Motorola is making waves in 2024 with its premium Razr and Edge devices, but the Lenovo-owned brand hasn’t forgotten about budget phones.
Its Moto G line has long been a staple of our picks for the best budget phones, combining respectable specs and clean software with an incredibly low price.
However, Motorola isn’t currently our top choice for a cheap phone. Of all the phones released this year, we consider the Nothing sub-brand’s Phone 1, CMF (£209/$199) and Samsung Galaxy A15 5G (£199/$199.99) to be the best overall experience you can get at this price.
But Motorola is fighting back. Judging by the price, the company’s new Moto G35 (£149.99/$199) and G55 (£199.99/$249) look like decent options in the crowded budget device market, but not in the US, where they’re not sold.
Can they beat Samsung, Nothing and others to reclaim the top spot? I tried out both of Moto’s new budget models at the launch event in Belgrade and I have a lot of thoughts about them.
Big projects
One of the first things that usually gets sacrificed on budget phones is build quality, but that’s not the case with the Moto G35 and G55. On both phones, you can choose between matte plastic or vegan leather finishes.
I tried this one out and was pleasantly surprised by how premium it looks. The vegan leather not only looks great, but it also adds a lot of grip to the back of the phone and cushions impacts from drops.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Despite this, the vegan leather models weigh just 182g (G55) and 192g (G35), respectively. Coming from significantly heavier flagships, these phones felt refreshingly light in my hands.
Then there are the colors. Motorola has become known for its vibrant phone finishes in recent years, and this is no exception on the new budget models.
I tested the G55’s ‘Vibrant Purple’ model, which is about as bright and eye-catching as a phone finish can get. Alongside ‘Smoky Green’ and ‘Forest Grey’, it’s nice to see Motorola moving away from the traditional, muted colours we see on modern phones.
The “Midnight Black” version of the G35 I tried is about as safe as it gets, but there are also options for “Leaf Green,” “Guava Red,” and “Sage Green.”
Display by day
Another thing that impressed me during my short time with these phones was their displays.
Sure, you’re not getting flagship-level displays at this price, but Motorola has been smart about its tradeoffs. The 6.49-inch G35 and 6.72-inch G55 both feature FHD LCDs and benefit from 120Hz refresh rates.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Neither phone will wow you with its display, but decent color accuracy and impressive detail make it a solid choice for everyday use and watching videos. And even in difficult lighting conditions, I found visibility on both phones to be good.
Decent performance
If you’re buying a budget phone, you probably don’t plan on using it for gaming or other demanding tasks. You just want a device that can handle everyday use without taking a lot of time or crashing.
And from my first impressions, that’s exactly what the new Moto G phones offer. The G35 uses the Unisoc T760, while the G55 upgrades to the MediaTek Dimensity 7020. While they’re not the fastest, I found both phones to be relatively smooth and responsive, though you may need more than the starting 4GB of RAM.
Still many unknowns
Of course, my few minutes with these devices can only tell you so much. And while the signs are encouraging, there is still so much we don’t know.
How do the cameras look in real life? How good is the battery life? How “waterproof” are phones without an official IP rating? And can these devices realistically be used to get full software support, meaning two years of OS updates and three years of security patches?
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
For all that and more, you’ll have to wait for our full reviews. But based on specs and first impressions, the Moto G35 and G55 look to be impressive phones for the price.
But toppling Samsung and Nothing to become the kings of budget phones again? That will be very difficult.
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