At a look
Knowledgeable’s Ranking
Execs
- Shiny 120Hz show
- Sturdy waterproof design
- Clear Android interface
Cons
- Uninspiring zoom
- Annoying preinstalled apps
- Smaller battery than sibling mannequin
Our Verdict
A succesful however unremarkable funds telephone, the Moto G86 delivers strong fundamentals but struggles to justify its value towards stronger, longer-lasting rivals – even these from its personal firm.
Value When Reviewed
This worth will present the geolocated pricing textual content for product undefined
Finest Pricing Immediately
Finest Costs Immediately: Moto G86 5G
Many smartphones come out in a pair – a Professional versus an Air, or a Fold versus a Flip – however only a few have fairly a lot in widespread with their sibling than the Moto G86 and its greater brother, the Moto G86 Energy.
With the identical MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset, the identical 6.67-inch Tremendous HD pOLED show with 4500-nit peak brightness, and the identical 50MP Sony LYTIA 600 digital camera system, the one factor separating the 2 is the battery: 5200mAh on the usual G86 and 6720mAh on the G86 Energy (and the slight distinction in weight due to it).
Finally, as they’re so comparable, these interested in the £280 Moto G86 will nearly actually wish to spend £299 and get the G86 Energy for the additional battery life – and that small value distinction makes the common G86 a more durable promote.
Adam Smith / Foundry
Design & Construct
- Sensible construct
- Fashionable colors
- No headphone jack
The Moto G86 appears like a telephone constructed for utility somewhat than to impress. The plastic again provides it respectable grip and a contact of heat that cup can’t provide, however makes no try and disguise its funds origins.
The color choices, drawn from Motorola’s partnership with Pantone, add a little bit of aptitude with out tipping into gimmickry.
What it lacks in design drama, it makes up for in sturdiness. At 185 grams, it’s nicely balanced, by no means feeling fragile or hole, and sits comfortably within the hand. It’s waterproof to an IP68/IP69 ranking (which implies it’s protected towards high-pressure and high-temperature water, in addition to submersible for half-hour to an hour) and has a Gorilla Glass 7i display for drops and knocks.
A telephone constructed for utility somewhat than to impress
Down under, the only USB-C port serves its charging duties, with the acquainted 3.5mm headphone jack now gone for good.
Display screen & Audio system
- 6.67-inch Tremendous HD pOLED panel
- 120Hz refresh price
- Stereo audio system
The G86 show touts a 6.67-inch Tremendous HD pOLED panel, which is compellingly sharp and punchy in comparison with its rivals, with a 1220p decision and HDR10+ color vary.
Watching Wild Isles on BBC iPlayer, the G86 does nicely conveying the shimmering scales of freshwater fish, shadows shifting over them as they swim. Once they push headfirst into rapids, water bubbles shoot previous with respectable verve.
The G86’s audio setup is greatest described as useful
However there stays a scarcity of richness, particularly when the drone photographs transfer over giant fields and countryside; greens are a bit of too muted and washed out to be as dramatic as one would ideally need. Nonetheless, for informal viewing on public transport or in mattress, there’s little or no to complain about.
Considerably surprisingly on a funds gadget, the G86 additionally has an 120Hz refresh price which retains scrolling and gaming fluid. Whereas different funds gadgets lag when making an attempt to maintain up with fast app switching or quite a lot of motion, the G86 takes it nicely.
It has Dolby stereo audio system and there’s a contact of sharpness at greater volumes, however distortion is minimal. It’s greater than enough for informal use – streaming YouTube, catching up on calls, or the occasional music session whereas cooking or commuting.
Nonetheless, the G86’s audio setup is greatest described as useful somewhat than immersive. There’s little low-end presence, so bass-heavy tracks or cinematic soundscapes really feel flat. Anybody who really cares about audio constancy ought to spend money on an honest pair of headphones or earbuds.
Specs & Efficiency
- Strong funds efficiency
- Easy on a regular basis responsiveness
- Restricted gaming functionality
The G86 has some respectable {hardware} chops: 8GB of RAM with the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor, matched with 256 GB of storage that may be expanded to 1TB utilizing a microSD card.
On the entire, that is fairly responsive. There may be nonetheless a delay for apps to load in comparison with flagship smartphones, however throughout on a regular basis use the distinction is negligible.
The G86 comes with a “RAM increase” mode
Whereas this telephone received’t be anybody’s first selection for high-end gaming, Pokemon Unite and Genshin Impression runs comparatively nicely
As with different Motorola telephones, the G86 comes with a “RAM increase” mode which creates “digital RAM” out of your telephone’s inner storage.
Because of this much less important background processes get moved into the digital house, leaving the precise RAM for present use.
Whereas that is an fascinating function and one that ought to enhance multitasking, shifting knowledge backwards and forwards can drain the battery quicker and depreciate the effectivity of the gadget’s chips. For a telephone that will get few software program and safety updates anyway, I’d be loath to shorten its lifespan any greater than regular use already does.
Moto G86 5G benchmarks
Digicam
- 50MP Sony LYTIA 600 sensor
- 8MP ultrawide
- Macro Imaginative and prescient mode
The Moto G86 5G’s comes with a 50MP Sony LYTIA 600 sensor mixed with a 8MP ultrawide lens, which delivers decently in relation to fast snaps.
Colors are balanced fairly properly, particularly in comparison with different funds Android smartphones that often over-egg in favour of excessive distinction and saturation to attempt to match up with the flagships. Strolling across the Horniman Museum in south London, the greens and reds of the late-autumn foliage are captured naturally.
Very like different funds telephones, the zoom on this gadget is hardly price a point out
These Moto gadgets even have a Macro Imaginative and prescient mode that pops up as an choice if you get nearer to flowers or small animals. For close-up pictures it’s surprisingly efficient, however difficult to make use of constantly – as a minuscule shake will go away your topic out of focus.
