Motorola has evolved a lot as a brand, and it's had quite the journey over the years to find a comfortable spot in the market. It continues to have a special place in the heart of consumers for churning out a variety of phones. Motorola also has a strong footing in the United States with a diverse portfolio that includes both flagship and budget options. Plenty of Motorola phones have already made it to our collection of the best cheap phones and the best Android phones overall, but I wanted to highlight all the best Motorola phones separately to give you a better idea of what to expect from the brand's diverse portfolio in the U.S. Let's dive in!
Our favorite Motorola phones in 2023
Motorola Edge+ (2023)
Easily one of the best affordable flagships you can buy in the U.S.
The 2023 flagship Edge+ brings an impressive spec sheet and an affordable price. From the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor to the 165Hz pOLED display, Motorola is offering North Americans perhaps its most complete high-end phone in years.
- Great overall performance
- Motorola's software continues to shine
- Excellent battery life
- Not available at carriers
- Only available in one configuration
The new 2023 Edge+ model is currently the best Motorola phone you can buy in the United States. It brings some notable upgrades over the previous-gen model to take the top spot in this roundup. There's a lot to like about the new Edge+ model, making it an easy recommendation to those who don't want to open their wallets to $1,000 flagships.
The 2023 Motorola Edge+ brings an impressive spec sheet that includes a 6.7-inch pOLED FHD+ panel with support for up to 165Hz refresh rate. It's one of the smoothest smartphone displays you'll ever use, which automatically makes it slightly better than many other phones out there. Not a lot of apps take full advantage of the 165Hz panel but it certainly feels very smooth. The device also looks and feels great in hand thanks to the quad-curved glass panel that Motorola is using for this particular model.
As far as the other specs are concerned, it's powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip which is currently the best Qualcomm chip out there for flagship phones. Motorola is only selling the 8GB RAM + 512GB storage configuration of the phone in the U.S., so keep that in mind. It also offers excellent battery life, and the cameras are on par with many other high-end phones out there in 2023 too. I recommend reading our Moto Edge+ (2023) review to learn more about the phone in detail before making a purchase decision.
Motorola Edge 30 Fusion
The best-looking Motorola phone hands down
The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion is a solid option to consider if you don't want to spend top dollar on a smartphone. It packs a good set of internals, and it also comes in a bunch of pretty colors including the Viva Magenta.
- Premium build with a beautiful design
- Super smooth 144Hz display
- Only an IP52 rating
- No telephoto camera
The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion is also a pretty good phone to consider if you don't want to spend a lot of money on your purchase. This smartphone can be had for as little as $450 right now, making it a solid alternative to the Edge+ model. Motorola recently debuted the Viva Magenta color variant of this phone in the U.S., which essentially uses the Pantone Color of the Year. It's easily one of the best-looking phones in the U.S. right now.
As far as the specifications are concerned, the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Plus chip with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. You can also add a microSD card to expand the storage further up to 1TB. On the front, there's a 6.5-inch pOLED display that is capable of a 144Hz refresh rate, with support for HDR10+.
You also get a dual-camera setup at the back which includes a 50MP main and a 13MP ultrawide sensor. You also get a 32MP front shooter to handle the selfies. The highlight of the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion, however, is its 4,400mAh battery. The phone also supports 68W charging, with which you can quickly top up the battery. The Motorola Edge 30 Fusion is a solid phone overall, and it's hard to go wrong with for $500. The Viva Magenta colors also make it special, and it looks better than a lot of other phones in this price range.
Moto G 5G (2023)
A good value for money pick, but keep your expectations in check.
The Moto G (2023) is $150 cheaper than its predecessor and comes with a 6.5-inch LCD 120Hz display, Snapdragon 480+ processor, 4GB of RAM, dual rear cameras, and a big 5,000mAh battery.
- Fantastic battery life
- Clean software with useful additions
- 120Hz refresh rate screen
- The cameras could've been better
- No NFC for mobile payments
It's tough to ignore the 2023 Moto G 5G model in the budget space as it remains one of the value picks in 2023. This new model brings a lot of quality-of-life improvements over its predecessor to become the best value pick in this roundup. It only costs $50 more than the last-gen model and the extra year of software support alone might be worth the premium as you'll be able to use it for longer.
