Best Motorola phone 2024: Which Moto is right for you?

Motorola might not attract the frenzied hype of Apple and Samsung smartphones, but its smartphones are usually great alternatives, especially if money is a bit tight.

Catering to lighter wallets doesn’t mean that Motorola phones are lacking in quality, either. The ever-popular G-series models often have features that were previously unheard of for the price, while the mid-range Edge series of handsets offer extra quality for a little extra money. There’s even a rugged Moto for accident-prone buyers.

With so much to choose from, we’ve saved you time and listed our favourite Motorola models below, considering all-important factors from cost to battery life. After a read of our rundown, you’ll know which Motorola phone is best suited to your needs and budget.

Best Motorola phone: At a glance

How we test Motorola phones

We test a Motorola handset using the same benchmarks and testing criteria as we do for other Android and iPhone reviews. We begin by running the Geekbench and GFXBench applications, found on the Google Play store, to assess CPU processing speed and GPU rendering performance.

Next, we examine the display. Using a combination of a display colorimeter and the DisplayCAL software, we note the colour accuracy of a handset’s screen as well its peak brightness and contrast. Then we move on to battery life: we set the screen to a standardised brightness, switch off all data connections and play a looped video until the phone runs out of power. Thereafter, we charge the phone back up again, recording how long it takes to get back to full power.

Finally, we test a Motorola device’s cameras under a variety of lighting conditions, including indoors and in low light, being sure to use all lenses and shooting modes available.

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The best Motorola smartphones you can buy in 2024

1. Motorola Edge 50 Fusion: Best Motorola phone

Price when reviewed: £300 | Check price at Motorola

• Great for… fantastic stamina and a flawless display
• Not so great for… no MicroSD slot and ultrawide camera is only okay

It may not be a flagship but for the quality you get versus the money you put down, the Edge 50 Fusion is the Motorola handset to beat. The battery life is especially excellent, lasting for 27 hours in our testing, and the bundled 68W charger can bring the battery back to full in under 40 minutes.

The screen feels like it belongs on a more expensive phone. The 144Hz refresh rate is admittedly overkill but the 2,400 x 1,080 resolution is nice and crisp, the peak brightness is terrific and colour accuracy is some of the best you can get at this price. Equally, the main camera is a cut above, producing crisp, colourful images in good lighting and moody yet detailed shots at night.

The ultrawide shooter isn’t as impressive, with a drop off in detail towards the edges of the frame, and you don’t get quality of life features like a 3.5mm headphone jack or a microSD card slot. Other than that, the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion is without flaw and at this price, it’s an absolute bargain.

Read our full Motorola Edge 50 Fusion review for more details

Key specs – Processor: Octa-core 2.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2; Display: 6.7in, 2,400 x 1,080; Storage: 256GB; Cameras: 50MP, 13MP (wide); Operating system: Android 14; Weight: 175g

2. Motorola Moto G54 5G: Best budget Motorola phone

Price when reviewed: £139 | Check price at Amazon

• Great for… colour-accurate display and fantastic main camera
• Not so great for… only one OS update and poor low-light photography

The Motorola Moto G54 5G isn’t just the best-value option in the brand’s affordable G-series, it’s the best budget phone you can buy right now. The display is a big improvement over the previous generation, bumping back up to a 1080p resolution and hitting some of the best colour accuracy we’ve ever recorded, and the performance results were above average in our benchmark tests.

The main camera shoots above its weight class as well, with rich colour and strong exposure balance, though you’ll want good lighting for the best pictures – after dark, things get grainy very quickly. Battery life is solid, albeit not as good as the Moto G53 5G, and the software is straightforward but support is fairly measly, with only one OS upgrade promised.

Even still, these gripes are minor enough that they don’t derail everything that the Moto G54 5G gets right. If you fancy a Motorola and want to get the most bang for as few bucks as possible, this is the one to choose.

Read our full Motorola Moto G54 5G review for more details

Key specs – Processor: 2.2GHz MediaTek Dimensity 7020; Display: 6.5in, 2,400 x 1,080; Storage: 256GB; Cameras: 50MP, 2MP (macro); Operating system: Android 13; Weight: 177g

3. Motorola Razr 50 Ultra: Best Motorola foldable

Price when reviewed: £999 | Check price at Motorola

• Great for… excellent external display and effective telephoto camera
• Not so great for… rivals are faster and have better software support

The Razr 50 Ultra isn’t just Motorola’s best clamshell, it’s the best compact foldable phone you can buy from any brand. The external display is larger and sharper than anything else on the market, the water resistance is upgraded to IPX8 and, in a first for flip phones, the ultrawide camera is here replaced with a 50MP 2x telephoto lens.

The internal display is as beautiful as ever, with one of the most discreet hinge creases on any foldable, and the design as a whole is sleek and comfortable to use, with a range of eye-catching colours to choose from. Performance is good, showing a decent uptick over the previous generation in our testing, though the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is still faster and offers a superior seven years of software support. Even still, the Razr is cheaper and as a whole, offers you much more flip phone for your money.

Read our full Motorola Razr 50 Ultra review for more details

Key specs – Processor: Octa-core 3.0GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3; Display: 6.9in, 2,640 x 1,080 (Cover screen: 4in, 1,272 x 1,080); Storage: 512GB; Cameras: 50MP, 50MP (2x telephoto); Operating system: Android 14; Weight: 189g

5. Motorola Moto G84 5G: Best budget Moto for battery life

Price when reviewed: £242 | Check price at Amazon

• Great for… extensive battery life and gorgeous OLED display
• Not so great for… middling performance and limited software support

It doesn’t last quite as long as the above Edge 50 Fusion but if you want to go even cheaper, the Moto G84 5G is a respectable second place in the battery race, lasting for 26hrs 24mins in our testing. Paired with this extensive stamina is a gorgeous and technically flawless OLED display. As well as the outstanding contrast and black levels offered by all OLEDs, this panel recorded fantastic colour accuracy in our tests, as well as an impressive peak brightness of 747cd/m2.

In good lighting, the main camera delivers sharp, vibrant images and even after dark, things still look pretty good. There’s still some visual noise to contend with, but as far as budget night cameras go, this is easily one of the best. Unfortunately, performance doesn’t keep up with the rest of the package, delivering middling results in our tests, and software support tops out with Android 14.

That being said, the battery life here is so impressive that it makes up for the shortcomings, making the Moto G84 5G a great choice for those who are sick of constantly reaching for the charger.

Read our full Motorola Moto G84 5G review for more details

Key specs – Processor: 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G; Display: 6.5in, 2,400 x 1,080; Storage: 256GB; Cameras: 50MP, 8MP (ultrawide); Operating system: Android 13; Weight: 169g