Very like different funds telephones, the zoom on this gadget is hardly price a point out besides to say: don’t depend on it. There may be little or no element in a shot of the capital’s skyline, leaving the outcomes blurry and impressionistic somewhat than sharp and correct.
The low-light efficiency is typical of different funds gadgets – brilliant sufficient to be sharable however not notably spectacular – and the selfie digital camera is sharp and correct sufficient for photographs and video calls.
Motorola does pack the digital camera with optionally available smoothing modes to make the holder’s eyes greater or their chin smaller, however we might advocate disabling them within the identify of constancy.
Adam Smith / Foundry
Battery Life & Charging
- 5200mAh battery
- 30W charging
- All-day efficiency
At 5200mAh with 30W charging, the Moto G86 provides a small however tangible capability bump over the sub-£300 norm of 5000mAh. This offers it an honest all‑day efficiency that may bleed right into a second day in case you go straightforward on it.
However, some opponents just like the CMF Telephone 2 Professional have barely quicker 33W charging, making for an excellent enjoying discipline. In any case, clients must spend a bit of extra money in an effort to unlock that functionality, as contained in the field is an easy USB-C to USB-A charging cable, which reaches 11% in quarter-hour and 21% in half-hour mixed with a 12V Philips journey plug.
Adam Smith / Foundry
Software program & Apps
- Clear software program
- Helpful focus options
- Bloated with preinstalls
Motorola’s Moto G86 ships with Android 15 and Motorola’s gentle Hiya UI layer, maintaining the look near inventory whereas sprinkling in a couple of helpful touches and a handful of questionable extras.
Traditional Moto gestures are nonetheless right here: a double chop for the flashlight and a twist for the digital camera, which work successfully and usually are not unwelcome.
Notification dealing with is versatile, with Motorola’s tweaks surfacing cleaner layouts and fast entry to widespread actions with out burying core Android behaviours, which preserves the snappy really feel of inventory.
Having to delete a glut of software program as a primary step of proudly owning a brand new gadget just isn’t an awesome introduction
The Moto Unplugged mode helps you to select important apps and contacts, set a time window, and quickly cover distracting apps totally to create a calmer workspace than a easy mute toggle can present.
However what Motorola provides with one hand, it takes away with the opposite. Or somewhat, it provides you extra that you simply don’t need. The G86 installs third‑social gathering “beneficial” apps throughout setup, together with the Perplexity AI browser, Reserving.com, TikTok, LinkedIn, Amazon Music, Solitaire, and Sweet Crush. Whereas these model offers probably assist preserve the prices low, having to delete a glut of software program as a primary step of proudly owning a brand new gadget just isn’t an awesome introduction.
Motorola commits the G86 to 2 main Android model upgrades and roughly 4 years of safety patches, with updates anticipated till at the least June 2029, which is strong for the worth tier however doesn’t prime the longest‑supported rivals.
Biometric unlock consists of face unlock and a welcome beneath‑show fingerprint reader, which is way extra handy than the {hardware} equal that usually favours right-handed individuals and subsequently cuts off the southpaws from quick access.
Value & Availability
The Moto G86 5G has an RRP of £280 within the UK, and that’s what it prices in case you purchase from Motorola’s web site, which leaves it close to the highest finish of the funds market. Nonetheless, different retailers have lower the worth. On the time of writing, it’s accessible from Currys for £199, Argos for £199.99 and Amazon from £189.99, which might swing you in direction of a purchase order in case you’re contemplating it.
It’s not accessible within the US. However in case you’re searching for a telephone at an identical value level, see our round-up of the very best funds telephones for our prime suggestions.
Do you have to purchase the Moto G86 5G?
Within the crowded funds market, the Moto G86 makes a convincing impression. Its brilliant show and sturdy physique give it an edge in relation to construct high quality, and it performs nicely sufficient whereas toeing the road fairly near inventory Android.
That mentioned, telephones just like the CMF Telephone 2 Professional and Samsung’s Galaxy A15 5G ship comparable efficiency with quicker charging or longer software program assist. Furthermore, whereas the 5,200 mAh battery will comfortably final a day, it doesn’t match the longevity of its near-identical sibling, the Moto G86 Energy, which solely prices £20 extra at RRP.
In case you discover the G86 for beneath £250, it’s a strong, reliable purchase that does most issues nicely with out main compromise. However at its retail value of £280, it sits in a no-man’s-land: competent, sure, however not distinctive, and most clients will discover it laborious to not really feel that the usual G86 has been overshadowed earlier than it even will get going.
Specs
- Android 15
- Show 6.67in, 2712 × 1220 (FHD+) P-OLED, 120Hz, HDR10+
- MediaTek Dimensity 7300
- RAM 8GB
- Storage 256GB, expandable as much as 1TB microSD
- Entrance Digicam 32MP
- Rear Cameras 50MP f/1.9 (OIS, PDAF, Quad Pixel, LED flash) + 8MP f/2.2 (Extremely-wide
- Optical in-screen fingerprint reader, Face Unlock
- 5G NR (SA, NSA), 4G LTE-A, 3G WCDMA, 2G GSM
- Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6, twin band)
- Bluetooth 5.4
- USB Kind-C 2.0
- Battery 5200mAh, 30W wired charging, non-removable
- 161.2 × 74.7 × 7.8 mm
- 185g
- Water/Mud Resistance IP69, MIL-STD-810 licensed
- Gorilla Glass 7i plastic body, plastic again
- SIM Twin Nano SIM + eSIM
- Spellbound, Golden Cypress, Cosmic Sky, Chrysanthemum