola Moto G Pure uses the MediaTek Helio 625 chipset, 3GB RAM, and Android 11, which makes it significantly slower than other mid-range smartphones, such as the Samsung A32.
From the first swipe, you experience a lag that only worsens when you’re opening apps, swiping between screens, or switching between multiple browser tabs. It also has very limited space, with only 32GB available, of which the pre-installed apps already take up 11GB. Fortunately, storage space is expandable with up to a microSD of up to 512GB.
The Moto G Power has the upgraded MediaTek Helio G37, 4GB of RAM, and an upgradeable Android 11, which make it faster and more responsive than the Moto G Pure. It’s great for basic tasks and comes in two models with a lot more storage than its rival: a 64GB option and a 128GB option, both of which are expandable with a microSD card of up to 512GB. Switching between apps is smooth and painless thanks to its 90Hz refresh rate, which ensures you can perform numerous tasks simultaneously and switch between apps without lag or unexpected shutdowns.
Camera
The Moto G Pure sports two rear cameras: a 13MP primary camera, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 5MP front-facing camera. This is quite an underwhelming setup for a phone in 2023, but it does get the job done for that price. The rear camera takes nice pictures in well-lit areas with soft backgrounds and an excellent depth of field. The depth sensor attempts to improve portraits by capturing fine details. The front-facing camera has good color accuracy and crisp detailing but doesn’t do well in low lighting. When the sun goes down, you can use Motorola’s Night Vision mode, which boosts vibrancy and reduces noise levels but produces photos without a natural depth of field.
For a budget-friendly device, the Moto G Power has a nice camera setup on paper: a 50MP main camera, a 2MP macro sensor, a 2MP depth sensor, and an 8MP front camera. The rear cameras are stacked in a vertical module that blends well with the device’s chassis. The 50MP camera takes crisp images with solid color accuracy in good light, but you’ll notice some noise at the edges and some inconsistent blurring when capturing images in low light.
The other two lenses are more of accessories than functional lenses that should improve the depth of images but they don’t do that. For instance, the macro sensor doesn’t improve focussing or detailing on images, while the depth sensor fails to eliminate object mapping issues in images. The selfie camera attempts to save the day because it takes decent photos in good light and packs some unique camera modes. These modes include the Dual Capture mode, which lets you capture a selfie and a shot of your field of view with the press of a button, and the Cutout mode, which allows you to cut out your subject and replace the background.
Connectivity and Carrier Support
The Moto G Pure comes unlocked and compatible with all major U.S. carriers, including T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T. It also has broad LTE support and works with some prepaid carriers, like Tracfone, Mint, Simple Mobile, and Metro by T-Mobile. Suppose you want to enjoy the full connectivity of the G Pure. Buying it from Amazon or another third party retailer is best because carriers usually lock or deny full-band support for other networks.
The Moto G Power and Moto G Pure don’t support 5G connectivity. However, the Moto G Power connects to 4G LTE, 3G, and GSM networks. You can choose between a locked version that comes with select carriers or the unlocked version that works with major carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, Spectrum, and Tracfone. Unfortunately, the G Power doesn’t support some carriers, like Google Fi, Republic Wireless, Tracfone (CDMA), Ting, Xfinity Wireless, and Optimum Mobile.
Battery
Motorola has maximized the battery life of its budget-friendly smartphones to cover up the many shortcomings of these devices. According to the manufacturer, the Motorola G Pure’s 4,000 mAh battery should last up to two days. However, numerous tests show that it lasts about 11 hours and 40 minutes and takes up to two hours to be charged fully at 10W. Like many other devices at the same price point, the Moto G Pure does not support wireless charging, and neither does the Moto G Power.
The Moto G Power is marketed as a phone with a 3-day battery life thanks to its 5,000 mAh battery. However, in reality, the battery lasts up to two days of moderate use, which typically involves watching, listening to music, and browsing the web. Unfortunately, the G Power does not support fast charging and powers up at a significantly slower rate of 10W, which is slower than most phones at the same price point.
Durability
These budget-friendly phones are built to survive anything thrown at them, including falls and splashes. The Moto G Pure, for instance, is made of a sturdy plastic body that can withstand scratches and bumps and stays clear of unsightly fingerprints. It also features a water-repellent design that keeps it safe in case of splashes or spills.
On the other hand, the Moto G Power is more resistant to the rigors of everyday life and has an IP-52 rating that ensures it can withstand splashes, sweat, and spills. Sadly, even the rating doesn’t damage-proof it against accidental drops into pools of water. The plastic chassis is durable, scratch-proof, and resistant to fingerprint smudges.
Motorola Moto G Pure vs. Moto G Power: 8 Must-Know Facts
- The Moto G Pure measures 6.6 × 3.0 × 0.3 inches (HWD), weighs 6.6 ounces, and has a 6.5-inch display LCD panel.
- The Moto G Power measures 6.6 × 3.0 × 0.4 inches (HWD), weighs 7.2 ounces, and has a 6.5-inch display LCD panel.
- Moto G Pure and the Moto G Power have a 1,600 x 720p resolution.
- The Motorola Moto G Pure uses the MediaTek Helio 625 chipset, 3GB RAM, and Android 11 installed.
- The Moto G Power has the MediaTek Helio G37, 4GB of RAM, and an upgradeable Android 11.
- The Moto G Pure has dual-stacked rear cameras: a 13MP primary camera, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 5MP front-facing camera.
- The Moto G Power has a 50MP main camera, a 2MP macro sensor, a 2MP depth sensor, and an 8MP front camera.
- The Motorola G Pure’s 4,000 mAh battery should last up to two days, while Moto G Power’s 5,000 mAh battery can last up to three days.
- 6.5" Max Vision HD+ display
- Super responsive
- Compatible with major carriers
- Dual-camera system with night vision
- Water-repellent design
Motorola Moto G Pure vs. Moto G Power: Which One is Better?
The Motorola G Pure and Motorola G Power are great budget-friendly phones that cost less than $250 and boast impressive battery life and solid performance. The Moto G Power overshadows the G Pure in several categories, including better battery life and faster performance thanks to the upgraded MediaTek chipset and bigger 4GB RAM.
The G Power also comes with twice the internal storage space of the G Pure, and you can still double that by getting the 128GB version for only $50 more. The triple rear camera stack and the 8MP selfie camera on the G Power produce better images than the dual and 5MP front-facing cameras on the G Pure.
The Moto G Power is a good entry-level smartphone for someone looking to save coins or are in need of a placeholder before they save up enough to get the flagship smartphone of their dreams. It’s the same with the Moto G Pure. Only this time, you’ll have to contend with lagging, slow response rates, and very limited 32GB internal storage space. On the bright side, you can expand your storage by up to 512GB with a removable microSD card that’s housed in the same slot as the SIM card.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Haelen Haagen/Shutterstock.com.
