The Moto G Play and Moto G series have always been about budget phones that offer excellent value for the money, and the Moto G Play (2024) and Moto G 5G (2024) are no different. The two Motorola phones bring solid hardware for their prices, including a smooth screen, a long-lasting battery, and Snapdragon chips for smooth performance. However, deep down, there are many differences that could change your decision.
In this detailed comparison, we’ll dive into all the important aspects you should know to make a better purchase decision.
Moto G Play (2024) vs Moto G 5G (2024): A detailed breakdown
Let’s look at what differentiates these two.
Pricing and availability
The Moto G Play (2024) only comes in a single variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, currently priced at $130.
The Moto G 5G (2024) has a slightly higher price tag of $170. It also has 4GB memory, but the storage is doubled to 128GB. There’s more to this Motorola phone than just bigger storage. We’ll get to them as we go through the remaining sections.
Both Motorola phones come in a single color option — ‘Sapphire Blue’ for Moto G Play and ‘Sage Green’ for Moto G 5G. They are widely available in the US and Canada.
Design and build
Both Motorola phones resemble typical budget phones, featuring thick bezels on all sides. However, it’s good to see hole-punch selfie cameras rather than a waterdrop style that takes more space to fit in the camera.
The rear designs are also similar, except that the Moto G 5G (2024) has an eco-leather back instead of a plastic one on the Moto G Play (2024). This provides better grip and protection against accidental drops, and it’s also less prone to fingerprint smudges.
Display
The Moto G Play has a 6.5-inch LCD screen with 90Hz refresh rate support. The Moto G 5G is narrowingly taller, at 6.6 inches, and offers a higher 120Hz refresh rate. However, both phones have the same HD+ screen resolution.
The Moto G Play does have better screen protection. It’s rocking a Corning Gorilla Glass 3, while the other Motorola phone doesn’t have any.
Performance and software
The Moto G Play (2024) is powered by a Snapdragon 680 chipset. The chipset offers smooth performance with regular day-to-day tasks. However, it lacks a 5G modem, which is why the Moto G Play doesn’t have 5G connectivity.
On the other hand, the Moto G (2024) has a more powerful Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 chipset with an integrated 5G modem.
Here are the benchmark results:
AnTuTu v10 performance
| Moto G Play (2024) | Moto G 5G (2024) | |
|---|---|---|
| AnTuTu score | 310,844 | 411,965 |
| CPU | 103,739 | 141,933 |
| GPU | 40,081 | 72,835 |
| Memory | 92,162 | 89,092 |
| UX | 74,862 | 108,105 |
In the AnTuTu benchmark, the Moto G 5G (2024) delivers a 32% overall performance boost compared to the Moto G Play (2024). The biggest leap comes from the GPU, where it scores over 81% higher, suggesting much better performance in gaming and graphics-heavy tasks.
CPU performance is up by 36%, and the UX score is 44% higher, which translates to faster app launches, smoother multitasking, and a more fluid and responsive user experience.
Both Motorola phones offer clean software, but the update policy is a big letdown — just one Android update. This has been one of the weakest areas of Motorola phones, and the company really needs to take care of it.
Geekbench v6 performance
| Moto G Play (2024) | Moto G 5G (2024) | |
|---|---|---|
| Single Core | 416 | 825 |
| Multi Core | 1,452 | 1,878 |
In Geekbench tests, the Moto G 5G (2024) shows a dramatic 98% boost in single-core performance compared to the Moto G Play (2024). This means everyday tasks like app launches, browsing, and UI responsiveness would feel a lot faster.
There’s a 29% improvement in multi-core performance, which helps with heavier workloads like multitasking, background processes, or using more demanding apps.
Camera
The Moto G Play features a single 50MP camera on the back. It produces decent shots in bright conditions with good details and color accuracy. The quality drops dramatically in low light, and photos generally appear blurry.
The 8MP selfie camera does a fairly good job for its price. Sometimes, the images may appear inconsistent because there’s no autofocus. The video quality is particularly exciting from all cameras. Also, there’s no 4K recording.
The Moto G 5G (2024) also has a 50MP primary camera that does an excellent job for its price. It produces natural-looking photos during the day, with good color accuracy, white balance, and dynamic range. The low-light performance is much improved compared to previous generations, with faster capture and better control over noise and dynamic range.
There’s also a 2MP macro camera on the rear side that doesn’t add much value to the device. The shots lack much detail and appear pixelated. The Moto G 5G can record up to 1080p videos from both sides with acceptable quality.
Connectivity
Both phones have all the necessary connectivity options, such as Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, and multiple positioning systems. However, there’s something that creates a significant difference between the two, and that’s 5G support. The Moto G 5G (2024) supports 5G, but the Moto G Play (2024) doesn’t.
Battery and charging
Both Motorola phones have excellent battery life, easily lasting more than a day on regular usage. Battery-conscious users might be able to stretch it to two days on a single charge. By the way, the phones come with a 5,000mAh battery.
The Moto G Play’s charging peaks at 15W, while the Moto G 5G offers a slightly better 18W charging over a USB-C cable. Neither has wireless charging support.
| Moto G Play (2024) | Moto G 5G (2024) | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | Jan 2024 | Mar 2025 |
| Dimensions Weight | 163.8 x 75 x 8.3mm 185g | 164.4 x 75 x 8.2mm 194g |
| Display | 6.5″ IPS LCD 720 x 1600 pixels resolution 90Hz refresh rate Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | 6.6″ IPS LCD 720 x 1612 pixels resolution 120Hz refresh rate |
| Processor | Snapdragon 680 4G (6nm) Adreno 610 GPU | Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 (6nm) Adreno 619 GPU |
| Software | Android 13 1 OS update | Android 14 1 OS update |
| Rear camera | 50MP – f/1.8, PDAF Video: 1080p/30fps | 50MP (main) – f/1.8, PDAF 2MP (macro) – f/2.4 Video: 1080/30fps |
| Front camera | 8MP (wide) – f/2.0 Video: 1080p/30fps | 8MP (wide) – f/2.0 Video: 1080p/30fps |
| Battery Charging | 5,000mAh 15W (wired) | 5,000mAh 18W (wired) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 5.1 USB Type-C 2.0 | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth USB Type-C 2.0 |
| Misc | Stereo speakers 3.5mm headphone jack Fingerprint (side-mounted) | Stereo speakers 3.5mm headphone jack Fingerprint (side-mounted) |
Moto G Play (2024) vs Moto G 5G (2024): Which is a better deal?
The Moto G Play (2024) and Moto G 5G (2024) both deliver impressive value for their price, staying true to Motorola’s goal of offering budget-friendly smartphones with dependable performance. They share many key features like large 5,000mAh batteries, HD+ displays, and clean software — making them both solid picks for casual users.
However, the Moto G 5G (2024) clearly pulls ahead in several important areas. It offers a significantly faster chipset with nearly double the single-core performance and 81% better GPU scores, which translates into smoother multitasking, better gaming, and a longer-lasting experience overall. It also gives you double the storage, a higher 120Hz refresh rate, eco-leather back, improved camera capabilities, and faster 18W charging — all for just $40 more.
If your usage is light and you’re looking for the most affordable option with great battery life and smooth everyday performance, the Moto G Play (2024) won’t disappoint. But for anyone wanting a more future-proof phone with 5G support and meaningful performance upgrades, the Moto G 5G (2024) is the better deal by far.
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