There's nothing extraordinary about the new Moto G 5G model, but it looks great and performs better than other sub-$300 phones in its segment. It sports a 6.5-inch LCD panel with support for up to 120Hz refresh rate. The Snapdragon 480+ also allows you to go about your day-to-day tasks without a hitch, and you also get a massive 5,000mAh battery to keep its lights on for at least two days with moderate usage.
The only downside to buying the Moto G 5G is that you'll have to keep your expectations in check when it comes to the optics. The dual camera setup at the back of the new Moto G 5G model which includes a 48MP main and a 2MP macro could've been better. You'll see some disappointing results in our Moto G 5G (2023) review, so be sure to check it out if you're planning to buy this phone. Also, note that there's no NFC on this phone, meaning you can't use it for contactless payments and such.
Moto G Play 2023
Best for casual users on a budget
The Moto G Play (2023) is a solid budget smartphone for those on a tight budget. It's nice to see a high refresh display at this price point that offers good colors. The cameras are decent, and the battery life is fantastic. However, overall performance is sluggish, and apps will hang up from time to time.
- Smooth 90Hz display
- Excellent battery life
- Lots of performance stutters
- Only 10W wired charging with no NFC or wireless charging
The Moto G Play 2023 is one of the newest Motorola phones to arrive in the U.S. this year. It sells for $170 at full price, making it an affordable option in Motorola's growing lineup of phones. It's also frequently discounted, so you'll likely be paying less than the full price. It's very similar to the Moto G Stylus (2022) model, but it ditches the stylus to keep the price low. It gets all the basics right, and you can rely on it to deliver a good overall experience for day-to-day usage.
The Moto G Play (2023) is made out of plastic, but it comes with a matte finish at the back for a premium feel. It's powered by the Helio G37 SoC and is paired with up to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. One of the best things about this phone is that it packs a 6.5-inch on the front with support for up to 90Hz refresh rate.
This particular phone also packs a massive 5,000mAh battery which will last you for a long time on a single charge. It only supports 10W wired charging, though, so keep that in mind. There's nothing to write home about the triple camera setup at the back, but they should suffice for a casual user. Some other highlights of the Moto G Play (2023) include a 3.5mm headphone jack, an IP52 rating, and more.
Moto G Stylus (2023)
The convenience of stylus, on a budget.
The Moto G Stylus (2023) continues Motorola's run of excellent budget smartphones with a built-in stylus. For a device with a launch price of $200, it performs well, has excellent battery life, and offers users a digital notebook in their pocket without destroying their bank accounts.
- Fantastic battery life
- Stylus works well
- Macro lens should be an ultrawide
- No 5G
The 2023 model of the Moto G Stylus costs $200 or less, and it comes with a built-in stylus that sets it apart from the other phones in its segment. It may not be as sophisticated as Samsung's top-tier Galaxy S23 Ultra model, but it covers all the basics and works very well for all the basic tasks. You can use it to scribble, doodle, take notes, or just use it for day-to-day workloads.
The best thing about this phone is that it automatically launches the Moto Note app when you take out the stylus while the screen is off. You can use it to jot down some quick notes without even unlocking the screen, which is very handy. Motorola has also included a bunch of tools to let you take full advantage of this stylus, so you'll have a lot to explore.
As far as the specs are concerned, the Moto G Stylus 2023 model sports a 6.5-inch HD+ LCD panel with a 90Hz refresh rate on the front. It's powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 processor coupled with up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It's not the most powerful phone on the market, but it'll get the job done. It doesn't support 5G, but it has excellent battery life thanks to the 5,000mAh unit with support for up to 15W wired charging.
Motorola recently launched the 5G version of its new 2023 Moto G Stylus model, and it's shaping up to be a better budget pick for stylus enthusiasts. I'll have more to talk about it soon, so stay tuned to see how it improves upon this regular Moto G Stylus model.
