For years, Motorola has led the budget smartphone market in the US with its Moto G series, but these phones were never very exciting. Alternatives like the Google Pixel 3A or the new Nothing Phone (2a) usually offered more features, better performance, nicer designs, and better cameras for just a bit more money.

Motorola Moto G Power 5G: NFC Support

Motorola's budget phones lacked NFC support, which is used for tap-to-pay at stores and stations. This feature has been standard on many cheaper phones, but Motorola left it out of its phones for nearly a decade. The new Moto G Power 5G changes this and is the best Moto G phone ever, possibly the best phone around AED 1000:00 right now.

Motorola Moto G Power 5G: New Design and Feel

Make sure you're looking at the Moto G Power 5G for 2024, as the name hasn't changed in years. The new version looks and feels great with a textured vegan leather back that resists fingerprints, though dust can get stuck in the grooves. 

Motorola Moto G Power 5G: Display and Features

It's easy to forget this phone costs. The 6.7-inch LCD is sharp and readable even in bright sunlight. The speakers are decent, there's a 3.5-mm headphone jack, and the side-mounted fingerprint sensor works well.

Motorola Moto G Power 5G: Performance

Performance is strong too, thanks to MediaTek's Dimensity 7020 chipset and 8 GB of RAM. There are occasional stutters, but overall, it's smooth and responsive. The 5,000-mAh battery lasts a full day of heavy use, and it even supports wireless charging, which is rare for phones of this type. This makes charging more convenient.

Motorola Moto G Power 5G: NFC and Gestures

Finally, Motorola has added NFC support to Moto G Power 5G. Motorola's signature gestures are also included, like twisting the phone to open the camera or chopping to turn on the flashlight. The software is a clean version of Android 14.

The main downside is that the Moto G Power 2024 will only get one OS upgrade, to Android 15. Competing phones like the Nothing Phone (2a) get three OS upgrades, and Samsung's A35 5G gets four. However, Motorola promises three years of security updates.

Motorola Moto G Power 5G: Pre-installed Apps and Glance Feature

Motorola has also added more pre-installed apps recently, but many can be uninstalled. There's a new feature called Glance that shows news and sports scores on the lock screen, which can be turned off if not needed.

Motorola Moto G Power 5G: Camera Quality

The camera isn't the best but is better than before. It has a 50-MP main sensor and an 8-MP ultrawide that also works as a macro camera. While the Nothing Phone (2a) takes better pictures, the Moto G Power 5G's photos are still good for the price. Night mode improves low-light shots, though colors can be off and images may be noisy. Overall, it takes decent photos for a phone around AED 1000:00.

Using budget phones can be frustrating, but this is not the case with the Moto G Power 5G. If you're looking for a cheap phone around AED 1000:00, the Nothing Phone (2a) is the top choice, with the Moto G Power 5G a close second.