Best Motorola phone 2024: Which Moto is right for you?
With so many Motorola phones to choose from, it can be hard to tell them apart. We’ve got you covered with options suited to all budgets
Motorola might not attract the frenzied hype of Apple and Samsung devices, 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
| Best budget Motorola phone | Motorola Moto G54 5G (~£143) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best Motorola flip phone | Motorola Razr 40 Ultra (~£600) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best budget Moto for battery life | Motorola Moto G84 5G (~£194) | Check price at Amazon |
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.
READ NEXT: The best budget smartphones to buy
The best Motorola smartphones you can buy in 2024
1. Motorola Edge 30 Ultra: Best Motorola phone
Price when reviewed: £700 | Check price at John Lewis
- Great for… excellent 144Hz OLED display and speedy fast charging
- Not so great for… limited waterproofing and only okay cameras
After producing a slew of excellent budget phones – many of which appear below – Motorola delivered a killer surprise in the form of the Edge 30 Ultra. Performance manages to keep up with flagships that cost hundreds of pounds more, the OLED screen is colour accurate and supports a buttery smooth 144Hz refresh rate and the 25-hour battery life is among the best we’ve tested. Even when depleted, the bundled 125W fast charger can juice the battery back up to full in just 20 minutes.
There are a couple of issues, however: the cameras aren’t as outstanding as the rest of the package, and weatherproofing is limited to IP52, so it doesn’t offer as much protection as other flagships. Still, it’s hard to focus too much on these minor problems when the Edge 30 Ultra delivers so much flagship quality for such an affordable price.
Read our full Motorola Edge 30 Ultra review for more details
Key specs – Processor: Octa-core 3.19GHz Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1; Display: 6.67in, 2,400 x 1,080; Storage: 256GB; Cameras: 200MP, 50MP (ultrawide), 12MP (3x zoom); Operating system: Android 12; Weight: 199g
2. Motorola Moto G54 5G: Best budget Motorola phone
Price when reviewed: £143 | 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 40 Ultra: Best Motorola flip phone
Price when reviewed: £600 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… large cover display and sleek design
- Not so great for… no performance improvements and nothing else of note
The Razr brand has a storied history, dating back to the first inception of the flip phone, and the latest entry into this hallowed lineup is the best one yet. The Motorola Razr 40 unfolds into a larger, sharper display than its predecessor, with the 6.9in panel featuring a 2,640 x 1,080 resolution and a blisteringly fast 165Hz refresh rate. Best of all, the display crease that crops up on all folding phones is barely noticeable here, proving much more subtle than the crease on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5.
Like the Flip 5, the Razr 40 Ultra also gets a new full-size external display, but once again, the Motorola gets the better deal. The 3.6in AMOLED panel has a stronger 1,066 x 1,056 resolution and a much faster 144Hz refresh rate. Not everything gets an update, and using last year’s processor sees the Razr 40 Ultra fall behind in performance speeds, but otherwise, this is Motorola’s best flip phone yet, and one of the best you can get on the market at large.
Read our full Motorola Razr 40 Ultra review for more details
Key specs – Processor: Octa-core 3.19GHz Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1; Display: 6.9in, 2,640 x 1,080 (cover: 3.6in, 1,066 x 1,056); Storage: 256GB; Cameras: 12MP, 13MP (ultrawide); Operating system: Android 13; Weight: 185g
4. Motorola Moto G13: Best Moto phone under £100
Price when reviewed: £90 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… plentiful features and solid battery life
- Not so great for… only a 720p display and mediocre cameras
As you’ll see from the rest of this list, Motorola has a wealth of affordable phones to choose from. However, if you want the best bang for the fewest bucks, there’s no better choice than the Motorola Moto G13. The 6.5in display, while only a 720p number, refreshes at a breezy 90Hz, and the colour accuracy is decent enough, considering the price.
Inside, the Moto G13 is kept ticking over by a MediaTek Helio G85 processor. This chipset achieved above-average performance compared to other similarly priced phones, and the battery went even further, lasting for around 20 hours in our looping video test. Throw in features such as a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD port, and the Motorola Moto G13 offers a whole lot of phone for very little money.
Read our full Motorola Moto G13 review for more details
Key specs – Processor: Octa-core 2GHz MediaTek Helio G85; Display: 6.5in 1,600 x 720; Storage: 128GB; Cameras: 50MP, 2MP (macro), 2MP (depth); Operating system: Android 13; Weight: 184g
5. Motorola Moto G84 5G: Best budget Moto for battery life
Price when reviewed: £194 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… extensive battery life and gorgeous OLED display
- Not so great for… middling performance and limited software support
Excellent stamina in budget phones usually denotes a weaker display that requires less power to run, but the Motorola Moto G84 5G bucks this trend by pairing fantastic battery life with 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
6. Motorola Defy (2021): Best Moto for durability
Price when reviewed: £180 | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… durable design and decent battery life
- Not so great for… middling performance and outdated software
The Motorola Defy isn’t like other smartphones. As rugged and hard-wearing as it gets, the Moto Defy is built to withstand military standards of pressure from extreme temperatures and repeated drops (tested from heights of 1.8m onto a steel surface). Despite all this, it somehow retains a smartphone-style appearance, even if it is a bit on the thick side.
The Defy is getting on in years now, so performance isn’t quite as strong as more recent phones around this price, but it’s not terrible either. Equally, the battery life did well enough in our tests, lasting for over 20 hours on a single charge.
If you’re after a high-performance phone, this list has better options for the money, but if you live an outdoorsy life or you’re just a bit clumsy, then the Motorola Defy is a great fit for your day-to-day needs.
Read our full Motorola Defy (2021) review for more details
Key specs – Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 662; Display: 6.5in, 1,600 x 720; Storage: 64GB; Cameras: 48MP, 2MP (macro), 2MP (depth); Operating system: Android 10; Weight: 232g