Motorola Moto G Power (2023)
The new undisputed battery champ!
The Moto G Power features impressive battery life, a great screen, and is priced just right. But it's lacking in areas like performance and cameras.
- Excellent battery life
- Big improvement over last year
- Takes poor images
- No NFC
The Moto G Power 2023 model builds upon the merits of its predecessor to deliver a significantly better package. The highlight of the phone once again is the battery life. This particular phone packs a 5,000mAh battery that can keep up with all your needs and go the distance. It's one of those phones that'll let you leave the charger at home on a weekend trip. You can't say that for a lot of modern phones out there.
The only downside to having such a massive battery is that the Moto G Power takes forever to charge. It tops out at 15W charging and only comes with a 10W adapter in the box, so be ready to leave it plugged in for a long time. It would be nice to have support for faster charging, but you'll have to wait for the next year's model for that.
As for the specifications, the Moto G Power (2023) sports a large 6.5-inch 120Hz 1080p screen. The performance is handled by MediaTek's 930 (6nm) processor coupled with 6GB of RAM. It's a pretty good leap from the previous model that was powered by a MediaTek Helio G37 processor and had 4GB of RAM. It's not going to win any awards with its performance, but it'll get the job done. The triple camera setup at the back could've been better, and it clearly wasn't the focus for this phone.
Motorola RAZR 2022
The iconic flip phone with a folding screen
The 2022 Moto Razr model isn't available in the U.S. through the official retail channels, but you can still import the international variant.
- A beautiful set of displays
- Comes with Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip
- Not available in the U.S.
- The battery life could've been better
Motorola's new 2023 Razr and Razr+ models are yet to go on sale in the U.S., so I am going to leave you with the last year's Moto Razr model as the best folding phone in this roundup for now. This China-exclusive Moto Razr model brings a few notable upgrades to the table. It upgrades the processor to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and packs a 144Hz main foldable display that also saw a drastic increase in size to 6.7 inches. However, the phone is still compact, as it can fold in half and weighs just 200g. The overall shape of the design has changed from the previous two Razr foldables, losing the relatively chunky bottom bezel for a more typical uniform border look. The main camera also got an upgrade to a 50MP, f/1.9 sensor with a larger 1/1.5-inch image sensor. There's also now an ultra-wide camera, which the previous Razrs did not have, allowing you to capture sweeping landscape photos.
The 2.7-inch outside cover screen remains as useful as ever, with the ability to display any app, though many apps will look odd in that cramped space. But it's still a useful option to, say, keep track of sports scores or work chat in one specific app you want to be displayed even when the device is folded. The bump to Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 plus the increase in battery size to 3,500 mAh has improved battery life a bit. This phone still can't be called an endurance king, but it should be able to go all day now on a more casual usage type of day — like a weekday. On a Saturday, if you're going out for an adventure, do make sure to bring a charger, which this phone still includes in the packaging.
Best Motorola phones in 2023: Final say
I'll update this ever-evolving roundup to include newer options once they're available to purchase in the U.S. But in the meantime, the Moto Edge+ (2023) is my pick for the best Motorola phone overall. It packs a big and bright OLED panel with support for up to 165Hz refresh rate. You also get Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip which is among the best mobile chips out there in 2023. You also get a good set of cameras on this phone with a 50MP main sensor and a 60MP selfie shooter. The 2023 model of Edge+ also supports 5G, and it's compatible with all major carriers in the U.S. The Moto Edge 30 Fusion comes close, but the Edge+ takes the lead with a better chipset, more capable camera sensors, and a bigger battery.
Motorola Edge+ (2023)
The 2023 flagship Edge+ brings an impressive spec sheet and an affordable price. From the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor to the 165Hz pOLED display, Motorola is offering North Americans perhaps its most complete high-end phone in years.
I've also added some other options, including the Razr foldable and some good budget phones, so be sure to explore the full list before making a purchase decision. Moto's new Razr and Razr+ foldables also look promising, but I suggest you wait for our reviews before you drop your money on them. You might want to stop by our collection of the best foldable phones in the meantime.